And finally, the dictating, _to the pen_, the express words of the last
line of the ghost's speech.
In point of fact, the best possible _stage direction_ is given by
Shakspeare himself, when he makes Hamlet exclaim, "_Now to my word_,"
or, now to my _memorandum_, reverting to the purpose for which he had
got his tables forth. In the old reading, Steevens was driven to explain
"now to my word" in this way, "Hamlet alludes to the _watchword_ given
every day in military service."
It is of the more importance that this point, raised by me, should be
fairly and impartially examined, because, being in correction of alleged
misinterpretation, its decision must have some influence upon a right
discrimination of the character of Hamlet's madness, as opposed to the
deduction drawn by Coleridge. In taking it into consideration, the
following alterations in the existing punctuation must be premised:--
After "set it down," a full stop; after "and be a villain," a note of
admiration; the stage direction "(_writing_)" to be removed two lines
lower down.