1

Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand,
Of life, of crown, of queen, at once 1 despoiled:
Cat off even in the blossom of my sin,
Unhousel'd, disappointed, 'unaneled:
No reckoning made, but sent to my account
With all my imperfections on my head:
O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible!
If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not;
Let not the royal bed of Denmark be
A couch for luxury and damned incest.
But, howsoever thou pursuest this act,
Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive
Against thy mother aught: leave her to heaven,
And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge,
To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once.
The glow-worm shows the matin to be near,
And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire:
Adieu, adieu! Hamlet, remember me.

[Exit.

Ham. O, all you host of heaven! O earth! What else ?

And shall I couple hell?-O fie!-3 Hold, heart;
And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,
But bear me stiffly up.-Remember thee?

Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat
In this distracted globe. Remember thee?
Yea, from the table of my memory
I'll wipe away all trivial fond records,

All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past,
That youth and observation copied there,
And thy commandment all alone shall live
Within the book and volume of my brain,
Unmix'd with baser matter: yes, by heaven!
O, most pernicious and perfidious woman!
O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!
My tables,-meet it is, I set it down,
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain;
At least, I am sure, it may be so in Denmark:-

[Writing.

So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word; It is, "Adieu, adieu! remember me."

I have sworn't.

"Posset," i. e., coagulate." Eager" (Fr. aigre),i. e., sour; acid.—" Lazar-like," i. e., leprous.-d Unhousel'd," i. e., without having received the sacrament.-" Disappointed," 1. e., unprepared.-"Unaneled," i, e., without extreme unction Uneffectual fire" is light without heat.-"This distracted globe," i. e., this head confused with thought.This is the call which falconers use to their hawks in the air when they would have them come down.

I hold it fit that we shake hands and part:
You, as your business and desire shall point you,
For every man hath business and desire,
Such as it is; and, for mine own poor part,
Look you, I'll go pray.

[lord.

Hor. These are but wild and whirling words, my Ham. I am sorry they offend you, heartily; yes, 'Faith, heartily.

Hor. There's no offence, my lord. Ham. Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio, And much offence too. Touching this vision here, It is an honest ghost, that let me tell you: For you desire to know what is between us, O'er-master 't as you may. And now, good friends, As you are friends, scholars, and soldiers, Give me one poor request.

Hor. What is't, my lord?

Mar. 5 We will.

[night.

Ham. Never make known what you have seen toHor. Mar. My lord, we will not.

Ham.

Hor.

My lord, not I.

Mar.

Nay, but swear't.

In faith,

Nor I, my lord, in faith.

Ham. Hic et ubique? then, we'll shift our Come hither, gentlemen,

And lay your hands again upon my sword:
Never to speak of this that you have heard,
Swear by my sword.

Ghost. [Beneath.] Swear.

[so fast?

Ham. Well said, old mole! can'st work i'the earth A worthy pioneer!-Once more remove, good friends. Hor. O day and night, but this is wondrous

strange!

Ham. And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. But come;Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,. How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself,As I, perchance, hereafter shall think meet Το put an antic disposition on,

That you, at such times seeing me, never shall,
With arms encumber'd thus, or this head-shake,
Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,
As, "Well, well, we know ;"-or, "We could, an if
we would;"-
[might;"-

Or, "If we list to speak ;"-or, "There be, an if they
Or such ambiguous giving out, to note
That you know aught of me:-this not to do,
So grace and mercy at your most need help you,
Swear.

Ghost. [Beneath.] Swear.

"Circumstance," i. e., circumlocution." Hic et ubique," i. e., here and everywhere.

ACT II.

[Exeunt.

SCENE I.-A Room in POLONIUS's House.

Enter POLONIUS and REYNALDO.

Pol. Give him this money, and these notes, ReyRey. I will, my lord. [naldo. Pol. You shall do marvellous wisely, good ReyBefore you visit him, to make inquiry [naldo, Of his behavior.

Rey. My lord, I did intend it. [sir, Pol. Marry, well said: very well said. Look you, Inquire me first what a Danskers are in Paris; And how, and who, what means, and where they keep, What company, at what expense; and finding, By this encompassment and drift of question, That they do know my son, come you more nearer Than your particular demands will touch it. Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him; As thus,-"I know his father, and his friends, And, in part, him:"-do you mark this, Reynaldo? Rey. Ay, very well, my lord.

