^ ^d HART- MEMORIAL- 
 
 <3f;L> UBRARY 
 
 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 ENGLISH COLLECTION 
 
 TIIK C;iFT OF 
 
 JAMES MORGAN HART 
 
 PROFKSSOR OF KNGUSH 
 
 11^,29540^ 
 
JOTTINGS 
 
 ON THE TEXT OF 
 
 HAMLET 
 
 (First Folio verstis ' Cambridge ' Edition) 
 
 BY HIRAM CORSON, M. A., 
 
 Professor of Anglo-Saxon and English Literature in 
 The Cornell University. 
 
 ... " in Hamlet we have computed that the Folio, when it 
 difieis from the Quartos, differs for the worse in forty-seven places, 
 while it differs for the better in twenty at most." 
 
 Editors ' Cambridge ' Edition. 
 
 ITHACA : 
 2CO copies privately printed. 
 May, 1874. 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tlie Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924013137553 
 

JOTTINGS 
 
 ON THE TEXT OF 
 
 HAMLET 
 
 (First Folio versus 'Cambridge' Edition) 
 
 BY HIRAM CORSON, M. A., 
 
 Professor of Anglo-Saxon and English Literature in 
 The Cornell Universitv. 
 
 " in Hamlet we have computed that the Folio, when it 
 differs from the Quartos, differs for the worse in forty-seven places, 
 while it differs for the better in twenty at most." 
 
 Editors ' Cambridge ' Edition. 
 
 ITHACA : 
 
 200 copies privately printed. 
 May, 1874. 
 6 
 

The ' Cambridge ' edition of the Works of Shakespeare, by William 
 George Clark and William Aldis Wright, is justly regarded l^y scholars as the 
 ripest result of Shakespearian textual editing. It is, indeed , the only edition in which 
 thorough work has been done with the Quartos and Folios, and with all the "emen- 
 dations" adopted or proposed by editors and others.down to the time of its publica- 
 tion (1863 — 1866). But judiciously as the editors have, in general, done their 
 work, on the principles with which they^set out, and to which they conscientiously 
 adhered, they have certainly, in many cases, failed to recognize the svipcrior 
 merits of readings in the First Folio to those which they have introduced into 
 their text from the Quartos and other sources. The punctuation, too, of the First 
 Folio, faulty as it frequently is, is often better than theirs, as will be seen, I think, 
 from the following jottings on the text of Hamlet. 
 
 HIRAM CORSON. 
 
 The Cornell University, 
 
 I May, 1874. 
 
EDITIONS OF HAMLET REFERRED TO 
 IN THE N07ES. 
 
 THE 
 Tragical! Historie of 
 
 HAMLET 
 
 Prince of Denmarke. 
 
 By William Shake-speare. 
 
 As it hath beene diuerse times acted by his Highnesse ser- 
 uants in the Cittie of London : as also in the two V- 
 niuersities of Cambridge and Oxford, and else-where. 
 
 At London printed for N. L. and lohn Trundell. 
 1603. 
 
 Referred to as the 1st Quarto. Two copies only are known to exist ; one is in 
 the Library of the Duke of Devonshire, and wants the last leaf containing the 
 22 concluding lines; the other is in the British Museum, and is without the title- 
 page. 
 
 " The edition of 1603 is obviously a very imperfect reproduction of the play, 
 and there is every reason to believe that it was printed from a manuscript sur- 
 reptitiously obtained." — Editors Cmiibridge edition. 
 
 THE 
 
 Tragicall Historie of 
 
 HAMLET, 
 
 Prince of Denmarke. 
 
 By William Shakespeare. 
 
 Newly imprinted and enlarged to almost as much 
 againe as it was, according to the true and perfect 
 Coppie. 
 
 AT. LONDON, 
 
 Primed by L R. for N. L, and are to be sold at his 
 shoppe vnder Saint Diuistons Church in ' 
 Fleetstreet. 1604. 
 
 Referred to as the 2d Quarto; is of chief authority among the Quarto editions. 
 
EDITIONS OF HAMLET 
 
 Tlie 3d Quarto, printed from the same fonins as the 2d, was published in 
 1605; the 4th, in 161 1; the 5th is without date, but the Cambridge editors are of 
 the opinion that it was printed from the edition of 161 1; the 6th, printed from 
 the 5th, was published in 1637. 
 
 Editions known as Players' Quartos, were published in 1676, 1685, 1695, 
 and 1703. The variations which their texts exhibit from the earlier editions, are 
 without any known authority. But the Cambridge editors state "that many 
 emendations usually attributed to Rowe and Pope are really derived from one or 
 other of these Players' Quartos.'' 
 
 The 1st Folio was published under the following title : 
 
 Mr. WILLIAM, 
 
 SHAKESPE ARES 
 
 COMEDIES, 
 HISTORIES, & 
 TRAGEDIES. 
 
 Published according to the True Originall Copies. 
 
 LONDON 
 
 Printed by Isaac laggard, and Ed. Blount. 1623. 
 
 In this volume, ' The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke', occupies, 
 in the division of Tragedies, pages 152 to 156, then the numbermg passes to 257 
 and continues to the end of the play, page 282 {but pages 279 and 282 are mis- 
 printed 259 and 280); page 278 copies vary. 
 
 The Editors were two of Shakespeare's personal friends and fellow actors, 
 John Heminge and Henry Condell, whose long professional experience, dating 
 back to the beginning of Shakespeare's theatrical career, and probably earlier, 
 and 'continuing some years after his death, must have made them familiar 
 with the authorized texts of his plays, and with their renderings on the stage of 
 the time. 
 
 Our positive knowledge of Heminge's connection with theatrical affairs extends 
 back to 1596, twenty years before the death of Shakespeare, when, it appears, 
 he was already of s(Jme consideration as an actor. He survived his great friend 
 more than fourteen years, dying in October, 1630. Our earliest knowledge of 
 
REFERRED TO IN THE NOTES. f 
 
 ' Henry Condell is, that in 1598, he sustained a part in Ben Jonson's ' Every Man 
 in his Humour; ' according to Collier's conjecture, he was the Captain Bobadill 
 
 oi that comedy. His connection with the stage continued up to the time of his 
 death in December, 1627. He appears to have been held in high esteem by his 
 
 . theatrical associates. 
 
 The wills* of these two men show them to have possessed considerable prop- 
 erty, to have had strict business habits and great uprightness of character, and to 
 have been affectionate husbands and fathers. Shakespeare honored them with 
 an expression of his regard, in the following Item of his will : 
 
 " I gyve and bequeath . to my fellowes yo/m Hejnyn^es, Richard Bur- 
 
 . bage, and Henry Cundell^ xxvjj- viij."-' a peece to buy them ringes.^^ 
 
 They express their own regard for their " Friend and Fellow " in their Dedi- 
 .cation of the First Folio edition of his plays, wherein they say, " We haue but 
 collected them, and done an office to the dead, to procure his Orphanes, Guar- 
 dians; without ambition either of selfe-profit, or fame : onely to keepe the Tnem- 
 try of so worthy a Friaid, <&= Fellow aliue, as was our Shakespeare, by humble 
 ■offer of his playes, to your most noble patronage .'" 
 
 The Dedication is addressed 
 
 TO THE MOST NOBLE 
 
 And 
 
 INCOMPARABLE PAIRE 
 
 OP BRETHREN. 
 
 VV I L L I A M 
 
 Earle of Pembroke, &c. Lord Chamberlaine to the 
 
 Kings most Excellent Maiesty. 
 
 AND 
 
 Philip 
 
 Earle of Montgomery, &c. Gentleman of his Maiesties 
 
 Bed-Chamber. Both Knights of the most Noble Order 
 of the Garter, and our singular good 
 
 LORDS. 
 
 " The text of Hamlet given in the Folio of 1623 is not derived from any of the 
 previously existing Quartos, but from an independent manuscript. Many pas- 
 
 * Published in ' Memoirs of the Principal Actors in the Plays of Shakespeare. By 
 3, Payne Collier, esq., F. S. A. London : printed for the Shakespeare Society. 1846.' 
 
S EDITIONS OF HAMLET. 
 
 sages are found in the Folio which do not appear in any of the Quartos. On 
 the other hand many passages found in the Quartos are not found in the Folio. 
 It is to be remarked that several of those which appear in the Folio and not in 
 the Quarto of 1604 or its successors, are found in an imperfect form in the Quarto 
 of 1603, and therefore are not subsequent additions. Both the Quarto text of 1604 
 and the Folio text of 1623 seem to have been derived from manuscripts of the 
 play curtailed, and curtailed differently, for purposes of representation." 
 
 From Preface to Volume VIII of ' Cambridge ' edition. 
 
 The 2d, 3d, and 4th, Folios were published in 1632, 1663, and 1685, 
 respectively. The 3d was reissued in the following year (1664), with a new 
 title-page, and seven additional Plays, not now regarded as by Shakespeare, 
 though they may all have received some touches from his hand. They were 
 repeated in the 4th Folio. These editions are of no special authority in the 
 matter of the text. 
 
JOTTINGS ON THE TEXT OF SHAKESPEARE S 
 HAMLET. 
 
 The three numbers used designate, respectively, the Act, Scene, and Line. 
 F. stands for First Folio, C. for ' Cambridge ' edition. 
 
 Wliere readings of the First Folio and of the ' Cambridge ' are given without 
 remarks, it will be understojd that the for.mer are considered obviously 
 preferable. 
 
 I. I. 30. Sit downe a-while. And let vs F. Sit down awhile; .\nd let 
 us C. The meaning is, Sit down and let us etc. 
 
 I. I. 40. Looke where it comes againe. F. Look, where etc. C. 
 
 I. I. 49. By Heauen I charge thee speake. F. by heaven I charge 
 thee, speak! C. 'speak' is an infinitive after 'charge,' and not an imperative 
 as the C. makes it by the use of the comma. In line 51, it is an imperative, and 
 is preceded in F. by a comma. 
 
 I. I. 53. How now Horatio? You tremble & look pale: F. How 
 now, Horatio ! etc. C. The ? of the F. represents the elocution better ; 
 * Horatio * should be uttered with an unequal upward wave, expressing the tri- 
 umph of the speaker in the confirmation of his report of the appearance of the 
 ghost. 
 
 I. I. 70. Good now sit downe, & tell me he that knowes F. Good now, 
 sit down, etc. C. ' Good ' is a vocative, and ' now ' belongs to 'sit down. ' 
 
 I. 2. II. With one Auspicious, and one Dropping eye, F. With an 
 auspicious and a dropping eye, C. 
 
 I. 2. 50. Dread my Lord, F. My dread lord, C. 
 
 I. ^. 76. Seemes Madam? F. Seems, madam ! C. The ? represents 
 the elocution again better than the ! 
 
 I. 2. 85. passeth show; F. passes show; C. The older form not only 
 suits the tone of the passage better, but the two s's and the sh in ' •passes sAow ' 
 coming together are very cacophonous. 
 
 I. 2. 127. the Heauens shall bruite againe, F. the heaven etc. C. The 
 plural form is the better here. 
 
 I. 2. 132. O God, O God ! F O God ! God ! C. The verse doesn't scan 
 so well in the C. In the F., the ending -er of 'slaughter ' should be read as an 
 
lo JOTTINGS ON THE TEXT OF 
 
 internal extra syllable : His can | non 'gainst | Selfe-slaught | er. | O God, | O 
 God ! I And every reader would feel the want of the second ' O ' on which to 
 dwell before uttering ' God ' with a strong aspiration. 
 
