Yet most suspected, as the time and place Unto the rigour of severest law. Doth make against me, of this direful murder; Prince. We still have known thee for a holy man.And here I stand, both to impeach and purge Where's Romeo's man? what can he say in this ? Myself condemned and myself excus'd. Bal. I brought my master news of Juliet's death ; Prince. Then say at once what thou dost know And then in post he came from Mantua, in this. To this same place, to this same monument. Fri. I will be brief, for my short date of breath This letter he early bid me give his father ; Is not so long as is a tedious tale. And threaten'd me with death, going in the vault, grave; And, by and hy, my master drew on him; Prince. This letter doth make good the friar's Or. in my cell there would she kill herself. words, Then gave I her, so tutor'd by my art, Their course of love, the tidings of her death : A sleeping potion; which so took' effect And here he writes—that he did buy a poison As I in ep'ted, for it wrought on her Of a poor 'pothecary, and there witbal The forni oi feath, meantime I writ to Romeo, Came to this vault to die, and lie with Juliet. That he shout hither come as this dire night, Where be these enemies? Capulet! Montague! To help to take her from her borrow'd grave, See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate, Being the time he potion's force should cease. That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love! But he which bore my letter, friar John, And I, for winking at your discords too, Was staid by accident; and yesternight Have lost a brace of kinsmen :-all are punish'). Return'd my letter back: Then all alone, Cap. O, brother Montague, give me thy hand: At the prefixed hour of her waking, This is my daughter's jointure, for no more Mon. But I can give thee more: Till I conveniently could send to Romeo: For I will raise her statue in pure gold; But when I came, (some minute ere the time That, while Verona by that name is known, Of her awakening,) bere untimely lay, There shall no figure at such rate be set, The noble Paris, and true Romeo, dead. As that of true and faithful Juliet. She wakes; and I entreated her come forth, Cap. As rich shall Romeo by his lady lie; And bear this work of heaven with patience: Poor sacrifices of our enmity ! But then a noise did scare me from the tomb; Prince. A glooming peace this moruing with it And she, too desperate, would not go with me, brings; But (as it seems,) did violence on herself. The sun for sorrow will not show ais head: All this I know; and to the marriage Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things, Her nurse is privy : And, if aught in this Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished: Miscarried by my fault, let my old life For never was a story of more woe Re sacrific'd, some hour before his time. Than this of fuliet and her Romeo. (Erouni PERSONS REPRESENTED, Ber. 'Tis now struck twelve ; get thee to bed, Francisco. CLAUDIUS, King of Denmark. Fran. For this relief, much thanks: 'tis bitter cold, Hamlet, sun to the former, and nephew to the present and I am sick at heart. King. Ber. Have you had quiet guard ? POLONIUS, Lord Chamberlain. Fran. Not a mouse stirring. HURATIO, friend to Hamlet. Ber. Well, good night. LAERTES, son to Polonius. If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus, VOLTIMAND, The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste. CORNELIUS, courtiers. ROSENCRANTZ, Enter Horatio and MARCELLUS. Fran. I think, I hear them.—Stand, ho! Who is there? Another Courtier. Hor. Friends to this ground. A Priest. Mar. MARCELLUS, an officer. And liegemen to the Dars. BERNARVO, an officer. Frun. Give you good night. O, farewell, honest soldier: Francisco, a soldier. Who hath reliev'd you ? REYNALDO, servant to Polonius.“ Fran. Bernardo hath my place. A Captain. Give you good night. (Erit FranCISCO An Ambassador. Mar. Holla! Bernardo! Ghost of Hamlet's father. Ber. Say. FORTINBRAS, Prince of Norway What, is Horatio there? Hor. A piece of him. Ber. Welcome, Horatio; welcome, good Mar. cellus. OPHELIA, daughter of Polonius. Hor. What, has this thing appear'd again to-night? Ber. I have seen nothing. Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Players, Gravediggers, Sailors, Messengers, and other Attendants. Mar. Horatio says, 'tis but our fantasy; And will not let belief take hold of him, Touching this dreaded sight, twice seen of us : He may approve our eyes, and speak to it. Hor.' Tush! tush ! 'twill not appear. Sit down awhile; SCENE I.