C

[well:

66

not

Pol. "And, in part, him; but," you may say, But, if't be he I mean, he's very wild, Addicted so and so;"-and there put on him What forgeries you please; marry, none so rank As may dishonor him? take heed of that; But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips, As are companions noted and most known To youth and liberty. Rey. As gaming, my lord. Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelDrabbing:-you may go so far.

[ling,

Rey. My lord, that would dishonor him. Pol. 'Faith, no; as you may season it in the charge. You must not put another scandal on him, That he is open to incontinency:

[quaintly, That's not my meaning; but breathe his faults so That they may seem the taints of liberty; The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind; A savageness in unreclaimed blood,

Of general assault.

Rey.

But, my good lord,—

Pol. Wherefore should you do this?

Rey.

I would know that.

Pol.

lord,

Ay, my
Marry, sir here's my drift;
And, I believe, it is a fetch of warrant.
You laying these slight sullies on my son,
As 'twere a thing a little soil'd i'the working,
Mark you

Your party in converse, him you would sound,
Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes
The youth you breathe of guilty, be assur'd,
He closes with you in this consequence:
"Good sir," or so; or "friend," or "gentleman,".

"Danskere," i. e., Danes.-b "Encompassment," i. e., circumlocution." Slips," i.e., errors; failings.-d" Drabbing." i. ., harlotry." Savageness," i e., wildness.-"Of general assault," i. e., such as youth is generally assailed by."Fetch of warrant," i, e., justifiable stratagem."Prenominate," i. e., beforenamed.

Rey.
Very good, my lord.
Pol. And then, sir, does he this, he does-
What was I about to say?-By the mass, I was
About to say something:-where did I leave?
Rey. At closes in the consequence,

As "friend or so," and "gentleman."

Pol. At, closes in the consequence,-ay, marry;
He closes thus:-"I know the gentleman;
I saw him yesterday, or t'other day,
Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as you say,
There was he gaming; there o'ertook in's rouse;
There falling out at tennis: or perchance,

I saw him enter such a house of sale,
Videlicet, a brothel" or so forth.
See you now;

Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth:
And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
With windlasses, and with assays of bias,
By indirections find directions out:
So, by my former lecture and advice,
Shall you my son. You have me,
Rey. My lord, I have.
Pol.

Oph. Alas, my lord! I have been so affrighted! Pol. With what, in the name of God!

m

Oph. My lord, as I was sewing in my chamber,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd;
No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,
Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look so piteous in purport,
As if he had been loosed out of hell,

To speak of horrors, he comes before me.
Pol. Mad for thy love?
Oph.

But, truly, I do fear it.

Oph. He took me by the wrist, and held me hard; Then goes he to the length of all his arm, And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow, He falls to such "perusal of my face, As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so: At last, a little shaking of mine arm, And thrice his head thus waving up and down, He rais'd a sigh so piteous and profound, That it did seem to shatter all his bulk, And end his being. That done, he lets me go, And, with his head over his shoulder turn'd, He seem'd to find his way without his eyes; For out o' doors he went without their help, And to the last bended their light on me.

Pol. Come, go with me: I will go seek the king, This is the very ecstasy of love; Whose violent property P fordoes itself, And leads the will to desperate undertakings, As oft as any passion under heaven, That does afflict our natures. I am sorry,

What! have you given him any hard words of late?

iThat is, by crooked devices and side essays.— yourself." e., by your own observations.-1 Foul'd," in wrinkles. Down-gyved," i. e., hanging down like gyves or fetters."Perusal," i. e., survey; examination Madness.-P" Fordoes," i, e., undoes.

But farewell it, for I will use no art.
Mad let us grant him, then; and now remains,
That we find out the cause of this effect;
Or rather say, the cause of this defect,
For this effect defective comes by cause:
Thus it remains, and the remainder thus.
Perpend.

I have a daughter; have, while she is mine;
Who, in her duty and obedience, mark,

Hath given me this. Now gather, and surmise.

[Reads.

