We'll teach you to drink deep, ere you depart.
Hor. My lord, I came to fee your father's funeral.
Ham. I pr'ythee do not mock me, fellow-ftudent;
I think, it was to fee my mother's wedding.

Hor. Indeed, my lord, it follow'd hard upon.
Ham. Thrift, thrift, Horatio; the funeral bak'd meats
Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.
'Would, I had met my dearest foe in heav'n,
Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio!

My father

methinks I fee my father.

Hor. Oh where, my lord?

Ham. In my mind's eye, Horatio.

Hor. I faw 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.
Ham. Saw! who?

Hor. My lord, the King your father."
Ham. The King my father!

Hor. Seafon your admiration but a while,
With an attentive ear; 'till I deliver

Upon the witness of these gentlemen,

This marvel to you.

Ham. For heaven's love, let me hear.

Hor. Two nights together had thefe gentlemen, Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch,

In the dead waste and middle of the night,

Been thus encountred: A figure like your father, Arm'd at all points exactly, Cap-à-pe,

Appears before them, and with folemn march Goes flow and flately by them; thrice he walk’d, By their oppreft and fear-furprifed eyes,

*

Within this truncheon's length; whilft they (diftill'd
Almoft to jelly with th' effect of fear)
Stand dumb, and speak not to him.

This to me

with the act of fear] Shakespear could never write fo improperly as to call the Paffion of Fear, the Act of Fear. Without doubt the true Reading is,

with th' effect of fear.

In dreadful fecrecy impart they did,

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: Thefe hands are not more like.

Ham. But where was this?

Hor. My lord, upon the Platform where we watcht. 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 addrefs

Itself to motion, like as it would speak :
But even then the morning-cock crew loud;
And at the found it shrunk in hafte away,
And vanisht from our fight.

Ham. '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?

Both. We do, my lord.

Ham. Arm'd, fay you?

Both. Arm'd, my lord.

Ham. From top to toe?

Both. My lord, from head to foot.

Ham. Then faw you not his face?

Hor. Oh, yes, my lord; he wore his beaver up.

Ham. What, look'd he frowningly?

Hor. A count'nance more in forrow than in anger.

Ham. Pale, or red?

Hor. Nay, very pale.

Ham. And fixt his eyes upon you?

Hor. Moft constantly.

Ham. I would I had been there!
Hor. It would have much amaz'd
Ham. Very like; ftaid it long?

you.

Hor.

Hor. While one with moderate hafte might tell a

hundred.

Both. Longer, longer.

Hor. Not when I faw't.

Ham. His beard was grifl'd? no.

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

A fable filver'd.

Ham. I'll watch to-night; perchance, 'twill walk again.

Hor. I warrant you, it will.

Ham. If it affume my noble father's perfon,
I'll speak to it, tho' hell itself should gape
And bid me hold my peace. I pray you all,
If you have hitherto conceal'd this fight,
+ Let it be ten'ble in your filence ftill:
And whatfoever fhall befall to-night,

Give it an understanding, but no tongue;
I will requite your loves: fo, fare ye well.
Upon the platform 'twixt eleven and twelve
I'll visit you.

All. Our duty to your Honour.

[Exeunt.

Ham. Your loves, as mine to you: farewel. My father's Spirit in arms! all is not well:

I doubt fome foul play: 'would, the night were

come!

'Till then fit ftill, my foul: foul deeds will rife (Tho' all the earth o'erwhelm them) to men's eyes.

His beard was grifly?] The old Quarto reads,

His Beard was grifl'd? no.

[Exit.

And this is right. A noble Mode of Interrogation in Hamlet's Circumftances.

+ Let it be treble in your filence ftill:] If treble be right, in propriety it fhould be read,

Let it be treble in your filence now.

But the old Quarto reads,

Let it be Tenable in your filence ftill.

And this is right..

SCENE

Changes to an Apartment in Polonius's Houfe.
Enter Laertes and Ophelia.

Laer. M.And, fifter, as the winds give benefit,
Μ

neceffaries are imbark'd, farewel;

And Convoy is affiftant, do not fleep,

But let me hear from you.

Oph. Do you doubt That?

Laer. For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favour, Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood;

A violet in the youth of primy nature,
Forward, not permanent, tho' fweet, not lafting;
The perfume, and fuppliance of a minute;
No more-

Oph. No more but so?

Laer. Think it no more:

For Nature, crefcent, does not grow alone
In thews and bulk; but, as this Temple waxes,
The inward fervice of the mind and foul
Grows wide withal. Perhaps he loves you now;
* And now no foil of cautel doth befmerch
The virtue of his will: but you must fear,
His greatnefs weigh'd, his will is not his own:
For he himself is fubject to his Birth;
He may not, as unvalued perfons do,
Carve for himself; for on his choice depends
The fafety and the health of the whole State:
And therefore muft his choice be circumfcrib'd ̧
Unto the voice and yielding of that body,
Whereof he's head. Then, if he fays, he loves you,
It fits your wisdom so far to believe it,
As he in his peculiar act and place

May give his Saying deed; which is no further,

* And now no foil, nor cautel,] From cautela, which fignifies only a prudent Forefight or Caution; but, paffing thro' French Hands, it loft its Innocence, and now fignifies Fraud, Deceit. But I believe Shakespear wrote, And now no foil of cautel

Warb.

Than

Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal.
Then weigh, what lofs your Honour may fuftain,
If with too credent ear you lift his fongs;

Or lofe your heart, or your chafte treasure open
To his unmafter'd importunity.

Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear fifter;
And keep within the rear of your affection,.
Out of the fhot and danger of defire.
The charieft maid is prodigal enough,
If she unmask her beauty to the moon:
Virtue itself 'fcapes not calumnious ftrokes ;
The canker galls the Infants of the Spring,
Too oft before their buttons be difclos'd;
And in the morn and liquid dew of youth
Contagious blaftments are moft imminent.
Be wary then, beft fafety lies in fear;
Youth to itself rebels, though none else near.

Oph. I fhall th' effects of this good leffon keep, As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother, Do not, as fome ungracious paftors do,

Shew me the fleep and thorny way to heaven;
*Whilft, he a puft and reckless libertine,

Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,
And recks not his own reed.

Laer. Oh, fear me not.

SCENE VI.

Enter Polonius.

I ftay too long;- but here my

father comes:

A double Blefling is a double grace;
Occafion fmiles upon a fecond leave.

Pol. Yet here, Laertes! aboard, aboard for shame; The wind fits in the fhoulder of your fail,

Whilft, like a puft and careless libertine,] This Reading gives us a Senfe to this Effed, Do not you be like an ungracious Preacher, who is like a careless Libertine. The old Quarto reads Whiles a puft and reckless Libertine, which directs us to the right Reading, Whilft he a puft and reckless Libertine.

Warb.