ss of the utterance, it may be found in the fact
that he is immediately ashamed of its extravagance.]

[Page 244]

_Kin_.[1] This is meere Madnesse: [Sidenote: _Quee_.[1]]
And thus awhile the fit will worke on him: [Sidenote: And this]
Anon as patient as the female Doue,
When that her golden[2] Cuplet[3] are disclos'd[4];
[Sidenote: cuplets[3]]
His silence will sit drooping.[5]

_Ham_. Heare you Sir:[6]
What is the reason that you vse me thus?
I loud' you euer;[7] but it is no matter:[8]
Let _Hercules_ himselfe doe what he may,
The Cat will Mew, and Dogge will haue his day.[9]
_Exit._ [Sidenote: _Exit Hamlet and Horatio._]

_Kin_. I pray you good Horatio wait vpon him,
[Sidenote: pray thee good]
Strengthen you patience in our last nights speech, [Sidenote: your]
[Sidenote: 254] Wee'l put the matter to the present push:[10]
Good _Gertrude_ set some watch ouer your Sonne,
This Graue shall haue a liuing[11] Monument:[12]
An houre of quiet shortly shall we see;[13]
[Sidenote: quiet thirtie shall]
Till then, in patience our proceeding be. _Exeunt._

[Footnote 1: I hardly know which to choose as the speaker of this
speech. It would be a fine specimen of the king's hypocrisy; and perhaps
indeed its poetry, lovely in itself, but at such a time sentimental, is
fitter for him than the less guilty queen.]

[Footnote 2: 'covered with a yellow down' _Heath_.]

[Footnote 3: The singular is better: 'the pigeon lays no more than _two_
eggs.' _Steevens_. Only, _couplets_ might be used like _twins_.]

[Footnote 4: --_hatched_, the sporting term of the time.]

[Footnote 5: 'The pigeon never quits her nest for three days after her
two young ones are hatched, except for a few moments to get food.'
_Steevens_.]

[Footnote 6: Laertes stands eyeing him with evil looks.]

[Footnote 7: I suppose here a pause: he waits in vain some response from
Laertes.]

[Footnote 8: Here he retreats into his madness.]

[Footnote 9: '--but I cannot compel you to hear reason. Do what he will,
Hercules himself cannot keep the cat from mewing, or the dog from
following his inclination!'--said in a half humorous, half contemptuous
despair.]

[Footnote 10: 'into immediate train'--_to Laertes_.]

[Footnote 11: _life-like_, or _lasting_?]

[Footnote 12: