Ham. O! your only jig-maker. What should a man do, but be merry? for, look you, how cheerfully my mother looks, and my father died within these two hours. Oph. Nay, 'tis twice two months, my lord. Ham. So long? Nay, then let the devil wear black, for I'll have a suit of sables.* O heavens! die two months ago, and not forgotten yet? Then there's hope, a great man's memory may outlive his life half a year: But, by'r lady, he must build churches then: or else shall he suffer not thinking on, with the hobbyhorse; whose epitaph is, For, O, for, O, the hobby-horse is forgot. Trumpets sound. The dumb Show follows. Enter a King and a Queen, very lovingly; the Queen embracing him, and he her. She kneels, and makes show of protestation unto him. He takes her up, and declines his head upon her neck: lays him down upon a bank of flowers; she, seeing him asleep, leaves him. Anon comes in a jellow, takes off his crown, kisses it, and pours poison in the King's ears, and exit. The Queen returns; finds the King dead, and makes passionate action. The poisoner, with some two or three Mutes, comes in again, seeming to lament with her. The dead body is carried away. The poisoner wooes the Queen with gifts; she seems louth and unwilling awhile, but, in the end, accepts his love. [Exeunt. Oph. What means this, my lord? Ham. Marry, this is miching mallecho ;t it means mischief. Oph. Belike, this show imports the argument of the play. Enter PROLogue. Ham. We shall know by this fellow: the players cannot keep counsel; they'll tell all. Oph. Will he tell us what this show meant? Hum. Ay, or any show that you'll show him: Be not you ashamed to show, he'll not shame o tell you what it means. Oph. You are naught, you are naught; I'll mark the play. Pro. For us, and for our tragedy, Here stooping to your clemency, Oph. "Tis brief, my lord. Enter a KING and a QUEEN. P. King. Full thirty times hath Phoebus' carts gone round Neptune's salt wash, and Tellus' orbed ground; And thirty dozen moons, with borrow'd sheen,¶ About the world have times twelve thirties been; [hands, Since love our hearts, and Hymen did our Unite commutual in most sacred bands. P. Queen. So many journeys may the sun and moon Make us again count o'er, ere love be done! But, woe is me, you are so sick of late, So far from cheer, and from your former state, That I distrust you. Yet, though I distrust, Discomfort you, my lord, it nothing must: For women fear too much, even as they love; And women's fear and love hold quantity; In neither aught, or in extremity. [know; Now, what my love is, proof hath made you And as my love is siz'd, my fear is so. Where love is great, the littlest doubts are fear; [there. Where little fears grows great, great love grows P. King. 'Faith, I must leave thee, love, and shortly too; [do: My operant+ powers their functions leave to And thou shalt live in this fair world behind, Honour'd, belov'd; and, haply, one as kind For husband shalt thou P. Queen. O, confound the rest! Such love must needs be treason in my breast: In second husband let me be accurst! None wed the second, but who kill'd the first. Ham. That's wormwood. P Queen. The instances,‡ that second mar riage move, Are base respects of thrift, but none of love; For 'tis a question left us yet to prove, flies; And hitherto doth love on fortune tend; P. Queen. Nor earth to give me food, nor heaven light! Sport and repose lock from me, day, and night! [To OPHELIA. P. King. 'Tis deeply sworn. Sweet, leave me here a while; My spirits grow dull, and fain I would beguile The tedious day with sleep. [Sleeps. P. Queen. Sleep rock thy brain; And never come mischance between us twain! [Exit. || The earth. This is one Lucianus, nephew to the king. Oph. You are as good as a chorus, my lord. Ham. I could interpret between you and your love, if I could see the puppets dallying. Oph. You are keen, my lord, you are keen. Ham. It would cost you a groaning, to take off my edge. Oph. Still better, and worse. Ham. So you mistake your husbands.-Begin, murderer;-leave thy damnable faces, and begin. Come; The croaking raven Doth bellow for revenge. Luc. Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and time agreeing; Confederate season, else no creature seeing; Thou mixture rank, of midnight weeds collected, [fected, With Hecate's bant thrice blasted, thrice inThy natural magic and dire property, On wholesome life usurp immediately. [Pours the Poison into the Sleeper's Ears. Ham. He poisons him i'the garden for his estate. His name's Gonzago: the story is extant, and written in very choice Italian: You shall see anon, how the murderer gets the love of Gonzago's wife. Oph. The king rises. Ham. What! frighted with false fire! Queen. How fares my lord? Pol. Give o'er the play. King. Give me some light:-away! [Exeunt all but HAMLET and HORATIO. Ham. Why, let the strucken deer go weep, The hart ungalled play: For some must watch, while some must sleep; Thus runs the world away.Would not this, Sir, and a forest of feathers, (if the rest of my fortunes turn Turk|| with me,) with two Provencial roses on my razed¶ shoes, get me a fellowship in a cry** of players, Sir? Ham. Upon the talk of the poisoning,-Hor. I did very well note him. Ham. Ah, ha!-Come, some music; come, the recorders.* For if the king like not the comedy, Why then, belike, he likes it not, perdy.tEnter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Come, some music. Guil. Good my lord, vouchsafe me a word with you. Ham. Sir, a whole history. Guil. The king, Sir, Ham. Ay, Sir, what of him? Guil. Is, in his retirement, marvellously distempered." Ham. With drink, Sir? Guil. No, my lord, with choler. Ham. Your wisdom should show itself more richer, to signify this to the doctor; for, for me to put him to his purgation, would, perhaps, plunge him into more choler. Guil. Good my lord, put your discourse into some frame, and start not so wildly from my affair. Ham. I am tame, Sir:-pronounce. Guil. The queen, your mother, in most great affliction of spirit, hath sent me to you. Ham. You are welcome. Guil. Nay, good my lord, this courtesy is not of the right breed. If it shall please you to make me a wholesome answer, I will do your mother's commandment: if not, your pardon, and my return, shall be the end of my business. Ham. Sir, I cannot. Guil. What, my lord? Ham. Make you a wholesome answer; my wit's diseased: But, Sir, such answer as I can make, you shall command; or, rather, as you say, my mother: therefore no more, but to the matter: My mother, you say,— Ros. Then thus she says; Your behaviour hath struck her into amazement and admira. tion. Ham. O wonderful son, that can so astonish a mother!-But is there no sequel at the heels of this mother's admiration? impart. Ros. She desires to speak with you in her closet, ere you go to bed. Ham. We shall obey, were she ten times our mother. Have you any further trade with us? Ros. My lord, you once did love me. Ham. And do still, by these pickers and stealers. Ros. Good my lord, what is your cause of distemper? you do, surely, but bar the door upon your own liberty, if you deny your griefs to your friend. Ham. Sir, I lack advancement. Ros. How can that be, when you have the voice of the king himself for your succession in Denmark? Ham. Ay, Sir, but, While the grass grows,the proverb is something musty. Enter the PLAYERS, with Recorders. draw with you:-Why do you go about to reO, the recorders:-let me see one.-To withcover the wind of me, as if you would drive me into a toil? Guil. O, my lord, if my duty be too bold, my love is too unmannerly. fiam. I do not well understand that. you play upon this pipe? Guil. My lord, I cannot. Guil. Believe me, I cannot. Will | To keep those many bodies safe, Guil. I know no touch of it, my lord. Ham. "Tis as easy as lying: govern these ventages, with your fingers and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, and it will discourse most eloquent music. Look you, these are the stops. Guil. But these cannot I command to any utterance of harmony; I have not the skill.. Ham. Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of me. You would play upon me; you would seem to know my stops; you would pluck out the heart of my mystery; you would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass: and there is much music, excellent voice, in this little organ; yet cannot vou make it speak. 'Sblood, do you think, I am easier to be played on than a pipe! Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me. Enter POLONIUS. God bless you, Sir. Pol. My lord, the queen would speak with you, and presently. Ros. The single and peculiar life is bound [Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN, Enter POLONIUS. Pol. My lord, he's going to his mother's Behind the arras* I'll convey myself, [closet: To hear the process; I'll warrant, she'll tax him home: Ham. Do you see yonder cloud, that's al-'Tis most in shape of a camel?. Pol. By the mass, and 'tis like a camel, indeed. Ham. Methinks, it is like a weasel. Pol. Very like a whale. Ham. Then will I come to my mother by and by. They fool me to the top of my bent.t-I will come by and by. friends. Pol. I will say so. [Exit POLONIUS. Ham. By and by is easily said.