 I. 2. 135. Fie on' t? Oh fie, fie, F. Fie on't ! all fie ! C. ' ah,' doesn't 
 express the feeling of the speaker so well. 
 
 I. 2. 135. 'tis an vnweeded Garden That growes to Seed : F. 'tis an un- 
 weeded garden. That grows to seed; C. There should be no comma after 
 ' garden, ' as the relative clause is not used simply as an additional characteriza- 
 tion of an unweeded garden, but as an inseparable part of the whole characteri- 
 zation, — an important distinction that should be made in pointing. 
 
 I. 2. 153. Within a Moneth ? Ere yet the salt etc. F. Within a month; 
 Ere yet the salt etc. C. The meaning is. Within a month [did I say] ? [Yea] 
 Ere yet etc. 
 
 1.2. 159. But breake my heart, for I must holil my tongue. F. But break, 
 my heart, for I must hold my tongue ! C. ' break ' is a subjunctive, not an im- 
 perative, as it is made by the C. punctuation, and ' heart ' is a subject, not a 
 vocative. 
 
 I. 2. 170. I would not haue your Enemy say so; F. I would not hear 
 your enemy say so, C. cet. par., 'have 'is more euphonious than 'hear,' by 
 reason of ' ear ' in next line. Nor shall you doe mine eare that violence, 
 
 I. 2. 171. mine eare F. my ear C. 
 
 I. 2. 177. I pray thee doe not mock me (fellow Student) F. I prethee,. 
 etc. C. The F. reading suits the required deliberateness of the expression bet- 
 ter. There is an earnest entreaty meant. 
 
 I. 2. 183. Ere I had euer scene that day .fife-fl^/o. F. Or ever I had seen 
 etc. C. The F. reading is better again for the preceding reason. 
 
 I. 2. 191. The King my Father? F. The king my father! C. This 
 should be uttered with an inquiring wonder, which is better expressed by the ? 
 
 I. 2. 204. whilst they bestil'd Almost to lelly F. whilst they, distill'd 
 Almost to jelly C. 'bestil'd ' seems to be used as a strong form of ' still'd,' as 
 the next line, ' Stand dumbe and speake not to him,' shows. I get no meaning 
 out of the other word. 
 
 1.2.232. Pale, or red ? F. Pale or red ?C. The absence of the comma 
 in the C. mars the meaning. Hamlet must be supposed to utter ' Pale ' as a 
 thing of course, paleness being the conventional idea attached to a ghost. The 
 word should be uttered with a falling inflection, and then ' or red ' added, after a 
 pause, with a certain anxious impatience : Pale, was he ? or red; how was it? 
 In other words, he hasn't the two ideas, 'pale ' and ' red ' in his mind at once; 
 when he first speaks, he has only that of ' Pale ' upon which his voice rests. He 
 then adds, somewhat impatiently, ' or red ? ' A semicolon would mark the di- 
 vision better than a comma. 
 
 I. 2. 239, His Beard was grisly? no. F. His beard was grizzled? no? 
 
SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET. ii 
 
 C. Hamlet is subjecting his finends to a searching examination, and when he 
 asks the question, ' His Beard was grisly?' he adds, with decision, 'no,' as 
 though he had caught them on this point. ' no ' should be read with a strong 
 downward inflection. 
 
 I. 2. 241. lie watch to Night; F. I will watch to-night; C. The ' I ' is 
 strongly emphatic here.and it can be better made so in ' I'll ' than in ' I will.' It 
 seems, too, that the abbreviated form suits better Hamlet's off'-hand mode of speech 
 with his friends. 
 
 I. 2. 242. I warrant you it will. F. I warrant it will. C. 
 
 I. 2. 250. so, fare ye well: F. So fare you well: C. The elocution is bet- 
 ter indicated in F. by the comma. 
 
 I. 2. 252. AIL Our duty to your Honour. Ham. Your loue, as mine to 
 you: F. Yourloves, etc. C. ' loue' is better, being used as opposed to 'duty:' 
 • love' should be uttered with a slow and deliberate downward wave : your love, 
 I ask; I don't wish you to act from a sense of duty alone, I ask your love in the 
 matter. The old Quarto of 1603, throws light on the true meaning: ' Our 
 duties to your honor. Ham. O your loues, your loues,' There is something 
 similar in the i62d and 163d lines of this scene: Hor. The same my Lord, And 
 your poore Seruant euer. Ham. Sir my good friend, He change that name 
 with you : F. The italics are mine. Hamlet, though always princely, is im- 
 patient of certain conventional courtesies. 
 
 I. 2. 254. My Fathers Spirit in Armes ? F. My father's spirit in arms ! C. 
 Here the ? is again better than the ! ' Arms ' sh(9tild be uttered with a strong 
 interrogative intonation. 
 
 I. 2. 257. foule deeds will rise, Though all the earth orewhelm them to ■ 
 mens eies. F. foul deeds will rise, Though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to 
 men's eyes. C. It is questionable as to whether the phrase, ' to men's eyes, 'should 
 be connected with ' rise ' in the preceding verse, or with ' o'erwhelm.' A reader 
 finds it awkward to connect it with 'rise.' The omission of the comma in 
 the F. after 'them,' thus connecting 'to men's eyes ' with ' o'erwhelm,' makes 
 equally good sense and adapts the construction of the sentence better to its vocal ex- 
 pression. 
 
 I. 3. I. My necessaries are imbark't; F. embark'd: C. There is no 
 authority in the old editions for 'embark'd.' The 2d, 3d, and 4th Quartos read 
 'inbark't;' the 5th and 6th, imbark't; the ist and 2d Folios, 'imbark't,' the 3d 
 and 4th, ' imbark'd. ' As applied to things, ' imbark't ' or ' inbark't ' seems 
 preferable to 'embark'd.' 
 
 I. 3. 5. For .fla/«/rf, and the trifling of his fauours, F. favour, C. 
 
 I. 3. 8. Froward, not permanent; F. Forward, C. 
 
 I. 3. 10. No more but so. F. No more but so? C. Here the C. foUovfs 
 Rowe's pointing. The Quartos and Folios all have ^i period. This speech of 
 Ophelia is certainly meant to express her subraissiveness to her brother's opinion 
 and not to question the correctness of it. 
 
iz JOTTINGS ON THE TEXT OF 
 
 I. 3. 12. his Temple F. this temple C. 'his,' in the F. stands for 
 'nature:' as nature's temple grows, the service within widens. There is a meta- 
 phor implied. Nature does not grow only in thews and bulk, but as nature's 
 temple waxes in thews and bulk, the inward service of the mind and soul grows 
 wide withal. 
 
 I. 3. 21. The sanctity and health of the weole State. F. The safety and 
 health of this whole state, C. ' sanctity ' is better than ' safety,' and ' the ' than 
 'this,' • state ' being used abstractly. 
 
 I. 3. 34. And keepe within the reare of your Affection; F. And keep 
 you in the rear uf your affection, C. ' within ' as opposed to ' without,' or out- 
 side of 
 
 I. 3. 40. the buttons F. their buttons C. 
 
 I. 3. 46. watchmen F. watchman C. The plural seems Ijetter as refer- 
 ring to the several particulars of Laertes' advice. 
 
 I. 3. 55. Yet heere Laertes? F. Yet here, Laertes! C The ? is better. 
 The .speech should be uttered with an inquiring surprise. 
 
 I. 3. 57. The winde sits in the shoulder of your saile, And you are staid 
 for there : my blessing with you; F. And you are stay'd for. There; my 
 blessing with thee ! C. Tlie punctuation oi the C. is Theobald's, who in ac- 
 cordance with his understanding of ' there,' added the stage direction, ' Laying 
 his hand on Laertes's head.' But ' there ' certainly means at the port, where the 
 ship is all ready to sail, and the attendants are waiting for him. In the 83d line, 
 Polonius says: 'The time inuitesi«you, goe, your seruants tend.' 
 
 1. 3. 59. See thou Character. F. Look thou character. C. 
 
 I. 3. 62. The friends thou hast, and their adoption tride, Grapple them to 
 thy Soule, with hoopes of Steele : F. Those friends thou hast, C. The 
 use of ' them ' in next verse, makes ' The ' preferable to ' Those ' which serves to 
 strengthen the pleonasm. 
 
 I. 3. 58. thine eare; F. thy ear, C. 
 
 I. 3. 106. That you haue tane his tenders for true pay, F. these tenders 
 C. ' his ' is decidedly better in the connection. 
 
 I. 3. 109. Tender your selfe more dearly ; Or not to crack the wmde of 
 the poore Phrase, Roaming it thus, you'l tender me a foole. F. Running it 
 thus — C. The C. reading is after Dyce (Collier conj .). It is not authorized 
 by any of the Quartos, all of which read 'Wrong', or of the Folios, all reading 
 'Roaming,' which is probably right, Polonius having reference to his varying 
 the application of the word ' tender. ' 
 
 I. 3. 120. For this time Daughter, Be somewhat scanter of your Maiden 
 presence; F. Prom this time Be something scanter etc. C. It may be that 
 ' For this ' = For[th] this, the final ' th ' of ' Forth ' being absorbed, in pronun- 
 dation, in the initial 'th' of 'this,' a kind of absorption not unfrequent in 
 Sha.kespeare. The F. verse, moreover, scans better : You must | not take | 
 
SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET. 13 
 
 for fire. | For this | time Daiight | er, In the scanning of the C. verse, ' fire ' 
 must be made dissyllabic, and ' From ' a heavy syllable : You must | not 
 take I for fi I re. From ] this time It will be observed, too, that the speech in 
 which the verse occurs, is characterized by the double endings, as Bathurst styles 
 them, and the F. verse is more in keeping therewith. 
 
 I. 3. 127 — 131 "Doe not beleeue his vowes; for they are Broakers, 
 
 Not of the eye, which their Inuestments show: 
 
 But meere implorators of vnholy Sutes, 
 
 Breathing like sanctified and pious bonds. 
 
 The better to beguile." F. 
 Not of that dye which their investments show, C. The reading of the C. is 
 after the 6th Quarto, 1637. The 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th, Quartos read ' that die,' 
 the Folios, ' the eye,' which is most probably right, 'eye ' being used, by meton- 
 ymy, for ' aspect.' *hue,' * shade of colour.' 
 
 I. 3. 130. Breathing like sanctified and pious bawds, C. after Pope, ed. 
 2 (Theobald). The Quartos and Folios all agree in reading 'bonds,' which 
 makes good sense. The general term ' bonds, ' suggested, no doubt, by ' brokers,' 
 is used for the more special term, ' vows. ' ' Breathing ' refers back to ' they,' 
 standing for 'vows;' 'bonds,' involving the idea of 'vows,' should not 
 receive the stress, in reading, which should be given to ' pious.' 
 
 I. 4. 5. Indeed I heard it not: then it drawes neere the season, Wherein 
 the Spirit held his wont to walke. F. Indeed ? I heard it not; it then etc. C. 
 The ? of the 0. is after Capell; the 2d, 3d, 4th, and 5th, Quartos read 'Indeed; 
 I ' the 1st Quarto and all the Folios, ' Indeed I ' the 6th Quarto, ' Indeed, I ' 
 The use of the ? after ' Indeed ' imports an inquiring surprise which is not in- 
 tended. 
 
