IV.v.89 (292,1) Feeds on his wonder] The folio reads,

  Keeps on his wonder,—­

The quarto,

  Feeds on this wonder.—­

Thus the true reading is picked out from between them.  HANMER reads unnecessarily,

  Feeds on his anger.—­

IV.v.92 (292,2) Wherein necessity, of matter beggar’d,/ Will nothing stick our persons to arraign] HANMER reads,

  Whence animosity, of matter beggar’d.

He seems not to have understood the connection. Wherein, that is, in which pestilent speeches, necessity, or, the obligation of an accuser to support his charge, will nothing stick, &c.

IV.v.99 (293,4) The ocean, over-peering of his list] The lists are the barriers which the spectators of a tournament must not pass.

IV.v.105 (293,5) The ratifiers and props of every ward] [W:  ward] With this emendation, which was in Theobald’s edition, Hanmer was not satisfied.  It is indeed harsh.  HANMER transposes the lines, and reads,

  They cry, “Chuse we Laertes for our king;”
  The ratifiers and props of every word,
  Caps, hands, and tongues, applaud it to the clouds.

I think the fault may be mended at less expence, by reading,

  Antiquity forgot, custom not known,
  The ratifiers and props of every weal.

That is, of every government.

IV.v.110 (294,6) Oh, this is counter, you false Danish dogs] Hounds run counter when they trace the trail backwards.

IV.v.161 (296,9)

  Nature is fine in loves and, where ’tis fine,
  It sends some precious instance of itself
  After the thing it loves]

These lines are not in the quarto, and might hare been omitted in the folio without great loss, for they are obscure and affected; but, I think, they require no emendation. Love (says Laertes) is the passion by which nature is most exalted and refined; and as substances refined and subtilised, easily obey any impulse, or follow any attraction, some part of nature, so purified and refined, flies off after the attracting object, after the thing it loves.

  As into air the purer spirits f1ow,
  And separate from their kindred dregs below,
  So flew her soul.—­

IV.v.171 (297,1) O how the wheel becomes it!] [W:  weal] I do not see why weal is better than wheel.  The story alluded to I do not know; but perhaps the lady stolen by the steward was reduced to spin.

IV.v.175 (297,2) There’s rosemary, that’ll far rememberance.  Pray you, love, remember.  And there’s pansies, that’s for thoughts] There is probably some mythology in the choice of these herbs, but I cannot explain it. Pansies is for thoughts, because of its name, Pensees; but rosemary indicates remembrance, except that it is an ever-green, and carried at funerals, I have not discovered.