The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by George MacDonald (big ebook reader TXT) 📕

Were wont to take
[Sidenote: take such delight] delight in the Tragedians of the City.

Ham. How chances it they trauaile? their residence both in reputation and profit was better both wayes.

Rosin. I thinke their Inhibition comes by the meanes of the late Innouation?[10]

[Footnote 1: A genuine description, so far as it goes, of the state of Hamlet's mind. But he does not reveal the operating cause-his loss of faith in women, which has taken the whole poetic element out of heaven, earth, and humanity: he would have his uncle's spies attribute his condition to mere melancholy.]

[Footnote 2: -said angrily, I think.]

[Footnote 3: -a ready-witted subterfuge.]

[Footnote 4: came alongside of them; got up with them; apparently rather from Fr. côté than coter ; like accost . Compare 71. But I suspect it only means noted , observed , and is from coter .]

[Footnote 5: - with humorous imitation, perhaps, of each of the characters .]

[Footnote 6: -the man with a whim.]

[Footnote 7: This part of the speech-from [7] to [8], is not in the
Quarto .]

[Footnote 8: Halliwell gives a quotation in which the touch-hole of a pistol is called the sere : the sere , then, of the lungs would mean the opening of the lungs-the part with which we laugh: those 'whose lungs are tickled a' th' sere,' are such as are ready to laugh on the least provocation: tickled - irritable, ticklish -ready to laugh, as another might be to cough. 'Tickled o' the sere' was a common phrase, signifying, thus, propense .

1st Q. The clowne shall make them laugh
That are tickled in the lungs,]

[Footnote 9: Does this refer to the pause that expresses the unutterable? or to the ruin of the measure of the verse by an incompetent heroine?]

[Footnote 10: Does this mean, 'I think their prohibition comes through the late innovation,'-of the children's acting; or, 'I think they are prevented from staying at home by the late new measures,'-such, namely, as came of the puritan opposition to stage-plays? This had grown so strong, that, in 1600, the Privy Council issued an order restricting the number of theatres in London to two: by such an innovation a number of players might well be driven to the country.]

[Page 96]

Ham . Doe they hold the same estimation they did when I was in the City? Are they so follow'd?

Rosin . No indeed, they are not. [Sidenote: are they not.]

[1] Ham . How comes it? doe they grow rusty?

Rosin . Nay, their indeauour keepes in the wonted pace; But there is Sir an ayrie of Children,[2] little Yases,[3] that crye out[4] on the top of question;[5] and are most tyrannically clap't for't: these are now the fashion, and so be-ratled the common Stages[6] (so they call them) that many wearing Rapiers,[7] are affraide of Goose-quils, and dare scarse come thither.[8]

Ham . What are they Children? Who maintains 'em? How are they escoted?[9] Will they pursue the Quality[10] no longer then they can sing?[11] Will they not say afterwards if they should grow themselues to common Players (as it is like most[12] if their meanes are no better) their Writers[13] do them wrong, to make them exclaim against their owne Succession.[14]

Rosin . Faith there ha's bene much to do on both sides: and the Nation holds it no sinne, to tarre them[15] to Controuersie. There was for a while, no mony bid for argument, vnlesse the Poet and the Player went to Cuffes in the Question.[16]

Ham . Is't possible?

Guild . Oh there ha's beene much throwing about of Braines.

Ham . Do the Boyes carry it away?[17]

Rosin . I that they do my Lord, Hercules and his load too.[18]

Ham . It is not strange: for mine Vnckle is
[Sidenote: not very strange, | my] King of Denmarke, and those that would make mowes at him while my Father liued; giue twenty,
[Sidenote: make mouths]

[Footnote 1: The whole of the following passage, beginning with 'How comes it,' and ending with 'Hercules and his load too,' belongs to the
Folio alone-is not in the Quarto .

In the 1st Quarto we find the germ of the passage-unrepresented in the 2nd , developed in the Folio .