 I. 4. 17 — 38, Omitted in F. The last tliree lines of this passage, which 
 all the commentators have regarded as corrupt, the editors of the C. have left 
 unaltered "because," as they say. Note VI., "none of the conjectures proposed 
 appear to be satisfactory. " 
 
 ' the dram of eale 
 Doth all the noble substance of a doubt 
 To his own scandal.* 
 ' eale,' whether it be a coniipt form of ' ill ' or 'evil,' or whatever it be, stands, 
 as a general term, for ' some vicious mole in nature,' the ' habit that too much 
 o'er-leavens The form of plausive manners,' the 'one defect,' just alluded 
 to by Hamlet. All the diCSculty of the passage is removed, I think, by 
 understanding ' noble,' not as an adjective, as all the commentators have under- 
 stood it, qualifying ' substance,' but as a noun opposed to 'eale,' and the ob- 
 ject of 'substance,' a verb of which 'doth' is its auxiliary. Thus : 'the dram 
 of eale doth all the noble, substance of [;'. c, 'with,' a sense common in the 
 English of the time,] 'a doubt [which works] 'to his own scandal.' 'Sub- 
 
14 JOTTINGS ON THE TEXT OF 
 
 stance ' is used in tlie sense of ' imbue with a certain essence;' ' his ' is a neuter 
 genitive, standing for 'noble,' and =: 'its.' The dram of ill transubstantiates 
 , the noble, essences it to its own scandal. In regard to the uses of 'of and ' to,' 
 see Abbott's Shakespearian Grammar, rev. and enl. ed., §§ 171 and 186. 
 
 The use of ' substance, ' in the sense of ' essence, ' was, of course, sufficiently 
 common, and had been for more than two centuries, to justify the interpretation 
 given. In Macbeth, i. 5. 48, we have 'sightless substances ' = 'invisible 
 essences,' ' sightless ' being used objectively. " Being of one substance with 
 the Father." Book of Common Prayer. Chaucer, in The Prologe of the 
 Nonne Prestes Tale {\. 14809 of Tyrwhitt's edition, 1. 16289 of Wright's) uses the 
 word to express the essential chaxazisT or nature of a man. The Host objects to 
 the Monk's Tale, as bemg too dull for the occasion ; and, that the fault may not 
 . be thought to lie in himself, says, 
 
 " And wel T wot the substance is in me, 
 If eny thing schal wel reported be." 
 That is, I am so substanced, so constituted, so tempered, such is my cast of spirit, 
 that I can appreciate and enjoy, as well as the next man, a good story well told. 
 Whether ' substance ' can be found, in this sense, as a verb, matters not. The 
 , free functional application of words which characterized the Elizabethan English, 
 allowed, as every English scholar knows, of the use of any noun, adjective, or 
 .neuter verb, as an active verb.* See Abbott's Shakespearean Grammar. 
 
 I. 4. 42. Be thy euents wicked or charitable, F. Be thy intents C. 
 
 ' events '= issues. The meaning is, not that Hamlet attributes any intents Ao 
 
 the ghost, but that the ghost's appearance is to him prognostic of certain issues 
 
 . or events; ' thy ' is the personal, and not the possessive adjective, pronoun; 
 
 in other words, it is used objectively. 
 
 I. 4. 63. then will I follow it. F. then I will C. 
 
 I. 4. 78. It wafts me still : F. It waves me still. C. "Whom Fortune 
 ,, with her luory hand wafts to her, " Timon of Athens, i. i. 73. 
 
 1 . 4. 80. Hold off your hand. F. hands. C. 
 
 I. 4. 84. Still am I cal'd ? F. Still am I call'd: C. The ? is better. 
 Am I still called and do I trifle here ? unhand me, gentlemen; By heaven, I'll 
 make a ghost of him that lets me. 
 
 I. 5. 22. list .ffij?«/rf, oh list, F. List, list, O, list ! C. 
 
 1. 5. 26. Murther? F. Murder! C. 
 
 I. 5. 35 and 59. mine Orchard, F. my orchard, C. 
 
 I. 5. 40. O my Propheticke soule: mineVncle? F. my uncle ! C. The 
 ? better represents the proper elocution. 
 
 I. 5. 75. Of Life, of Crowne, and Queene at once dispatcht; F. Of life, 
 1 of crown, of queen, C. 
 
 * This interpretation I comrnuuicatecl, in ttie main, to " Notes and Queries," some 
 years ago. But 1 did not then recognize an important element in it that the pronoun 
 ' Us ' Is a neuter genitive, standing for ' noble ' used as a noun. 
 
SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET. 13 
 
 1. 5. 80. Oh horrible, Oh horrible, most horrible: F. O, horrible! O, 
 Tiorrible ! most horrible ! C. The ' Cambridge ' editors make no distinction 
 between the emotional interjection, ' Oh,' and the ' O ' vocative, but print both 
 ' O.' It can be seen, I think, that the distinction was intended to be made in the 
 F. ; the use of ' Oh ' and ' O ' is, however, quite irregular there. But in a 
 modernized text, consistency requires that the distinction should be made, as 
 it is one that is observed in modern orthography. It is a distinction, too, not 
 merely factitious, as might be supposed, but based on good ground. " There is 
 a difference between ' O sir ! ' ' O King ! ' and ' Oh ! sir,' ' Oh ! Lord,' both in 
 sense and pronunciation. As to the sense, the O prefixed merely imparts to the 
 title a vocative effect; while the Oh conveys some particular sentiment, as of ap- 
 peal, entreaty, expostulation, or .some other. And as to the sound, the O is en- 
 clitic; that is to say, it has no accent of its o\i'n,but is pronounced with the word 
 to which it is attached, as if it were its unaccented first syllable. The term En- 
 clitic signifies ' reclining on,' and so the interjection O in ' O Lord ' reclines on 
 the support afforded to it by the accentual elevation of the word ' Lord. ' So 
 that ' O Lord ' is pronounced like such a dissyllable as alight, alike, away; in 
 which words the metrical stroke could never fall on the first syllable. Oh ! on 
 the contrary, is one of the fullest of monosyllables, and it would be hard to 
 place it in a verse except with the stress upon it. The example from Words- 
 worth illustrates this." 
 
 ' But she is in her grave, — and oh 
 The difference to me ! ' 
 Earle's Philology of the Eitglish Tongue, 2d ed. pp. igi — 2. 
 
 I. 5. 91. Adue, adue, Hamlet: remember me. F. .\dieu, adieu, adieu! 
 remember me. C. The addres--ing his son by name at the conclusion of his 
 speech is more effective from its familiarity, than the third repetition of 'adieu.' 
 
 1. 5. 95 and 97. Remenil)t^r thee ? F. Rememlier thee ! C. 
 
 1. 5. 114 — 116. Plor. Heauen secure him. JMar. So be it. Ilor. lUo, 
 ho, ho, my Lord. Ham. HiUo, ho, ho, boy; come l^ird, come. F. 
 
 Hot. Heaven secure liim ! Ham. So be it ! Mar. lUo, ho, ho, my lord ! 
 Ham. Hillo, ho, ho, boy ! come, bird, come. C. The disposition of the 
 speeches in the F. is the best. Marcelhis seconds Horatio's ' Heaven secure 
 him,' with his ' So be it; ' Horatio, then, as Hamlet's bosom friend, uses the 
 falconer's call, which would have been too familiar on the part of Marcelhis, 
 and Hamlet, in his excitement, responds in the same language. 
 
 I. 5. 119. Ham. No you'l reueale it. F. No; you will reveal it. C. The 
 more off-hand ' you'll ' is preferable here. 
 
 I. 5. 129. desires F. desire C. 
 
 I. 5. 130. For euery man ha's lousinesse F. hath C. 
 
 I' 5- '35~6- Hor. There's no offence my Lord. Plam. Yes, by Saint 
 Patrleke, but there is my Lord, F. but there is, Horatio, C. The * my 
 
 3 
 
lb JOTTINGS ON THE TEXT OF 
 
 Lord ' in Hamlet's speech is a retort to the ' my Lord ' in Horatio's speech, and 
 it has an effect which is lost in the C. reading; 'is' should receive a strong accent, 
 ' my Lord ' being uttered enclitically. 
 
 I. 5. 137. And much offence too, touching this Vision heere: It is an hon- 
 est Ghost, that let me tell you: F. And much offence too. Touching this 
 vision here. It is an honest ghost, that let me tell you: C. 
 
 The punctuation of the C, a period after ' too,' has no Q. nor F. authority, 
 all the editions having a comma after ' too,' except the 6th Quarto, which has a 
 colon. Horatio, of course, means that he intended no offence to Hamlet, in 
 saying 'These are but wild and hurling words, tny Lord; ' and Hamlet, in his 
 reply, flies off, and speaks with reference to the offence or wrong which, he • has 
 j ust learned , has been done to his father : ' Yes, by Saint Patricke, but there is my 
 Lord, And much offence too, touching this Vision heere : ' he then adds, ' It is 
 an honest Ghost, that let me tell you : ' but more than that he '11 not tell : ' For 
 your desire to know what is betweene vs, O'remaster't as you may. ' 
 
 I. 5. 154. Neuer to speake of this that you haue scene. Sweare by my 
 sword. F. The G. has a comma after 'seen,' thus subordinating the clause, 
 'Never . . seen,' to ' swear by my sword.' In the first place, such an inver- 
 sion of the construction is awkward; and in the second place, the speech doesn't 
 hitch on to the preceding speech so well. Horatio asks Hamlet to propose the 
 oath, which he does, namely, ' Never to speak of this that you have seen,' and 
 then , having proposed the oath, he tells them to swear by his sword, which is 
 additional. 
 
 '■ S- '57-l6o. ' Come hither Gentlemen, And lay your hands againe vpon 
 my sword, Neuer to speake of this that you haue heard : Sweare by my 
 Sword. ' F. ' Come hither, gentlemen. And lay your hands again upon my 
 sword: Never to speak of this that you have heard. Swear by my 'sword.' C. 
 Here the C. construes again, as in line 154, the clause ' Never to speak of this 
 that you have heard,' with ' Swear by my sword.' But the tnie meaning is cer- 
 tainly that indicated by the punctuation of the F. : 'lay your hands again, 
 upon my sword, never to speak of this that you have heard.' The 'Swear by 
 my sword ' is but a repetition of the same idea. 
 
 I. 5. 162. 'Well said old Mole, can'si worke i' th' ground so fast i" ' F. 
 ' Well said, old Mole ! canst work i' the earth so fast ? ' C. ' ground ' seems 
 preferable with reference to 'mole.' 
 
 I. 5. 167. ' There are more things in Heauen and Earth, Horatio, Then 
 are dream't of in our Philosophy ' F. your philosophy. C. Hamlet and 
 Horatio had been fellow-students at the University; this may explain the use of 
 ' our.' Or it would be better, perhaps, to understand Hamlet as using it in the 
 general sense of human philosophy, which is limited m its scope. Why he 
 should say ' your, ' does not appear. 
 
 I. 5. 173. That you at such time seeing me, F. That you, at such times 
 
SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET. 17 
 
 seeing me, C. ' time ' suits tlie context better, and ' sucli time seeing ' is less 
 hatsh than ' s-ach timej jeeing.' 
 
 1. 5. 174. neuer shall With Amies eneombred thus, or thiis, head shake; 
 F. never shall, With arms encumber'd thus, or this head-shake, C. The 
 Quartos 1-5 have ' this head shake ' The hyphen of the C. is after Theobald; 
 the 6th Quarto reads ' head thus shak't ' The construction of the C. reading is 
 imperfect, 'shall' having no verb connected with it; according to the F., 'shake' 
 is a verb, having ' shall ' as its auxiliary : never shall, with arms encumbered 
 thus, or thus, (suiting the action to the word,) head shake. 
 
 2. I. 70. Good my Lord. F. Good my lord! C. after Dyce. The 
 Quartos and Folios all have a period after ' Lord.' This speech .seems to express 
 the simple assent of Reynaldo to what Polonius has said. The ! is not required. 
 To the next item of Polonius's advice, he replies, ' I shall my Lord; ' and to the 
 next, ' Well, my Lord. ' 
 
 z. I. 99. helpe; F. helps, C. 
 
 ^. ji. 5. so I call it, F. so call it, C. 
 
 2. 2. 10. I cannot deeme of. F. I cannot dream of : C. 
 2. 2. 12. so Neighbour'd to his youth, and humour, F. so neighbour'd ta 
 his youth and haviour, C. More force in the F. word ' humour ' which must be 
 taken in its earlier sense of ' temper of mind,' ' disposition.' 
 
 2. 2. 16. Occasions F. occasion C. 
 
 2. 2. 43. Assure you, my good Liege, F. I assuie my good liege, C. 
 Feeble. 
 
 2. 2. Ill, 112. but you shall heare these in her excellent white bosome, 
 these. F. but you shall hear. Thus : * In her excellent white bosom, these, 
 &c.' C. It would seem that the first 'these ' in the F. is right, the second being 
 a mere repetition for emphasis; so that all that is wanting in the F. is a colon 
 after ' heare.' ' These in her excellent white bosom, these:' The expression is 
 evidently directive or optative, and given as an introduction to ' Doubt thou, the 
 Starves are fire.' etc. There is a studied oddness in the letter, as is shown, by 
 the subscription, ' whilst this Machine is to him, Hamlet. ' 
 
 2. 2. 151. Do you thinke 'tis this ? F. Do you think this ? C. The F. 
 reading suits better what precedes, and the reply of the queen that follows, ' It 
 may be very likely.' 
 
 2. 2. 173. Excellent, excellent well ; y'are a. Fishmonger. F. Excellent 
 well; you are a fishmonger. C. The repetition of 'excellent ' in the F. seems 
 to express better the impatient, don't-trouble-me mood of the speaker. In 5. 2. 
 173. when the obsequious courtier, Osric, whom he despises, takes leave of him, 
 there is a repetition of ' yours ' with the same contemptuous colormg : ' Osr. I 
 commend my duty to your Lordship. Ham. Yours, yours ; ' \Exit Osric. Then 
 turning to Horatio,^ 'he does well to commend it himself, there are no tongues 
 else for's turn.' 
 
i8 JOTTINGS ON THE TEXT OF 
 
 2. 2. 175. Honest, my Lord ? F. Honest, my lord ! C. 
 
 z. 2. 180, 181. Ham. For if the Sun breed Magots in a dead dogge, being 
 
 a good kissing Carrion Haue you a daughter ? F. Ham. For if the sun 
 
 breed maggots in a dead dog, being a god kissing carrion — Have you a 
 daughter ? C. 
 
 Tlie C. gives the following collation of readings (Qq standing for the 
 Quartos but not including the ist Q., 1603, Ff, the Folios): 
 
 180. Ham.] Ham. [reads]. Staunton. 
 
 181. god kissing carrimt] Hanmer (Warburton). good Mssing carrion 
 Qq Ff. god-kissing carrion Malone conj. good, kissing carrion Whiter conj. 
 carrion-kissing god y&\.io\d. coxi). carrion — ]Ff. camon. Qq. 
 
 Dyce's note : P. 136. {57) " For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, 
 ieing a good kissing carrion, ' ' 
 
 This passage is not in the quarto 1603. — The other old eds. have " being 
 
 a good kissing carrion.^' — I give Warburton's emendation, which, if over-praised 
 by Johnson, (who called it a "noble " one), at least has the merit of conveying 
 somethiiig like a meaning. — That not even a tolerable sense can be tortured out 
 of the original reading, we have proof pcMitive in the various explanations of it 
 by^^^nter, Coleridge, Caldecott, Mr. Knight, and Delius. ("The carrion," says 
 Mr. Knight with the utmost gravity, "the carrion is good at kissing — ready to 
 return the Iciss of the sun — ' Common kissing Titan,' and in the bitterness of his 
 satire Hamlet associates the idea with the daughter of Polonius. Mr. Whiter, 
 however, considers that good, the original reading, is correct; but that the poet 
 
 uses the W(jrd as a substantive the good principle in the fecundity of the 
 
 earth. In that case we should read ' being a good, kissing carrion'." Equally 
 
 outrageous in absurdity is the interpretation of Delius, which (translated for me 
 by Mr. Robson) runs thus : " Hamlet calls the dog, in which the sun breeds mag- 
 gots, a. good, kissing carrion; alluding to the confiding, fawning manner of the 
 dog towards his master. If the sun breeds maggots in a dead dog, which 
 during its lifetime was so attached, — what, says Hamlet, in his bitter distrust 
 [Misstrauen] , and to annoy Polonius, might not the sun breed in the equally ten- 
 der Ophelia, who ought therefore not to expose herself to the sun.") — The Works 
 of WiiUain Shakespeare. The text revised by the Rev. Alexander Dyce. In 
 nine Vohmies. Vol. VII. Second edition. London : 1868. p. 223. 
 
 In " The Shakespeare Society's Papers. Vol. II. London : printed for the 
 Shakespeare Society. 1845." AiiT. VII. — Coniectnres on some of the corrupt 
 m- obscure passages of Shakes,peare. By Barron Field, Esq. pp. 41, 42, the 
 author remarks : 
 
 " And we are indebted to Bishop Warburton, the most arbitrary, but the most 
 sagacious of critics, . . for reading in 'Hamlet,' 'If the sun breed maggots 
 in a dead dog, being a Corf-kissing carrion,' instead of a ' Good,' as the old 
 copies have it : ' a noble emendation (Ur. Johnson calls it) which almost sets the 
 critic on a level with the author.' " 
 
SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET. ig 
 
 In a foot-note he adds (p. 42): 
 
 "Mr. Collier and Mr. Knight retain 'good,' and understand the dead dog to 
 be the good kissing carrion; but this seems to me somewhat too much meaning 
 for the words to be licensed to carry. That the sun is the osculist, and not the 
 dog, is confirmed by the following passage from I. Hen. IV., ii., 4 [1. 113]; 
 ' Did'st thou never see Titan kiss a dish of Ijutter ? ' and by the phrase, ' com- 
 mon-kissing Titan,' in Cymbeline, iii., 4 [1. 164].'" 
 
 One thing can with certainty be assumed at the outset, namely, tliat the Sun, 
 " common -kissing Titan, " is the " osculist, " to use Mr. Field's word, and not 
 the carrion dog ; ' and now remains that we find out the cause of the effect, or 
 rather say, the cause of the defect,' in the several attempted explanations of the 
 passage in question. That defect is due to one thing, and one thing only, and 
 that is, to the understanding of ' kissing ' as the present active participle, and 
 not as the verbal noun. It is well known to all English scholara that, in the 
 early period of our language, there were distinct forms for the present active 
 participle and the verbal noun, the former ending in Anglo-Sa.\on in -ende, and 
 the latter in -ung, which endings became, respectively, -end (-ende), and -ing 
 (inge), in Middle English. This distinction between the participle and the 
 verbal noun continued to be quite strictly observed until nearly the end of the 
 XlVth Century. It is so obsei'ved in the earlier text of the Wycliffite versions of 
 the Scriptures, and in Gowcr's " Confessio Amantis, '' the pre.ient participle 
 terminating almost invariably in -ende, a few cases only occurring of the later 
 form in -inge (-ing). In Chaucer's works, which represent the most advanced 
 stage of the language in his time, the present participle terminates, with very rare 
 exceptions, in -ing or -yng (-inge or -ynge). Soon after the clo.se of the .KlVth 
 Century, -ing became the common ending of the participle and the verbal noun. 
 But it is often important to determine which is which, in reading an author 
 of so contriving a spirit of expression as Shakespeare exhibits. 
 
 In the following passages, for example, the present active participle is used: 
 ' Life's but a walking shadow,' Macbclli, A. v. S. v. /. 24; ' Look, here comes 
 a walkmg fire.' Idng Lear, A. III. i". IV. /. no; *the dancing banners of the 
 French,' King jfohn, A. II. S. I. /. 308; 'my dancing soul doth celebrate 
 This feast of battle with mine adversary. Ricluird IL. A. i. 5. iii. /. gi; 
 ' labouring art can never ransom nature From her inaidible estate;' AlPs Well 
 that Ends Well, A. II. S. I. /. 116; 'more busy than the labouring spider' LL. 
 Henry VI. A. ill. S. t. /. 339; 'And let the labouring bark climb hills of seas 
 Olympus-high' Othello, A. 11. 5. I. /. 184; 'thy parting soul!' I Henry VI. 
 A. II. 5. V. /. 115; ' parting guest ' Troilus and Cressida, A. III. S. 111. /. 166; 
 'a falling fabric' Cariolanus, A. ill. S. I. /. 247; 'this breathing world,' 
 Ricluird III. A. I. S. I. I. 21; 'O blessed breeding sim,' Timon of Athens, 
 A. IV. S. III. /. i; 
 
 But in the following passages the same words are verbal nouns used ad- 
 jectively : 
 
zo JOTTINGS ON THE TEXT OF 
 
 'a palmer's walking-staff,' Richard II. A. in. 5. 3. /. 151; 'you and I are 
 past our dancing-days : ' Romeo and jKliet, A. I. S. 5. /. 29; ' you ought not 
 walk Upon a labouring day ' Julius Ciesar, A. I. S. I. /. 4; ' ere I could 
 Give him that parting kiss' Cymbeline, A. I. S. III. /. 34; 'And say, what 
 store of parting tears were shed? ' Richard II. A. I. S. IV. /. 5; 'he hath the 
 falling sickness.' Julius Ccesar, A. i. S. II. /. 252; ' Cannot be quiet scarce a 
 breathing while,' Richard III. A. I. S. III. I. 60; ' it is the breathing time of 
 day with me ; ' Hamlet A. v. S. II. /. 165. 
 
 And now we are all ready for ' kissing : ' In the following passages it is the 
 participle : 
 
 'A kissing traitor.' Love's Labour's Lost, A. v. 5'. II. /. 592; 'the greedy 
 touch Of common-kissing Titan,' Cymbeline, A. iii. S. iv. /. 164; 'O, how 
 ripe in show Thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow ! ' A Midsumtner- 
 Night's Dream, A. III. S, II. /. 140- 
 
 ' Kissing,' in the last passage, might be taken for the verbal noun, meaning, 
 for kissing, or, to be kissed ; but it must here be understood as the participle. 
 Demetrius speaks of the lips of Helena, as two ripe cherries that kiss, or lightly 
 touch, each other. But to say of a pair of beautiful lips that they are good 
 kissing lips, would convey quite a different meaning, — a meaning, however, 
 which nobody would mistake: 'Kisning' in such expression, is the verbal noun 
 used adjectively, and equivalent to ' for kissing. ' And so the word is used in the 
 passage in question : 
 
 ' For if the sun breed Magots in a dead dogge, being a good kissing Car- 
 rion ' 
 
 That is, a dead dog being, not a carrion good at kissing, as Mr. Knight and 
 others understand it, and which would be the sense of the word, as a present 
 active participle, but a carrion ^oo& for kissing, or, to be kissed, by the sun, that 
 thus breeds a plentiful crop of maggots therein, the agency of ' breed ' being- 
 implied in 'kissing.' In reading this speech, the emphasis should be upon 
 'kissing' and not upon 'carrion,' the idea of which last word is anticipated 
 in ' dead dog ; ' in other words, ' kissing carrion ' should be read as a com- 
 pound noun, which in fact it is, the stress of sound falling on the member of the 
 compound which bears the burden of the meaning. The two words might, in- 
 deed, be hyphened, like ' Kissmg-comfits,' in The Merry Wives of Windsor, 
 A. V. S. V. /. 19. 
 
