Ham. Mother, you have my father much offended. Queen. Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue. Ham. Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue. Queen. Have you forgot me? Ham. No, by the rood, not fo; You are the Queen, your husband's brother's wife, But, 'would you were not fo! - You are my mother. Queen. Nay, then I'll set those to you that can fpeak. Ham. Come, come, and fit you down; you shall You go not, 'till I set you up a glass [not budge: Where you may fee the inmost part of you. Queen. What wilt thou do? thou wilt not murder Queen. Oh me, what hast thou done? ther, As kill a King, and marry with his brother. Ham. Ay, Lady, 'twas my word. [To Polonius. I took thee for thy betters; take thy fortune; If damned custom have not brazed it so, Queen. What have I done, that thou darest wag In noise so rude against me? Ham. Such an act, [thy tongue That blurs the grace and blush of modesty; Queen. Ay me! what act, That roars fo loud, and thunders in the index? (49) A station, l'ke the herald Mercury, The Poet employs thi word in a sense different from what it is generally used to fignify; for it means here an attitude, a fi'ent posture, fixt demeanour of person, in oppofition to an active behaviour. So our Poet before, describing Octavia; Cleo. What majesty is in her gate? Remember, Meff. She creeps: Her motion and her station are as one. Anto. and Cleop. And I ought to observe, (which feems no bad proof of our Author's learning and knowledge) that among the Latins, the word ftatio, in its first and natural fignification, implied flantis actin, i. e. a posture, or attitude. This Monf. Fresnoy, in his Art of Painting, has chose to express by pofitura: New-lighted on a heaven-kiffing hill; have, (50) Querendasque inter pofituras, luminis, umbra, Which our Dryden has thus tranflated; "'Tis the business of a painter, in his choice of attitudes, to foresee the effect and harmony of the lights and shadows, with the colours which are to enter into the whole." And again, afterwards; Mutorumque filens pofitura imitabitur actus. Which I think may be thus rendered; What the mute figure should in gesture say. (50) fenfe, fure you have, &c.] Mr Pope has left out the quantity of about eight verses here, which I have taken care to replace. They are not, indeed, to be found in the two elder Folios, but they carry the stile, expreffion, and caft of thought, peculiar to our Author; and that they were not an interpolation from another hand needs no better proof than that they are in all the oldest Quartos. The first motive of their being left out, I am perfuaded, was to shorten Hemlet's speech, and confult the ease of the actor: and the reason why they find no place in the Folio impressions is, that they were printed from the playhouse caftrated copies. But, furely, this can be no authority for a modern editor to con spire in mutilating his author; fuch omiflions either must betray a want of diligence in collating, or a want of justice in the voluntary stifling. Elfe could you not have motion: but, fure, that O shame! where is thy blush? rebellious hell, Queen. O Hamlet, speak no more. Ham. Nay, but to live In the rank sweat of an incestuous bed, (51) Proclaim no hame, When the compulsive ardour gives the charge; And reason pardons with] This is, indeed, the reading of fome of the older copies; and Mr Pope has a strange fatality, whenever there is a various reading, of efpoufing the wrong one. The whole tenour of the context demands the word degraded by that judicious editor; And reafon panders will. This is the reflection which Hamlet is making, "Let us not call it shame when heat of blood compels young people to indulge their appetites; fince froft too can burn; and age, at that feafon when judgment should predominate, yet feels the stings of inclination, and fuffers reason to be the band to appetite." VOL. XII. K Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love Queen. Oh, fpeak no more; Ham. A murderer, and a villain !--------- That from a fhelf the precious diadem stole Queen. No more. Enter Ghost. Ham. A king of shreds and patches----Save me! and hover o'er me with your wings, [Starting up. You heavenly guards! what would your gracious [figure? Queen. Alas! he's mad----- Ghoft. Do not forget: this vifitation (52)A Vice of Kings;] This does not mean, a very vicious king; as on the other hand, in King Henry V. this grace of Kings, means this gracious King, this honour to royalty. But here I take it, a person, and not a quality, is to be understood. By a vice (as I have explained the word in several preceding notes) is meant that buffoon character which used to play the fool in old plays; so that Hamlet is here defigned to call his uncle, a ridiculous ape of majesty, but the mimiery of a king. F |