[[File:Second quarto sexten.jpg|right|the Second Quarto word "Sexten"]]

[[File:Second quarto sexten.jpg|right|the Second Quarto word "Sexten"]]

[[File:Folio sixteen.jpg|right|the word "sixteen" in the First Folio]]

[[File:Folio sixteen.jpg|right|the word "sixteen" in the First Folio]]

''Sexten'' - sexton, is the first meaning.  It identifies the Clown as the church sexton.  There is more, however.  The Clown Sexton is giving Hamlet a word puzzle, to try to show him up as a fool.  It's the same behavior the Clown Sexton exhibited with the Clown Deputy at the beginning of the Scene.  In other words, it's a word puzzle from Shakespeare.

''Sexten'' - sexton, is the first meaning.  It identifies the Clown as the church sexton.  There is more, however.  The Clown Sexton is giving Hamlet a word puzzle, to try to show him up as a fool.  It's the same behavior the Clown Sexton exhibited with the Clown Deputy at the beginning of the Scene.  In other words, it's a word puzzle from Shakespeare.  I preserve the Second Quarto spelling, duly marked, because it's a special word.

Observe that in the First Folio the word is spelled "sixeteene."  The Folio is revealing the second meaning, which is "sixteen."  The word spelled ''Sexten'' in the Second Quarto has to be read ''twice'' to get the full meaning.

Observe that in the First Folio the word is spelled "sixeteene."  The Folio is revealing the second meaning, which is "sixteen."  The word spelled ''Sexten'' in the Second Quarto has to be read ''twice'' to get the full meaning.

''I have been 'Sexten' here, man and boy thirty years.''

''I have been 'Sexten' here, man and boy thirty years.''