 The fact that all the Quartos and Folios perfectly agree in the expression ' a 
 good kissing carrion, ' is quite conclusive evidence that it is the correct reading, 
 and that its meaning was plain to early readers and hearers. Had it been ob- 
 scure, so obscure that "not even a tolerable sense," to use Dyce's words, could 
 have been "tortured out of the original reading," it would no doubt have been 
 tinkered into variations before Bishop Warburton made the "noble emendation 
 which almost sets the critic on a level with the author." ! 
 
SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET. 21 
 
 2. 2. 183-185. Conception is a blessing, but not as your daugliter may con- 
 ceiue. Friend look too't. F. conception is a blessing; but as your daughter 
 may conceive, — friend, look to't. C. The sentence is complete in the F. and 
 the ' not ' is essential to Hamlet's obvious meaning. He says what he does to 
 make the old man uneasy, meaning, that though conception is a blessing, in the 
 legitimate vpay, it wouldn't be as his daughter might conceive — out of wedlock. 
 Polonius, with his fossilized prudential wisdom, has had no living organs of dis- 
 cernment to perceive Hamlet's sensibility of principle and chastity of honor, and 
 has feared that his daughter's relations with the prmce ' out of her star,' would 
 result in her shame. Hamlet's penetrating sagacity has revealed to him the old 
 man's fears, and he accordingly plays upon them. 
 
 z. 2. 188. he is farre gone, farre gone : F. he is farre gone : C. The 
 repetition in the F. is more effective, and veiy natural, too, for one speaking ill 
 Polonius's assured state of mind. There is, also, more of the old nran in it. 
 
 2. 2. 197. their eyes purging thicke Amber, or Plum-Tree Gumme : F. . . . 
 thick amber and plum-tree gum, C. 
 
 2. 2. 201. For you your selfe Sir, should be old as I am, if like a Crab you 
 could go backward. F. for yourself, sir, shall grow old as I am, if like a crab 
 you could go backward. C. It is not likely that the poet meant that Hamlet 
 should talk nonsense in this passage, but rather that he should express himself in 
 a way to puzzle the old man. As it stands in the F. it would seem that ' old ' is 
 used, not as opposed to ' young,' but as denoting age in general. So that the 
 expression really means, ' you yourself, sir, should be young as I am, if, like a 
 ■crab, you could go backward.' The sense is further obfiiscated by speaking of 
 the purely ideal going backward in time under the purely literal image of going 
 backward like a crab. 
 
 J.. 2. 205. Pol. will you wallie Out of the ayre my Lord ? Flam. Into my 
 Grave ? F. Into my grave. C. There can be no question of the correctness of 
 the ? in the F. Hamlet's speech, paraphrased, would be, ' You a.sk me to walk 
 out of the air : would you have me walk into my grave?' Hamlet's replies to 
 those persons of the play whom he dislikes or despises, the King, Polonius, and 
 the courtiers, are characterized by tlieir literalness. When the King asks, ' How 
 fares our cousin Hamlet ? ' Hamlet replies, ' Excellent, i' faith ; of the chame- 
 leon's dish : I eat the air, promise-crammed : you cannot feed capons so. ' When 
 he asks Osric, ' What's his [Laertes'] weapon?' and Osric replies, 'Rapier and 
 dagger,' Hamlet replies ' That's two of his weapons.' 
 
 2. z. 206. Indeed that is out o' th' Ayre : F. Indeed, that's out of the air. 
 C . The proper elocution requires that ' is ' be made emphatic, which it cannot 
 be if contracted as in the C. 
 
 2. 2. 217. Polon. Vou goe to seelce my Lord Hamlet ; there he is. F. . . . 
 the Lord Hamlet ; C. 
 
 2. 2. 2ig-222. Guild. Mine honour'd Lord ? Rosin. My most deare Lord ? 
 
22 JO TTJNGS ON THE TEXT Ot 
 
 Ham. My excellent good frieiuls ? How do'st thoii Guildaisteriie ? (Jli, Rosin- 
 craiie ; good Lads ; How doe ye both ? F. Guil. My honoured lord ! Ros. 
 My most dear lord ! Ilnm. My excellent good friends ! How dost thou, Guild- 
 enstern ? Ah, Rosencraiitz ! Good lads, how do you both ? C. The ? of the F. 
 represents the elocution better than the ! of the C. It would appear from the F. 
 reading, that Hamlet, when addressing Rosencrantz and Gnildenstern, gives his 
 attention to the latter, saying, after the common address, ' How dost thou Gnild- 
 enstern ?' before recognizing Rosencrantz ; the ' Oh,' in ' Oh Rosincrane ' involves 
 a friendly apology. There seems to be a certain pi ay fulness in the 'Howdo_j/if 
 both?' of the V., which is not in the ' How Ao you both ? of the C. 
 
 2. 2. 229. Ham. Then you Hue about her waste, or in the middle of her 
 fauour? F." Then you live aljout her waist, or in the middle of her favours? C. 
 . There is a word play intended in the use of ' favour ' which is precluded by the 
 plural form .of the C. ; ' favour ' is used equivocally in the sense of ' face,' 
 ' countenance,' for which the plural ' favours ' could not be used, and m the 
 sense of ' propitiousness. ' 
 
 z. ^. 238. Guil. Prison, my Lord ? F. Prison, my lord ! C. 
 
 s,. 2. 336. (as it is like most if their meanes are no better) F. — as it is most 
 like, if their means are no better, — C. This passage does not occur in the 
 Quartos. The change of 'like most' to 'most like,' adopted by the C., was 
 made by Pope. But ' like most ' may be what the poet wrote, in the sense of 
 ' likeliest,' ' most ' being used as a suffix, as in ' foremost,' ' midmost,' ' inmost,' 
 etc. 
 
 2. 2. 338. there ha's bene much to do on both sides : F. there has been 
 much to do on both sides, C. In a modernized edition, 'to do ' should be 
 liyjDhened, the two words being used together as a substantive. " In place of 
 this to-do the King's Knglish accepted a composition, part French, part English, 
 and hence the substantive ado.'" — Ear/c's Philology of llic English Tongue. 2d 
 ed. p. 420. 
 
 3. 2.354. Let me comply with you in the Garbe, I'', this garb, C. 'the' 
 is used in the F. generically, and makes the better sense. 
 
 2. 2. 366. Happily he's the second time come to them : Y. C. the same; 
 but in a modernized edition, ' Happily,' as used here, should be spelt ' Haply.' 
 
 2. 2. 369. for a Monday morning 'twas so indeed. F. o'Monday morn- 
 ing ; 'twas so, indeed. C. 'o' ' is after Capell; the Quartos reacl 'a,' the 1st, 
 2d, and 3d, Folios, ' for a,' the 4th, 'for on.' The 2d and 3d Quartos have a 
 comma after 'morning,' the 4th, 5th, and 6th, and the Folios, have no point. 
 
 2. 2. 376. Vpon mine Honor. F. Upon my honour, — C. In the use of 
 the dash, the C. follows Rowe. But the sense is apparently complete. All the 
 Quartos and. Folios have a period. 
 
 2. 2. 381-3. Seneca cannot be too heauy, nor Plautus too light, for the law 
 of Writ, and the Liberty. These are the onely men. F. Seneca cannot be too 
 
SHAKESPEARE ' S HAMLE T. 23 
 
 lieavy, nor Plautus too light. For the law of writ and the liberty, these are the 
 only men. C. The pointing of the C. is Theobald's. The 2d, 3d, 4th, and 
 5th Quartos have no point after ' light ' and a colon after ' liberty ; ' the Folios 
 all have a comma after ' light ' and a period after ' liberty ; ' the 6th Quarto and 
 Quarto (1676) have no point after 'light' and a semicolon after 'liberty.' All 
 the Quartos and Folios, therefore, connect in construction, ' for the law of writ 
 and the liberty, ' with Seneca and Plautus, and not with ' these are the only 
 men, which evidently refers to the actors he's talking about. ' Liberty ' should 
 be construed with ' law : ' the law and the liberty of writ [writing] . And ' law ' 
 and 'liberty' seem to refer, respectively, to 'heavy' and 'light.' This respec- 
 tive construction is frequent in Shakespeare. See Macbeth, i. 3. 60, 6,1 ; Ham- 
 let, 3. I. 151 ; Winter's Tale, 3. 2. 160-162 ; Antony and Cleopatra, 3. 2. 
 15-18 ; 4. 15. 25, 26 ; Comedy of Errors, 2. 2. 112-117 ; The Tempest, i. 2. 
 335, 336 ; Midsummer Night's Dream, 3. i. g8-loi. 
 
 2. 2. 401. For looke where my Abridgements come. F. ... my abridge- 
 ment comes. C. The singular is used in all the Quartos, and the plural in all 
 the Folios, and it would seem that they were used vrith a different understanding 
 of their meaning; 'my abridgement,' they who vrill cut short my talk, 'niy' 
 being used objectively ; ' my Abridgements,' they who are, as Hamlet calls them 
 fiirther on in the Scene, 11. 501, 502, 'the Abstracts and breefe Chronicles of the 
 time,' 'my' l)eing ethical. 
 
 2. 2. 403. O my olde Friend ? F. O, my old friend ! C. The ? is better. 
 The speech should be uttered with an interrogative intonation expressive of a 
 pleasant surprise. So 405, 406. What, my yong Lady and Mistris? F. The 
 C. employs a ! again. 
 
 2. 2. 406. neerer Heauen F. nearer to heaven C. 
 
 2. 2. 424. One cheefe Speech in it, I cheefely lou'd, F. One speech in it 
 I chiefly loved : C. 
 
 2. 2. 438. a tyrannous, and damned light F. a tyrannous and a damned 
 light. C. The repetition of ' a ' makes two distinct lights. 
 
 2. 2. 501. tlie Abstracts and breefe Chronicles of the time. F. the abstract 
 and brief chronicles of the time : C. 
 
 2. z. 503. while you lined. F. while you live. C. 
 
 2. z. 506. and who should scape whipping: F. and who shall 'scape 
 whipping? C. The conditional ' should ' is better after the postulate ' use every 
 man after his desert.' 
 
 2. 2. 521. Rosin. Good my Lord. F. Good my lord ! C. The period is 
 better. Rosencrantz simply assents to what Hamlet has just said, ' I'll leave 
 you till night.' 
 
 2. 2. 526. whole conceit, F. own conceit C. 
 