-Leave me, [Exeunt Ros. GUIL. HOR. &c. 'Tis now the very witching time of night; When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out Contagion to this world: Now could I drink hot blood, And do such business as the bitter day Would quake to look on. Soft; now to my mother, O, heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever I will speak daggers to her, but use none; us, [Exit. SCENE III.-A Room in the same. Guil. We will "ourselves provide: And, as you said, and wisely was it said, King. Thanks, dear my lord. [Exit POLONIUS. mercy, And what's in prayer, but this twofold force,- Or pardon'd, being down? Then I'll look up; That cannot be; since I am still possess'd Even to the teeth and forehead of our faults, Bow, stubborn knees! and, heart, with strings | And,-'would it were not so!-you are my of steel, Be soft as sinews of the new-born babe; All may be well! [Ketires and kneels. scann'd:* A villain kills my father; and, for that, Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge. As hell, whereto it goes. My mother stays: The KING rises and advances. [Exit. mother. Queen. Nay, then I'll set those to you that can speak. Ham. Come, come, and sit you down; you shall not budge; You go not, till I set you up a glass Help, help, ho! Pol. [Behind.] What, ho! help! Ham. How now! a rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead. [Draws. [HAMLET makes a pass through the Arras Pol. [Behind.] O, I am slain. [Falls, and dics Queen. O me, what hast thou done? Hum. Nay, I know not: Is it the king? [Lifts up the Arras, and draws forth POLONIUS. Queen. O, what a rash and bloody deed is this! Ham. A bloody deed;-almost as bad, good mother, As kill a king, and marry with his brother. Ham. Ay, lady, 'twas my word.Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell [TO POLONIUS. I took thee for thy better; take thy fortune: Thou find'st, to be too busy, is some danger.Leave wringing of your hands: Peace; sit you down, And let me wring your heart: for so I shall, Ham. Such an act, That blurs the grace and blush of modesty; And sets a blister there; makes marriage-vows As false as dicers' oaths: O, such a deed Yea, this solidity and compound mass, Queen. Ah me, what act, this; The counterfeit presentment of two brothers. Here is your husband; like a mildew'd ear, Blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes? Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed, And batten on this moor? Ha! have you eyes? You cannot call it, love: for, at your age, Would step from this to this? Sense,t sure, you have, Else, could you not have motion: But, sure, that sense Is apoplex'd: for madness would not err; To serve in such a difference. What devil was't, That thus hath cozen'd you at hoodman-blind? O shame! where is thy blush? Rebellious hell, Queen. O Hamlet, speak no more: Ham. Nay, but to live In the rank sweat of an enseamedtt bed; Queen. O, speak to me no more; Ham. A murderer, and a villain: A slave, that is not twentieth part the tythe Queen. No more. Of shreds and patches Queen. Alas, he's mad. Ham. Do you not come your tardy son to chide, That, laps'd in time and passion, lets go by The important acting of your dread command? O, say! Ghost. Do not forget: This visitation Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose. But, look, amazement on thy mother sits: D, step between her and her fighting soul; Conceitss in weakest bodies strongest works; Speak to her, Hamlet. Ham. How is it with you, lady? Queen. Alas, how is't with you? That you do bend your eye on vacancy, And with the incorporal air do hold discourse? Forth at your eyes your spirits wildly peep; And, as the sleeping soldiers in the alarm, Your bedded hair, like life in excrements,||| upon me; Lest, with this piteous action, you convert Queen. To whom do you speak this? My father, in his habit as he liv'd! Ham. Ecstasy! My pulse, as yours, doth temperately keep in twain. Ham. O, throw away the worser part of it, And live the purer with the other half. Good night but go not to my uncle's bed; Assume a virtue, if you have it not. That monster, custom, who all sense doth eat That to the use of actions fair and good Of habit's devil, is angel yet in this; He likewise gives a frock, or livery, And that shall lend a kind of easiness That aptly is put on: Refrain to-night; To the next abstinence: the next more easy: And when you are desirous to be bless'd, Queen. What shall I do? Ham. Not this, by no means, that I bid you do: Let the bloat king tempt you again to bed; |