Such was the very armour he had on
When he the ambitious Norway combated;
So frown'd he once, when, in an angry parle,2
He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice.
"Tis strange.
Mar. Thus twice before, and jump3 at this dead hour,
With martial stalk hath he gone by our watch. Hor. In what particular thought to work I know not;
But, in the gross and scope of my opinion, This bodes some strange eruption to our state. [Mar. Good now, sit down, and tell me, he
That can I; Our last king,
At least, the whisper goes so.
Whose image even but now appear'd to us,
Was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway,
Thereto prick'd on by a most emulate pride,
Dar'd to the combat: in which our valiant
Hamlet-
For so this side of our known world esteem'd him
Did slay this Fortinbras; who, by a seal'd compact,
Well ratified by law and heraldry,
Did forfeit, with his life, all those his lands
Which he stood seiz'd of" to the conqueror:
Against the which, a moiety competent
Was gaged by our king; which had return'd
To the inheritance of Fortinbras,
Hath in the skirts of Norway, here and there,
Shark'd up a list of lawless resolutes,
For food and diet, to some enterprise
That hath a stomach2 in't: which is no other—
As it doth well appear unto our state-
But to recover of us, by strong hand
And terms compulsative, those foresaid lands
So by his father lost: and this, I take it,
Is the main motive of our preparations,
The source of this our watch, and the chief head
Of this post-haste and romage3 in the land.
Ber. I think it be no other but e'en so:
Well may it sort, that this portentous figure
Comes armed through our watch; so like the
king
We do it wrong, being so majestical, To offer it the show of violence; [For it is, as the air, invulnerable, And our vain blows malicious mockery.] Ber. It was about to speak when the cock crew. Hor. And then it started like a guilty thing Upon a fearful summons. I have heard, 149 The cock, that is the trumpet to the morn, Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding throat Awake the god of day; and at his warning, Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air, The extravagant and erring spirit hies JTo his confíne: and of the truth herein This present object made probation.
Mar. It faded on the crowing of the cock. Some say, that ever 'gainst that season comes Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated, The bird of dawning singeth all night long: And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad; The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike,
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm; So hallow'd and so gracious is the time.
Hor. So have I heard, and do in part believe it.
But, look, the morn, in russet mantle clad,
Walks o'er the dew of yon high eastern hill:
Break we our watch up: and, by my advice,
Let us impart what we have seen to-night
Unto young Hamlet: for, upon my life,
This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him:
[Do you consent we shall acquaint him with it,
As needful in our loves, fitting our duty?
Mar. Let's do 't, I pray; and I this mor-
ning know
Where we shall find him most convenient.]
4 The moist star, i.e. the moon.
A room of state in the castle.
Enter the KING, QUEEN, HAMLET, POLONIUS, LAERTES, VOLTIMAND, CORNELIUS, Lords, and Attendants.
King. Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death
The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe,
Yet so far hath discretion, fought with nature
That we with wisest sorrow think on him,
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen,
The imperial jointress of this warlike state,
Have we, as 't were with a defeated joy,— 10
[With one auspicious and one dropping eye,
With mirth in funeral and with dirge in mar-
riage,
In equal scale weighing delight and dole,—]
Taken to wife: nor have we herein barr'd
Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
With this affair along. For all, our thanks.
[Now follows, that you know, young Fortinbras,
Holding a weak supposal of our worth,
Or thinking by our late dear brother's death
Our state to be disjoint and out of frame,
Colleagued with the dream of his advantage,
He hath not fail'd to pester us with message,
Importing the surrender of those lands
Lost by his father, with all bands1 of law,
To our most valiant brother. So much for him.
Now for ourself, and for this time of meeting:
Thus much the business is: we have here writ
To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras,--
Who, impotent and bed-rid, scarcely hears
Of this his nephew's purpose,-to suppress 30
His further gait herein; in that the levies,
The lists, and full proportions, are all made
Out of his subject: and we here dispatch
You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltimand,
For bearers of this greeting to old Norway,
Giving to you no further personal power
To business with the king, more than the scope
Of these dilated articles2 allow.
2 Dilated articles, articles set out at large.
King. We doubt it nothing: heartily farewell. [Exeunt Voltimand and Cornelius.] And now, Laertes, what's the news with you? You told us of some suit; what is 't, Laertes? [You cannot speak of reason to the Dane, And lose your voice: what wouldst thou beg, Laertes,
That shall not be my offer, not thy asking? The head is not more native to the heart, The hand more instrumental to the mouth, Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father. What wouldst thou have, Laertes?]
Laer. Dread my lord, Your leave and favour to return to France, From whence though willingly I came to Denmark,
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