 2. 2. 558. I \i.e.. Ay] sure, this is most braue, F. This is most brave, C 
 The ' I sure ' of the F. adds to the irony of the expression. 
 4 
 
24 JOTTINGS ON THE TEXT OF 
 
 3. I. 63. That Flesh is heyre too? 'Tis F. That flesh is heir to, 'tis C. 
 The punctuation of the F. is preferable. After the reflection that death is no 
 more than a sleep, the question arises in Hamlet's mind as to whether by a sleep 
 we shall end the heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir 
 to. On which he reflects, ' 'Tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd.' 
 
 3. I. 71. the poore mans Contumely, F. the proud man's contumely, C. 
 The Quartos all read ' proud, ' the Folios, ' poor.' In the two expressions, the 
 genitive is differently used : in the first, it is objective, ' the poor man's con- 
 tumely ' meaning the contumely or contemptuous treatment the poor man suffers ; 
 in the second, it is subjective, ' the proud man's contumely ' meaning the con- 
 tumely or contemptuous treatment the proud man exercises. 
 
 3. I. 72. The pangs of dispriz'd Loue, the F. The pangs of despised love, 
 the C. ' dispriz'd ' is the the reading of the Folios ; 2d and 3d Quartos, de- 
 spiz'd ; 4th and 5th Quartos, 'office, and'; mispriz'd Collier MS. (erased). It 
 would be hard to decide as to the relative force of the two words ' dispriz'd ' and 
 ' despised. ' But, perhaps, a disprized or undervalued love, a love that is only 
 partially appreciated and responded to, would be apt to suffer more pangs than a 
 despised love. 
 
 3. I. 76. Who would these Fardles beare F. who would fardels bear, 
 C. ' these Fardles ' is the reading of all the Folios ; according to the C. read- 
 ing, which is that of the Quartos, ' fardels ' means something additional to what 
 Hamlet has enumerated in the six preceding lines.' the whips and scorns of time,' 
 ' the oppressor's wrong,' 'the poor man's contumely,' etc.; but according to the 
 F. reading, 'fardels' represents all these. It would seem that, having said, 11. 70 
 et seq. , ' who would bear ' (the several things he specifies, ) he repeats ' who would 
 bear,' with the general object, ' fardels, ' (representing all the special onei,) for the 
 purpose of introducing the exceptive clause, ' But that the dread of something 
 after death, . . . puzzles the will,' etc. Besides, the general term 'fardels' 
 when not identified in meaning, by the use of ' these, ' with the preceding speci- 
 fications, comes in somewhat flat. The F. reading seems altogether the best. 
 
 3. I. 86. And enterprizes of great pith and moment, F. ... of great 
 pitch and moment C. Independently of the authority for 'pith,' namely, all 
 the Folios and the players' Quartos of 1676, 1683, 1695, 1703, 'pitch 'and 
 ' moment ' haven't the congruity that ' pith ' and ' moment ' have, more especially, 
 too, if ' moment ' be understood as retaining some of its original force of ' mo- 
 mentum.' The greater congruity of ' pith ' and ' moment ' than of ' pitch ' and 
 ' moment ' will be seen by Shakespeare's uses of these words in the following 
 passages: 'that's my pith of business 'Twixt you and your poor brother.' 
 Meas.for Meas. I. IV. 70; 'Perhaps you mark'd not what's the pith of all.' 
 T. of the S., I. I. 161 ; ' grandsires, babies, and old women. Either past or not 
 arrived to pith and puissance; I/en. V. III. 1. C/iorus, 21 ; ' The pith and marrow 
 of our attribute. ' Ham. I. iv. 22; 'For since these arms of mine had seven 
 
SHAKESPEA RE'S HAMLET. 25 
 
 years' pith,' Othel. I. III. 83; 'pithy and effectual,' T. of the S., I. I. 66; 'An 
 oath is of no moment, Ijeing not took Before a trae and .lawful magistrate,' /// 
 Hen. VI, I. 11. 22; 'I have seen her die twenty times upon far poorer moment : ' 
 A. and C, i. 11. 137. And does not 'pith' suit the idea of 'currents' better, 
 in the next line? The editors of the C. remark. Note XVI., "In this doubtful 
 passage we have retained the reading of the Quartos, although the players' 
 Quartos of 1676, 1683, 1695, 1703, have, contrary to their custom, followed the 
 Folios, which may possibly indicate that ' pith ' was the reading according to the 
 stage tradition." 
 
 3. I. 87. their Currants turne away, ¥. their currents turn awry C. 
 ' turn away ' expresses more of an entire change of current, which is Hamlet's 
 idea, than does ' turn awry. ' 
 
 3. I. 89. Ths iairs Ophelia ? F. The fair Ophelia ! C. 
 
 3. 1 . 94. I pray you now, receiue them. F. I pray you, now receive 
 them. C. Having longed long to re-deliver his remembrances, she, now that 
 the opportunity is afforded, prays him to receive them. The pointing of the F. 
 is the more correct. Even the very different reading of the ist Quarto indicates 
 the bearing of ' now : ' ' My Lord, I haue sought opportunitie, which nmu I 
 haue, to redeliuer to your worthy handes, a small remembrance,' 
 
 3. I. 97. I know right well you did, F. you know right well you did; C. 
 The F. reading is the more significant. Ophelia's meaning is, the remembrances 
 you gave me, may have been trifles to ymi., such trifles as left no impression on 
 your mind of your having given them; but / know right well you did, as they 
 were most dear to me at the time, accompanied as they were with expressions of 
 affection. ' I ' should be read with a strong upward circumflex. 
 
 3. I. 158. Like sweet Bels iangled out of tune, and harsh, F. Like sweet 
 bells jangled, out of tune and harsh; C. All the Quartos and Folios agree in 
 having a comma after 'tune' (Qq. time); the pointing of the C. is Capell's. 
 The phrase ' out of tune ' is certainly an adverbial element to 'jangled ' and not 
 an adjective element to 'sweet bells.' The two ideas attached to 'bells' are i. 
 'jangled out of tune ; 2. 'harsh,' which expresses to what extent 'jangled out 
 of tune.' 
 
 3. I. 178. How now Opheliaf F. How now, Ophelia ! C. 
 
 3. I. 183. To shew his Greefes : F. To show his grief: C. 'Greefes' 
 is used here in the sense of grievances. So further on in the play, 3. 2. 323, 
 'if you deny your greefes to your Friend.' 
 
 3. 2. 8. to see a robustious Pery-wig- pared Fellow, teare a Passion to tat- 
 ters, F. to hear . . . C. The tearing of a passion to tatters by a robustious 
 periwig-pated fellow, is more addressed to the eye than to the ear. His robus- 
 tiousness and his periwig-patedness are seen alone, as are also the distortions 
 through which he endeavors to exhibit the passion ; it is only what he says that 
 is addressed to the ear. 
 
zb JOTTINGS ON THE TEXT OF 
 
 3. 2. 12. I could haue such a Fellow whipt F. I would . . . C. 
 3. 2. 51. O my deere Lord. F. O, my dear lord, — C. The Quartos and 
 Folios all agree in having a period after 'Lord.' The dash of the C, indicating 
 an interrupted speech, is after Rowe. The context shows that no interruption is 
 intended. Horatio must be supposed to say ' O my dear Lord ' in a way expres- 
 sive of a feeling of being flattered by what Hamlet has just said, ' Horatio, thou 
 art e'en as just a man As e'er my conversation coped withal,' uttering ' O ' and 
 ' Lord ' with a downward circumflex, and Hamlet replies, ' Nay, do not think I 
 flatter : ' etc. 
 
 3. z. 59, 60. Since my deere Soule was Mistris of my choyse, And could 
 of men distinguish, her election Hath seal'd thee for her selfe. F. The C. 
 follows the pointing of the F. in having a comma after ' distinguish.' The 
 Quartos read, ' distinguish her election, S'hath (Shath Quartos 4th and 5th, 
 Sh'ath Quarto 6th) ; ' distinguish her election ' is decidedly Shaliespearian, and 
 may be what the poet wrote. The use of a cognate accusative is a marked 
 feature of Shakespeare's diction. ' of men, ' too, joins better to ' election ' than 
 to ' distinguish.' The C. reads ' her choice,' after the Quartos. 
 
 3. 2. 60-63. F"'^ '^°^ '^^^' bene As one in suffering all, that suffers nothing. 
 A man that Fortunes buffets, and Rewards Hath 'tane with equall Thankes. F. 
 . . . Hast ta'tn with equal thanks : C. The C. follows the Quartos here in 
 spite of the solecism in the use of ' Hast.' Though the subject-nominative ' thou ' 
 is 2d person, the predicate-nominative ' man ' is 3d person, and being the antece- 
 dent of the relative 'that, ' determines the person of the verb to which ' that ' is 
 the nominative or subject. 
 
 3. 2. 72. the Circumstance Which I haue told thee, of my Fathers death. 
 F. The C, following the Quartos, omits the comma after 'thee;' it serves to 
 show tliat the phrase ' of my father's death ' is connected with ' circumstance ' 
 and not with ' told,' and, in neat pointing, should not be omitted. 
 
 3. 2. 73-75. I prythee, when thou see'st that Acte a-foot, Euen with the 
 verie Comment of my Soule Obserue mine Vnkle : F. . . comment of thy 
 soul Observe my uncle : C. after the Quartos. The F. reading is the more ex- 
 pressive : Hamlet's meaning is, I would have thee so enter into my feelings, so 
 identify thyself with me that, when thou seest that act a-foot, even with the 
 very comment of my soul, thou wilt observe my uncle. The use of ' my ' also 
 gives force to ' Even with the very,' which has less force in the other reading. 
 
 3. 2. 79, 80. Giue him needfull note. For I mine eyes will riuet to his 
 Face : F. ' For ' depends, for its force, on what Hamlet says in the 74th and 
 75 th lines, ' Even with the very comment of my soul Observe mine Uncle : ' then 
 having again enjoined Horatio to ' Give him needful note, ' or as the Quartos- 
 have it, which the C. follows, 'heedful note,' he adds, ' For I w/w^ eyes will 
 irivet to his face ; ' 
 
 3. 2. 81, 82. And after we will both our iudgements ioyne. To censure of 
 his seeming. F. . . In censure of his seemmg. C. after the Quartos. In the 
 
SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLE'I. 27 
 
 F. reading, ' censure ' is a noun, as it is in the C. For tlie force of ' To,' see 
 Abbott's Shakespearian Grammar, rev. and enl. ed., § 186. 
 
 3. 2. 92-96. Ham. . . . you plaid once i' th' Vniucrsity, you say ? Polon. 
 
 That I did my Lord, and was accounted a good Actor. Ham. And what did 
 
 you enact? F. What did you enact ? C. after the Quartos. The F. reading 
 
 , has a touch of the contemptuous imparted to it by the initial word 'And.:* 
 
 'What, I pray, or forsooth, did ^-oa enact? ' 
 
 3. z. 194, 195. The great man downe, you marke his fauouriles flies, The 
 poore aduanc'd, makes Friends of Enemies : F. . . you mark his favourite 
 flies ; C. The plural 'favourites ' suits the context better ; it is, in fact, de- 
 manded ; and in regard to ' flies, ' see Abbott's Shakespearian Grammar, § 333, 
 . 1 where this passage is quoted. 
 
 3. 2. 220. Qu. The Lady protests to much me thinkes. F. The lady doth 
 protest too much, methinks. C. The more familiar ' protests ' is better here than 
 'doth protest.' 
 
 3. 2. 240. Ophe. Still better and worse. Ham. So you mistake Husbands. 
 
