Yea, from the table of my memory 8 I'll wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain! this distracted globe.] i. e. in this head confused with thought. STEEvens. 3 Yea, from the table of my memory-] This expression is used by Sir Philip Sidney in his Defence of Poesie. MALONE. from the table of my memory I'll wipe away &c.] This phrase will remind the reader of Charia's exclamation in the Eunuch of Terence:- "O faciem pulchram! deleo omnes dehinc ex animo mulieres." STEEVENS. My tables, meet it is, I set it down,] This is a ridicule on the practice of the time. Hall says, in his character of the Hypocrite, "He will ever sit where he may be seene best, and in the midst of the sermon pulles out his tables in haste, as if he feared to loose that note," &c. FARMER. No ridicule on the practice of the time could with propriety be introduced on this occasion. Hamlet avails himself of the same caution observed by the Doctor in the fifth act of Macbeth: "I will set down whatever comes from her, to satisfy my remembrance the more strongly." Dr. Farmer's remark, however, as to the frequent use of table-books, may be supported by many instances. So, in the Induction to The Malcontent, 1604: "I tell you I am one that hath seen this play often, and give them intelligence for their action: I have most of the jests of it here in my table-book." Again, in Love's Sacrifice, 1633: "You are one loves courtship: "You had some change of words; 'twere no lost labour Again, in Antonio's Revenge, 1602: Balurdo draws out his writing-tables and writes "Retort and obtuse, good words, very good words." That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain; At least, I am sure, it may be so in Denmark: [Writing. So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word;1 It is, Adieu, adieu! remember me. I have sworn't. HOR, [Within.] My lord, my lord,————— HOR. [Within.] HAM. Heaven secure him! So be it! MAR. [Within.] Illo, ho, ho, my lord! 2 HAM. Hillo, ho, ho, boy! come, bird, comę.3 Again, in Every Woman in her Humour, 1609: "Let your tables befriend your memory; write," &c. STEEVENS. See also The Second Part of Henry IV: "And therefore will he wipe his tables clean, York is here speaking of the King. Table-books in the time of our author appear to have been used by all ranks of people. In the church they were filled with short notes of the sermon, and at the theatre with the sparkling sentences of the play. 1 MALONE. Now to my word;] Hamlet alludes to the watch-word given every day in military service, which at this time he says is, Adieu, adieu! remember me. So, in The Devil's Charter, a tragedy, 1607: "Now to my watch-word STEEVENS. • Hillo,] This exclamation is of French origin. So, in the Venerie de Jacques Fouilloux, 1635, 4to. p. 12: "Ty a hillaut," &c. See Vol. V. p. 296. STEEVENs. 3 come, bird, come.] This is the call which falconers use to their hawk in the air, when they would have him come down to them. HANMER. This expression is used in Marston's Dutch Courtezan, and by many others among the old dramatick writers. It appears from all these passages, that it was the falconer's call, as Sir T. Hanmer has observed. Nor I, my lord. HOR. Not I, my lord, by heaven. MAR. HAM. How say you then; would heart of man once think it? But you'll be secret, HOR. MAR. Ay, by heaven, my lord. HAM. There's ne'er a villain, dwelling in all Denmark, But he's an arrant knave. HOR. There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave, To tell us this. HAM. Why, right; you are in the right; And So, without more circumstance at all, I hold it fit, that we shake hands, and part: You, as your business, and desire, shall point you;- Look you, I will go pray. Again, in Tyro's Roaring Megge, planted against the Walls of Melancholy, &c. 4to. 1598: "Yet, ere I iournie, Ile go see the kyte: "Come, come bird, come: pox on you, can you mute ?” STEEVENS. HOR. These are but wild and whirling words, my lord. HAM. I am sorry they offend you, heartily; yes, 'Faith, heartily. HOR. There's no offence, my lord. HAM. Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Ho ratio, And much offence too. Touching this vision here,- Give me one poor request. HOR. We will. What is❜t, my lord? HAM. Never make known what you have seen to-night. HOR. MAR. My lord, we will not. HAM. Nay, but swear't. by Saint Patrick,] How the poet comes to make Hamlet swear by St. Patrick, I know not. However, at this time all the whole northern world had their learning from Ireland; to which place it had retired, and there flourished under the auspices of this saint. But it was, I suppose, only said at random; for he makes Hamlet a student at Wittenberg. WARBURTON. Dean Swift's "Verses on the sudden drying-up of St. Patrick's Well, 1726," contain many learned allusions to the early culti vation of literature in Ireland. NICHOLS. HAM. Indeed, upon my sword, indeed. HAM. Ha, ha, boy! say'st thou so? art thou there, true-penny ?5 Come on, you hear this fellow in the cellarage,Consent to swear. HOR. Propose the oath, my lord. HAM. Never to speak of this that you have seen, Swear by my sword." -true-penny?] This word, as well as some of Hamlet's former exclamations, we find in The Malcontent, 1604; "Illo, ho, ho, ho; art thou there old True-penny ?" STEEVENS. • Swear by my sword.] Here the poet has preserved the manners of the ancient Danes, with whom it was religion to swear upon their swords. See Bartholinus, De causis contempt. mort. apud Dan. WARBURTON. I was once inclinable to this opinion, which is likewise well defended by Mr. Upton; but Mr. Garrick produced me a passage, I think, in Brantome, from which it appeared that it was common to swear upon the sword, that is, upon the cross, which the old swords always had upon the hilt. JOHNSON. Shakspeare, it is more than probable, knew nothing of the ancient Danes, or their manners. Every extract from Dr. Farmer's pamphlet must prove as instructive to the reader as the following: "In the Passus Primus of Pierce Plowman, • David in his daies dubbed knightes, And did them swere on her sword to serve truth ever.' "And in Hieronymo, the common butt of our author, and the wits of the time, says Lorenzo to Pedringano: Swear on this cross, that what thou say'st is true: But if I prove thee perjur'd and unjust, This very sword, whereon thou took'st thine oath, • Shall be a worker of thy tragedy." To the authorities produced by Dr. Farmer, the following may be added from Holinshed, p. 664: "Warwick kissed the cross of King Edward's sword, as it were a vow to his promise.” Again, p. 1038, it is said" that Warwick drew out his sword, which other of the honourable and worshipful that were |