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Our fovereign procefs, which imports at full,
By letters congruing to that effect,

The prefent death of Ham'et. Do it, England:
For like the hectick in my blood he rages,
And thou must care me; 'till I know 'tis done,
Howe'er my haps, my joys will ne'er begin.

[Exit.

SCENE A Camp, on the Frontiers of Denmark,

For.

Enter Fortinbras, with an Army.

GO, Captain, from me, greet the Danish King,

Tell him, that, by his licence, Fortinbras
Claims the conveyance of a promis'd march
Over his realm. You know the rendezvous.
If that his Majefty would aught with us,
We shall exprefs our duty in his eye,
And let him know fo.

Capt. I will do't, my Lord.

For. Go foftly on. [Exit Fortinbras, with the Army.

Enter Hamlet, Rofincrantz, Guildenstern, &c.,

Ham. Good Sir, whofe powers are these?

Capt. They are of Norway, Sir.

Ham. How purpos'd, Sir, I pray you?
Capt. Against fome part of Poland.

Ham. Who commands them, Sir?

Capt. The nephew of old Norway, Fortinbras. Ham. Goes it against the main of Poland, tir, Or for fome frontier ?

Capt. Truly to speak it, and with no addition,

to him. But what then shall we do with our own home chronicles? They are exprefs, that the Danes never fet footing on our coaft till the 8th century. They infefted us for fome time in a piratical way, then made a descent and conquer'd part of the country and about the year 800, King Egbert is faid to have fubmitted to a tribute, call'd Dane gelt: a tax of 12 d. on every hide of land through the whole nation. But our authors differ about this Dane-gelt: whether it was a tax paid, to obtain good terms of the Dans; or levied by our Kings towards the charge of defences, to repel the invafions of the Danes.

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We go to gain a little patch of ground,
That hath in it no profit but the name.
To pay five ducats-five, I would not farm it;
Nor will it yield to Norway, or the Pole,
A ranker rate, fhould it be fold in fee.

H.m. Why, then the Polack never will defend it.
Capt. Yes, 'tis already garrison'd.

[cats, Ham. Two thousand fouls, and twenty thousand du

Will not debate the question of this straw;

This is th' impofthume of much wealth and peace,
That inward breaks, and fhews no caufe without
Why the man dies. I humbly thank you, Sir.
Capt. God b'w'ye, Sir.

Ref. Will't please you go, my Lord ?

Ham. I'll be with you ftrait, go a little before.

Manet Hamlet.

[Excunt.

How all occafions do inform against me,
And fpur my dull revenge? what is a man,
If his chief good and market of his time
Be but to fleep and feed? a beast, no more.
Sure, he that made us with fuch large difcourfe, (58)
Looking before and after, gave us not

That capability and god-like reafon

To raft in us unus'd. Now whether it be
Bestial oblivion, or fome craven fcruple

Of thinking too precifely on th' event,

(A thought, which, quarter'd, hath but one part wisdom,

(58) Sure, he that made us with fuch large discourse,

Looking before and after.] This is an expreffion purely Homeric ; Ος δ' ὁ γέρων μετῃσιν, ἅ μα ΠΡΟΣΣΩ ΚΑΙ ΟΠΙΣΣΩ,

Λετίσσει,

And again;

- ὁ ἀς διο "ρα ΠΡΟΣΣΩ ΤΑ ΟΠΙΣΣΩ.

Iliad. y. ver. 1cg.

Iliad.o. ver.250.

The bort fcholiaft on the laft paffage gives us a comment, that very aptly explains our Author's phrafe. Duvet jag dideós égi, tà ménkovla τοῖς γεγενημένοις αρμόζεσθαι, καὶ ὅτως ὁρᾶν τα επόμενα, " For it is the part of an understanding man to connect the reflection of events to come with fuch as have pafs'd, and fo to foresee what shall follow." This is, as our Author phrafes it, locking BEFORE and AFTER.