 F. So you must take your husbands. C. So you must take your husband, 1st 
 
 Quarto ; the other Quartos, mistake your husbands. The other Folios like the 
 
 1st. There is a quibble evidently intended : so you mistake, or take amiss, hus- 
 
 . bands, i. c, for better and worse. 
 
 3. 2, 250. writ in choyce Italian. F. This may be a case of absorption : 
 , the -en. of the participle being present in ' In.' The C. reads, after the Quartos, 
 ' written in very choice Italian : ' 
 
 3. 2. 251. . Murtherer F. This form of the word it would be well to re- 
 tain ; ' murther, ' noun and verb, and ' murtherer ' were the usual fonns of the 
 - English of the time. 
 
 3. 2. 262. So runnes the world away. F. Thus runs the world away.. C. 
 after the Quartos. The more general and indefinite ' So ' seems preferable here 
 to the formal ' Thus.' 
 
 3. 2. 292. Your wisedome should shew it selfe more richer, to signifie this 
 to his Doctor : F. the doctor ; C. 
 
 3. 2. 301-303. If it shall please you to make me t wholsome answer, I 
 will doe your Mothers command'ment : if not, your pardon, and my retume shall 
 bee the end of my Businesse. F. ... if not, your pardon and my return shall 
 be the end of my business. C. Do the editors of the C, by omitting the com- 
 , ma after 'pardon,' mean to construe it with ' return ' ? That would certainly not 
 give Rosencrantz' meaning, which the F. shows to be, ' if you cannot give me a 
 wholesome answer, pardon me for having troubled you, and my return shall be 
 -the end of my business.' 
 
 3. 2. 322, 323. You do freely barre the doore of your owne Libertie, if you 
 deny your greefes to your Friend. F. you do surely bar the door upon . . . . 
 f freely ':= ' of your own free will,' perhaps as much as ' wilfully.' 
 
s8 JOTTINGS ON THE TEXT OF 
 
 3. 2. 329. to withdraw with you, why do you go about to recouer the winde 
 of mee, as if you would driue me into a toyle ? F. To withdraw with you : — 
 C. the rest hke F. ; tlie Quartos all have a comma after ' you, ' except the 6th, 
 which has a semicolon. Taking the F. reading as it stands, it appears that 
 Hamlet, after receiving the recorder from the attendant, steps aside, and as he 
 does so, says to Guildenstem, 'To withdraw with you,' as an intimation of his 
 wish to speak with him apart, and then continues, ' why do you go about ' etc. 
 A similar example of this absolute use of the infinitive occurs, 4th Scene of this 
 Act, 1. 216 : ' Come, sir, to draw toward an end with you.' 
 
 3. 2. 341. Ham. 'Tis as easie as lying : F. It is as easy as lying : C. 
 
 3. z. 343. it will discourse most excellent Musicke. F. most eloquent music. 
 C. after the Quartos. I feel a certain seriousness— that's hardly the word — about 
 'eloquent', not in keeping; whereas, in the use of 'excellent', there seems to be 
 implied the idea, that the music that can be got out of the httle instrument, is 
 superior to what one would suspect. The word 'excellent' should be pronounced 
 with a downward circumflex on 'ex-', imparting a patronizing tone. 
 
 3. -J.. 347, 348. Why looke you now, how vnworthy 1 thing you make of 
 me : F. . . . you make of me ! C. The colon is used in the F. as it quite 
 uniformly is, before a specification when formally introduced. The sentence is 
 not exclamatory . Hamlet simply invites Guildenstem's attention to what he is 
 about to state. The use of ' now ' seems also to indicate this. 
 
 3. 2. 352. there is much Musicke, excellent Voice, in this little Organe, yet 
 cannot you make it. F. ... yet cannot you make it speak. C. The C. reads 
 better, but the F. is not imperfect without ' speak :' ' it ' stands for ' music ' or 
 ' voice. ' 
 
 3. 2. 354,' 355. though you can fret me, you cannot play vpon me. F. 
 . . . yet you cannot play upon me. C. after the First Quarto ; all the others, 
 and the Folios, omit ' yet.' The use of ' yet ' as the correlative of ' though', 
 adds to the formalness, and takes away from the plain decisiveness, of the 
 speech. 
 
 3. 2. 359, 360. Do you see that Clowd? that's almost in shape like a 
 Camell. F. Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in shape of a camel ? C. 
 
 3. 2. 361. By 'th' Misse, and it's like a Camell indeed. F. By the mass, 
 and 'tis like a camel, indeed. C. ' Misse ' may have been a form of ' Mass' in 
 use, or an abbreviation of ' Missal ;' Lat. missa. 
 
 3. 2i 381, 382. How in my words someuer .she be shent. To giue them 
 Scales, neuer my Soule consent. F. soever C. never, my soul, consent ! C. 
 The absence of the commas in all the Quartos and Folios, is correct, ' consent ' 
 being, not an imperative, but a subjunctive, and 'soul,' a nominative, not a voc- 
 ative. See Abbott's Shakespearian Grammar, §§ 364, 365. The pointing of 
 the C . is after Capell. 
 
 3- 3- 5~7- "^^^ termes of our estate, may not endure Hazard so dangerous 
 
SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET. zg 
 
 as doth hourely grow Out of his Lunacies. F. i. e., Hazard as doth hourly grow 
 so dangerous. The C. reads, Hazard so near us etc. 
 
 3. 3. 14. That Spirit, vpon whose spirit depends and rests The liues of 
 many, F. That spirit upon whose weal depends and rests The lives of many. 
 C. after Quartos. Though the repetition of ' spirit ' in the F. is somewhat awk- 
 ward, there seems to have been a reason for departing from the reading of the 
 Quartos. In the 3d line below, majesty is spoken of as a massy wheel, Fixt on 
 the summit of the highest mount, etc. The clashing of the words ' weal ' and 
 ' wheel ' may have led to the change. 
 
 3. 3. 77. I his foule Sonne, F. I, his sole son, C. after Quartos. 
 
 3. 3. 81. With all his Crimes broad blowne, as fresh as May, F. The 
 metaphor involved is that of fresh, full-blown flowers in Spring ; as flush as May; 
 C. after Quartos ; ' flush ' is, perhaps, the more forcible term. 
 
 3. 3. 91. At gaming, swearing, F. At game, a-swearing, C. 
 
 3. 4. 4. lie silence me e'ene heere : F. I'll sconce me even here. C. 
 ' sconce ' has no authority, while ' silence,' which makes excellent sense, is the 
 reading of all the Quartos and Folios. The editors of the C. say. Note XX; : 
 " We have adopted Hanmer's correction ' sconce ' for 'silence' because in the 
 corresponding passage of the first Quarto Polonius says : 'Tie shrowde my selfe 
 behinde the Arras'." That really seems to be reaching very far after a reason 
 for the adoption of 'sconce,' in opposition to all the authorities. 
 
 3. 4. 13. y^hy how now Hizm/ei ? Why, how now, Hamlet ! C. 
 
 3. 4. 2g. Ham. . . . almost as bad good Mother, As kill a King, and mar- 
 rie with his Brother. Qu. As kill a King ? The Queen's speech should be 
 uttered with a strong inquiring surprise. The C. has a ! 
 
 3. 4. 38. That it is proofe and bulwarke against Sense. F. That it be C. 
 The mdicative ' is ' is more correct here, than the subjunctive ' be. ' 
 
 3. 4. 55. See what a grace was seated on his Brow, F. this brow ; C. 
 
 3. 4. 95. mine ears. F. my ears ; C. 
 
 3. 4. 104. What would you gracious figure ? F. What would your gra- 
 cious figure? C. after Quartos. With a comma after 'you,' making 'figure,' 
 vocative, the F. is the better reading. Knight has adopted it, so pointed. ' fig- 
 ure ' doesn't make, logically, a very good subject to ' would.' 
 
 3. 4. 139. Extasie ? F. Ecstasy ! C. 
 
 3. 4. 145. Lay not a flattering Vnction to your soule. That, F. Lay not 
 that flattering unction to your soul. That C. 
 
 3. 4. 151. And do not spred the Compost or the Weedes, F. ... on the 
 weeds, C. The ' or ' of the F. may be for ' ore ' or ' o'er.' Knight has 
 ' o'er. ' 
 
 3. 4. 159. mine Vnkles bed, F. my uncle's bed ; C. 
 
 4. 1. i, \i.. There's matters in these sighes. These profound heaues You 
 must translate ; F. There's matter in these sighs, these profound heaves : You 
 
so JOTTINGS ON THE TEXT OF 
 
 must translate : C. The better pointing of tlie Folio here is unquestionable. 
 According to the pointing of the C, 'heaves' is construed with 'sighs' and 
 ' You must translate ' stands detached in constraction. Furthermore, the King 
 uses ' profound ' equivocally, as it may mean, 'deep,' literally, and 'deep' in 
 significance ; and upon the latter meaning, ' translate' bears. The king then 
 adds, ' 'tis fit we understand them.' This is lost in the C. pointing. 
 
 4. 1 . 4. Bestow this place on us a little while. 
 
 [Exeunt Rosencrantz and Guildenstem. C. 
 
 This line and the stage direction are not in the F. and it was, perhaps, found 
 best, in the representation, not to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstem enter until 
 they were wanted. According to the Quartos, they enter with the King and 
 Queen, only to be immediately dismissed. In the F. they are made to enter at 
 the 32d line of the Scene, where the King calls them in and gives them orders 
 about Hamlet and they then go out. 
 
 4. I . II. And in his brainish apprehension killes The vnseene good old 
 man. F. And in this ... C. 
 
 4. I. 19-23. But so much was our loue. We would not vnderstand what 
 was most fit. But like the Owner of a foule disease, To keepe it from divulging, 
 let's it feede Euen on the pith of life. F. ... But, like the owner of a foul dis- 
 ease. To keep it from divulging, let it feed Even on the pith of life. C. 'let' 
 after the Quartos ; the 1st, 3d, and 4th, Folios read 'let's', the 2d reads, 'lets.' 
 In the reading both of the Quartos and of the Folios, the comparison is some- 
 what mixed with the leading thought. In the F. reading, ' it ' in ' To keep it 
 from divulging,' and in 'lets iifeed Even on the pith of life,' properly refers to 
 ' foul disease ; ' but in the C. reading, it would seem to refer, rather incongru- 
 ously, to ' love.' The meaning, however, is perfectly plain, to which the reading 
 of the F. comes nearest : ' We would not understand what was most fit, but 
 [were] like the owner of a foul disease, [that, ] to keep it from divulging, lets it 
 feed even on the pith of life.' The application of the comparison is left mental. 
 
 4. 2. 12, 13. Besides, to be demanded of a Spundge, what replication 
 should be made by the Sonne of a King. F. Besides, to be demanded of a 
 sponge ! what replication should be made by the son of a king ? C. The ! of 
 the C. is after Steevens, who added also a dash. The Quartos and Folios have 
 all a comma after 'sponge,' which is, no doubt, right. The sentence is not 
 meant to be exclamatory, as the pointing of the C. makes it ; 'to be demanded 
 of '=' in being demanded by.' The modem English of the whole sentence 
 would be, ' in being demanded by a sponge, what reply should be made by the 
 son of a king ?' In regard to the force of ' to ' before, and of 'of after, ' be de- 
 manded,' see §§ 356 and 170, respectively, of Abbott's Shakespearian Gram- 
 mar, rev. and enl. ed. pp. 256 and 112. 
 
