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

[Sidenote: And in his graue rain'd]
Fare you well my Doue.

Laer . Had'st thou thy wits, and did'st perswade Reuenge, it could not moue thus.

Ophe . You must sing downe a-downe, and
[Sidenote: sing a downe a downe, And] you call him[9] a-downe-a. Oh, how the wheele[10] becomes it? It is the false Steward that stole his masters daughter.[11]

Laer . This nothings more then matter.[12]

Ophe . There's Rosemary,[13] that's for Remembraunce. Pray loue remember: and there is [Sidenote: , pray you loue] Paconcies, that's for Thoughts. [Sidenote: Pancies[14]]

Laer . A document[15] in madnesse, thoughts and remembrance fitted.

Ophe . There's Fennell[16] for you, and Columbines[16]: ther's Rew[17] for you, and heere's some for

[Footnote 1: 'pierce as directly to your judgment.'

But the simile of the day seems to favour the reading of the
Q. -'peare,' for appear . In the word level would then be indicated the rising sun.]

[Footnote 2: Not in Q. ]

[Footnote 3: 1st Q. 'Enter Ofelia as before .']

[Footnote 4: To render it credible that Laertes could entertain the vile proposal the king is about to make, it is needful that all possible influences should be represented as combining to swell the commotion of his spirit, and overwhelm what poor judgment and yet poorer conscience he had. Altogether unprepared, he learns Ophelia's pitiful condition by the sudden sight of the harrowing change in her-and not till after that hears who killed his father and brought madness on his sister.]

[Footnote 5: 1st Q.

I'st possible a yong maides life,
Should be as mortall as an olde mans sawe?]

[Footnote 6: delicate, exquisite.]

[Footnote 7: 'where 'tis fine': I suggest that the it here may be impersonal: 'where things , where all is fine,' that is, 'in a fine soul'; then the meaning would be, 'Nature is fine always in love, and where the soul also is fine, she sends from it' &c. But the where may be equal, perhaps, to whereas . I can hardly think the phrase means merely ' and where it is in love .' It might intend-'and where Love is fine, it sends' &c. The 'precious instance of itself,' that is, 'something that is a part and specimen of itself,' is here the 'young maid's wits': they are sent after the 'old man's life.'-These three lines are not in the Quarto. It is not disputed that they are from Shakspere's hand: if the insertion of these be his, why should the omission of others not be his also?]

[Footnote 8: This line is not in Q. ]

[Footnote 9: ' if you call him': I think this is not a part of the song, but is spoken of her father.]

[Footnote 10: the burden of the song : Steevens.]

[Footnote 11: The subject of the ballad.]

[Footnote 12: 'more than sense'-in incitation to revenge.]

[Footnote 13: -an evergreen, and carried at funerals: Johnson .

For you there's rosemary and rue; these keep
Seeming and savour ail the winter long:
Grace and remembrance be to you both.

The Winter's Tale , act iv. sc. 3.]

[Footnote 14: penseés .]

[Footnote 15: a teaching, a lesson -the fitting of thoughts and remembrance, namely-which he applies to his intent of revenge. Or may it not rather be meant that the putting of these two flowers together was a happy hit of her madness, presenting the fantastic emblem of a document or writing-the very idea of which is the keeping of thoughts in remembrance?]

[Footnote 16: -said to mean flattery and thanklessness -perhaps given to the king.]

[Footnote 17: Repentance -given to the queen. Another name of the plant was Herb-Grace , as below, in allusion, doubtless, to its common name- rue or repentance being both the gift of God, and an act of grace.]

[Page 208]

me. Wee may call it Herbe-Grace a Sundaies:
[Sidenote: herbe of Grace a Sondaies, you may weare] Oh you must weare your Rew with a difference.[1] There's a Daysie,[2] I would giue you some Violets,[3] but they wither'd all when my Father dyed: They say, he made a good end; [Sidenote: say a made]

For bonny sweet Robin is all my ioy.

