5

Ghoft. Revenge his foul and moft unnatural murder.
Ham. Murder?

Ghost. Murder moft foul, as in the best it is;

But this moft foul, ftrange, and unnatural.

Ham. Hafte me to know it, that I, with wings as swift As meditation, or the thoughts of love, May fweep to my revenge.

Ghoft. I find thee apt;

And duller fhouldft thou be than the fat weed

That roots itself in ease on Lethe's wharf,
Wouldst thou not ftir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear.
'Tis given out, that, fleeping in my orchard,
A ferpent ftung me. So the whole ear of Denmark
Is by a forged process of my death
Rankly abus'd; but know, thou noble youth,
The ferpent that did sting thy father's life
Now wears his crown.

Ham. Oh, my prophetic foul! my uncle?

Ghoft. Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beaft,
With witchcraft of his wit, with trait'rous gifts,
O wicked wit, and gifts, that have the power
So to feduce! won to his fhameful luft
The will of my most seeming-virtuous Queen.
Oh Hamlet, what a falling-off was there!
From me, whofe love was of that dignity,
That it went hand in hand even with the vow
I made to her in marriage; and to decline.
Upon a wretch, whose natural gifts were poor
To thofe of mine!

But virtue, as it never will be mov'd,

Though lewdness court it in a fhape of heaven;
So luft, though to a radiant angel link'd,
Will fate itself in a celeftial bed,

And prey on garbage.

But, foft! methinks, I fcent the morning air-
Brief let me be. Sleeping within mine orchard,
My custom always of the afternoon,
Upon my fecret hour thy uncle ftole,
With juice of carfed hebenon in a phial,
And in the porches of mine ear did pour

The leperous diftilment; whofe effect
Holds fuch an enmity with blood of man,
That fwift as quickfilver it courses through
The natural gates and alleys of the body;
And, with a fudden vigour, it doth poffet
And curd, like eager droppings into milk,
The thin and wholesome blood: fo did it mine,
And a most inftant tetter bark'd about,
Moft lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust,
All my fmooth body.

Thus was I, fleeping, by a brother's hand,
Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch'd;
Cut off, even in the bloffoms of my fin,
Unhoufel'd, disappointed, unanneal'd :
No reck'ning made, but fent to my account
With all my imperfections on my head.
Oh, horrible! oh, horrible! most horrible!
If thou haft nature in thee, bear it not;
Let not the royal bed of Denmark be
A couch for luxury and damned incest.
But how foever thou purfu'ft this act,
Taint not thy mind, nor let thy foul contrive
Against thy mother aught; leave her to heaven,
And to those thorns that in her bofom lodge,
To prick and fting her. Fare thee well at once!
The glow-worm fhews the matin to be near,
And 'gins to pale his ineffectual fire.

Adieu, adieu, adieu! remember me.

[Exit.

Ham. Oh, all you hoft of heaven! oh earth! what else! And fhall I couple hell?--Oh, hold my heart, And you, my finews, grow not instant old; But bear me ftily up. Remember thee―― Ay, thou poor Ghoft, while memory holds a feat In this diftracted globe. Remember thee Yea, from the table of my memory I'll wipe away all trivial fond records, All faws of books, all forms, all preffures paft, That youth and obfervation copied there; And thy commandment all alone fhall live Within the book and volume of my brain,

Unmix'd

Unmix'd with bafer matter. Yes, by heaven.
O moft pernicious woman!

Oh villain, villain! fmiling damned villain!
My tables-meet it is, I fet it down,

That one may fmile, and fmile, and be a villain !
At least I'm fure it may be so in Denmark.
So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word;
It is, Adieu, adieu! remember me.
I've fworn it.

Enter Heratio and Marcellus.

Hor. My Lord, my Lord.
Mar. Lord Hamlet!
Hor. Heaven fecure him!

Mar. So be it.

Hor. Hillo, ho, ho, my Lord!

Ham. Hillo, ho, ho, boy! Come, bird, come.

