sion? 368 to make them exclaim against their own succesRos. 'Faith, there has been much to do on both sides; and the nation holds it no sin to tarre them o controversy: there was, for a while, no money bid for argument, unless the poet and the player went to cuffs in the question. Ham. Is it possible? Guil. O, there has been much throwing about of brains. Ham. Do the boys carry it away? Ros. Ay, that they do, my lord; Hercules and nis load too. 379 Ham. It is not very strange; for my uncle is King of Denmark, and those that would make mouths at him while my father lived, give twenty, forty, fifty, an hundred ducats a-piece, for his picture in little. 'Sblood, there is something in this more than natural, if philosophy could find it out. [Flourish of trumpets within. Fuil. There are the players. Ham. Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore. Your hands. Come, then; the appurtenance of welcome is fashion and ceremony; let me comply with you in this garb, lest my extent to the players, which, I tell you, must show fairly outward should more appear like entertainment than yours, You are welcome; but my uncle-father, and auntmother, are deceived. Guil. In what, my dear lord? Ham. I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a hand saw. Re-enter POLONIUS. 399 Pol. Well be with you, gentlemen ! Ham. Mark you, Guildenstern; and you too;at each ear a hearer: that great baby you see there is not yet out of his swathing-clouts. Ros. Happily he's the second time come to them; for they say an old man is twice a child. Ham. I will prophesy, he comes to tell me of the players; mark it. - You say right, sir: o' Monday morning: 't was then indeed. Pol. My lord, I have news to tell you. Roscius was an actor in Rome, Pol. The actors are come hither, my lord. Pol. Upon my honour, Ham. Then came each actor on his ass,-- 410 Pol. The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral, scene individable. or poem unlimited: Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus too light. For the law of writ, and the liberty, thes are the only men. 421 Ham. O Jephthah, judge of Israel,' what a treasure hadst thou ! Pol. What treasure had he, my lord? 'One fair daughter, and no more, The which he loved passing well.' Pol. [Aside.] Still on my daughter. daughter that I love passing well. Ham. Nay, that follows not. Pol. What follows, then, my lord? 'As by lot, God wot, and then, you know, 431 'It came to pass, as most like it was,'the first row of the pious chanson will show you more; for look, where my abridgment comes. Enter four or five Players. You are welcome, masters; welcome all. I am glad to see thee well :--welcome, good friends.-0, my old friend, why, thy face is valanced since I saw thee last m'st thou to beard me in Denmark / -What! my young lady and mistress! By'r lady, your ladyship is nearer to heaven than when I saw you last, by the altitude of a chopine. Pray God, your voice, like a piece of uncurrent gold, be not cracked within the ring. Masters, you are all welcome. We'll e'en to 't like French falconers, fly at anything we see: we'll have a speech straight. Come, give us a taste of your quality; come, a passionate speech. 1 Play. What speech, my good lord? 451 Ham. I heard thee speak me a speech once, but it was never acted; or, if it was, not above once; for the play, I remember, pleased not the million; 't was caviare to the general: but it was -as I received it, and others, whose judgments in such matters cried in the top of mine-an excellent play, well digested in the scenes, set down with as much modesty as cunning. I remember, one said. there were no sallets in the lines to make the matter savoury, nor no matter in the phrase that might indite the author of affection, but called it an honest method, as wholesome as sweet, and by very much more handsome than fine. One speech in it I chiefly loved: 't was Æneas' tale to Dido; and thereabout of it especially, where he speaks of Priam's slaughter :- if it live in your memory, begir at this line : let me see, let me see : 469 'The rugged Pyrrhus, like the Hyrcanian beast,' -'t is not so:-it begins with Pyrrhus : The rugged Pyrrhus, -he, whose sable arms, Black as his purpose, did the night resemble When he lay couched in the ominous horse, Hath now this dread and black complexion smeared With heraldry more dismal; head to foot With blood of fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, Baked and impasted with the parching streets, That lend a tyrannous and damnéd light 480 To their vile murders: roasted in wrath and fire, And thus o'er-sized with coagulate gore, With eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Pyrrhus Old grandsire Priam seeks.' Sc, proceed you. Pol. 'Fore God, my lord, well spoken; with good accent, and good discretion. 1 Play. 'Anon he finds him Striking too short at Greeks; his antique sword, Rebellious to his arm, lies where it falls, 490 |