Page:Hamlet - The Arden Shakespeare - 1899.djvu/105

on my daughter: yet he knew me not at first;
he said I was a fishmonger: he is far gone, far 190
gone:^{[a 1]} and truly in my youth I suffered much
extremity for love; very near this. I'll
speak to him again.—What do you read,
my lord?

Ham. Words, words, words. 195

Pol. What is the matter, my lord?

Ham. Between who?^{[a 2][b 1]}

Pol. I mean the matter that you read,^{[a 3]} my lord.

Ham. Slanders, sir: for the satirical rogue^{[a 4][b 2]} says here
that old men have grey beards, that their faces 200
are wrinkled, their eyes purging thick amber
and plum-tree gum, and^{[a 5]} that they have a
plentiful lack of wit, together with most^{[a 6]} weak
hams; all which, sir, though I most powerfully
and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty 205
to have it thus set down; for you yourself,^{[a 7]} sir,
should be old^{[a 8]} as I am, if like a crab you could
go backward.

Pol. [Aside.]^{[a 9]} Though this be madness, yet there is
method in 't—Will you walk out of the air, 210
my lord?

Ham. Into my grave?^{[a 10][b 3]}

1. 190, 191. far gone, far gone] F, farre gone Q.
2. 197. who] Q, F; whom Ff 2–4.
3. 198. that you read] Q, you meane F.
4. 199. rogue] Q, slave F.
5. 202. and] Q, or F.
6. 203. most] Q, omitted F.
7. 206. you yourself] F, your selfe Q.
8. 207. should be old] F, shall grow old Q.
9. 209. Aside] Johnson.
10. 212. grave?] F, grave. Q.

1. 197. Between who?] Clar. Press: "Hamlet purposely misunderstands the word to mean 'cause of dispute,' as in Twelfth Night, III. iv, 172."
2. 199. the satirical rogue] Warburton refers to Juvenal, Sat. x. 188.
3. 210–214.] Several editors prefer the Q grave. Compare Jonson's