-Elsinore. A Platform before the And let us once again assail your ears, That are so fortified against our story, What we two nights have seen. Well, sit we down, Ber. Who's there? And let us hear Bernardo speak of this. When yon same star, that's westward from the pole, Ber. Long live the king ! Had made his course to illume that part of heaven Fran, Bernardo ? Where now it burns, Marcellus, and myself, | again: Frın. You come most carefully upon your hour. Mor: Peace, break thee off: look where it comes Enter Ghost. | But to recover of us, by strong band, Ber. In the same figure, like the king that's dead. And terms compulsatory, thuse 'foresaid lands Mar. Thou art a scholar, speak to it, Horatio. So by his father lost : And this, I take it, Ber. Looks it not like the king? mark it, Horatio. Is the main motive of our preparations ; Hor. Most like :—it harrows me with fear, and The source of this our watch; and the chief head wonder. Of this post-haste and romage in the land. Ber. It would be spoke to. Ber. I think, it be no other, but even so: Mar. Speak to it, Horatio. Well may it sort, that this portentous figure Hor. What art thou, that usurp’st this time of Comes armed through our watch; so like the king night, That was, and is, the question of these wars. Together with that fair and warlike form Hor. A mote it is, to trouble the mind's eye. In which the majesty of buried Denmark [speak. In the most high and palmy state of Rome, Did sometimes march ? by heaven, I charge thee, A little ere the mightiest Július fell, Mar. It is offended. The graves stood tenantless, and the sheeted dead Ber. See! it stalks away. Did squeak and gibber in the Roman strects. Kor. Stay; speak: speak, I charge thee, speak. Erit Ghost. As, stars with trains of fire and dews of blood, Mar. 'Tis gone, and will not answer. Disasters in the sun ; and the moist star, Ber. How now, Horatio ? you tremble, and look Upon whose influence Neptune's empire stands, pale : Was sick almost to dooms-day with eclipse. Is not this something more than fantasy? And even the like precurse of fierce events, What think you of it ? As harbingers preceding still the fates, Hor. Before my God, I might not this believe, And prologue to the omen coming on,Without the sensible and true avouch Have heaven and earth together démonstrated Of mine own eyes. Unto our climatures and countrymen, Mar. Is it not like the king ? Hor. As thou art to thyself: Re-enter Ghost. Such was the very armour he had on, But, soft; behold! lo, where it comes again ! When he the ambitious Norway combated ; I'll cross it, though it blast me.-Stay, illusion ! So frown'd he once, when, in an angry parle, If thou hast any sound, or use of voice, He smote the sledded Polack on the ice. Speak to me : 'Tis strange. hour, If there be any good thing to be done, Which, happily, foreknowing may avoid, For which, they say, you spirits oft walk in death, Why this same strict and most observant watch (Cock crows. So nightly toils the subject of the land ? Speak of it:-stay, and speak.–Stop it, Marcellus. And why such daily cast of brazen cannon, Mar. Shall I strike at it with my partizan ? And foreign mart for implements of war: Hor. Do, if it will not stand. Why such impress of shipwrights, whose sore task Ber. 'Tis iere! Does not divide the Sunday from the week: Hor. Tis here! What might be toward, that this sweaty haste Mar. 'Tis gone! (Ecit Ghosta Doth make the night joint-labourer with the day; We do it wrong, being so majestical, Who is't, that can inform me? To offer it the show of violence : That can I; For it is, as the air, invulnerable, Ber. It was about to speak, when the cock crew. Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air, Did forfeit, with his life, all those his lands, The extravagant and erring spirit hies Which he stood seiz'd of, to the conqueror: To his confine: and of the truth herein Against the which, a moiety competent This present object made probation. Was gaged by our king; which had return'd Mar. It faded on the crowing of the cock. Some say, that ever 'gainst that season comos This bird of dawning singeth all night long The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike, Hath in the skirts of Norway, here and there, No fairy takes, nor witch bath power to charm, Shark'd up a list of landless resolutes, So hallow'd and so gracious is the time. For food and diet, to some enterprize Hor. So have I heard, and do in part believe it. That hath a stomach in't: which is no other But, look, the morn, in russet mantle clad, Kids it doth well appear unto our state,) Walks o'er the dew of yon high eastern hill : Yet now, Break we our watch up; and, by my advice, | From whence though willingly I came to Denmark, Let us impart what we have seen to-night To show my duty in your coronation; Unto young Hamlet: for, upon my life, I'must confess, that duty dene, This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him : My thoughts and wishes bend again toward France, Do you consent we shall acquaint him with it, And bow them to your gracious leave and pardon. As needful in our loves, fitting our duty ? King. Have you your father's leave ? What says Mar. Let's do't, I pray; and I this morning know Polonius ? (leava, Where we shall find him most convenient. Pol. He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow [Exeunt. By laboursome petition ; and, at last, Upon his will I seal'd my hard consent : SCENE II.