And let all sleep? while, to my shame, I see
The imminent death of twenty thousand men,
That, for a fantasy, and trick of fame,"

Go to their graves like beds; fight for a plot,(18)
Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause,
Which is not tomb enough, and continent,(19)
To hide the slain ?—O, from this time forth,
My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!]
[Exit.

QUEEN.

SCENE V.

Elsinore. A Room in the Castle.

Enter Queen and HORATIO.

I will not speak with her.

HOR. She is importunate; indeed, distract; Her mood will needs be pitied.(20)

QUEEN.

What would she have?

HOR. She speaks much of her father; says, she

hears,

There's tricks i'the world; and hems, and beats her

heart;

Spurns enviously at straws; speaks things in

doubt,c

That carry but half sense: her speech is nothing,
Yet the unshaped use of it doth move

The hearers to collection; (21) they aim at it,
And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts;
Which, as her winks, and nods, and gestures yield
them,

a trick of fame] i. e. point of honour.

b enviously] i. e. " with spleen and passion, as mad dogs snap

at whatever they meet." See II. H. VI. II. 4. Glost.

с

c speaks things in doubt] i. e. without distinct or certain aim : wandering or incoherently.

Indeed would make one think, there would be might.

thought,

Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily.(22)

QUEEN. "Twere good, she were spoken with; for she may strew

Dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds:

Let her come in.

[Exit HORATIO.

To my sick soul, as sin's true nature is,

Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss:a
So full of artless jealousy is guilt,

It spills itself in fearing to be spilt.

Re-enter HORATIO, with OPHELIA.

OPH. Where is the beauteous majesty of Denmark?

QUEEN. How now, Ophelia ?

OPH. How should I your true love know

From another one?

By his cockle hat and staff, (23)

And his sandal shoon.

[Singing.

QUEEN. Alas, sweet lady, what imports this song?

OPH. Say you? nay, pray you, mark.

4tos.

O ho!

He is dead and

gone, lady,

He is dead and gone;

At his head a grass-green turf,

At his heels a stone.

[Sings.

a Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss] Toy is trifle; and amiss, in common use at that time for offence or abuse, here imports" evil impending or catastrophe."

b So full of artless jealousy is guilt,

It spills itself in fearing to be spilt] i. e. so unskilful is the extreme finesse and jealousy of guilt, that it exposes and ruins itself by its over anxiety to stifle suspicion. See Lear, III. 2. L.

e sandal shoon] "Socculus, a manner of shone." Ortus

Vocabulor. 1515. i. e. shoes or shoen the Sax. termination in the plural: as oxen, housen.

OPH.

* ground. 4tos.

Larded [all] with sweet flowers;
Which bewept to the grave* did not go
With true-love showers. (24)

KING. How do you, pretty lady?

OPH. Well, God'ield you." They say, the owl was a baker's daughter.(25) Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be. God be at your table!

KING. Conceit upon her father."

ОPH. Pray you, let us have no words of this; but when they ask you, what it means, say you this:

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day, (26)
All in the morning betime,

And I a maid at your window,

To be your Valentine:

Then

up he rose, and don'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber door ;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.

KING. Pretty Ophelia !

a God'ield you] i. e. requite; yield you recompence. As you &c. III. 3. Touchst.

b Conceit upon her father] i. e. " fancies respecting." See III. 4. Ghost. "Conceit in weakest minds."

c don'd and dupp'd] i. e. do on and do up. For don'd see Ant. & Cl. II. I. Pom.

OPH. Indeed, la? without an oath, I'll make an end on't:

By Gis, (27) and by Saint Charity, (28)
Alack, and fye for shame!

Young men will do't, if they come to't;
By cock,(29) they are to blame.

Quoth she, before you tumbled me,
You promis'd me to wed:
[He answers.]

So would I ha' done, by yonder sun,
An thou hadst not come to my bed. ·

KING. How long hath she been this ?*

* Thus.

1632 &

OPH. I hope, all will be well. We must be 4tos. patient: but I cannot choose but weep, to think, they should lay him i'the cold ground: My bro-+ would. ther shall know of it, and so I thank you for your 4tos. good counsel. Come, my coach! Good night, ladies; good night, sweet ladies: good night, good night. [Exit.

pray you.

KING. Follow her close; give her good watch, I
[Exit HORATIO.
O! this is the poison of deep grief; it springs
All from her father's death: [And now behold,]
O, Gertrude, Gertrude,

When sorrows come, they come not single spies,
But in battalions! First, her father slain;

+ battaliaes.

Next, your son gone; and he most violent author i623, 32.
Of his own just remove: The people muddied,
Thick and unwholesome in their thoughts and
whispers,

For good Polonius' death; and we have done but
greenly,(30)

In hugger-mugger to inter him :(31) Poor Ophelia

a Come, my coach] "Make ready my coach, my chair, my jewels. I come, I come." Zabina in her phrenzy-Tamberlaine. MALONE.

Divided from herself, and her fair judgment;
Without the which we are pictures, or mere beasts.
Last, and as much containing as all these,

*

Her brother is in secret come from France:
Feeds on his wonder,(32) keeps himself in clouds,"
And wants not buzzers to infect his ear
With pestilent speeches of his father's death;
Wherein† necessity, of matter beggar'd,"
Will nothing stick our persons to arraign
In ear and ear.
O my
dear Gertrude, this,
Like to a murdering piece,(33) in many places
Gives me superfluous death! [A Noise within.

QUEEN.

Alack! what noise is this?

Enter a Gentleman.

KING. Attend.

Where are my Switzers ?(34) Let them guard the

Eats not the flats with more impitious haste,(35)

Than young Laertes, in a riotous head,

O'erbears your officers! The rabble call him, lord;
And, as the world were now but to begin,
Antiquity forgot, custom not known,

keeps himself in clouds] i. e. at lofty distance and seclusion. b necessity, of matter beggar'd, will nothing stick] The necessities of one who has put himself in such a predicament, (i. e., as Johnson says, the obligation of an accuser to support his charge) will, in want of grave or rational proof, have no reserve or scruple every where to accuse even our sovereign self.

e The ocean, overpeering of his list] i. e. swelling over his utmost line or boundary. See " list of my voyage.' Tw. N. III. 1. Viola.

d in a riotous head] The tide, strongly flowing, is said to pour in with a great head.