"To the celestial, and my soul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia,"

That's an ill phrase, a vile phrase; "beautified" is a vile phrase; but you shall hear. Thus :

"In her excellent white bosom, these," &c.Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her? Pol. Good madam, stay awhile; I will be faithful."Doubt thou the stars are fire,

Doubt, that the sun doth move;

Doubt truth to be a liar,

But never doubt I love.

[Reads.

"O dear Ophelia! I am ill at these numbers: I have not art to reckon my groans; but that I love thee best, O! most best, believe it. Adieu.

Thine evermore, most dear lady, whilst this machine is to him, Hamlet." This in obedience hath my daughter shown me;

And more above, hath his solicitings,

As they fell out by time, by means, and place, All given to mine ear.

But how hath she

Pol.
What do you think of me?
King. As of a man faithful, and honorable.
Pol. I would fain prove so. But what might you
think,

a

When I had seen this hot love on the wing,
(As I perceiv'd it, I must tell you that,
Before my daughter told me) what might you,
Or my dear majesty, your queen here, think,
If I had play'd the desk, or table-book:
Or given my heart a winking, mute and dumb;
Or look'd upon this love with idle sight;
What might you think? no, I went round to work,
And my young mistress thus I did bespeak:'
"Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of thy star;
This must not be :" and then I precepts gave her,
That she should lock herself from his resort,
Admit no messengers, receive no tokens.
Which done, she took the fruits of my advice;
And he, repulsed, a short tale to make,
Fell into a sadness; then into a fast;
Thence to a watch; thence into a weakness;
Thence to a lightness; and by this declension,
Into the madness wherein now he raves,
And we all wail for.
King.

Do you think 'tis this?
Queen. It may be, very likely.
[that,
Pol. Hath there been such a time, I'd fain know
That I have positively said, " 'Tis so,"
When it prov'd otherwise?

Not that I know.

King.
Pol. Take this from this, if this be otherwise.
[Pointing to his Head and Shoulder.

If circumstances lead me, I will find
Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed
Within the centre.
King.

How may we try it farther?

comes reading.

away.

Pol. Away! I do beseech both you, I'll board him presently :-0! give me leave. [Exeunt King, Queen, and Attendants.

How does my good lord Hamlet?
Ham. Well, god-'a-mercy.

Pol. Do you know me, my lord?

Ham. Excellent well; you are a fishmonger.
Pol. Not I, my lord.

Ham. Then, I would you were so honest a man.
Pol. Honest, my lord?

Ham. Ay, sir: to be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand. Pol. That's very true, my lord.

Ham. For if the sun breed, maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion,-Have you a daughter?

Pol. I have, my lord.

Ham. Let her not walk i' the sun: conception is a blessing; but not as your daughter may conceive: -friend, look to't.

Pol. [Aside.] How say you by that? Still harp ing on my daughter:-yet he knew me not at first; he said, I was a fishmonger. He is far gone, far gone and truly in my youth I suffered much ex tremity for love; very near this. I'll speak to his again. What do you read, my lord?

Ham. Words, words, words.

Pol. What is the matter, my lord?

Ham. Between whom?

Pol. I mean, the matter that you read, my lord.

Ham. Slanders, sir: for the satirical rogue says here, that old men have grey beards; that their faces are wrinkled; their eyes purging thick amber, and plum-tree gum; and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams: all of which, sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it the set down; for you yourself, sir, should be old as I am, if like a crab you could go backward.

Pol. Though this be madness, yet there is meth od in't. [Aside.] Will you walk out of the air, my

lord?

Ham. Into my grave?

Pol. Indeed, that is out o' the air.-[Aside] How pregnant sometimes his replies are! a bar piness that often madness hits on, which reason and sanity could not so prosperously be delivered of. I will leave him, and suddenly contrive the means of meeting between him and my daughter. To him. My honorable lord, I will most humbly take my leave of you.

Ham. You cannot, sir, take from me any thing that I will more willingly part withal; except my life, except my life, except my life. Pol. Fare you well, my lord.

• Arras is tapestry, so called from the city of Arras, where it was manufactured." Board him," i, e., accost, address him.-5" Pregnant," i. e., replete with meaning; ready

apt,

Ros. Neither, my lord.

Ros. To what end, my lord?