 4. 3. 19. At Supper ? F. At Supper ! C. 
 
 4. 3. 44. Th' Associates tend, and euery thing at bent For England. F. 
 
SHAKESPEARE'S HAMLET. 31 
 
 and eveiy thing is bent For England. C. 'at bent' is the more forcible, ex- 
 pressing, as It does, the suspended readiness indicated 'by what precedes, ' the 
 bark is ready,' 'the wind at help,' ' th' associates tend.' 
 
 Scene v. Ehinore. A room in the castle. Enter QuEEN, HoRATio, and 
 a Gentleman. C. the numbering of the Scene, after Pope, the Scene, after Cap- 
 ell, the Enter after Pope. The F., without any designation of Scene, has the 
 
 ■ ii'^^^-SaetiCvm, Enter Queene and Horatio. The 2d and 4th speeches of the 
 Scene, in reply to the ist and 3d, which are spoken by the Queen, are given by the 
 C, after the Quartos, to the Gentleman. It would appear that the Gentleman 
 was afterwards dispensed with as a superfluity, and his speeches given to Horatio. 
 Lines 14-1:6, which are given in the Quartos to Horatio, are, in the F. given, 
 more appropriately, to the Queen, along with the four following lines which are 
 no doubt meant as an Aside, and are so designated by the C. The C. gives 11. 
 14 and 15, ' 'Twere good she were spoken with, for she may strew Dangerous 
 conjectures in ill-breeding minds.' to Horatio, and begins the Queen's speech 
 with ' Let her come in.' The whole speech, as it stands in the F., is as follows : 
 
 Qu. 'Twere good she were spoken with. 
 
 For she may strew dangerous coniectures 
 
 In ill breeding minds. Let her come in. 
 
 To my sicke soule (as sinnes true Nature is) 
 
 Each toy seemes Prologue, to some great amisse. 
 
 So full of Artlesse iealousie is guilt, 
 
 It spill's it .selfe, in fearing to be spilt. 
 It would be perhaps better to regard the whole speech as an Aside, except 
 'Let her come in.' 
 
 4. 5. 112, 113. Qu. Calmely good Laertes. Laer. That drop of blood, 
 that calmes Proclairaes me Bastard : F. That drop of blood that's calm C. 
 after Quartos. The F. reading is the better. Laertes is under the wildest ex- 
 citement, with not a calm drop of blood in his vems, and when the Queen en- 
 treats, ' Calmly, good Laertes,' be, or become, calm, he replies, j,' That drop of 
 blood that calms,' that is, that grows calm, or, will calm, ' proclaims me bas- 
 
 ■ tard ;' ' calms ' and 'proclaims ' are both future in force. 
 
 4. 5. 124. Laer, Where's my Father ? F. Where is my father ? C. 
 
 4. 5. 146. And am most sensible in greefe for it, F. sensibly C. 
 
 4. 5. 152. By Heauen, thy madnesse shall be payed by waight, F. with 
 weight, C. 
 
 4. 5. 160-162. Ophe. They bore him bare fac'd on the Beer, Hey non 
 nony, nony, hey nony: And on Ms graue raines many a teare, F. And in his 
 gi-ave rain'd many a tear,— C. The F. reading is more significant : They bore 
 him barefaced on the bier, and many a tear [now] rains on his grave. Accord- 
 ing to the C. reading, 'rain'd ' is used transitively, the subject being 'They', 
 and the reference is to the shedding of tears at the burial. 
 
32 JOTTINGS ON THE TEXT OF 
 
 4. 5. 196. Do you see this, you Gods ? F. ... OGod? C. 
 
 4. 5. 197. King. Laertes, T must common with your greefe, F. com- 
 mune C. 
 
 4.7.38. 7xom f/amlet? 7. From Hamlet ! C. 
 
 4' 7- IS3-I55' tlierefore this Proiect should haue a backe or second, that 
 might hold, If this should blast in proofe : F. did blast C. 
 
 4. 7' 1^5- Laer. Alas then, is she drown'd ? Queen. Drown'd, drown'd. 
 F. Alas, then she is drown'd ! Queen. Drown'd, drown'd. C. It would ap- 
 pear from tlie Queen's reply, that Laertes' speech must have been meant to be 
 interrogative. If exclamatory, as the C. makes it, after Pope, ' Alas, then she is 
 drown'd ! ' the iteration thereupon of the Queen, 'Drown'd, drown'd,' is almost 
 ludicrous, and makes one feel that the poor girl has had indeed, as Laertes says 
 in the ne.'it speech, ' too much of water. ' 
 
 5. 1. 76. It might be the Pate of a Polititian which this Asse o're Offices : 
 F. The old lout of a grave-digger, in the discharge of his office, lords it over 
 the once* scheming pate of the state-official who felt himself able, in the exercise 
 of his state-craft, to circumvent God himself 
 
 which this ass now o'er-reaches ; C. 'o'erreaches' is used with a literal 
 reference to the grave-digger, and a metaphorical reference to the circumventing 
 politician. 'Office ' is used as a verb in Coriolanus, 5. 2. 59 : 'you shall per- 
 ceive that a Jack guardant cannot office me from my son Coriolanus ;' and in All's 
 Well that Ends Well, 3. 2. 124: 'although The air of paradise did fan the 
 house, and Angels officed all:' Knight adopts the reading of the F., 'o'er- 
 offices ;' and it is, without doubt, the more expressive term of the two. 
 
 5. I. 77. one that could circunment God, F. onethatwould C. 'could "■ 
 is better, referring to the politician's craftiness in getting the better of others. 
 
 5. I. 93. why might not that bee the Scull of of a Lawyer? F. Wliy 
 may C. 
 
 5. I. 140. hee that was mad, and sent into England. F. he that is mad, 
 C. ' was ' suits better what follows : ' Ham. Ay, marry, why was he sent into 
 England ? Clo. Why, because he was mad ; ' 
 
 5. I. 169, 170. This same Scull Sir, this same Scull sir, was Yoricks Scull, 
 F. The C. , after the Quartos, gives the expression but once. The repetition in 
 the F., serves to exhibit the grave-digger's sense of his official importance as he 
 turns the scull over in his hands. 
 
 5. I. 20I. Imperiall Casar, F. Imperious Coesar, C. 
 
 5. I. 206,207. Who is that they follow, And with such maimed rites ? This 
 doth betoken F. who is this they follow ? And with such maimed rites ? 
 This doth betoken C. ' that ' is, per se, better than ' this,' Hamlet and Horatio 
 being supposed to be at some distance from the procession ; and then ' this ' oc- 
 curring in next line, referring to ' maimed rites, ' adds to the preferableness of the 
 F. reading. 
 
SHAKESrEAKE'S JIaMLET. jj 
 
 5. I. 209. Fore do it owne life; F. its m\n life: C. 'it' siiovikl be re- 
 tained tor its historical significance. All the (Quartos anti the 2d Folio have ' it ' ; 
 the 6th Quarto has ' its ' aiuPthe 3d and 4th Folios have ' it's,' this neuter geni- 
 tive form, which had been for sime time struggling for admission into the writ- 
 ten language, having, at the dates of their publication, l)e^un to \y.: m general 
 use. But Shakespeare must have used tlie tentative form ' it.' 
 
 5. I. 230. What, the faire O/Z/f/m .' F. Wliat, the faire Ophelia ! C. 
 
 5. I. 234. I thought thy Bride-lxd to haue decltt (sweet Maid) And not 
 t'haue strew'd thy Graue. F. And not have C. 
 
 5. 2. 224. Who does it then ? His Madness ? If 't be sj, //(7w/t'/ is of the 
 Faction that is wrong'd, F. Who does it then ? His madness : C. 
 
 5. 2. 284. Come for the third. Z«e-rto, you liut dally, F. Come, for the 
 third, Laertes : you but dally ; C. 
 
 For some reason or other, the 2d Scene of the 5th Act, is less correctly printed 
 in the F. than any other portion of the play. 
 
 POSTSCRIPT. 
 
 In the present unsettled and irregular use of the note of interroga- 
 tion and the note of exclamation, I do not expect that all who take 
 the trouble to read these Jottings, will, in every case where the F. has 
 a ? and the C. a I, agree with me in my preference for the ? of the 
 F. But I claim that, as both are rhetorical, the general rule laid down 
 hy Wilson, that, "after words to which an answer is expected or 
 implied, the note of interrogation is added ; and after those, though 
 apparently denoting inquiry, where no answer is intended by the writer 
 to be given, the note of exclamation is the proper and distinctive mark, " 
 cannot be justified ; and more than that, its observance, in pointing the 
 text of Shakespeare, would often lead to an utter misconception of the 
 author's meaning or the meaning imputed to the speaker. When, in 
 expressing a feeling of surprise, a mental question is involved as to the 
 truth or possibility of what occasions the surprise, as, for example, 
 when Horatio tells Hamlet that he thought he saw his father, the pre- 
 vious night, and Hamlet replies, ' The King my father, ' the note of 
 interrogation should most certainly be used. The note of exclamation 
 would tend to mislead the reader. ' Indeed/ ' represents a different 
 feeling and, consequently, a different elocution, from ' Indeed P ' Given 
 
rOSTSCA'IPT. 34 
 
 111 reply to something that has liem said, 'Indeed!' would indicate an 
 unquestioning surprise, — the information occasioning it, being accepted 
 as the truth. ' Indeed I ' should, in such case, l}e read with a direct 
 downward inflection of voice. ' Indeed ? ' on the other hand, while 
 also indicating sur/irise, indicates, at the same time, a question in the 
 mind of the speaker as to the truth or the possibility of the informatiofi 
 occasioniitg it, and should be read with a strong interrogative movement 
 of voice — the umqual upward wave, the upward inflection of the 
 wave passing ihrotigh a considerably wider interval than the down- 
 ward. This distinction in the use of these two rhetorical notes, {for 
 I claim that they are strictly rhetorical, the authorities to the contrary 
 notwithstanding, ) is observed in the F. with a remarkable uniformity. 
 
 1 am ready to admit the frequent faultiness of the punctuation of 
 the F., — a faultiness extending sometimes to absurdity, for example, 
 ' Making the Greene one, Red, ' which has, however, had its defenders; 
 but I am persuaded, after a quite careful study of the F. , in respect 
 to the punctuation, that, whoever did the pointing, whether the author, 
 ill the original manuscript, the editors, which is not very likely, or the 
 proof-reader, if there was one, or the printer, it was done with con- 
 siderable regard to the spoken language. And this is especially true in 
 regard to the notes of interrogation and of exclamation. On the other 
 hand, I am persuaded, after an equally careful study of the punctua- 
 tion and numerous other features of the C. text, that the editors were 
 not in the habit of voicing the language — that they studied it through 
 the eye, and, in regard to punctuation, followed certain prescribed rules j 
 and thus, in spite of their scholarship and critical acumen, often weni 
 astray in many particulars. 
 
 For the fullest appreciation of its contriving spirit, Shakespeare's 
 language, in 'which I would include his metrical forms, needs, more 
 than that of any other author, by reason of its unsurpassed and never 
 equalled organic shaping, to be adequately voiced ; and a highly culti- 
 vated vocal power should be one of the most irnportant qualifications of 
 an editor. 
 
 HIRAM CORSON. 
 
Cornell University Library 
 PR 2807.C82 
 
 Jottings on the text of Hamlet. 
 
 3 1924 013 137 553