Page:Hamlet - The Arden Shakespeare - 1899.djvu/266



may be of interest to give a few passages from the Quarto of 1603, which differ considerably from the received text, or are wholly absent from it. For II. i. 77–100 the Q 1603 gives:

Of. O yong Prince Hamlet, the only floure of Denmark, Hee is bereft of all the wealth he had, The lewell that ador'nd his feature most Is filcht and stolne away, his wit 's bereft him, Hee found mee walking in the gallery all alone, There comes hee to mee with a distracted looke, His garters lagging downe, his shooes untide, And fixt his eyes so stedfast on my face, As if they had vow'd, this is their latest obiect. Small while he stoode, but gripes me by the wrist, And there he holdes my pulse till with a sigh He doth unclaspe his holde, and parts away Silent, as is the mid time of the night: And as he went, his eie was still on mee, For thus his head over his shoulder looked, He seemed to finde the way without his eies: For out of doores he went without their helpe, And so did leave me.

III. ii. 53. The Quarto 1603 adds to Hamlet's criticism of the Stage Clown the following:

And then you have some agen, that keepes one sute Of leasts, as a man is knowne by one sute of Apparell, and Gentlemen quotes his leasts downe In their tables, before they come to the play, as thus: