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 fix'd his eyes upon you?

•Hor. Moft conftantly.

Ham. I would I had been there !

Hor. It would have much amaz'd you.

Ham. Very like. Staid it long?

Hor. While one with moderate hafte might tell hundred.

Both. Longer, longer.

Hor. Not when I faw't.

Ham. His beard was grifl'd? no.

Hor. It was, as I have feen 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 fhould 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 whatsoever fhall befal 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 vifit you.

All. Our duty to your Honour.

[Exeunt.

Ham. Your loves, as mine to you: farewel. My father's fpirit 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!

[Exit

SCENE

SCENE V

༄** MA

Changes to an apartment in Polonius's houfe.
Enter Laertes and Ophelia,

Laer. My neceffaries are imbark'd, farewel;
And, fifter, as the winds give benefit;

And convoy is affiftant, do not sleep,
But let me hear from you.

Oph. Do you'doubt that?

1

A

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 lasting; "The perfume, and fuppliance of a minute; No more

Oph. No more but fo?

Laer. Think it no more:

t

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.

36 1

He may not, as unvalued perfons do, Satin rom
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 a
Unto the voice and yielding, of that body?
Whereof he's head. Then, if he fays he loves you,
It fits your wisdom fo far to believe it,

As he in his peculiar act and place

}

May give his faying. deed; which is no further,
Than the main voice of Denmark goes withalu na
Then weigh what lofs your honour may fuftain, 104
If with too credent ear you lift his fongs gone 40. I
Or lofe your heart or your chate treasure open l
To his unmafter'd importunity.50 80 90NË NJË
Fear it, Ophelia ; fear it, my dear fifter;.

yielding, for confent fimply.

to believe, for to aEt conformably to.

And

And keep within the rear of your affection,
Out of the fhot and danger of defire.
"The charieft maid is prodigal enough,
"If the unmask her beauty to the moon.
"Virtue, itfelf '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 most imminent.
Be wary then, best fafety lies in fear;

Youth to itself rebels, though none else near.

Oph. I fhall th' effects of this good leffon keep, As watchmen to my heart. "But, good my brother, "Do not, as fome ungracious paftors do, "Shew me the fteep and thorny way to heav'n; "Whilft, he a puft and reckless libertine, "Himfelf the primrofe path of dalliance treads, "And recks not his own reed †.

Laert. Oh, fear me not.

SCENE VI.

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 fhame; The wind fits in the fhoulder of your fail,

And you are ftaid for. There, my bleffing with you; Laying his hand on Laertes's head. And these few precepts in thy memory

See thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.

Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar; The friends thou haft, and their adoption try'd, Grapple them to thy foul with hooks of fteel. But do not dull thy paim with entertainment • Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg'd comrade. Beware Of entrance to a quarrel: but being in,

¡Bear't that the oppofed may beware of thee.

Give ev'ry man thine ear; but few thy voice.
Take each man's cenfure; but referve thy judgment.

effects, for fubftance.

i. e. heeds not his own leffons.

N 2

Coftly

Coftly thy habit as thy purfe can buy,
But not exprefs'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy:
For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
And they in France of the best rank and station.
Are moft felect * and generous, chief in that. I
Neither a borrower, nor a lender be:
For loan oft lofes both itself and friend;
And borrowing dulls the edge of hufbandry
This above all; to thine own felf be true;
And it must follow, as the light the day,"
Thou canst not then be falfe to any man.
Farewel; my bleffing feafon + this in thee!

Laert. Moft humbly do I take my leave, my Lord. Pol. The time invelts you; go, your fervants tend, Laer. Farewel, Ophelia, and remember well f What I have faid.

Oph. 'Tis in my mem'ry lock'd,

And you yourself fhall keep the key of it.

f T

[Exit Laer.

Pol. What is't, Ophelia, he hath faid to you?

Oph. So pleafe you, fomething touching the Lord Hamlet.

Pol. Marry, well bethought?

'Tis told me, he hath very oft of late

Given private time to you; and you yourself

Have of your audience been most free and bounteous,
If it be fo, (as fo 'tis put on me,

And that in way of caution), I must tell you,
You do not understand yourfelf fo clearly,
As it behoves my daughter, and your honour,
What is between you give me up the truth.

Oph. He hath, my Lord, of late, made many tenders Of his affection to me.

Pol. Affection! puh! you speak like a green girl, Unfifted in fuch perilous circumstance.

Do you believe his tenders, as you call them?

Oph I do not know, my Lord, what 4 fhould think. Pol. Marry, I'll teach you; think yourfelf a baby; That you have ta'en his tenders for true pay,

felect, for elegant.

Jean, for inffe.
unified, for untried.

Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly; Or (not to crack the wind of the poor phrafe, Wringing it thus) you'll tender me a fool.

Oph. My Lord, he hath importun'd me with love, In honourable fashion.

Pol. Ay fashion you may call't: go to, go to.
Oph. And hath giv'n count'nance to his fpeech, my
With almost all the holy vows of heaven. [Lord;
Pol. Ay, fpringes to catch woodcocks. I do know,
When the blood burns, how prodigal the foul
Lends the tongue vows. Thefe blazes, oh my daughter,
Giving more light than heat, extinct in both,
Ev'n in the promife as it is a-making,

You must not take for fire. From this time,
Be fomewhat fcanter of your maiden-prefence,
Set your intraitments at a higher rate,

Than a command to parley. For Lord Hamlet,"
Believe fo much in him, that he is young;
And with a larger tether he may walk,
Than may be given you. In few, Ophelia,
Do not believe his vows; for they are brokers,
Not of that dye which their investments fhew,
But mere implorers of unholy fuits,
Breathing like fanctified and pious bonds,
The better to beguile. This is for all:

I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth,
Have you fo flander any moment's leifure,

As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet.
Look to't, I charge you, come your way..
Oph. I fhall obey, my Lord.

[Exeunt.

Changes to the platform before the palace.

Enter Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus.

Ham. The air bites fhrewdly; it is very cold.
Hor. It is a nipping and an eager air.

Ham. What hour now?

Hor. I think it lacks of twelve.

Mar. No, it is ftruck.

Her, I heard it not: it then draws near the feafon,

Wherein