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. And fo in ROMEO and JULIET, pag. 274. If that thy Bent of Love be honourable, Thy Purpose Marriage, fend me Word to morrow, Where, and what time, thou wilt perform the RITE. And in many other Places. XCII. Occafional Various 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. They are not near my Confcience; their Defeat The fecond Folio Edition begins Hamlet's Speech with a Verfe, 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, It is but Foolery; but it is fuch a kind of gain-giving, as To Gain-give, is to diftruft, or, as we more vulgarly express it, to XCV. Act 5. Scene 5. Page 466. And in the Cup an ONYX fhall he throw, 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, 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; Richer than That which four fucceffive Kings In Denmark's Crown have worn. Well; Hamlet and Laertes immediately fall to play with the Stay, give me Drink: Hamlet, this PEARL, is thine; Now if an Union be a Species of Pearl, as it certainly is; and 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 |