Laer . Thought, and Affliction, Passion, Hell it selfe:
[Sidenote: afflictions,] She turnes to Fauour, and to prettinesse.

[Sidenote: Song. ]

Ophe. And will he not come againe , [Sidenote: will a not]
And will he not come againe : [Sidenote: will a not]
No, no, he is dead, go to thy Death-bed, He neuer wil come againe. His Beard as white as Snow , [Sidenote: beard was as]
All[4] Flaxen was his Pole: He is gone, he is gone, and we cast away mone, Gramercy[5] on his Soule. [Sidenote: God a mercy on] And of all Christian Soules, I pray God.[6]
[Sidenote: Christians soules,] God buy ye.[7] Exeunt Ophelia [8] [Sidenote: you.]

Laer . Do you see this, you Gods? [Sidenote: Doe you this ô God.]

King. Laertes , I must common[9] with your greefe, [Sidenote: commune] Or you deny me right: go but apart, Make choice of whom your wisest Friends you will, And they shall heare and iudge 'twixt you and me; If by direct or by Colaterall hand They finde vs touch'd,[10] we will our Kingdome giue, Our Crowne, our Life, and all that we call Ours To you in satisfaction. But if not, Be you content to lend your patience to vs,[11] And we shall ioyntly labour with your soule To giue it due content.

Laer . Let this be so:[12] His meanes of death,[13] his obscure buriall; [Sidenote: funerall,] No Trophee, Sword, nor Hatchment o're his bones,[14]

[Footnote 1: -perhaps the heraldic term. The Poet, not Ophelia, intends the special fitness of the speech. Ophelia means only that the rue of the matron must differ from the rue of the girl.]

[Footnote 2: 'the dissembling daisy': Greene -quoted by Henley .]

[Footnote 3: -standing for faithfulness: Malone , from an old song.]

[Footnote 4: ' All' not in Q. ]

[Footnote 5: Wherever else Shakspere uses the word, it is in the sense of grand merci-great thanks (Skeat's Etym. Dict.) ; here it is surely a corruption, whether Ophelia's or the printer's, of the Quarto reading, ' God a mercy ' which, spoken quickly, sounds very near
gramercy . The 1st Quarto also has 'God a mercy.']

[Footnote 6: 'I pray God.' not in Q. ]

[Footnote 7: 'God b' wi' ye': good bye. ]

[Footnote 8: Not in Q. ]

[Footnote 9: 'I must have a share in your grief.' The word does mean
commune , but here is more pregnant, as evidenced in the next phrase, 'Or you deny me right:'-'do not give me justice.']

[Footnote 10: 'touched with the guilt of the deed, either as having done it with our own hand, or caused it to be done by the hand of one at our side.']

[Footnote 11: We may paraphrase thus: 'Be pleased to grant us a loan of your patience,' that is, be patient for a while at our request , 'and we will work along with your soul to gain for it (your soul) just satisfaction.']

[Footnote 12: He consents-but immediately re-sums the grounds of his wrathful suspicion.]

[Footnote 13: -the way in which he met his death.]

[Footnote 14: -customary honours to the noble dead. A trophy was an arrangement of the armour and arms of the dead in a set decoration. The origin of the word hatchment shows its intent: it is a corruption of
achievement .]

[Page 210]

No Noble rite, nor formall ostentation,[1] Cry to be heard, as 'twere from Heauen to Earth, That I must call in question.[2] [Sidenote: call't in]

King . So you shall: And where th'offence is, let the great Axe fall. I pray you go with me.[3] Exeunt

Enter Horatio, with an Attendant . [Sidenote: Horatio and others .]

Hora . What are they that would speake with me?

Ser . Saylors sir, they say they haue Letters
[ Gent . Sea-faring men sir,] for you.

Hor . Let them come in,[4] I do not know from what part of the world I should be greeted, if not from Lord Hamlet .

Enter Saylor .