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

[Sidenote: spirit, your] head.

Osr. I thanke your Lordship, 'tis very hot[10]
[Sidenote: Cour. | it is]

Ham. No, beleeue mee 'tis very cold, the winde is Northerly.

Osr. It is indifferent cold[11] my Lord indeed. [Sidenote: Cour. ]

Ham. Mee thinkes it is very soultry, and hot
[Sidenote: But yet me | sully and hot, or my] for my Complexion.[12]

Osr. Exceedingly, my Lord, it is very soultry, [Sidenote: Cour. ] as 'twere I cannot tell how: but my Lord,[13] his
[Sidenote: how: my Lord] Maiesty bad me signifie to you, that he ha's laid a
[Sidenote: that a had] [Sidenote: 244] great wager on your head: Sir, this is the matter.[14]

Ham. I beseech you remember.[15]

Osr. Nay, in good faith, for mine ease in good
[Sidenote: Cour. Nay good my Lord for my ease]

[Footnote 1: the great show; bravado.]

[Footnote 2: -with which fell in well the forms of his pretended madness. But that the passion was real, this reaction of repentance shows. It was not the first time his pretence had given him liberty to ease his heart with wild words. Jealous of the boastfulness of Laertes' affection, he began at once-in keeping with his assumed character of madman, but not the less in harmony with his feelings-to outrave him.]

[Footnote 3: One of the sort that would gather to such a king-of the same kind as Rosincrance and Guildensterne.

In the 1st Q. 'Enter a Bragart Gentleman .']

[Footnote 4: - to Horatio .]

[Footnote 5: 'Thou art the more in a state of grace, for it is a vice to know him.']

[Footnote 6: 'his manger shall stand where the king is served.' Wealth is always received by Rank-Mammon nowhere better worshipped than in kings' courts.]

[Footnote 7: ' a bird of the crow-family '-as a figure, ' always applied to rich and avaricious people .' A chuff is a surly clown . In Scotch a coof is 'a silly, dastardly fellow.']

[Footnote 8: land.]

[Footnote 9: 'friendship' is better than 'Lordshippe,' as euphuistic.]

[Footnote 10: 'I thanke your Lordship; ( puts on his hat ) 'tis very hot.']

[Footnote 11: 'rather cold.']

[Footnote 12: 'and hot-for my temperament.']

[Footnote 13: Not able to go on, he plunges into his message.]

[Footnote 14: - takes off his hat .]

[Footnote 15: -making a sign to him again to put on his hat.]

[Page 256]

faith[1]: Sir, [A] you are not ignorant of what excellence
Laertes [B] is at his weapon.[2] [Sidenote: Laertes is.[2]]

Ham . What's his weapon?[3]

Osr . Rapier and dagger. [Sidenote: Cour. ]

Ham . That's two of his weapons: but well.

Osr . The sir King ha's wag'd with him six
[Sidenote: Cour . The King sir hath wagerd] Barbary Horses, against the which he impon'd[4] as I
[Sidenote: hee has impaund] take it, sixe French Rapiers and Poniards, with

[Footnote A: Here in the Quarto :-

[5] here is newly com to Court Laertes , belieue me an absolute gentlemen, ful of most excellent differences,[6] of very soft society,[7] and great [Sidenote: 234] showing[8]: indeede to speake sellingly[9] of him, hee is the card or kalender[10] of gentry: for you shall find in him the continent of what part a Gentleman would see.[11]

[Sidenote: 245] Ham .[12] Sir, his definement suffers no perdition[13] in you, though I know to deuide him inuentorially,[14] would dosie[15] th'arithmaticke of memory, and yet but yaw[16] neither in respect of his quick saile, but in the veritie of extolment, I take him to be a soule of great article,[17] & his infusion[18] of such dearth[19] and rarenesse, as to make true dixion of him, his semblable is his mirrour,[20] & who els would trace him, his vmbrage, nothing more.[21]

Cour . Your Lordship speakes most infallibly of him.[22]

Ham . The concernancy[23] sir, why doe we wrap the gentleman in our more rawer breath?[24]

Cour . Sir.[25]

Hora . Ist not possible to vnderstand in another tongue,[26] you will too't sir really.[27]

Ham . What imports the nomination of this gentleman.

Cour . Of Laertes .[28]

Hora . His purse is empty already, all's golden words are spent.

