Spurns enviously at straws; speaks things in doubt,
That carry but half sense: her speech is nothing,

Yet the unshaped use of it doth move

The hearers to collection;2 they aim at it,

And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts;
Which, as her winks and nods and gestures yield them,
Indeed would make one think there might be thought,

Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily.

Horatio. "Twere good she were spoken with; for she may strew Dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds.

Queen. Let her come in.

To my sick soul, as sin's true nature is,

6

Each toy 5 seems prologue to some great amiss:7
So full of artless jealousy 8 is guilt,

It spills itself in fearing to be spilt.

Reënter HORATIO, with OPHELIA.

[Exit Horatio.

Ophelia. Where is the beauteous Majesty of Denmark ?
Queen. How now, Ophelia?

Ophelia. [Sings] How should I your true love know

From another one?

By his cockle hat and staff,

And his sandal shoon.9

Queen. Alas, sweet lady! what imports this song?

Ophelia. Say you? nay, pray you, mark.

[Sings.

1 " Spurns enviously,” i.e., kicks out spitefully at trifling objects in her path.

2 "To collection," i.e., to attempt to put (her speech) into form.

9" Cockle hat," etc. This is a description of the pilgrim. The shell worn in his hat indicated that he had been, or was going, beyond seas (to the Holy Land). "Shoon" is the old plural of" shoe," a form that was archaic, however, in the Elizabethan age.

1

Ophelia. Well, God 'ild you! They say the owl was a baker's daughter.2 Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be. God be at your table!

King. Conceit upon her father.

Ophelia. Pray you, let's have no words of this; but when they

ask you what it means, say you this:

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's Day,3

All in the morning betime,

And I a maid at your window,

To be your Valentine.

King. How long has she been thus ?

[Sings.

Ophelia. I hope all will be well. We must be patient; but I cannot choose but weep, to think they should lay him i' the cold

1 "'Ild you," i.e., reward you.

* There was an old legendary story current in England, that our Saviour was refused bread by a baker's daughter, who, for her want of charity, was transformed into an owl.

3

This song alludes to the custom of the first girl seen by a man on the morning of this day [St. Valentine's Day] being considered his valentine,

ground. My brother shall know of it; and so I thank you for your good counsel.-Come, my coach!-Good night, ladies; good night, sweet ladies; good night, good night. King. Follow her close; give her good watch, I pray you.

[Exit.

[Exit Horatio.

O, this is the poison of deep grief; it springs
All from her father's death. O Gertrude, Gertrude !
When sorrows come, they come not single spies,
But in battalions. First, her father slain;

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Next, your son gone; and he most violent author
Of his own just remove: the people muddied,

Thick, and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers,
For good Polonius' death; and we have done but greenly,1
In hugger-mugger 2 to inter him: poor Ophelia
Divided from herself and her fair judgment,3
Without the which we are pictures, or mere beasts;
Last, and as much containing 4 as all these,
Her brother is in secret come from France;
Feeds on his wonder, keeps himself in clouds,5
And wants not buzzers to infect his ear
With pestilent speeches of his father's death;
Wherein necessity, of matter beggar'd,
Will nothing stick our person to arraign
In ear and ear. O my dear Gertrude! this,
Like to a murdering-piece," in many places
Gives me superfluous death.

[A noise within.

or truelove. The custom of the different sexes choosing themselves mates on St. Valentine's Day (14th of February), the names being selected either by lot or by methods of divination, is of great antiquity in England."— Halliwell. 1 Unwisely.

2 "In hugger-mugger," i.e., in a hurried and stealthy manner.

3 "Divided from herself," etc., i.e., beside herself; out of her senses. 4"As much containing," i.e., of as much importance.

5" Feeds on his wonder," etc., i.e., is full of doubt and amazement, and keeps himself in gloomy reserve and suspicion.

6 " Murdering-piece" was a cannon loaded with canister shot.

This was

Queen.

Alack

what noise is this?

King. Where are my Switzers ? 1 Let them guard the door.

Enter another Gentleman.

What is the matter?

Gentleman.

Save yourself, my lord:

The ocean, overpeering of his list,2

Eats not the flats 3 with more impetuous haste
Than young Laertes, in a riotous head,1

O'erbears your officers. The rabble call him lord;
And, as the world were now but to begin,
Antiquity forgot, custom not known,
The ratifiers and props of every word,

They cry, "Choose we: Laertes shall be King!"
Caps, hands, and tongues applaud it to the clouds:
"Laertes shall be King, Laertes King!"

Queen. How cheerfully on the false trail they cry! O, this is counter,5 you false Danish dogs!

King. The doors are broke.

Enter LAERTES, armed; Danes following.

[Noise within

Laertes. Where is this King ?—-Sirs, stand you all without. Danes. No, let's come in.

Laertes.

Danes. We will, we will.

I pray you, give me leave.
[They retire without the door.

a case filled with bullets, nails, scraps of iron, etc., which, on striking its mark when discharged from the gun, burst, and scattered the contents.

1 Swiss mercenary soldiers were favorite bodyguards of the kings of Europe in Shakespeare's time. Malone, quoting Nash's Christ's Tears over Jerusalem, published in 1594, says, “Law, logicke, and the Switzers may be hired to fight for anybody."

2 " Qyerpeering of his list," i.e., overflowing its limits.

3 "Eats not the flats," i.e., submerges not the level beach.

4 Armed band.

5 "

66

Counter," as a hunting term, means tracing the scent backward."

Laertes. I thank you: keep the door. —O thou vile King, Give me my father!

Queen.

Calmly, good Laertes.

Laertes. That drop of blood that's calm proclaims me bas

tard.

King. What is the cause, Laertes,

That thy rebellion looks so giant-like ?—

Let him go, Gertrude; do not fear our person:
There's such divinity doth hedge 1 a king,

That treason can but peep to what it would,

Acts little of his will.—Tell me, Laertes,

Why thou art thus incens'd.—Let him go, Gertrude.—
Speak, man.

Laertes. Where is my father?

JAM. 213

To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil!
Conscience and grace,2 to the profoundest pit!
I dare damnation. To this point I stand,
That both the worlds 3 I give to negligence,
Let come what comes; only I'll be reveng'd
Most throughly 4 for my father.

King.

Who shall stay you?

Laertes. My will, not all the world;

And for my means, I'll husband them so well,

They shall go far with little.

King.

Good Laertes,

If you desire to know the certainty

Of your dear father's death, is't writ in your revenge,

1 Surround.

2 Religion; religious feeling.

3"Both the worlds," i.e., this world and the world to come. 4 Thoroughly.