With variable objects, fhall expel

This fomething-fettled matter in his heart,
Whereon his brains ftill beating, puts him thus
From fashion of himself. What think you on't?
Pol. It fhall do well. But yet do I believe,
The origin and commencement of this grief
Sprung from neglected love. How now, Ophelia?
You need not tell us what Lord Hamlet faid,
We heard it all.

My Lord, do as you please.

But if you hold it fit, after the Play

[Exit Ophelia.

Let his Queen-mother all alone intreat him
To fhew his griefs; let her be round with him,
And I'll be plac'd, fo please you, in the ear
Of all their conf'rence. If the find him not,
To England fend him; or confine him, where
Your wifdom beft fhall think.

King. It shall be so.

Madness in Great ones muft not unwatch'd go.

[Exeunt.

Enter Hamlet, and two or three of the Players.

Ham. Speak the fpeech, I pray you; as I pronounc'd it to you, trippingly on the tongue. But if you mouth it, as many of our Players do, I had as lieve, the town-crier had spoke my my lines. And do not faw the air too much with your hand thus, but use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempeft, and, as I may fay, whirl-wind of your paffion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it fmoothnefs. Oh it offends me to the foul, to hear a robuftious periwig-pated fellow tear a paffion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings: who for

6 the groundlings:] The meaner people then feem to have fat below, as they now fit in the upper gallery, who not well underfland

P

6

the most part are capable of nothing but 'inexplicable dumb fhews, and noife: I could have fuch a fellow whipt for o'er doing Termagant; it out-berods Herod. Pray you, avoid it.

Play. I warrant your Honour.

୨

Ham. Be not too tame neither; but let your own difcretion be your tutor. Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this fpecial obfervance, that you o'er-step not the modefty of Nature; for any thing fo overdone is from the purpose of playing; whole end, both at the firft and now, was and is, to hold as 'twere the mirror up to nature; to fhew virtue her own feature, fcorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time, his form and preffure. Now this over-done, or come tardy of, tho it make the unfkilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve; the cenfure of which one muft in your allowance o'er-weigh a whole theatre of others. Oh, there be Players that I have feen play, and heard others praife, and that highly, not to fpeak it profanely, that neither having the accent of chriftian, nor the gait of chriftian, pagan, or man, have fo ftrutted and bellow'd, that I have thought fome of nature's journey men had made men, and not made them well; they imitated humanity fo abominably.

Play. I hope, we have reform'd that indifferently with us.

Ham. Oh, reform it altogether. And let thofe, that play your Clowns, fpeak no more than is fet down for them: For there be of them that will themfelves laugh, to fet on fome quantity of barren spectators to laugh too; though, in the mean time, fome neceffary queftion of the Play be then to be confidered. That's villainous; and fhews a most pitiful ambition in the fool that ufes it. Go make you ready.

SCENE

[Exeunt Players.

IV.

Enter Polonius, Rofincrantz, and Guildenftern. How now, my Lord; will the King hear this piece of work?

Pol. And the Queen too, and that presently. Ham. Bid the Players make haste. [Exit Polonius. Will you two help to haften them?

Both. We will, my Lord.

Ham. What, ho, Horatio!

Enter Horatio to Hamlet.

Hor. Here, fweet Lord, at your service. Ham. Horatio, thou art e'en as just a Man, As e'er my converfation cop'd withal.

Hor, Oh my dear Lord,

Ham. Nay, do not think, I flatter :

For what advancement may I hope from thee,
That no revenue haft, but thy good fpirits,

[Exeunt.

To feed and cloath thee? Should the poor be flatter'd?
No, let the candied tongue lick abfurd Pomp,
And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee,
Where thrift may follow fawning. Doft thou hear?
Since my dear foul was mistress of her choice,

And could of men diftinguish, her election

Hath feal'd thee for herself; for thou hast been
As one, in fuffering all, that fuffers nothing;
A man, that fortune's buffets and rewards

Haft ta'en with equal thanks. And bleft are thofe,
s Whofe blood and judgment are fo well co-mingled,
That they are not a pipe for fortune's finger,
To found what stop fhe please. Give me that man,
That is not paffion's flave, and I will wear him
In my heart's core; ay, in my heart of heart,
As I do thee. Something too much of this.
There is a Play to-night before the King,
One Scene of it comes near the circumftance,
Which I have told thee, of my father's death.
I pr'ythee, when thou feeft that Act a foot,
Ev'n with the very comment of thy foul
Obferve mine uncle; if his occult guilt
Do not itself unkennel in one speech,
It is a damned Ghoft that we have seen,
And my imaginations are as foul

As Vulcan's Stithy. Give him heedful note;
For I mine eyes will rivet to his face ;

And, after, we will both our judgments join,
In cenfure of his Seeming..

Hor. Well, my Lord.

If he fteal aught, the whilft this Play is playing,
And 'fcape detecting, I will pay the theft.

5 Whofe blood and judgment-] According to the doctrine of the four humours, defire and confidence were feated in the blood, aad judgment in the phlegm,

and the due mixture of the humours made a perfect character.

6 -Vulcan's Stithy.—] Stithy is a fmith's anvil.

SCENE

SCENE V.

Enter King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rofincrantz,
Guildenstern, and other Lords attendant, with a

guard carrying torches. Danish March. Sound a
flourish.

Ham. They're coming to the Play; I must be idle. Get you a place.

King. How fares our coufin Hamlet?

Ham. Excellent, i' faith, of the camelion's difh. I eat the air, promife-cramm'd. You cannot feed capons fo.

King. I have nothing with this anfwer, Hamlet; these words are not mine.

Ham. No, nor mine now.- -My Lord; you. play'd once i' th' univerfity, you say? [To Polonius. Pol. That I did, my Lord, and was accounted a good actor.

Ham. And what did you enact?

Pol. I did enact Julius Cæfar, I was kill'd i' th' Capitol. Brutus kill'd me.

Ham. It was a brute part of him, to kill fo capital a calf there. Be the players ready?

8

Rof. Ay, my Lord, they ftay upon your patience.
Queen. Come hither, my dear Hamlet, fit by me.
Ham. No, good mother, here's metal more attrac-

H