The nights are wholesome; then no planets | And lose your voice: What wouldst thou beg, strike, No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm, So hallow'd and so gracious is the time. Hor. So I have heard, and do in part believe But, look, the morn, in russet mantle clad, [it. 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 morning know Where we shall find him most convenient. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-The same.-A Room of State in the same. Enter the KING, QUEEN, HAMLET, POLONIUS, LAERTES, VOLTIMAND, CORNELIUS, LORDS, and Attendants. King. Though yet of Hamlet our dear bro ther'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; In equal scale weighing delight and dole,*- bras, Holding a weak supposal of our worth; Our state to be disjoint and out of frame, him. Now for ourself, and for this time of meeting: Of these dilated articles allow. well. Laertes, That shall not be my offer, not thy asking? Your leave and favour to return to France; To show my duty in your coronation; Pol. He hath, my lord, [wrung from me my slow leave, By laboursome petition; and, at last, King. Take thy fair hour, Laertes; time be Queen. Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off, [mark. And let thine eye look like a friend on DenDo not, for ever, with thy veiled lidst Seek for thy noble father in the dust: Thou know'st, 'tis common; all, that live, must die, Passing through nature to eternity. not seems. Ham. Seems, madam! nay, it is; I know 'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor windy suspiration of forc'd breath, Nor customary suits of solemn black, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected haviour of the visage, Together with all forms, modes, shows of grief, {seem, For they are actions that a man might play: That can denote me truly: These, indeed, But I have that within, which passeth show; These, but the trappings and the suits of woe. King. 'Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet, To give these mourning duties to your father: of impions stubbornness; 'tis unmanly grief: mon As any the most vulgar thing to sense, * Nature: a little more than a kinsman, and less than a natural one. + Lowering eyos. A fault against the dead, a fault to nature, Than that which dearest father bears his son, I pray thee, stay with us, go not to Wittenberg. Ham. I shall in all my best obey you, madam. King. Why, 'tis a loving and a fair reply; Be as ourself in Denmark.-Madam, come; This gentle and unforc'd accord of Hamlet Sits smiling to my heart: in grace whereof, No jocund health, that Denmark drinks to-day, But the great cannon to the clouds shall tell;' And the king's rouset the heaven shall bruit‡ again, Re-speaking earthly thunder. Come away. [Exeunt KING, QUEEN, Lords, &c. POLONIUS, and LAERTES. Ham. O, that this too too solid flesh would Thaw, and resolves itself into a dew! [melt, Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd [God! His canon|| 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! O How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on't! O fie! 'tis an unweeded garden, That grows to seed; things rank, and gross in nature, [this! Possess it merely. That it should come to But two months dead!-nay, not so much, not So excellent a king; that was, to this, [two: Hyperion to a satyr: so loving to my mother, That he might not beteemtt the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth! Must I remember? why, she would hang on As if increase of appetite had grown [him, By what it fed on: And yet, within a month,Let me not think on't;-Frailty, thy name is woman! A little month; or ere those shoes were old, With which she follow'd my poor father's body, Like Niobe, all tears;-why she, even she,O heaven! a beast, that wants discourse of reason, Would have mourn'd longer,-married with my uncle, My father's brother; but no more like my father, Enter HORATIO, BERNARDO, and MARCELLUS. But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg? Ham. I pray thee, do not mock me, fellowstudent; I think, it was to see my mother's wedding. Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables. My lord? I Ham. In my mind's eye, Horatio. Hor. I saw him once, he was a goodly king. Ham. He was a man, take him for all in all, shall not look upon his like again. Hor. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight. Hor. My lord, the king your father. Hor. Season your admiration for a while Ham. For God's love, let me hear. Hor. Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch, By their oppress'd and fear-surprized eyes, Where, as they had deliver'd, both in time, good, The apparition comes: I knew your father; These hands are not more like. Ham. But where was this? Hor. My lord, upon the platform where we watch'd. Ham. Did you not speak to it? Hor. My lord, I did; But answer made it none: yet once, methought, It lifted up its head, and did address Itself to motion, like as it would speak: But, even then, the morning cock crew loud; It was anciently the custom to give a cold entertain ment at a funeral. + Chiefest. ↑ Attentive. Ham. What, look'd he frowningly? Hor. A countenance more In sorrow than in anger. Ham. Pale, or red? Hor. Nay, very pale. Ham. And fix'd his eyes upon you? Hor. Most constantly. Ham. I would, I had been there. Hor. It would have much amaz'd you. Ham. Very like, Very like: Stay'd it long? now; And now no soil, nor cautel, doth besmirch§ He may not, as unvalued persons do, [ther, It fits your wisdom so far to believe it, tain, If with too credent|| ear you list¶ his songs; Hor. While one with moderate haste might Out of the shot and danger of desire. tell a hundred. Mar. Ber. Longer, longer. Hor. Not when I saw it. Ham. His beard was grizzl'd? no? Hor. It was, as I have seen it in his life, A sable silver'd. Ham. I will watch to-night; Perchance, 'twill walk again. Hor. I warrant, it will. Ham. If it assume my noble father's person, I'll speak to it, though hell itself should gape, And bid me hold my peace. I pray you all, If you have hitherto conceal'd this sight, Let it be tenable in your silence still; And whatsoever else shall hap to-night, Give it an understanding, but no tongue; I will requite your loves: So, fare you well: Upon the platform, 'twixt eleven and twelve, I'll visit you. All. Our duty to your honour. Ham. Your loves, as mine to you: Farewell. [Exeunt HORATIO, MARCELLUS, and BER NARDO. SCENE III.