The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - A Study with the Text of the Folio of 1623 | Page 7

standing for _Horatio_:
he would stop it.]
[Footnote 5: _Not in Q._]

[Footnote 6: 'As we cannot hurt it, our blows are a mockery; and it is
wrong to mock anything so majestic': For belongs to _shew_; 'We do it
wrong, being so majestical, to offer it what is but a show of violence,
for it is, &c.']
[Footnote 7: _1st Q._ 'his earely and shrill crowing throate.']
[Footnote 8: straying beyond bounds.]
[Footnote 9: wandering.]
[Footnote 10: 'gave proof.']
[Footnote 11: This line said thoughtfully--as the text of the observation
following it. From the eerie discomfort of their position, Marcellus
takes refuge in the thought of the Saviour's birth into the haunted world,
bringing sweet law, restraint, and health.]
[Page 14]
Some sayes, that euer 'gainst that Season comes [Sidenote: say]
Wherein our Sauiours Birth is celebrated, The Bird of Dawning singeth
all night long: [Sidenote: This bird] And then (they say) no Spirit can
walke abroad, [Sidenote: spirit dare sturre] The nights are wholsome,
then no Planets strike, No Faiery talkes, nor Witch hath power to
Charme: [Sidenote: fairy takes,[1]] So hallow'd, and so gracious is the
time. [Sidenote: is that time.]
_Hor._ So haue I heard, and do in part beleeue it. But looke, the Morne
in Russet mantle clad, Walkes o're the dew of yon high Easterne Hill,
[Sidenote: Eastward[2]] Breake we our Watch vp, and by my aduice
[Sidenote: advise] Let vs impart what we haue scene to night Vnto
yong Hamlet. For vpon my life, This Spirit dumbe to vs, will speake to
him: Do you consent we shall acquaint him with it, As needfull in our
Loues, fitting our Duty?
[Sidenote: 30] _Mar._ Let do't I pray, and I this morning know Where
we shall finde him most conueniently. [Sidenote: convenient.]

_Exeunt._
SCENA SECUNDA[3]
_Enter Claudius King of Denmarke. Gertrude the Queene, Hamlet,
Polonius, Laertes, and his Sister Ophelia, Lords Attendant._[4]
[Sidenote: _Florish. Enter Claudius, King of Denmarke, Gertrad the
Queene, Counsaile: as Polonius, and his sonne Laertes, Hamelt Cum
Abijs._]
_King._ Though yet of Hamlet our deere Brothers death [Sidenote:
_Claud._] The memory be greene: and that it vs befitted To beare our
hearts in greefe, and our whole Kingdome To be contracted in one
brow of woe: Yet so farre hath Discretion fought with Nature, That we
with wisest sorrow thinke on him,
[Footnote 1: Does it mean--_carries off any child, leaving a
changeling_? or does it mean--_affect with evil_, as a disease might
infect or _take_?]
[Footnote 2: _1st Q_. 'hie mountaine top,']
[Footnote 3: _In neither Q._]
[Footnote 4: The first court after the marriage.]
[Page 16]
Together with remembrance of our selues. Therefore our sometimes
Sister, now our Queen, Th'Imperiall Ioyntresse of this warlike State,
[Sidenote: to this] Haue we, as 'twere, with a defeated ioy, With one
Auspicious, and one Dropping eye, [Sidenote: an auspitious and a]
With mirth in Funerall, and with Dirge in Marriage, In equall Scale
weighing Delight and Dole[1] Taken to Wife; nor haue we heerein
barr'd[2] Your better Wisedomes, which haue freely gone With this
affaire along, for all our Thankes. [Sidenote: 8] Now followes, that you
know young _Fortinbras_,[3] Holding a weake supposall of our worth;
Or thinking by our late deere Brothers death, Our State to be disioynt,

and out of Frame, Colleagued with the dreame of his Aduantage;[4]
[Sidenote: this dreame] He hath not fayl'd to pester vs with Message,
Importing the surrender of those Lands Lost by his Father: with all
Bonds of Law [Sidenote: bands] To our most valiant Brother. So much
for him.
_Enter Voltemand and Cornelius._[5]
Now for our selfe, and for this time of meeting Thus much the
businesse is. We haue heere writ To Norway, Vncle of young
_Fortinbras_, Who Impotent and Bedrid, scarsely heares Of this his
Nephewes purpose, to suppresse His further gate[6] heerein. In that the
Leuies, The Lists, and full proportions are all made Out of his subiect:
and we heere dispatch You good _Cornelius_, and you _Voltemand_,
For bearing of this greeting to old Norway, [Sidenote: bearers] Giuing
to you no further personall power To businesse with the King, more
then the scope Of these dilated Articles allow:[7] [Sidenote: delated[8]]
Farewell and let your hast commend your duty.[9]
[Footnote 1: weighing out an equal quantity of each.]
[Footnote 2: Like crossed.]
[Footnote 3: 'Now follows--that (_which_) you know--young
Fortinbras:--']
[Footnote 4: Colleagued agrees with supposall. The preceding two
lines may be regarded as somewhat parenthetical. _Dream of
advantage_--hope of gain.]
[Footnote 5: _Not in Q._]
[Footnote 6: _going; advance._ Note in Norway also, as well as in
Denmark, the succession of the brother.]
[Footnote 7: (_giving them papers_).]
[Footnote 8: Which of these is right, I cannot tell. Dilated means

_expanded_, and would refer to _the scope; delated means
_committed_--to them, to