let e'en.

So excellent a king; that was, to this,

Hyperion to a satyr:(48) so loving to my mother, *So and That he might not beteem* (49) the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth! Must I remember? why, she would hang on him, As if increase of appetite had grown

4tos.

beteene.

1623,32.

By what it fed on.(50) 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, Than I to Hercules: Within a month; Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears + in. 4tos. Had left the flushing off her galled eyes, She married:-O most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not, nor it cannot come to, good;

But break, my heart: for I must hold my tongue!

Enter HORATIO, BARNARDO, and MARCELLUS.

HOR. Hail to your lordship!

Нам.

I am glad to see you well:

Horatio, or I do forget myself.

HOR. The same, my lord, and your poor servant

ever.

a Discourse of reason] Faculty of discussing and reasoning, deduction or arrangement: as in Tr. & Cr. II. 2. Hect. and Haml. IV. 4. H. and discourse of thought. Othel. IV. 2. Desd. Boswell instances the preface to Davys's Reports: "And this idea have I conceived of him, not out of mine own imagination, or weak discourse of reason:" and Saville's Tacitus' Agricola, 1591. p. 292. "Agricola, though brought up in the field, upon a naturall wit and discourse of reason," (naturali prudentia) &c. cap. ix.

HAM. Sir, my good friend; I'll change that name
with you."

And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio ?—
Marcellus?

MAR. My good lord,——

с

HAM. I am very glad to see you; good even,(51) sir.
But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg?
HOR. A truant disposition, good my lord.

HAM. I would not hear your enemy say so;
Nor shall you do mine ear that violence,
To make it truster of your own report
Against yourself: I know, you are no truant.
But what is your affair in Elsinore?

We'll teach you to drink deep, ere you depart.
HOR. My lord, I came to see your father's funeral.
HAM. I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow-student;
I think, it was to see my mother's wedding.

HOR. Indeed, my lord, it followed hard upon.
HAM. Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral bak'd
meats (52)

Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.
Would I had met my dearest foe (53) in heaven
Ere* I had ever seen that day, Horatio!—
My father, Methinks, I see my father.

HOR. My lord?

HAM. In my mind's eye,(54) Horatio.

Where,

HOR. I saw him once, he was a goodly king. HAM. He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.

HOR. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.

a I'll change that name with you] i. e. reciprocally use: I'll put myself upon an exact level with.

bin faith] i. e. faithfully and honestly, in pure and simple verity; forsooth is not dissimilar.

c But what make you] i. e. is your object? Are you doing? See M. W. of W. IV. 2. Mrs. Page.

d goodly king] See "goodliest," H. VIII. IV. 2. 3 Gent.

* Or. 4to.

1604.

* God's.

4tos. and

HAM. Saw! who?

HOR. My lord, the king your father.

HAM.

The king my father!

HOR. Season your admiration for a while 1603, which With an attent ear; till I may deliver, was before Upon the witness of these gentlemen,

the Statute

III Jac. c. This marvel to you.

21. forbidding the

profane use of the sa

Нам.

For heaven's* love, let me hear.

HOR. Two nights together had these gentlemen, cred rame. Marcellus and Barnardo, on their watch, In the dead waste (55) and middle of the night, Been thus encounter'd. A figure like your father, Arm'd at all points (56) exactly, cap-à-pé,

+ vast. 1603.

Appears before them, and, with solemn march,
Goes slow and stately by them: thrice he walk'd
By their oppress'd and fear-surprized eyes,

+ distilled. Within his truncheon's length; whilst they, bestill'd
4tos. and Almost to jelly with the act of fear,(57)
Stand dumb, and speak not to him. This to me
In dreadful secrecy impart they did;

1603.

And I with them, the third night kept the watch:
Where, as they had deliver'd, both in time,

Form of the thing, each word made true and good,
The apparition comes: I knew your father;

These hands are not more like.

Нам.

But where was this?

MAR. My lord, upon the platform where we

watch'd.

HAM. Did you not speak to it ?(58)

HOR.

My lord, I did;

But answer made it none: yet once, me thought,

a Season your admiration for a while

With an attent ear] i. e. by close attention qualify or restrain

the expression of your astonishment.

b me thought] "Il me semble que." Colloquia & Dictionar. octo linguarum. Middelb. 1631. signat. E. 2. me forthynkyth," penitet me. Biblioth. Eliotæ. 1559. So in Todd's Dict. think, Sax. mihi videtur."

me

It lifted up its head, and did address"
Itself to motion, like as it would speak:

But, even then, the morning cock crew loud; (59)
And at the sound it shrunk in haste away,

And vanish'd from our sight.

Нам.

'Tis very strange.

HOR. As I do live, my honour'd lord, 'tis true;
And we did think it writ down' in our duty,
To let you know of it.

HAM. Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this troubles me.
Hold you the watch to-night?

HOR. O, yes, my lord; he wore his beaver up.(60)

HAM. What, look'd he frowningly?

Very like,

HOR. Most constantly.

HAM.

HOR. It would have much amaz'd you.

Нам.

Very like: Stay'd it long?

HOR. While one with moderate haste might tell

a hundred.

ALL. Longer, longer.

a address] i. e. make ready. See M. N. Dr. V. 1. Phil.

b writ down] i. e. prescribed by.

22

HAMLET,

ACT I.

HOR. Not when I saw it.

* grissl'd. 4to.

HAM.

His beard was grizly?* no.

HOR. It was, as I have seen it in his life,

A sable silver'd.(61)

Нам.

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,
+tenable. Let it be treble* in your silence still; (62)
4tos. and 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.

1603.

ALL.

Our duty to your honour.

HAM. Your loves, as mine to you: Farewell.

[Exeunt HORATIO, MARCELLUS, and BARNARDO.
My father's spirit in arms! all is not well;
I doubt some foul play: 'would, the night were come!
Till then sit still, my soul: Foul deeds will rise,
Though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes.
[Exit.

SCENE III.

A Room in Polonius' House.

Enter LAERTES and OPHELIA.

LAER. My necessaries are embark'd; farewell:
And, sister, as the winds give benefit,a

And convoy is assistant, do not sleep,

But let me hear from you.