The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - A Study with the Text of the Folio of 1623 | Page 6

carriage of the Article designe,[1] [Sidenote: desseigne,]
His fell to Hamlet. Now sir, young _Fortinbras_, Of vnimproued[2]
Mettle, hot and full, Hath in the skirts of Norway, heere and there,
Shark'd[3] vp a List of Landlesse Resolutes, [Sidenote: of lawlesse] For

Foode and Diet, to some Enterprize That hath a stomacke in't[4]: which
is no other (And it doth well appeare vnto our State) [Sidenote: As it]
But to recouer of vs by strong hand And termes Compulsatiue, those
foresaid Lands [Sidenote: compulsatory,] So by his Father lost: and this
(I take it) Is the maine Motiue of our Preparations, The Sourse of this
our Watch, and the cheefe head Of this post-hast, and Romage[5] in the
Land.
[A]Enter Ghost againe.
But soft, behold: Loe, where it comes againe:
[Footnote A: _Here in the Quarto_:--
_Bar._ I thinke it be no other, but enso; Well may it sort[6] that this
portentous figure Comes armed through our watch so like the King
That was and is the question of these warres.
_Hora._ A moth it is to trouble the mindes eye: In the most high and
palmy state of Rome, A little ere the mightiest Iulius fell The graues
stood tennatlesse, and the sheeted dead Did squeake and gibber in the
Roman streets[7] As starres with traines of fier, and dewes of blood
Disasters in the sunne; and the moist starre, Vpon whose influence
Neptunes Empier stands Was sicke almost to doomesday with eclipse.
And euen the like precurse of feare euents As harbindgers preceading
still the fates And prologue to the Omen comming on Haue heauen and
earth together demonstrated Vnto our Climatures and countrymen.[8]
Enter Ghost.]
[Footnote 1: French désigné.]
[Footnote 2: not proved or _tried. Improvement_, as we use the word,
is the result of proof or trial: _upon-proof-ment_.]
[Footnote 3: Is _shark'd_ related to the German _scharren_?
_Zusammen scharren--to scrape together._ The Anglo-Saxon searwian
is _to prepare, entrap, take_.]

[Footnote 4: Some enterprise of acquisition; one for the sake of getting
something.]
[Footnote 5: In Scotch, _remish_--the noise of confused and varied
movements; a _row_; a rampage.--Associated with French
_remuage_?]
[Footnote 6: _suit_: so used in Scotland still, I think.]
[Footnote 7: _Julius Caesar_, act i. sc. 3, and act ii. sc. 2.]
[Footnote 8: The only suggestion I dare make for the rectifying of the
confusion of this speech is, that, if the eleventh line were inserted
between the fifth and sixth, there would be sense, and very nearly
grammar.
and the sheeted dead Did squeake and gibber in the Roman streets, As
harbindgers preceading still the fates; As starres with traines of fier,
and dewes of blood (Here understand _precede_) Disasters in the
sunne;
The tenth will close with the twelfth line well enough.
But no one, any more than myself, will be satisfied with the suggestion.
The probability is, of course, that a line has dropped out between the
fifth and sixth. Anything like this would restore the connection:
The labouring heavens themselves teemed dire portent As starres &c.]
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Ile crosse it, though it blast me.[1] Stay Illusion:[2] [Sidenote: _It[4]
spreads his armes_.] If thou hast any sound, or vse of Voyce,[3] Speake
to me. If there be any good thing to be done, That may to thee do ease,
and grace to me; speak to me. If thou art priuy to thy Countries Fate
(Which happily foreknowing may auoyd) Oh speake. Or, if thou hast
vp-hoorded in thy life Extorted Treasure in the wombe of Earth, (For
which, they say, you Spirits oft walke in death) [Sidenote: your]

[Sidenote: _The cocke crowes_] Speake of it. Stay, and speake. Stop it
Marcellus.
Mar. Shall I strike at it with my Partizan? [Sidenote: strike it with]
Hor. Do, if it will not stand.
Barn. 'Tis heere.
Hor. 'Tis heere.
Mar. 'Tis gone. _Exit Ghost_[5] We do it wrong, being so Maiesticall[6]
To offer it the shew of Violence, For it is as the Ayre, invulnerable,
And our vaine blowes, malicious Mockery.
Barn. It was about to speake, when the Cocke crew.
Hor. And then it started, like a guilty thing Vpon a fearfull Summons. I
haue heard, The Cocke that is the Trumpet to the day, [Sidenote: to the
morne,] Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding Throate[7] Awake the
God of Day: and at his warning, Whether in Sea, or Fire, in Earth, or
Ayre, Th'extrauagant,[8] and erring[9] Spirit, hyes To his Confine. And
of the truth heerein, This present Obiect made probation.[10]
Mar. It faded on the crowing of the Cocke.[11]
[Footnote 1: There are various tales of the blasting power of evil
ghosts.]
[Footnote 2: Plain doubt, and strong.]
[Footnote 3: 'sound of voice, or use of voice': physical or mental faculty
of speech.]
[Footnote 4: I judge this It a mistake for _H._,