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And ever three parts coward:) I do not know
Why yet I live to say this thing's to do;

Sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means
To do't. Examples, grofs as earth, exhort me;
Witness this army of such mass and charge,
Led by a delicate and tender Prince,
Whofe fpirit, with divine ambition puft,
Makes mouths at the invifible event;
Expofing what is mortal and unfure

To all that fortune, death, and danger dare,
Ev'n for an egg-fhell. 'Tis not to be great,
Never to ftir without great argument;
But greatly to find quarrel in a straw,
When honour's at the stake. How ftand I then,
That have a father kill'd, a mother stain❜d,
(Excitements of my reason and my blood)
And let all fleep? while to my shame, I fee
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,
Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause,
Which is not tomb enough and continent
To hide the flain? O, then, from this time forth,
My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth.

SCENE changes to a Palace.

Enter Queen, Horatio, and a Gentleman.

2.een. I

Will not speak with her.

Gent. She is importunate,

Indeed, diftract; her mood will needs be pitied.
Quen. What would she have?

(Exita

Gent. She fpeaks much of her father; fays, fhe hears, There's tricks i'th' world; and hems, and beats her heart; Spurns enviously at straws; speaks things in doubt, That carry but half fenfe; her speech is nothing, Yet the unfhaped use of it doth move

The hearers to collection; they aim at it,

And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts;

7

Which

Which as her winks, and nods, and geftures yield them,
Indeed, would make one think, there might be thought;
Tho' nothing fure, yet much unhappily. [ftrow
Hor. 'Iwere good the were spoken with, for fhe may
Dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds.
Let her come in.-

Queen. To my fick foul, as fin's true nature is,
Each toys feems prologue to fome great amifs;
So full of artless jealoufy is guilt,

It fpills itself, in fearing to be fpilt.

Enter Ophelia, distracted.

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 bat and ftaf, and his fandal fboon.

[Singing. Queen. Alas, fweet lady; what imports this fong? Oph. Say you? nay, pray you, mark.

He's dead and gone, lady, he is dead and gone;
At his head a graf:-green turf, at his heels a ftone.
Enter King.

Queen. Nay, but Ophelia

Oph. Pray you, mark.

White his froud as the mountain fnow.
Queen. Alas, look here, my Lord.
Oph. Larded all with fweet flowers:
Which bewept to the grave did go
With true love showers.

King. How do ye, pretty lady?

Oph. Well, God yield you! they fay, the owl was a baker's daughter. Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be. God be at your table! (59) King

(59) Well, God dild you!] i. e. Heaven reward you. We meet with this expreffion a little otherwife writ in Macbe.b;

-Herein I teach you

How you should bid God eyld us for our pains,

And thank us for your trouble.

But,

King. Conceit upon her father.

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

To-morrow is St. Valentine's day, all in the morn betime, Aid I a maid at jour window, to be your Valentine.

Then up he rofe, and don'd his clouths, and dupt the chamber

door;

Let in the maid, that out a maid never departed more.
King. Pretty Ophelia !

Oph. Indeed, without an oath, I'll make an end on't.

By Gis, and by S. Charity,
Alack, and fy for jhame!

Young men will do't, if they come 10'!,
By cock, they are to blame.

Quoth fhe, before you tumble me,

You promis'd me to wed:

So would I ha' done, by yonder Jun,
And thou hadst not come to my bed.

King. How long has he been thus ?

Oph. I hope, all will be well. We must be patient; but I cannot chufe but weep, to think, they fhould lay him i'th' cold ground; my brother fhall know of it, and fo I thank you for your good counfel. Come, my coach; good night, ladies; good night, fweet ladies; good night, good night. [Exit. King. Follow her clofe, give her good watch, I pray [Exit Horatio. This is the poifon of deep grief; it fprings

you;

All from her father's death. O Gertrude, Gertrude!
When forrows come, they come not fingle fpies,
But in battalions. First, her father flain;

But, in Antony, we have the phrafe in plain and genuine Engis.
Tend me to night two hours, I ask no more,

And the Gods yield you for't!

So, Sir John Grey in a letter, in Ashmole's Appendix to his account of the Garter, Numb. 46. The King of his gracious Lordthipe, God yield him, hafe chosen me to be owne of his brethrene of the Knights of the Gartier.

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