Ham . Players, what Players be they?

Ross . My Lord, the Tragedians of the Citty,
Those that you tooke delight to see so often.

Ham . How comes it that they trauell? Do
they grow restie?

Gil . No my Lord, their reputation holds as it was wont.

Ham . How then?

Gil . Yfaith my Lord, noueltie carries it away,
For the principall publike audience that
Came to them, are turned to priuate playes,[19]
And to the humour[20] of children.

Ham . I doe not greatly wonder of it,
For those that would make mops and moes
At my vncle, when my father liued, &c.]

[Footnote 2: a nest of children . The acting of the children of two or three of the chief choirs had become the rage.]

[Footnote 3: Eyases -unfledged hawks.]

[Footnote 4: Children cry out rather than speak on the stage.]

[Footnote 5: 'cry out beyond dispute'- unquestionably ; 'cry out and no mistake.' 'He does not top his part.' The Rehearsal , iii. 1.-' He is not up to it .' But perhaps here is intended above reason : 'they cry out excessively, excruciatingly.' 103.

This said, in top of rage the lines she rents,- A Lover's Complaint .]

[Footnote 6: I presume it should be the present tense, beratle -except the are of the preceding member be understood: 'and so beratled are the common stages.' If the present , then the children 'so abuse the grown players,'-in the pieces they acted, particularly in the new
arguments , written for them-whence the reference to goose-quills .]

[Footnote 7: -of the play-going public.]

[Footnote 8: -for dread of sharing in the ridicule.]

[Footnote 9: paid -from the French escot , a shot or reckoning: Dr. Johnson .]

[Footnote 10: -the quality of players; the profession of the stage.]

[Footnote 11: 'Will they cease playing when their voices change?']

[Footnote 12: Either will should follow here, or like and most must change places.]

[Footnote 13: 'those that write for them'.]

[Footnote 14: -what they had had to come to themselves.]

[Footnote 15: 'to incite the children and the grown players to controversy': to tarre them on like dogs : see King John , iv. 1.]

[Footnote 16: 'No stage-manager would buy a new argument, or prologue, to a play, unless the dramatist and one of the actors were therein represented as falling out on the question of the relative claims of the children and adult actors.']

[Footnote 17: 'Have the boys the best of it?']

[Footnote 18: 'That they have, out and away.' Steevens suggests that allusion is here made to the sign of the Globe Theatre-Hercules bearing the world for Atlas.]

[Footnote 19: amateur-plays.]

[Footnote 20: whimsical fashion.]

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forty, an hundred Ducates a peece, for his picture[1]
[Sidenote: fortie, fifty, a hundred] in Little.[2] There is something in this more then
[Sidenote: little, s'bloud there is] Naturall, if Philosophic could finde it out.

Flourish for tke Players .[3] [Sidenote: A Florish .]

Guil . There are the Players.

Ham . Gentlemen, you are welcom to Elsonower : your hands, come: The appurtenance of [Sidenote: come then, th'] Welcome, is Fashion and Ceremony. Let me [Sidenote: 260] comply with you in the Garbe,[4] lest my extent[5] to
[Sidenote: in this garb: let me extent] the Players (which I tell you must shew fairely outward) should more appeare like entertainment[6]
[Sidenote: outwards,] then yours.[7] You are welcome: but my Vnckle Father, and Aunt Mother are deceiu'd.

Guil . In what my deere Lord?

Ham . I am but mad North, North-West: when the Winde is Southerly, I know a Hawke from a Handsaw.[8]

Enter Polonius .

Pol . Well[9] be with you Gentlemen.

Ham . Hearke you Guildensterne , and you too: at each eare a hearer: that great Baby you see there, is not yet out of his swathing clouts.
[Sidenote: swadling clouts.]

Rosin . Happily he's the second time come to [Sidenote: he is] them: for they say, an old man is twice a childe.

Ham . I will Prophesie. Hee comes to tell me of the Players. Mark it, you say