SCENE I. ACT IH. The palace. Enter King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rofincrantz Guildenstern, ana Lords. ND can you by no drift of conference King. A Get from him why he puts on this confufion, Grating fo haríhly all his days of quiet, With turbulent and dang`rous lunacy? Rof. He does confefs, he feels himself distracted :: But from what caufe, he will by no means fpeak. Guil. Nor do we find him forward to be founded; . But with a crafty madness keeps aloof, When we would bring him on to fome confeffion Queen. Did he receive you well? Rof. Moft like a gentleman. Guil, But with much forcing of his difpofition. Rof. Molt free of question, but of our demands Niggard in his reply. Queen. Did you affay him to any paftime? Ref. Madam, it to tell out, that certain players Pol.'Tis most true: And he befeech'd me to intreat your Majefties To hear and fee the matter. King With all my heart, and it doth much content To hear him to inclin'd. Good gentlemen, give him a further edge, And drive his purpose on to thefe delights. King. Sweet Gertrude, leave us too; [me [Exeunt, We may of their encounter frankly judge; Queen. I thall obey you. And for my part, Ophelia, I do wish, That your good beauties be the happy caufe Of Hamlet's wildness: fo fhall I hope your virtues To both your honours. Oph. Madam, I wish it may. [Exit Queen. Pol. Ophelia, walk you here-Gracious, fo please We will be tow ourselves- -Read on this book: [ye That fhew of fuch an exercife may colour Your loneliness. We're oft to blame in this, 'Tis too much prov'd, that with devotion's visage, And pious action, we do fugar o er The devil himself. King. Oh, 'tis too true. How smart a lafh that fpeech doth give my confcience ! Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it, Oh heavy burthen! [Afide. Pol. I hear him coming; let's withdraw, my Lord. Ham "To be, or not to be? that is the question."Whether 'tis nobler in the mind, to suffer "The flings and arrows of outrageous fortune; "And by oppofing end them?-To die,-to fleep- "To fleep? perchance to dream; ay, there's the rub--- refpelt, for confideration, motives "For who would bear the whips and scorns of th' time, "Th' oppreffor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, "The pang of despis'd love, the law`s delay, "The infolence of office, and the fpurps "That patient merit of th' unworthy takes; "When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear, "To grone and sweat under a weary life; But that the dread of fomething after death "And makes us rather bear thofe ills we have, you, now! [Seeing Oph. The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orifons Be all my fins remembred. Oph. Good my Lord, How does your Honour for this many a day? Oph. My Lord, I have remembrances of your's, I pray you, now receive them: Ham. No, I never gave you aught. Oph. My honour'd Lord, you know right well you did; And with them words of lo fweat breath compos'd, As made the things more rich that perfume loft, Rich gifts wax poor, when givers prove unkind. Ham. Ha, ha! are you honeft ? Oph. My Lord. Ham. Are you fair? Oph What means your Lordship? Ham. That if you be honeft and fair, you should admit no difcourie to your beauty. Oph. Could beauty, my Lord, have better commerce than with honesty? Ham. Ay, truly; for the power of beauty will fooner transform honefly from what it is. to a bawd, than the force of honey can tranflate beauty into its likeness. This was fometime a paradox, but now the time gives it proof. I did love you once. Oph. Indeed, my Lord, you made me believe so. Ham. You fhould not have believed me. For virtue cannot fo inoculate our old flock, but we thall relish of I lov'd you not. it. Oph. I was the more deceiv'd. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of finners? I am myfelt indifferent honest; but yet I could accufe me of fuch things, that it were better my mother had not born me. I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at my beck, than I have thoughts to put them in name, imagination to give them fhape, or time to act them in. What fhould fuch fellows as I do crawling between heav'n and earth? we are arrant knaves, believe none of usGo thy ways to a nunnery- Where's your father? Oph. At home, my Lord. Farewel. Ham. Let the doors be fhut upon him, that he may play the fool no where but in's own houfe, Oph. Oh help him, you fweet heav'ns! Ham. If thou doft marry, I'll give thee this plague for thy dowry. Be thou as chaite as ice, as pure as fnow, thou shalt not efcape calumny-Get thee to a nunnery farewel Or, if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool; for wife men know well enough, what monsters you make of them-To a nunnery, go—— and quickly too: farewel Oph. Heav'nly powers, reftore him! Ham. I have heard of your painting too, well enough. God has given you one face, and you make yourselves another. You jig, you amble, and you lifp, and nick. name God's creatures, and make your wantonnels your ignorance. Go to, I'll no more on't, it hath made me mad. I fay, we will have no more marriages. Thole that are married already, all but one, thall live; the reft fhall keep as they are. To a nunnery, go. [Exit Hamlet. Oph. "Oh, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! "The courtier's, fcholar's, foldier's, eye, tongue, fword! "Th' expectancy and rofe of the fair state, "The glafs of fashion, and the mould of form, "Th'obferv'd of all observers, quite, quite down! I am of ladies most deject and wretched, That fuck'd the honey of his music vows : "Now fee that noble and most sovereign reafon, "Like fweet bells jangled out of tune, and harsh; "That unmatch'd form, and feature of blown youth, "Blasted with ecftafy Oh, woe is me, T' have feen what I have feen, fee what I fee! SCENE III. Enter King and Polonius. Thus fet it down. He fhall with speed to England, This fomething-fettled matter in his heart; But if you hold it fit, after the play Let his Queen-mother all alone intreat him To fhew his griefs; let her be round with him: |