a

LAER. For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favours,
Hold it a fashion, and a toy in blood;
A violet in the youth of primy nature,
*Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,
The [pérfume and] suppliance of a minute;'
No more.

ОРН. No more but so?
LAER.

Think it no more:

* So 4tos. Froward. 1623, 32.

+ cressant. O. C.

So 4tos. his. 1623,

For nature, crescent,t does not grow alone
In thews, and bulk; but, as this temple waxes,
The inward service of the mind and soul
Grows wide withal.(63) Perhaps, he loves you now; 32.
And now no soil, nor cautel, doth besmirch
The virtue of his will: § (64) but, you must fear,"
His greatness weigh'd, his will is not his own;
For he himself is subject to his birth :
He may not, as unvalued persons do,
Carve for himself! for on his choice depends

a trifling of his favours] i. e. gay and thoughtless intimation. b primy] i. e. springtide, youthy. See "happiness and prime." All's well &c. II. 1. King.

e Forward, not permanent] Early, ripe before due season, and thence having in it the principles of premature decay.

d suppliance] i. e. the means of filling up the vacancy. Mr. Steevens finds the word in Chapman's Iliad, IX. "By my suppliance given.'

ethews] i. e. sinews, muscular strength. See II. H. IV. III. 2. Falst.

f cautel] "Crafty way to deceave." Minshieu. "Breakinge his faithfull promise; through which cautell the Gothes were deceyved." Arth. Goldyng's Aretine's Warres betw. the Imperialists and Gothes. 8vo. 1563. p. 93, b. We say, that a theft, or pickerie is done with a good grace when the cautels and subtilities of thieves and thieving is well observed." North's Philbert's Philosopher of the Court. 18mo. 1575. p. 95. See caught with cautelous baits and practise." Coriol. IV. 1. C.

8 The virtue of his will-must fear] By giving a reading, which could not otherwise have been ascertained, the value of the quartos is felt. The reading of the folios is plainly a misprint by the eye catching, and giving the same word twice. And see "better heed and judgment." II. 3. Pol. instead of speed, the reading of the folios: and the omission of a line, necessary to the sense, "Whether aught, to us unknown, &c." II. 2. King.

§ So 4tos. fear. 1623, 32.

• Safety The sanctity and health of the whole state; and health And therefore must his choice be circumscrib'd Unto the voice and yielding" of that body,

of this. 4tos.

1623, 32.

act and

Whereof he is the head: Then if he says he loves you,
It fits your wisdom so far to believe it,

† peculiar. As he in his particular+ sect and force
particular May give his saying deed; which is no further,
Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal.
place. 4tos. Then weigh what loss
your honour may sustain,
If with too credent ear you list his songs;

Or lose your heart; or your chaste treasure open
To his unmaster'd importunity."

Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister;

you in. And keep within the rear of your affection, Out of the shot and danger of desire.

4tos.

The chariest maid (65) is prodigal enough,
If she unmask her beauty to the moon:
Virtue itself scapes not calumnious strokes :
The canker galls the infants of the spring,(66)
So 4tos. Too oft before their § buttons be disclos'd;
the. 1623, And in the morn and liquid dew of youth
Contagious blastments are most imminent.
Be wary then: best safety lies in fear;
Youth to itself rebels, though none else near.

32.

OPH. I shall the effect of this good lesson keep,

a circumscrib'd unto the voice and yielding] i. e. "confined or made strictly conformable to the sense expressed, and compliant to the inclinations." Though coupled with a different preposition, and in more familiar phraseology, this word is used to convey the same idea."

"circumscribed with his sword

"And brought to yoke." Tit. Andr. I. 2. Capt.

As he in his particular sect and force

May give his saying deed] i. e. " as he, in that peculiar rank and class that he fills in the state, and the power and means thereto annexed, may enable himself to give his professions effect." See" the deed of saying." Tim. V. 1. Painter. "Speaking in deeds." Tr. & Cr. IV. 5. Ulyss.

cunmaster'd importunity] i. e. unruly, unrestrained.

d

keep within the rear of your affection] i. e. front not the peril withdraw or check every warm emotion: advance not, as Johnson says, so far as your affection would lead you.

As watchman to my heart: But, good my brother,
Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven;
Whilst, like a puff'd and reckless libertine,*
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,
And reakes not his own reade.b

LAER.

O fear me not.

I stay too long;-But here my father comes.

Enter POLONIUS.

A double blessing is a double grace;

Occasion smiles upon a second leave.