Ham . Of him sir.[29]

Cour . I know you are not ignorant.[30]

Ham . I would you did sir, yet in faith if you did, it would not much approoue me,[31] well sir.

Cour .]

[Footnote B: Here in the Quarto :-

Ham . I dare not confesse that, least I should compare with him in excellence, but to know a man wel, were to knowe himselfe.[32]

Cour . I meane sir for this weapon, but in the imputation laide on him,[33] by them in his meed, hee's vnfellowed.[34]]

[Footnote 1: 'in good faith, it is not for manners, but for my comfort I take it off.' Perhaps the hat was intended only to be carried, and would not really go on his head.]

[Footnote 2: The Quarto has not 'at his weapon,' which is inserted to take the place of the passage omitted, and connect the edges of the gap.]

[Footnote 3: So far from having envied Laertes' reputation for fencing, as the king asserts, Hamlet seems not even to have known which was Laertes' weapon.]

[Footnote 4: laid down-staked.]

[Footnote 5: This and the following passages seem omitted for curtailment, and perhaps in part because they were less amusing when the fashion of euphuism had passed. The good of holding up the mirror to folly was gone when it was no more the 'form and pressure' of 'the very age and body of the time.']

[Footnote 6: of great variety of excellence.]

[Footnote 7: gentle manners.]

[Footnote 8: fine presence.]

[Footnote 9: Is this a stupid attempt at wit on the part of Osricke-'to praise him as if you wanted to sell him'-stupid because it acknowledges exaggeration?]

[Footnote 10: 'the chart or book of reference.' 234.]

[Footnote 11: I think part here should be plural; then the passage would paraphrase thus:-'you shall find in him the sum of what parts ( endowments ) a gentleman would wish to see.']

[Footnote 12: Hamlet answers the fool according to his folly, but outdoes him, to his discomfiture.]

[Footnote 13: 'his description suffers no loss in your mouth.']

[Footnote 14: 'to analyze him into all and each of his qualities.']

[Footnote 15: dizzy.]

[Footnote 16: 'and yet would but yaw neither' Yaw , 'the movement by which a ship deviates from the line of her course towards the right or left in steering.' Falconer's Marine Dictionary . The meaning seems to be that the inventorial description could not overtake his merits, because it would yaw -keep turning out of the direct line of their quick sail. But Hamlet is set on using far-fetched and absurd forms and phrases to the non-plussing of Osricke, nor cares much to be correct .]

[Footnote 17: I take this use of the word article to be merely for the occasion; it uas never surely in use for substance .]

[Footnote 18: '-the infusion of his soul into his body,' 'his soul's embodiment.' The Sh. Lex. explains infusion as 'endowments, qualities,' and it may be right.]

[Footnote 19: scarcity.]

[Footnote 20: '-it alone can show his likeness.']

[Footnote 21: 'whoever would follow in his footsteps-copy him-is only his shadow.']

[Footnote 22: Here a pause, I think.]

[Footnote 23: 'To the matter in hand!'-recalling the attention of Osricke to the purport of his visit.]

[Footnote 24: 'why do we presume to talk about him with our less refined breath?']

[Footnote 25: The Courtier is now thoroughly bewildered.]

[Footnote 26: 'Can you only speak in another tongue? Is it not possible to understand in it as well?']

[Footnote 27: 'It is your own fault; you will court your fate! you
will go and be made a fool of!']

[Footnote 28: He catches at the word he understands. The actor must here supply the meaning, with the baffled, disconcerted look of a fool who has failed in the attempt to seem knowing.]

[Footnote 29:-answering the Courtier.]

[Footnote 30: He pauses, looking for some out-of-the-way mode wherein to continue. Hamlet takes him up.]

[Footnote 31: 'your witness to my knowledge would not be of much avail.']

[Footnote 32: Paraphrase: 'for merely to know a man well, implies that you yourself know .' To know a man well, you must know his knowledge: a man, to judge his neighbour, must be at least his equal.]

[Footnote 33: faculty attributed to him.]

[Footnote 34: Point thus : 'laide on him by them, in his meed hee's unfellowed.' 'in his merit he is peerless.']

[Page 258]

their assignes,[1] as Girdle, Hangers or so[2]: three of
[Sidenote: hanger and so.] the Carriages infaith are very deare to fancy,[3] very responsiue[4] to the hilts, most delicate carriages and of very liberall conceit.[5]