2 f)S COXe’s TRAVELS IN DENMARK ,

a courtier to conceal himfelf, unknown to both, for the purpofe of overhearing theirconverfation.

The courtier repairs to the Queen’s apartment, and hides himfelf under, a heap offtraw *. Hamlet , on entering the cabinet, fufpedcing the prefence of fome fpy, imitates,after his ufual affectation of folly, the crowing of a cock, and fhaking. his arms likewings, jumps f upon the heap of ftraw, till feeling the courtier, he draws his fword,kills him, cuts the body to pieces, boils it, and gives it to the hogs. He then avowsto his mother, that he only perfonated a fool j reproaches her for her inceftuous mar-riage with the murderer of her hufband, and concludes his remonftrances by faying,“ Inftead, therefore, of condoling my infanity, deplore your own infamy, and learn tolament the deformity of your own mind.” .

The Oueen is filent, but is recalled to virtue by thefe admonitions. Fengo returns toElfmore7 fends Hamlet to England under the care of two courtiers, and requefts theKing, by a letter, to put him to death. Hamlet difcovers and alters the letter ; and ontheir arrival in England, the King orders the two courtiers to immediate execution, andbetroths his daughter to Hamlet , who gives many aftonifhing proofs, of a tranfcendentunderftanding.

At the end of the year he returns to Denmark , and alarms the court by his unexpect-ed appearance; as a report of his death had been fpread, and preparations were making-for his funeral.

Having re-aflumed his affected infanity, he purpofely wounds his fingers in drawinghis fword, which the by-ftanders immediately fatten to the fcabbard. He afterwardsinvites the principal nobles to an entertainment, makes them intoxicated, and in thatftate covers them with a large curtain, which he fattens to the ground with woodenpegs; he then fets fire to the palace, and the nobles, enveloped in the curtain, perifh inthe flames. During this tranfaftion he repairs to Fengo’s apartment, and taking thefword which lay by the fide of his bed, puts his own in its place ; he inftantly awakensand informs him, that Hamlet is come to revenge the murder of his father. Fengoftarts from his bed, feizes the fword, but unable to draw it, falls by the hand of Hamlet .The next morning, when the populace were affembled to view the ruins of the palace,Hamlet fummons the remaining nobles, and in a mafterly fpeech, lays open the motivesof his own conduCt; proves his uncle the affaflin of his father, and concludes in the fol-lowing words:

“ Tread upon the afhes of the monfter, who, polluting the wife of his murdered bro-ther, joined inceft to parricide, and ruled over you with the moft oppreffive tyranny.Receive me as the minifter of a juft revenge, as one who felt for the fufferings of hisfather and his people. Confider me as the perfon who has purged the difgrace of hiscountry, extinguifhed the infamy of his mother, freed you from the defpotifm of a mon-

* Straw was formerly fpread over the floors as an article of luxury.

•j- This part ftands thus in the Englifh account: “ The eounfellor entered fecretly into the Queene’fchamber, and there hid himfelfe behind the arras, and long before the Queene and Hamlet came thither;who being craftieand politique, as foone as he was withip the chamber, doubting fome treafon, and fearing,if he fhould fpeake feverely and wifely to his mother, touching his fecret practices, hee fhould be under-stood and by that means intercepted, ufed his ordinary manner of ddllmuiation, and began to come (r. crow)like a cocke, beating with his arms (in fuch manner as cockes ufed to ftrike with their wings,) upon thehangings of the chambers, whereby, feeling fomething furring under them, he cried, a rat! a rat! andprefently drawing his fworde, thrufl it into the hangings, which done, he pulled the eounfellor (half deade)out by the heels, made an end of killing him, and being (lain, cut his body in pieces, which he eaufed tobe boiled, and then call it into an open vault or privie.” Malone’s Supplement, vol. i. p. 357.

II

fter,