A little Month!—or e'er those Shooes were old,
With which she follow'd my poor Father's Body,
Like Niobe, all tears-Why fhe, even fhe,

O Heav'n! A Beaft that wants difcourfe of Reafon
Would have mourn'd longer-married with mine Uncle,
My Father's Brother; but no more like my Father,
Than I to Hercules. Within a Month!.
E'er yet the falt of moft unrighteous Tears
Had left the flushing of her gauled Eyes,
She married. O moft wicked fpeed, to poft
With fuch dexterity to inceftuous Sheets:
It is not, nor it cannot come to good.

But break, my Heart, for I muft hold my Tongue.
Enter Horatio, Bernardo, and Marcellus.

Hor. Hail to your Lordship.

Ham. I am glad to fee
glad to fee you well,

Horatio, or I do forget my felf.

Hor. The fame, my Lord, and your poor Servant ever. Ham. Sir, my good Friend, I'll change that Name with

you:

And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio?

Marcellus!

Mar. My good Lord

Ham. I am very glad to see you; good even, Sir.
But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg?
Hor. A truant Difpofition, good my Lord.
Ham. I would not have your Enemy fay fo;
Nor fhall you do mine Ear that Violence,
To make it trufter of your own report
Against your self. I know you are no Truant;
But what is your Affair in Elfinoor?

We'll teach you to drink deep e'er you depart.
Hor. My Lord, I came to fee your Father's Funeral.
Ham. I prithee do not mock me, Fellow Student;

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, E'er I had ever feen that Day, Horatio.

My

My Father,methinks I see my Father.
Hor. O 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 should not look upon his like again.

Hor. My Lord, I think I faw him yesternigh".
Ham. Saw! Who?

Hor. My Lord, the King your Father.
Ham. The King my Father!

Hor. Seafon your Admiration for a while
With an attent Ear; 'till I may deliver
Upon the witness of these Gentlemen,
This marvel to you.

Ham. For Heav'n's love, let me hear.

Hor. Two Nights together bad these 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 a Pe,

Appears before them, and with folemn March
Goes flow and stately: By them thrice he walk'd,
By their oppreft and fear-furprized Eyes,

Within his Truncheon's length; whilft they, be-ftill'd
Almoft to Jelly with the Act of fear,

Stand dumb and speak not to him. This to me
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?

Mar. 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 address

It felf to Motion, like as it would speak:
But even then, the Morning Cock crew loud;
And at the fourd it fhrunk in hafte away,
VOL. V.

X

And

And vanifht from our fight.

Ham. 'Tis very strange.

Hor. As I do live, my honourable 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. Aim'd, my Lord.
Ham. From top to toe?

Both. My Lord, from head to foot.

Ham. Then faw you not his Face?

Hor. O yes, my Lord, he wore his Beaver up.
Ham. What, look'd he frowningly?

Hor. A Countenance more in Sorrow than in Anger.
Ham. Pale, or red?

Hor. Nay, very pale.

Ham. And fixt his Eyes upon you?

Hor. Molt conftantly.

Ham. I would I had been there.

Hor. It would have much amaz'd you.

Ham. Very like, very like; ftaid it long?

Hor. While one with moderate hafte might tell a hundred.

All. Longer, longer.

Hor. Not when I faw't.

Ham. His Beard was grifly?

Hor. It was, I have feen it in his Life,

A Sable filver'd.

Ham. I'll watch to Night; perchance 'twill walk again.
Her. I warrant you it will.

Ham. If it affume my noble Father's Perfon,
I'll fpeak to it, tho' Hell it felf fhould gape
And bid me hold my Peace. I pray you all,
If you have hitherto conceal'd this Sight;
Let it be treble in your filence ftill:
And whatfoever elfe fhall hap to Night,
Give it an Understanding, but no Tougue;
I will require your Loves:fo, fare ye well:
Upon the Platform 'twixt eleven and, twelve,
I'll vifit you.

All. Our duty to your Honour. [Exeunt.

Ham

Ham. Your love, 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 Soul: foul Deeds will rife,
Tho' all the Earth o'erwhelm them to Mens Eyes. [Exit.
Enter Laertes and Ophelia.

Laer. My Neceffaries are imbark'd, farewel;
And Sifter, as the Winds give benefit,

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 favours, Hold it a fashion and a toy in Blood,

4

A Violet in the youth of primy Nature,
Forward, not permanent, tho' fweet, not lafting
The fuppliance of a minute; no more.
Oph. No more but fo

Laer. Think it no more:

For Nature crefcent does not grow alone,
In Thews and Bulk; but as his Temple waxes,
The inward fervice of the Mind and Soul
Grows wide withal. Perhaps he loves you now,
And now no foil nor cautel doth befmerch
The virtue of his Fear: 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 fanctity and health of the whole State.
And therefore muft his choice be circumfcrib'd
Unto the voice and yielding of that Body,
Whereof he is the Head. Then if he fays he loves you,
It fits your Wisdom fo far to believe it,

As he in his peculiar Sect and force

May give his faying deed; which is no further,
Than the main Voice of Denmark goes withal.
Then weigh that lofs your Honour may fuftain,
If with too credent Ear you lift his Songs,
Or lofe your Heart; or your chafte Treasure open
To his unmastered importunity.

Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear Sifter,

X 2

And

And keep within the rear of your Affection;
Out of the shot and danger of Defire.
The charieft Maid is prodigal enough,
If the unmask her Beauty to the Moon:
Virtue it felf fcapes not calumnious ftrokes,
The Canker galls the infant of the Spring,
Too oft before the Buttons be disclos'd,
And in the morn and liquid dew of Youth,
Contagious blaftments are most imminent.
Be weary then, beft fafety lies in fear;
Youth to it felf rebels, though none elfe near.
Oph. I fhall th' effect of this good Leffon keep,
As Watchmen to my Heart: But good my Brother,
Do not as fome ungracious Paftors do,

Shew me the steep and thorny way to Heav'n ;
Whilft like a puft and reckless Libertine,

Himself, the Primrose path of dalliance treads,
And reaks not his own read.

Laer. Oh, fear me not.

Enter Polonius.

I ftay too long; but here my Father comes:
A double Bleffing 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 Sail,

And you are ftaid for there. My Bleffing with you;
And these few Precepts in thy Memory,

See thou Character. Give thy Thoughts no Tongue,
Nor any unproportion'd Thought his A&:
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar;
The Friends thou haft, and their adoption try'd,
Grapple them to thy Soul, with hoops of Steel:
But do not dull thy Palm, with Entertainment
Of each unhatch'd, unfledg'd Comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a Quarrel: But being in
Bear't that th' oppofed may beware of thee.
Give every Man thine Ear; but few thy Voice.
Take each Man's cenfure; but referve thy Judgment."
Coftly thy Habit as thy Purfe can buy;

But not expreft in fancy; Rich, not gaudy:
For the Apparrel oft proclaims the Man,

And