-A Room in POLONIUS' House. Enter LAERTES and OPHELIA. Laer. My necessaries are embark'd; fareAnd, sister, as the winds give benefit, [well: And convoy is assistant, do not sleep, But let me hear from you. Oph. Do you doubt that? Luer. For Hamlet, and the trifling of his faHold it a fashion, and a toy in blood; [vour, A violet in the youth of primy nature, Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting, The perfume and suppliance of a minute; No more. Oph. No more but so? That part of the helmet which may be lifted up. The chariest++ maid is prodigal enough, keep, Laer. O fear me not. I stay too long;-But here my father comes. Enter POLONIUS. A double blessing is a double grace; Occasion smiles upon a second leave. Pol. Yet here, Laertes! aboard, aboard, for shame; The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, And you are staid for: There,—my blessing with you; [Laying his Hand on LAERTES' Head. And these few precepts in thy memory Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportion'd thought his act. Grapple them to thy soul with hooks of steel; But do not dull thy palm¶¶ with entertain[Beware ment Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg'd comrade. Of entrance to a quarrel: but, being in, Bear it that the opposer may beware of thee. Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice: Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgement. * Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, Are most select and generous, chieft in that. Pol. The time invites you; go, your servants tend.¶ Laer. Farewell, Ophelia ; and remember well What I have said to you. Oph. "Tis in my memory lock'd, And you yourself shall keep the key of it. Laer. Farewell. [Exit LAERTES. Pol. What is't, Ophelia, he hath said to you? Oph. So please you, something touching the lord Hamlet. Pol. Marry, well bethought: 'Tis told me, he hath very oft of late Given private time to you: and you yourself Have of your audience been most free and bounteous, If it be so, (as so 'tis put on me, Unsifted in such perilous circumstance. think. Pol. Marry, I'll teach you: think yourself baby; a That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay, Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly; Or (not to crack the wind of the poor phrase, Wronging it thus,) you'll tender me a fool. Oph. My lord he hath impórtun'd me with [love, Pol. Ay, fashion you may call it; go to, go In honourable fashion.tt to. Oph. And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord, With almost all the holy vows of heaven. Pol. Ay, springes to catch woodcocks. I do know, When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul Lends the tongue vows: these blazes, daugh ter, Giving more light than heat,-extinct in both, Even in their promise, as it is a making,You must not take for fire. From this time, Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence; Set your entreatments at a higher rate, Than a command to parley. For lord Hamlet, Believe so much in him, That he is young; And with a larger tether may he walk, Have you so slander any moment's leisure, SCENE IV.-The Platform. [Exeunt. Enter HAMLET, HORATIO, and MARCELLUS. Hor. I think, it lacks of twelve. Hor. Indeed? I heard it not; it then draws near the season, Wherein the spirit held is wont to walk. [A Flourish of Trumpets, and Ordnance What does this mean, my lord? shot off, within. Ham. The king doth wake to-night, and takes his rouse,||| Keeps wassel,¶ and the swaggering upspring reels;" ** [down, And, as he drains his draughts of Rhenish The triumph of his pledge. The kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out Hor. Is it a custom ? Ham. Ay, marry, is't: But to my mind, though I am native here, More honour'd in the breach, than the obserAnd to the manner born,-it is a custom vance. This heavy-headed revel, east and west, They clepett us, drunkards, and with swinish Makes us traduc'd, and tax'd of other nations: phrase Soil our addition; and, indeed it takes From our achievements, though perform'd at height, So, oft it chances in particular men, As, in their birth, (wherein they are not guilty, son; Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell, Be thy intents wicked, or charitable, Hor. It beckons you to go away with it, Mar. Look, with what courteous action Hor. No, by no means. Ghost. Mark me. Ham. 1 will. Ghost. My hour is almost come, Ham. Alas, poor ghost! Ghost. Pity me not, but lend thy serious Ham. Speak, I am bound to hear. Ham. What? Ghost. I am thy father's spirit; Ham. It will not speak; then I will follow it. If thou didst ever thy dear father love, Hor. Do not, my lord. Ham. Why, what should be the fear? I do not set my life at a pin's fee; And, for my soul, what can it do to that, It waves me forth again;-I'll follow it. Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff, reason, And draw you into madness? think of it: Ham. It waves me still: Go on, I'll follow thee. Mar. You shall not go, my lord. Hor. Be rul'd, you shall not go. And makes each petty artery in this body of [GHOST beckons. Still am I call'd;-unhand me. gentlemen;[Breaking from them. By heaven, I'll make a ghost of him that lets** I say, away:-Go on, I'll follow thee. [me:[Exeunt GHOST and HAMLET, Hor. He waxes desperate with imagination. Mar. Let's follow; 'tis not fit thus to obey him. Hor. Have after:-To what issue will this Ham. O heaven! Ghost. Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. Ham. Murder? Ghost. Murder most foul, as in the best it is; As meditation, or the thoughts of love, Ghost. I find thee apt; And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed Ham. O, my prophetic soul! my uncle! With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts, But virtue, as it never will be mov'd, But, soft! methinks, I scent the morning air; * Display. + Garden. + Satiate. § Henbane. |