Pol. My lord, I have news to tell you. Ham. My lord, I have news to tell you. Roscius was an actor in Rome, Pol. The actors are come hither, my lord. Pol. Upon mine honor, When Ham. Then came each actor on his ass,Pol. The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historicalpastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historicalpastoral, scene individable, or poem unlimited: Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus too light. For the law of writ and the liberty, these are the only men. Ham. O Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a treasure hadst thou! Pol. What treasure had he, my lord? Ham. Why One fair daughter, and no more, The which he loved passing well. Pol. [Aside] Still on my daughter. Ham. Am I not i' the right, old Jephthah? Pol. If you call me Jephthah, my lord, I have a daughter that I love passing well. Ham. Nay, that follows not. Pol. What follows then, my lord? 390 400 410 Ham. Why, As by lot, God wot, and then, you know, It came to pass, as most like it was, The first row of the pious chanson will show you more: for look, where my abridgment comes. Enter four or five Players You are welcome, masters; welcome, all: — I am glad to see ye well:- welcome, good friends. — O, my old friend! Thy face is valanced since I saw thee 120 last; com'st thou to beard me in Denmark? - What! 430 my young lady and mistress! By-'r-lady, your ladyship is nearer to heaven than when I saw you last, by the altitude of a chopine. Pray God, your voice, like a piece of uncurrent gold, be not cracked within the ring. Masters, you are all welcome. We'll e'en to't like French falconers, fly at anything we see: we'll have a speech straight: come, give us a taste of your quality; come, a passionate speech. 1 Play. What speech, my lord? Ham. I heard thee speak me a speech once, but it was never acted; or, if it was, not above once; for the play, I remember, pleased not the million; 'twas caviare to the general: but it was,- as I received it, and others, whose judgments in such matters cried in the top of mine, — an excellent play, well digested in the scenes; set down with as much modesty as cunning. I remember, one said there were no sallets in the lines, to make the matter savory; nor no matter in the phrase that might indict the author of affectation; but called it an honest method, as wholesome as 440 sweet, and by very much more handsome than fine. One speech in it I chiefly loved: 'twas Eneas' tale to Dido; and thereabout of it especially, where he speaks of Priam's slaughter. If it live in your memory, begin at this line; let me see, let me see; The rugged Pyrrhus like the Hyrcanian beast. 'tis not so; it begins with Pyrrhus :· : The rugged Pyrrhus, — he, whose sable arms, Now is he total gules; horridly tricked To their lord's murder: roasted in wrath and fire, 450 460 470 480 With eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Pyrrhus So proceed you. Pol. 'Fore God, my lord, well spoken; with good accent and good discretion. 1 Play. Anon he finds him Striking too short at Greeks; his antique sword, Of reverend Priam, seemed i the air to stick : But, as we often see, against some storm, A silence in the heavens, the rack stand still, Arousèd vengeance sets him new a-work; Out, out, thou strumpet, Fortune! All you gods, Break all the spokes and fellies from her wheel, And bowl the round nave down the hill of heaven, Pol. This is too long. Ham. It shall to the barber's with your beard. Pr'ythee, say on: he's for a jig or a tale, or he sleeps: say on; come to Hecuba. 1 Play. But who, O who, had seen the mobled queen Ham. The mobled queen? Pol. That's good: mobled queen is good. 1 Play. Run barefoot up and down, threatening the flame With bisson rheum; a clout about that head, A blanket, in the alarm of fear caught up; — 490 500 |