And fhall I couple hell?-O fie !-Hold, hold, my heart; And you, my finews, grow not inftant old, O villain, villain, fmiling, damned villain! 4-this diftracted globe.] i. e. in this head confufed with thought. STEEVENS. 5 Yea from the table of my memory ] This expreffion is ufed by Sir Philip Sydney in his Defence of Poefie. MALONE. 6 My tables, meet it is I fet it down,] This is a ridicule of the practice of the time.. Hall fays, in his character of the Hypocrite, He will ever fit where he may be feene beft, and in the midst of "the fermon pulles out his tables in haste, as if he feared to loose "that note, &c." FARMER. No ridicule on the practice of the time could with propriety be introduced on this occafion. Hamlet avails himself of the fame caution observed by the doctor in the fifth act of Macbeth: "I will fet down what comes from her, to fatisfy my remembrance the more strongly." So, in the induction to the Malecontent, 1604: "I tell you am one that hath feen this play often, and can give them intelligence for their action: I have most of the jests of it here in my table-book." Again, in Love's Sacrifice, 1633: "You are one loves courtship: "He had fome change of words; 'twere no loft labour "To fuff your table-books.” Again, in Antonio's Revenge, 1602: "Balurdo draws out his writing-tables and writes." Again, in Every Woman in her Humour, 1659: "Let your tables befriend your memory; write, &c." STEEVENS. That That one may file, and fmile, and be a villain; [Writing. So, uncle, there you are. 7 Now to my word; It is, dieu, adieu! remember me. Enter Horatio, and Marcellus, Mar. How is't, my noble lord ? Ham. O, wonderful! Hor. Good my lord, tell it. Ham. No; you will reveal it. Hor. Not I, my lord, by heaven. Mar. Nor I, my lord. Ham. How fay you then; would heart of man once think it ?. But you'll be fecret, Both. Ay, by heaven, my lord. Ham. There's ne'er a villian, dwelling in all Denmark, But he's an arrant knave.. 7-now to my word;] Hamlet alludes to the watchword given every day in military fervice, which at this time he fays is, Adieu, adieu, remember me. So, in The Devil's Charter, a tragedy, 1607; "Now to my watch-word.” - STEEVENS. 8 come, bird, come.] This is the call which falconers ufe to their hawk in the air when they would have him come down to them. HANMER. This expreffion is used in Marfion's Dutch Courtefan, and by many others among the old dramatic writers. It appears from all thefe paffages, that it was the falconer's call, as Hanmer has obferved. STEEVENS. Hor. Hor. There needs no ghoft, my lord, come from the grave, To tell us this. Ham. Why, right; you are in the right; Such as it is, and, for my own-poor part, Look you, I will go pray. Hor. Thefe are but wild and whirling words, my lord. Ham. I am forry they offend you, heartily; Yes 'faith, heartily. Hor. There's no offence, my lord. Ham. Yes, by faint Patrick, but there is, Horatio, Hor. What is't, my lord? we will. Ham. Never make known what you have feen to- Both. My lord, we will not. Hor. In faith, my lord, not I. Mar. Nor I, my lord, in faith. 9 There needs no ghoft, &c] This piece of humour is repeated by our outhor in Timon, &c. A&t. v. fc. 2. STEEVENS. 1-by St. Patrick,-] How the poet comes to make Hamlet fwear by St. Patrick, I know not. However, at this time all the whole northern world had their learning from Ireland; to which place it had retired, and there flourished under the aufpices of this Saint. But it was, I fuppofe, only faid at random ; for he makes Hamlet a student of Wittenberg. WARBURTON. Dean Swift's "Verfes on the fudden drying-up of St. Patrick's "Well, 1726," contain many learned allufions to the early cultivation of literature in Ireland. NICHOLS. Ham. 1 Ham. Upon my fword. Mar. We have fworn, my lord, already. Ham. Ha, ha, boy! fay'st thou fo? art thou there, Come on, you hear this fellow in the cellaridge,Confent to fwear. Hor. Propofe the oath, my lord. Ham. Never to fpeak of this that you have seen, Swear by my fword. 2 Ghoft. true-penny.] This word, as well as fome of Hamlet's former exclamations, we find in the Malecontent, 1604 : "Illo, ho, ho, ho; art there old True-penny?" STEEVENS. 3 Swear by my fword.] Here the poet has preferved the manners of the ancient Danes, with whom it was religion to swear upon their fwords. See Bartholinus, De caufis contempt. mort. apud Dan. WARBURTON. I was once inclinable to this opinion, which is likewife well defended by Mr. Upton; but Mr. Garrick produced me a paffage, I think, in Brantome, from which it appeared, that it was common to fwear upon the fword, that is, upon the cross which the old fwords always had upon the hilt. JOHNSON. Shakspeare, it is more than probable, knew nothing of the ancient Danes, or their manners. Every extract from Dr. Farmer's pamphlet muft prove as inftructive to the reader as the following: "In the Paffus Primus of Pierce Plowman, David in his daies dubbed knightes, "And did them fwere on her fword to ferve truth ever." "And in Hieronymo, the common butt of our author, and the "wits of the time, fays Lorenzo to Pedringano:~~ "Swear on this cross, that what thou fay'ft is true, "This very favord, whereon thou took'ft thine oath, To the authorites produced by Dr. Farmer, the following may be added from Holinfhed, p. 664: "Warwick kiffed the cross of "K. Edward's fword, as it were a vow to his promife." Again, p. 1038. it is faid, "that Warwick drew out his fword, "which other of the honourable and worshipful that were then "prefent likewife did, whom he commanded, that each one should "kifs other's fword, according to an ancient custom amongst men " of Ghoft. [beneath] Swear. Ham. Hic & ubique? then we'll fhift our ground: And lay your hands again upon my fword: Never to speak of this that you have heard. Ham. Well faid, old mole! can'ft work i'the earth fo fast? Aworthy pioneer!--Once more remove, good friends. Hor. O day and night, but this is wondrous ftrange! 4 Ham. And therefore as a ftranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philofophy. But come;— Here, as before, never, fo help you mercy ! "of war in time of great danger; and herewith they made a fo"lemn vow," &c. Again, in Decker's comedy of Old Fortunatus, 1600: "He has fworn to me on the cross of his pure Toledo." Again, in Decker's Satiromaflix: "By the cross of this sword and dagger, captain, you fhall take it.” In the foliloquy of Roland addreffed to his fword, the cross on it is not forgotten: "capulo eburneo candidiffime, cruce aurea fplendidiffime, &c." Turpini Hift. de Geftis Caroli Mag. cap. 22. Again, in an ancient MS. of which fome account is given in a note on the first scene of the first act of the Merry Wives of Windfor, the oath taken by a mafier of defence when his degree was conferred on him, is preferved and runs as follows: 6. First you fhall fweare (fo help you God and halidome, and by all the chiiftendome which God gave you at the fount-ftone, and by the croffe of this fword which doth reprefent unto you the crofle which our Saviour Jefus Chrifle fufered bis moft payneful deatbe upon, that you fhall upholde, maynteyne, and kepe to your power all fech articles as fhal be heare declared unto you, and receve in the prefence of me your maifter, and these the rest of the maiiters my bretheren heare with me at this tyme." STEEVENS. + And therefore as a firanger give it welcome.] i. e. receive it to yourself; take it under your own roof; as much as to fay, Keep it jecret. Alluding to the laws of hofpitality. WARBURTON. How |