That hath a stomake in't, which no other As it doth well appeare vnto our state But to recouer of vs by ftrong hand
And tearmes compulfatory, thofe forefaid lands So by his father loft; and this I take it,
Is the maine motiue of our preparations
The fource of this our watch, and the cheefe head Of this post-haft and romeage in the land.
Bar. I thinke it be no other but euen fo † ; Well may it fort that this portentous figure Comes armed through our watch fo like the king That was and is the queftion of these warres.
Hora. A moth it is to trouble the mindes eye : In the most high and palmy state of Rome, A little ere the mightieft Iulius fell
The graues ftood tennantieffe, and the fheeted dead Did fqueake and gibber in the Romane streets
As ftarres with traines of fire, and dewes of bloud Difafters in the funne; and the moist starre, Vpon whofe influence Neptunes empier ftands, Was fick almost to doomesday with eclipse. And euen the like precurfe of fearce euents As harbingers preceading ftill the fates And prologue to the omen comming on Haue heauen and earth together demonstrated Vnto our climatures and contrimen.
But foft, behold, lo where it comes againe Ile croffe it though it blaft mee: ftay illufion,
If thou haft any found or vfe of voice, Speake to mee, if there be any good thing to bee done
That may to thee doe ease and grace to mee, Speake to mee.
If thou art priuy to thy contryes fate Which happily foreknowing may auoyd, O fpeake :
Or if thou haft vphoorded in thy life Extorted treafure in the wombe of earth,
For which they say your fpirits oft walke in death.
The cock crowes. Speake of it, stay and fpeake, stop it Marcellus. Mar. Shall I ftrike it with my partizan ?
Hor. Doe if it will not stand.
Bar. Tis heere.
Hor. Tis heere.
Mar. Tis gone,
We doe it wrong being fo maiefticall
To offer it the showe of violence,
For it is as the ayre invulnerable,
And our vaine blowes malicious mockery.
Bar. It was about to fpeake when the cock crew: Hor. And then it started like a guilty thing, Vpon a fearefull fummons; I haue heard, The cock that is the trumpet to the morne Doth with his lofty and fhrill founding throate Awake the god of day, and at his warning Whether in fea or fire, in earth or ayre, Th'extrauagant and erring spirit hyes To his confine and of the truth heerein This prefent obiect made probation.
Mar. It faded on the crowing of the cock. Some fay that euer gainft that feafon comes, Wherein our Sauiours birth is celebrated This bird of dawning fingeth all night long,
And then they fay no fpirit dare* sturre abroade The nights are wholfome, then no plannets strike, No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charme So hallowed and fo gratious is that time.
Hor. So haue I heard and doe in part beleeue it, But looke the morne in ruffet mantle clad Walkes ore the dew of yon high eastward hill: Breake wee our watch vp and by my aduife Let vs impart what wee haue feen to night Vnto yong Hamlet, for vpon my life
This fpirit dumb to vs, will speake to him: Doe you confent wee fhall acquaint him with it
As needfull in our loues fitting our duety.
Mar. Lets doo't I pray, and I this morning know Where wee fhall find him most conuenient.
Flourish. Enter Claudius, king of Denmarke, Gertrad the queene, counfaile: as Polonius, and his fonne Laertes, Hamlet cum aliis.
Claud. Though yet of Hamlet our deare brothers death The memory bee greene, and that it vs befitted
To beare our hearts in greefe and our whole kingdome, To be contracted in one browe of woe,
Yet fo farre hath difcretion fought with nature, That wee with wifeft forrow thinke on him Together with remembrance of ourfelues: Therefore our fometime fifter, now our queene Th'imperiall ioyntreffe to this warlike state Haue wee as twere with a defeated ioy With an aufpitious, and a dropping eye,
With mirth in funerall, and with dirge in mariage In equall scale waighing delight and dole
Taken to wife: nor haue wee herein bard Your better wisdomes, which haue freely gone With this affaire along (for all our thankes) Now followes that you know yong Fortinbraffe, Holding a weake fuppofall of our worth Or thinking by our late deare brothers death Our state to bee difioynt, and out of frame Colegued with this dreame of his aduantage Hee hath not faild to pefter vs with message Importing the furrender of thofe lands Loft by his father, with all bands of law To our most valiant brother, fo much for him. Now for our felfe, and for this time of meeting, Thus much the bufines is, we haue here writ To Norway vncle of young Fortenbrasse Who impotent and bedred scarcely heares Of this his nephewes purpose; to fuppreffe His further gate heerein, in that the leuies, The lifts, and full proportions are all made Out of his fubiect and we heere dispatch You good Cornelius, and you Valtemand, For
bearers of this greeting to old Norway, Giuing to you no further perfonall power To bufines with the king, more then the scope Of thefe delated articles allow :
Farwell, and let your haft commend your duty.
Cor. Vo. In that and all things will we show our duty.
Kin. We doubt it nothing, hartely farwell.
And now Laertes whats the newes with you? You told vs of fome fute, what ift Laertes ?
You cannot speake of reafon to the Dane
And lofe your voyce; what would'ft thou begge Laertes ?
That shall not be my offer, not thy asking, The head is not more natiue to the heart The hand more inftrumentall to the mouth Then is the throne of Denmarke to thy father, What would'st thou haue Laertes ?
Your leaue and fauour to returne to France, From whence though willingly I came to Denmarke, To show my duty in your coronation;
Yet now I must confeffe, that duty done
My thoughts and wishes bend againe toward France. And bow them to your gracious leaue and pardon.
King. Haue you your fathers leaue, what faies Polonius? Polo. He hath my lord wrung from me my flow leaue By labourfome petition, and at last
Vpon his will I feald my hard confent,
I doe beseech you giue him leaue to goe.
King. Take thy faire houre Laertes, time be thine, And thy best graces spend it at thy will: But now my cofin Hamlet, and my fonne.
Ham. A little more then kin, and leffe then kinde. King. How is it that the clowdes ftill hang on you. Ham. Not fo much my lord, I am too much in the sonne. Queene. Good Hamlet caft thy nighted colour off
And let thine eye looke like a friend on Denmarke,
Doe not for euer with thy vailed lids,
Seeke for thy noble father in the duft,
Thou know'st tis common all that liues must dye,
Paffing through nature to eternitie.
Ham. I Maddam, it is common.
Why feemes it fo perticuler with thee.
Ham. Seemes maddam, nay it is, I know not feemes,
Tis not alone my incky cloake could fmother *,
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