Mar. How is't, my noble Lord ?
Hor. What news, my Lord?
Ham. Oh, wonderful!

Hor. Good my Lord, tell it.

Ham. No, you'll reveal it.
Hor. Not I, my Lord, by heaven.

[Writing.

Mar. Nor I, my Lord.

Ham. How fay you then, would heart of man once think it ?

But you'll be fecret

IN SOFTER COUNTRIES AND OTHER NOSTRES

Both. Ay, by heaven, my Lord.

Ham. There's ne'er a villain dwelling in all Denmark,

But he's an arrant knave.

Hor. There needs no ghoft, my Lord, come from the

grave To tell us this.

Ham. Why right, you are in the right;
And fo, without more circumftance at all,
I hold it fit that we shake hands and part;
You, as your bufinefs and defires fhall point you;
For every man has bufinefs and defire,
Such as it is; and, for my own poor part,
I will go pray.

Q5

Hor.

Hor. Thefe are but wild and whirling words, my Lord Ham. I am forry they offend you, heartily; Yes, heartily.

Hor. There's no offence, my Lord.

Ham. Yes, by St. Patrick, but there is, my Lord, And much offence too. Touching this vision here, It is an honeft Ghoft; that let me tell you:

For your defire to know what is between us,
O'er-mafter it as you may.
And now, good friends,
As you are friends, fcholars and foldiers,
Give me one poor request.

Hor. What is't, my Lord?

Ham. Never make known what you have feen to-night.
Both. My Lord, we will not.
Ham. Nay, but fwear't.
Hor. In faith, my Lord, not I.
Mar. Nor 1, my Lord, in faith.
Har. Upon my fword.

Mar. We have fworn, my Lord, already.
Ham. Indeed, upon my fword, indeed.
Ghost. Swear.

[Ghoft cries under the stage. Ham. Ah ha, boy, fay'st thou fo? At thou there, true

penny?

Come on, you hear this fellow in the cellarage.
Confent to fwear.

Hor. Propofe the oath, my Lord. Ham. Never to speak of this that Swear by my fword.

Ghoft. Swear.

Ham. His & ubique? Then we'll shift our ground. Come hither, gentlemen,

you

have feen,

And lay your hands again upon my fword.
Never to speak of this which you have heard,
Swear by my fword.

Ghoft. Swear by his fword.

Ham. Well faid, old mole; can't work i' the ground fo fift?

A worthy pioneer! Once-more remove, good friends. Hor. On day and night, but this is wondrous frange. Ham. And therefore as a ftranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,

Than

Than are dreamt of in your philofophy. But come,
Here, as before, never, (fo help you mercy!)
How ftrange or odd foe'er I hear myself,
As I perchance hereafter fhall think meet
To put an antick difpofition on,

That you, at fuch time seeing me, never fhall,
With arms encumber'd thus, or this head-shake,
Or by pronouncing of fome doubtful phrafe,
As, Well-we know-

-or, We could, and if we would Or, If we lift to speak-or, There be, and if there mightOr fuch ambiguous giving out, denote

So grace
Swear.

That you know aught of me: This do ye fwear,
and mercy at your most need help you!.

Ghoft. Swear.

Ham. Reft, reft, perturbed fpirit. So, gentlemen,
With all my love do I commend me to you;
And what fo poor a man as Hamlet is

May do to exprefs his love and friending to you,
God willing, fhall not lack. Let us go in together,
And ftill your fingers on your lips, I pray.
The time is out of joint; oh, curfed fpite!.
That ever I was born to fet it right..
Nay, come, let's go together.

[Exeunt.

No. XXXIII.-HAMLET.

ACT III. SCENE IV. The Queen's Apartment.
Enter Queen and Polonius.

POLONIUS.

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

Tell him, his pranks have been too broad to bear with,
And that your Grace hath screen'd and stood between
Much heat and him. I'll filence me e'en here;
Pray you, be round with him.

Ham. [within.] Mother, mother, mother.

Q6

Queen.