Rof. She defires to speak with you in her closet ere you go to bed.

Ham. We fhall obey, were fhe ten times our mother.. Have you any further trade with us?

Rof. My Lord, you once did love me.

Ham. So I do ftill, by these pickers and stealers. Rof. Good my Lord, what is your cause of diftemper? you do furely bar the door of your own liberty, if you deny your griefs to your friend.

Ham. Sir, I lack advancement.

Rof. How can that be, when you have the voice of the King himself, for your fucceffion in Denmark?

Ham. Ay, but while the grafs grows the proverb is fomething musty.

Enter one with a Recorder.

Oh, the recorders; let me fee one. To withdraw with you -why do you go about to recover the wind of me, as if you would drive me into a toil?

Guil. Oh my Lord, if my duty be too bold, my love is too unmannerly.

Ham. I do not well understand that. Will you play upon this pipe?

Guil. My Lord, I cannot.

Ham. I pray you.

Guil. Believe me, I cannot.

Ham. I do befeech you.

Guil. I know no touch of it, my Lord.

i

Ham. 'Tis as eafie as lying; govern thefe ventiges with your fingers and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, and it will difcourfe moft eloquent mufick. Look you, these are the flops.

Guil. But thefe cannot I command to any utterance of harmony, I have not the skill.

Ham Why look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of me; you would play upon me, you would feem to know my stops; you would pluck out the heart of my mystery, you would found me from my loweft note, to.

the

the top of my compafs; and there is much mufick, excellent voice, in this little organ, yet cannot you make it speak. Why do you think that I am easier to be plaid on than a pipe? call me what inftrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me. you, Sir!

Enter Polonius.

Pol. My Lord, the Queen would speak with presently.

God blefs

you, and

Ham. Do you fee yonder cloud, that's almost in shape of a Camel?

Pol. By the mafs, and it's like a Camel indeed.

Ham. Methinks it is like an Ouzle.

Pol. It is black like an Ouzle.

Ham. Or like a Whale?

Pol. Very like a Whale.

Ham. Then will I come to my mother by and by they fool me to the top of my bent.I will come by and by.

Pol. I will fay fo.

Ham. By and by is eafily faid. Leave me, friends.

[Exeunt.

'Tis now the very witching time of night,
When church-yards yawn, and hell it felf breathes out
Contagion to this world. Now could I drink hot blood,
And do fuch bitter bufinefs as the day

Would quake to look on. Soft, now to my mother-
Oh heart, lofe not thy nature; let not ever
The foul of Nero enter this firm bofom;
Let me be cruel, not unnatural;

I will speak daggers to her, but ufe none.
My tongue and foul in this be hypocrites!

SCENE

[Exit.

IX.

Enter King, Rofincroffe, and Guildenstern.

King. I like him not, nor ftands it fafe with us To let his madness range. Therefore prepare you;

I

e

de

04

2

af

I your commiffion will forthwith dispatch,
And he to England fhall along with you.
The terms of our estate may not endure
Hazard so near us, as doth hourly grow
Out of his 'lunes.

Guil. We will provide ourselves;
Most holy and religious fear it is,
To keep those many bodies fafe, that live
And feed upon your Majesty.

Rof. The fingle and peculiar life is bound,
With all the strength and armour of the mind,
To keep it felf from 'noyance; but much more,
That fpirit, on whofe weal depend and rest`
The lives of many. The ceafe of Majefty
Dies not alone, but like a gulf doth draw
What's near it with it. It's a maffy wheel
Fixt on the fummit of the highest mount,
To whofe huge spokes ten thousand leffer things
Are mortiz'd and adjoin'd; which when it falls,
Each small annexment, petty confequence,
Attends the boift'rous ruin. Ne'er alone
Did the King figh, but with a general groan.

King. Arm you, I pray you, to this speedy voyage; For we will fetters put upon this fear,

Which now goes too free-footed.

Both. We will hafte us.

[Exeunt Rof. and Guil.

Enter Polonius.

Pol. My Lord, he's going to his mother's closet ;
Behind the arras I'll convey my felf

To hear the procefs. I'll warrant fhe'll tax him home.
And as you faid, and wifely was it faid,

'Tis meet that fome more audience than a mother,
(Since nature makes them partial,) should o'er-hear
The fpeech, of vantage. Fare you well, my Liege;
I'll call upon you ere you go to bed,

And tell you what I know.

King. Thanks, dear my Lord.
VOL. VI.

[Exit.

Bb

Oh

old edit. Theob. emend

6 depends and refts

Oh my offence is rank, it fmells to heav'n,
It hath the primal eldest curfe upon't;

A brother's murther.7 'Pray alas! I cannot:
Though inclination be as fharp as 'twill,`
My ftronger guilt defeats my strong intent,
And like a man to double bufinefs bound,
I ftand in pause where I fhall first begin,
And both neglect. What if this curfed hand
Were thicker than it felf with brother's blood?
Is there not rain enough in the fweet heav'ns
To wash it white as fnow? whereto ferves mercy,
But to confront the vifage of offence?

And what's in prayer, but this two-fold force,
To be fore-ftalled ere we come to fall,

Or pardon'd being down? then I'll look up.
My fault is paft. But oh what form of prayer
Can ferve my turn? Forgive me my foul murther!
That cannot be, fince I am ftill poffeft

Of thofe effects for which I did the murther,
My crown, mine own ambition, and my Queen.
May one be pardon'd, and retain th' offence?
In the corrupted currents of this world,
Offence's gilded hand may fhove by justice;
And oft 'tis feen, the wicked prize it felf
Buys out the law; but 'tis not fo above:
There is no fhuffling, there the action lyes
In his true nature, we our felves compell'd
Ev'n to the teeth and forehead of our faults,
To give in evidence. What then? what refts?
Try what repentance can. What can it not?
Yet what can 'aught, when one cannot repent?
Oh wretched ftate! oh bofom, black as death!
Oh limed foul, that ftruggling to be free,
Art more engag'd! help, angels, make affay!
Bow, stubborn knees; and heart with ftrings of fteel,
Be foft as finews of the new-born babe!

All may be well.

[The King kneels. SCENE

7 Pray I cannot : & as will,... old edit. Theob, emend. 9 it,

Ham. Now might I do it pat, now he is praying,
And now I'll do't and fo he goes to heav'n,
And fo am I reveng'd? that would be fcann'd,
A villain kills my father, and for that

I, his fole fon, do this fame villain fend

To heav'n-O this is hire and falary, not revenge.
He took my father grofly, full of bread,

With all his crimes broad blown, as flufh as May;
And how his audit ftands, who knows, fave heav'n?
But in our circumftance and course of thought,
'Tis heavy with him. Am I then reveng'd,
To take him in the purging of his foul,
When he is fit and feafon'd for his paffage?
Up, fword, and know thou a more horrid bent':
When he is drunk, afleep, or in his rage,
Or in th' incestuous pleasure of his bed,
At gaming, fwearing, or about fome act
That has no relifh of falvation in't,

Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heav'n,
And that his foul may be as damn'd and black
As hell, whereto it goes. My mother stays;
This phyfick but prolongs thy fickly days.

[Exit.

King. My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; Words, without thoughts, never to heaven go. [Exit.

Pol.

HE

E will come ftraight; look you lay home to him,

Tell him his pranks have been too broad to bear with,

Bb 2

And