с

POL. Yet here, Laertes! aboard, aboard, for

shame;

The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail,

And you are staid for: There, my blessing with⚫ So 4tos.

you;

[Laying his Hand on LAERTES' Head. And these few precepts in thy memory

for there. 1623, 32.

Seet thou charácter.(67) Give thy thoughts no + Look.

tongue,

Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.

The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with (68) hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm(69) with entertainment

4tos.

unhatcht. 1623, 32.

Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg'd comrade. Beware Sotos.
Of entrance to a quarrel: but, being in,
Bear' it that the opposed§ may beware of thee.

a puff'd and reckless libertine] i. e. "bloated and swoln, the effect of excess; and heedless and indifferent to consequences." Ignavus, inefficax, rechelesse." Ortus Vocab. 4to. 1514. breade] i. e. counsel, doctrine. The old proverb in the Two angry Women of Abington, 1599, is, "Take heed, is a good

reed." STEEVENS.

c grace] i. e. benefit.

d unproportion'd thought] i. e. irregular, disorderly.

e Bear' it that &c.] This property makes part of Ulysses's eulogy upon Troilus. Tr. & Cr. IV. 5.

"Not soon provok'd, nor, being provok'd, soon calm."

§ So 1623, 32 & 1603. opposer.

4to.

* Are of a.

Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure," but reserve thy judge-

ment.

1623, 32 Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,

& 1603.

Or

Ar

of a.

4tos. See note 70.

But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy:
For the apparel oft proclaims the man;

And they in France, of the best rank and station,
Are* most select and generous, chief† in that.(70)

+ generous, Neither a borrower, nor a lender be:

cheefe.

4tos.

For loan oft loses both itself and friend; generous And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. cheff. 1623, This above all,-To thine ownself be true;

32.

And it must follow, as the night the day,(71)
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell; my blessing season this in thee! (72)
LAER. Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord.
POL. The time invites you,(73) go, your servants
tend.

LAER. Farewell, Ophelia; and remember well
What I have said to you.

ОРН.

"Tis in my memory lock'd,

[Exit LAERTES.

And you yourself shall keep the key of it."

LAER. Farewell.

POL. What is't, Ophelia, he hath said to you?

OPH. So please you, something touching the lord Hamlet.

POL. Marry, well bethought:

'Tis told me, he hath very oft of late

Given private time to you:a and you yourself
Have of your audience been most free and boun-

teous:

If it be so, (as so 'tis put on me,*

a each man's censure] i. e. sentiment, opinion.

b rich, not gaudy] " Ειναι βελε τα περι εσθητα φιλοκαλος, αλλα μη καλλωπισης. Kaλλwπisns." Isocrates advising Demonicus.

с

yourself shall keep the key of it] Thence it shall not be dismissed, till you think it needless to retain it.

d Given private time to you] i. e. spent his time in private visits to you.

e

as so 'tis put on me] i. e. suggested to, impressed on.

And that in way of caution,) I must tell you,
You do not understand yourself so clearly,
As it behoves my daughter, and
your honour:
What is between you? give me up the truth.
OPH. He hath, my lord, of late, made many tenders
Of his affection to me.

POL. Affection? puh! you speak like a green girl,
Unsifted in such perilous circumstance.

Do

you believe his tenders, as you call them? OPH. I do not know, my lord, what I should think. POL. Marry, I'll teach you: think yourself a baby; That you have ta'en these* tenders for true pay, Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more his. 1623, dearly; (74)

Or (not to crack the wind of the poor phrase,
Roaming it thus,)(75) you'll tender me a fool.

ОPH. My lord, he hath impórtun'd me with love,
In honourable fashion.

* So 4tos.

32.

POL. Ay, fashion you may call it; go to, go to.
OPH. And hath given countenance to his speech, t.

my lord,

With all the [holy] vows of heaven.

POL. Ay, springes to catch woodcocks. I do

know,

When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul

+ I. O. C. through

‡ almost

all. 4tos.

gives. 1623,

32.

Lends & the tongue vows: these blazes, daughter, So 4to.
Giving more light than heat,-extinct in both,
Even in their promise, as it is a making,-
You must not take for fire. From || this time,
Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence;

a is between] i. e. has passed, intercourse had.

b

green girl,

Unsifted] "raw, unwinnowed or exercised." See "greenly," IV. 5. King.

e woodcocks] i. e. witless things. See M. ado, &c. V. 1. Claud.

d scanter] i. e. more sparing; "cui aliquid deest." Skinn. See" scantling." Tr. & Cr. I. 3. Nest.

|| So 4tos. For. 1623, 32.