The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - LightNovelsOnl.com
You're reading novel online at LightNovelsOnl.com. Please use the follow button to get notifications about your favorite novels and its latest chapters so you can come back anytime and won't miss anything.
_Clo_. I marry is't, Crowners Quest Law.
_Other_. Will you ha the truth on't: if this had [Sidenote: truth an't]
not beene a Gentlewoman, shee should haue beene buried out of[2] Christian Buriall. [Sidenote: out a]
_Clo_. Why there thou say'st. And the more pitty that great folke should haue countenance in this world to drowne or hang themselues, more then their euen[3] Christian. Come, my Spade; there is no ancient Gentlemen, but Gardiners, Ditchers and Graue-makers; they hold vp _Adams_ Profession.
_Other_. Was he a Gentleman?
_Clo_. He was the first that euer bore Armes. [Sidenote: A was]
[4]_Other_. Why he had none.
_Clo_. What, ar't a Heathen? how dost thou vnderstand the Scripture? the Scripture sayes _Adam_ dig'd; could hee digge without Armes?[4] Ile put another question to thee; if thou answerest me not to the purpose, confesse thy selfe----
_Other_. Go too.
_Clo_. What is he that builds stronger then either the Mason, the s.h.i.+pwright, or the Carpenter?
_Other_. The Gallowes-maker; for that Frame outliues a thousand Tenants. [Sidenote: that outliues]
[Footnote 1: _ergo_, therefore.]
[Footnote 2: _without_. The pleasure the speeches of the Clown give us, lies partly in the undercurrent of sense, so disguised by stupidity in the utterance; and partly in the wit which mainly succeeds in its end by the failure of its means.]
[Footnote 3: _equal_, that is _fellow_ Christian.]
[Footnote 4: _From 'Other' to_ 'Armes' _not in Quarto._]
[Page 228]
_Clo_. I like thy wit well in good faith, the Gallowes does well; but how does it well? it does well to those that doe ill: now, thou dost ill to say the Gallowes is built stronger then the Church: Argall, the Gallowes may doe well to thee. Too't againe, Come.
_Other_. Who builds stronger then a Mason, a s.h.i.+pwright, or a Carpenter?
_Clo_. I, tell me that, and vnyoake.[1]
_Other_. Marry, now I can tell.
_Clo_. Too't.
_Other_. Ma.s.se, I cannot tell.
_Enter Hamlet and Horatio a farre off._[2]
_Clo_. Cudgell thy braines no more about it; for your dull a.s.se will not mend his pace with beating, and when you are ask't this question next, say a Graue-maker: the Houses that he makes, lasts [Sidenote: houses hee makes]
till Doomesday: go, get thee to _Yaughan_,[3] fetch [Sidenote: thee in, and fetch mee a soope of]
me a stoupe of Liquor.
_Sings._[4]
_In youth when I did loue, did loue_, [Sidenote: _Song._]
_me thought it was very sweete: To contract O the time for a my behoue, O me thought there was nothing meete[5]_ [Sidenote: there a was nothing a meet.]
[Sidenote: _Enter Hamlet & Horatio_]
_Ham_. Ha's this fellow no feeling of his businesse, [Sidenote: busines? a sings in graue-making.]
that he sings at Graue-making?[6]
_Hor_. Custome hath made it in him a property[7]
of easinesse.
_Ham_. 'Tis ee'n so; the hand of little Imployment hath the daintier sense.
_Clowne sings._[8]
_But Age with his stealing steps_ [Sidenote _Clow. Song._]
_hath caught me in his clutch_: [Sidenote: hath clawed me]
[Footnote 1: 'unyoke your team'--as having earned his rest.]
[Footnote 2: _Not in Quarto._]
[Footnote 3: Whether this is the name of a place, or the name of an innkeeper, or is merely an inexplicable corruption--some take it for a stage-direction to yawn--I cannot tell. See _Q._ reading.
It is said to have been discovered that a foreigner named Johan sold ale next door to the Globe.]
[Footnote 4: _Not in Quarto._]
[Footnote 5: A song ascribed to Lord Vaux is in this and the following stanzas made nonsense of.]
[Footnote 6: Note Hamlet's mood throughout what follows. He has entered the shadow of death.]
[Footnote 7: _Property_ is what specially belongs to the individual; here it is his _peculiar work_, or _personal calling_: 'custom has made it with him an easy duty.']
[Footnote 8: _Not in Quarto._]
[Page 230]
_And hath s.h.i.+pped me intill the Land_, [Sidenote: into]
_as if I had neuer beene such_.
_Ham_. That Scull had a tongue in it, and could sing once: how the knaue iowles it to th' grownd, [Sidenote: the]
as if it were _Caines_ Iaw-bone, that did the first [Sidenote: twere]
murther: It might be the Pate of a Polit.i.tian which [Sidenote: murder, this might]
this a.s.se o're Offices: one that could circ.u.muent [Sidenote: a.s.se now ore-reaches; one that would]
G.o.d, might it not?
_Hor_. It might, my Lord.