Ham. That you must teach me. But let me conjure you, by the rights of our fellowship, by the consonancy of our youth, by the obligation of our ever-preserved love, and by what more dear a better proposer could charge you withal, be even and direct with me, whether you were sent for, or no? Ros. What say you? [To GUILDENSTERN. Ham. Nay, then I have an eye of you. [Aside.] -If you love me, hold not off.

Guil. My lord, we were sent for.

Ham. I will tell you why; so shall my anticipation prevent your discovery, and your secrecy to the king and queen moult no feather. I have of late (but wherefore I know not) lost all my mirth, fore

middle of her favors?

Guil. 'Faith, her privates we.

Ham. In the secret parts of fortune? O! most true: she is a strumpet. What news?

Ros. None, my lord, but that the world's grown

honest.

Ham. Then is dooms-day near; but your news is not true. Let me question more in particular: what have you, my good friends, deserved at the hands of fortune, that she sends you to prison hither? Guil. Prison, my lord!

Ham. Denmark's a prison.
Ros. Then, is the world one.

Ham. A goodly one; in which there are many confines, wards, and dungeous, Denmark being one of the worst.

Ros. We think not so, my lord.

Ham. Why, then 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so; to me it is a prison.

Ros. Why then, your ambition makes it one: 'tis too narrow for your mind.

Ham. O God! I could be bounded in a nut-shell,

and count myself a king of infinite space, were it

not that I have bad dreams.

Guil. Which dreams, indeed, are ambition; for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the

shadow of a dream.

Ham. A dream itself is but a shadow.

Ros. Truly, and I hold ambition of so airy and light a quality, that it is but a shadow's shadow.

Ham. Then are our beggars bodies, and our monarchs, and outstretched heroes, the beggar's shadows. Shall we to the court? for, by my fay,

cannot reason.

I

Ros. Guil. We'll wait upon you. Ham. No such matter: I will not sort you with the rest of my servants; for, to speak to you like an I am most dreadfully attended. But, honest man, in the beaten way of friendship, what make you at Elsinore?

Ros. To visit you, my lord; no other occasion. Ham. Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks; but I thank you: and sure, dear friends, my thanks are too dear a halfpenny. Were you not sent for? Is it your own inclining? Is it a free visitation? Come, come; deal justly with me: come come; nay, speak.

Guil. What should we say, my lord?

Ham. Why any thing, but to the purpose. You were sent for; and there is a kind of confession in your looks, which your modesties have not craft enough to color: I know, the good king and queen have sent for you.

so heavily with my disposition, that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave but a foul and pestilent congregation of vapors. with golden fires, why, it appeareth nothing to me, reason! how infinite in faculties! in form, in movWhat a piece of work is a man! How noble in ing, how express and admirable! in action, how like an angel! in apprehension, how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? man delights not me; [Ros. smiles.] no, nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.

Ros. My lord, there was no such stuff in my thoughts.

Ham. Why did you laugh, then, when I said, man delights not me?

Ros. To think, my lord, if you delight not in man, from you: we coted them on the way, and hither what lenten entertainment the players shall receive are they coming to offer you service.

his majesty shall have tribute of me: the advenHam. He that plays the king, shall be welcome; lover shall not sigh gratis: the humorous man shall turous knight shall use his foil, and target: the end his part in peace: the clown shall make those laugh, whose lungs are tickled o' the 'sere; and the lady shall say her mind freely, or the blank verse shall halt for't.-What players are they?

Ros. Even those you were wont to take such delight in, the tragedians of the city.

dence, both in reputation and profit, was better both Ham. How chances it, they travel? their resi

ways.

Ros. I think, their inhibition comes by the means of the late innovation.

when I was in the city? Are they so followed? Ham. Do they hold the same estimation they did Ros. No, indeed, they are not.

Ham. How comes it ? Do they grow rusty? Ros. Nay, their endeavor keeps in the wonted pace; but there is, sir, an meyry of children, little eyases, that cry out on the top of question, and the fashion; and so Pberattle the common stages, are most tyrannically clapped for't: these are now (so they call them) that many, wearing rapiers, are afraid of goose quills, and dare scarce come thither.

Le., fill with noise.