- The same. A Room of State in the I do beseech you, give him leave to go. the same. King. Take thy fair hour, Laertes; time be thine, And thy best graces: spend it at thy will.Enter the King, Queen, HAMLET, POLONIUS, But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son, LAERTES, VOLTIMAND, CORNELIUS, Lords, and Ham. A little more than kin, and less than sind. Attendants. | Aside. King. Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's King. How is it that the clouds still hang on you ? death Ham. Not so, my lord, I am too much i'the sun. The memory be green; and that it us befitted Queen. Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off, To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom And let thine eye look like a friend ou Denmark. To be contracted in one brow of woe; Do not, for ever, with thy vailed lids Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature, Seek for thy noble father in the dust : That we with wisest sorrow think on him, Thou know'st, 'tis common; all, that live, must die, Together with remembrance of ourselves. Passing through vature to eternity. Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, Ham. Ay, madam, it is common. The imperial jointress of this warlike state, Queen. If it be, Have we, as 'twere, with a defeated joy, Why seems it so particular with thee ? (seems. With one auspicious, and one drooping eye; Ham. Seems, madam! nay, it is; I know not With mirth and funeral, and with dirge in marriage, 'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, In equal scale, weighing delight and dole, Nor customary suits of solemn black, Taken to wife : nor have we herein barr'd Nor windy suspiration of fore'd breath, Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, With this affair along :-For all, our thanks. Nor the dejected haviour of the visage, Now follows, that you know young Fortinbras,- Together with all forms, modes, shows of grief, Holding a weak supposal of our worth; That can denote me truly : These, indeed, seem, Or thinking, by our late dear brother's death, For they are actions that a man might play: Our state to be disjoint and out of frame, But I have that within, which passeth show; Colleagued with this dream of his advantage, These, but the trappings and the suits of woe. He hath not fails to pester us with message, King 'Tis sweet and commendable in your Importing the surrender of those lands nature, Hamlet, Lost' by his father, with all bands of law, To give these mourning duties to your father : To our most valiant brother.-So much for him. But, you must know, your father lost a father ; Now for ourself, and for this time of meeting. That father lost, lost his; and the survivor bound Thus much the business is: We have here writ In filial obligation, for some term To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras,- To do obsequious sorrow; but to perséver Who, impotent and bed-rid, scarcely hears In obstinate condolement, is a course of this his nephew's purpose, -to suppress Of impious stubbornness; 'tis unmanly grief: His further gait herein ; in that the levies, It shows a will most incorrect to heaven; The lists, and full proportions, are all made A heart unfortified, or mind impatient: Out of his subject :-and we here despatch An understanding simple and unschoolid; You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltimand, For what, we know, must be, and is as common For bearers of this greeting to old Norway; As any of the most vulgar thing to sense, Giving to you no further personal power Why should we, in our peevish opposition, To business with the king, more than the scope Take it to heart ? Fye! 'tis a fault to heaven, Of these dilated articles allow. A fault against the dead, a fault to nature, Farewell; and let your haste commend your duty. To reason most absurd; whose common theme Cor. Vol. In that, and all things, will we show Is death of fathers, and who still bath cried, our duty. From the first corse, till he that died to-day, King. We doubt it nothing; heartily farewell. This must be so. We pray you, throw to earth (Exeunt VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS. This unprevailing woe; and think of us And, with no less nobility of love, Do I impart toward you. For your intent It is most retrograde to our desire : The kand more instrumental to the mouth, And we beseech you, bend you to remain Than is the throne of Denmark to thy futher. Here, in the cheer and comfort of our eye, What would'st thou have, Laertes ? Our chiefest courtier, cousin, an our son. Laer. My dread lord, Queen. Let not thy mother lose her pra Your leave and favour to return to France; Hamlet; I pray thee, stay with us; go not to Wittenberg. Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables. King. Why, 'tis a loving and a fair reply; Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio ! Hor. Where, Ham. Saw! who? Ham. The king my father! Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd Hor. Season your admiration for a while Upon the witness of these gentlemen, This marvel to you. Fye on't! O fye! 'tis an unweeded garden, Ham. For God's love, let me hear. That grows to seed; things rank, and gross in Hor. Two nights together had these gentlemen, nature, Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch, Possess it merely. That it should come to this ! In the dead waist and middle of the night, But two months dead !-nay, not so much, not two; Been thus encounter'd. A figure like your futher, So excellent a king; that was, to this, Armed at point, exactly, cap-à-pé, Hyperion to a satyr: so loving to my mother, Appears before them, and, with solemn march, That he might not beteem the winds of heaven Goes slow and stately by them: thrice he walk’d, Visit hor face too roughly. Heaven and earth! By their oppress'd and fear-surprized eyes, Must I remember? Why she would hang on him, Within his truncheon's length; whilst they, distillid As if increase of appetite had grown Almost to jelly with the act of fear, By wbat it fed on: And yet, within a month,- Stand dumb, and speak not to him. This to me Let me not think on’i ;-Frailty thy name is In dreadful secrecy impart they did; woman! And I with them, the third night kept the watch: A little month; or ere those shoes were old, Where, as they had deliver'd, both in time, With which she follow'd my poor father's body, Form of the thing, each word made true and good, Like Niobe, all tears ;-why she, even she, The apparition comes : I knew your father; O heaven! a beast, that wants discourse of reason, These hands are aut more like. Would have mourn'd longer,-married with my Ham, But where was this? uncle, Mar. My lord, upon the platform where we watch'd My father's brother; but no more like my father, Ham. Did you not speak to it? Than I to Hercules: Within a month; Hor. My lord, I did: Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears But answer made it none: yet once, inethought, Had left the flushing in her galled eyes, It lifted up its head, and did address She married :-0 most wicked speed, to post Itself to motion, like as it would speak : With such dexterity to incestuous sheets ! But, even then, the morning cock crew loud; It is not, nor it cannot come to, good ; And at the sound it shrunk in haste away, But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue! And vanish'd from our sight. Ham. 'Tis very strange. Enter Horatio, BERNARDO, and MARCELLUS. Hor. As I do live, my honour'd lord, 'tis true; Hor. Hail to your lordship! And we did think it writ down in our duty, Ham. I am glad to see you well: To let you know of it. Horatio,or I do forget myself. [ever. Ham. Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this troubles me. Hor. The same, my lord, and your poor servant Hold you the watch to-night? Ham. Sir, my good friend; I'll change that AU. We do, my lord. Dame with you. Ham. Arm’d, say you ? And what make you froin Wittenberg, Horatio ?- All. Arm'd, my lord. Marcellus ? Ham. From top to toe? Mar. My good lord. AU. My lord, from head to foot. Ham. I am very glad to see you; good even, sir,- Ham. Then saw you not But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg ? His face. Hor. A truant disposition, good my lord. Hor. O, yes, my lord; he wore his beaver up. Ham, I would not hear your enemy say so; Ham. What, look'd he frowningly ? Nor shall you do inine ear that violence, Hor. A countenauce more To make it truster of your own report In sorrow than in anger. Against yourself: I know you are no truant. Ham. Pale, or red ? But what is your affair in Elsinore ? Hor. Nay, very pale. We'll teach you to drink deep, ere you depart. Ham. And fix'd his eyes upon you ? Hor. My lord, I came to see your father's funeral. Hor. Most constantly. Ham. I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow-student; Ham. I would, I had been there I think, it was to see my mother's wedding. Hor. It would have much amaz’d you. Hor. Indeed, my lord, it follow'd hard upon. Ham Very like Han. Thrift, thrift, Horatio ! the funeral bak'd Very like: Stay’d it long? [hur dred meats Hor. While one with inoderate haste migh: tall a |