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What is That they follow,

And with fuch maimed RITES?

The fame literal Mistake, I find, is made in the TEMPEST,

pag. 55.

If Thou doft break her Virgin Knot, before

All fanctimonious Ceremonies may

With full and holy RIGHT be minifter'd, &c.

Where, likewise it must be reftor'd, RITE. And fo Mr. Pope at other times takes care to fpell this Word; as thrice in this very Play of Hamlet.

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And fo in ROMEO and JULIET, pag. 274.

If that thy Bent of Love be honourable,

Thy Purpose Marriage, fend me Word to morrow,
By One that I'll procure to come to Thee,

Where, and what time, thou wilt perform the RITE.

And in many other Places.

XCII.

Occafional
Correction.

Various
Reading.

Horat.

XCII. A& 5. Scene 3. Page 461.

How was this feal'd?

Haml. Why ev'n in that was Heaven ORDINATE.

So the Folio Editions write this Paffage with the Editor; and fo I find, Mr. To NSO N's Duodecimo, so often mention'd, likewise exhibits it. But why a Paffive Participle here, when the Sense, I think, plainly requires an Active? Ordinate, muft fignify order'd, directed, agreed to; not ordering, directing, concurring with, as the Poet's Meaning feems to demand. My Quarto Editions, which are follow'd by Mr. HUGHS in his Impreffion, read, as I verily believe the Paffage ought to be reftor'd.

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They are not near my Confcience; their Defeat
Doth by their can infinuation grow.

The fecond Folio Edition begins Hamlet's Speech with a Verfe,
which we have no Reafon to believe is not SHAKESPEARE'S;
and which, I think, is very essential to explain the two Verfes
that follow it. I don't know whether Mr. Po PE fufpected, or
overlook'd it; but, I am fure, it may be reftor'd without any

Detriment.

Horat. So Guildenftern and Rofencraus go to't.

Haml. Why, Man, they did make Love to this Employment:

They are not near my Confcience; their Defeat

Doth by their own Infinuation grow.

XCIV. Act 5. Scene 4. Page 464.

Haml. It is but Foolery; but it is fuch a kind of Game-giving as Various would perhaps trouble a Woman.

Hor. If your mind diflike any thing, obey it. I will foreftal their re

pair hither, and fay you are not fit.

I do not know whether the Editor defigned this Reading, which,
I find, poffeffes fome of the Editions befides; or whether it be
a literal Error of the Prefs only. I must own, I am at a Lofs
to understand the Meaning of Game-giving. The Quarto Edi-
tion of 1703, and Mr. Hughs agree in reading, But it is such a
kind of boding, &c. 'Tis certain, they exprefs the Author's
Sense exactly in this Word; but they have put a Change upon
him, for Want of understanding his Original. The fecond Fo-
lio Edition reads the Paffage, as it ought to be reftor'd;

It is but Foolery; but it is fuch a kind of gain-giving, as
would, perhaps, trouble a Woman.

To Gain-give, is to diftruft, or, as we more vulgarly express it, to
mifgive. It is of Saxon Derivation, among whom gean figni-
fied against; and fo we at this day use gain-fay, to imply con-
tradict, fay against.

XCV. Act 5. Scene 5. Page 466.

And in the Cup an ONYX fhall he throw,
Richer than that which four fucceffive kings
In Denmark's crown have wore.

So again, pag. 468.

Drink off this potion: is the ONYX here?

Reading reftored, and explained.

Various

Reading reftor'd, and

afferted.

I find

I find, this Reading poffeffes feveral of the Editions, and even That of the accurate Mr. HUGHS. I don't know upon what Authority it first obtain'd; but it seems evident to Me, whoever introduced it, did not mind to expound the Author by himself; which is the fureft Means of coming at the Truth of his Text. The fecond Folio Edition has it in both places.

And in the Cup an UNION shall he throw,
Richer than That, &c.

And fo in the second Paffage;

Drink off this Potion; Is thy UNION here?

Mr. Pope, indeed, takes Notice of this as a Various Reading, but in Both places fubftitutes Onyx. I am clearly for the Union being restor'd; and fhall fubmit my Reafons for it to Judgment. An Onyx, as we may find from PLINY and the other Naturalifts, was a fmall Stone-Gemm; and was likewife a coarfer Species of lucid Stone, of which they made both Columns and Pavements for Ornament. An Union is a fine Sort of Pearles, fo call'd, either because they are found fingle, or because they resemble an Onion in Shape, &c. But the Etymology of the Name is of no Confequence here. I'll tranfcribe the King's whole Speech, by which it will appear for what, and upon what Terms, he promises to throw a Jewel into the Cup; and after that Another fhort Speech, from which I believe it will be apparent, that Union ought to be reftor'd instead of Onyx.

Set me the Stoops of Wine upon that Table:

If Hamlet give the first or fecond Hit,

Or quit in Anfwer of the third Exchange,

Let all the Battlements their Ordnance fire:

The King fall drink to Hamlet's better Breath;
And in the Cup an Onyx fhall he throw,

Richer than That which four fucceffive Kings

In Denmark's Crown have worn.

Well; Hamlet and Laertes immediately fall to play with the
Foils; Hamlet gives Laertes the firft Hit; and the King there-
upon, in Performance of his Promife, fays;

Stay, give me Drink: Hamlet, this PEARL, is thine;
Here's to thy Health; give him the Cup.

Now if an Union be a Species of Pearl, as it certainly is; and
if an Onyx be a transparent Gemm, quite differing in its Na-
ture from Pearls; the King faying that Hamlet has earn'd the
Pearl, I think, amounts to a Demonftration, that it was an
Union-pearl he meant to throw into the Cup; and that there-
fore, as I faid before, Union ought to be reftor'd into the Poet's
Text; and Onyx cafheer'd as a fpurious Reading. Befides, if I
am not mistaken, neither the Onyx, nor Sardonyx, are Jewels,
which ever found Place in an Imperial Crown.

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I can fee no great Propriety here in this Epithet of eternal; nor does it communicate any Image fuitable to the Circumftance of the Havock, that Fortinbras looks on, and would represent in a Light of Horror. He, upon the Sight of fo many dead Bodies, exclaims against Death, as an execrable, riotous Destroyer; and as preparing to make a favage and hellish Feast. The Quarto Edition of 1637 feems to give us an Epithet more forcible, and peculiar to this Scene of Action.

T

Various
Reading.

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