Like Niobe, all tears;-why she, even she,-
O heaven! a beast, that wants discourse of reason,
Would have mourn'd longer, married with my

uncle,

My father's brother; but no more like my father,
Than I to Hercules: Within a month;
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married:-O most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not, nor it cannot come to, good;

But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue!

Enter HORATIO, BERNARDO, and MARCELLUS.

Hor. Hail to your lordship!
Ham.

I am glad to see you well:

Horatio, or I do forget myself.
Hor. The same, my lord, and your poor servant

ever.

Ham. Sir, my good friend; I'll change that name2

with you.

And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio?Marcellus?

Mar. My good lord,

Ham. I am very glad to see you; good even, sir.But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg? Hor. A truant disposition, good my lord. Ham. I would not hear your enemy say so; Nor shall you do mine ear that violence, To make it truster of your own report Against yourself: I know, you are no truant. But what is your affair in Elsinore? We'll teach you to drink deep, ere you depart.

2

3

I'll change that name-] I'll be your servant, you shall

be my friend. - what make you-] A familiar phrase for what are you doing.

Hor. My lord, I came to see your father's funeral. Ham. I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow

student;

I think, it was to see my mother's wedding.

Hor. Indeed, my lord, it follow'd hard upon. Ham. Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral bak'd

Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.
'Would I had met my dearest foe in heavens
Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio!-
My father,-Methinks, I see my father.

Hor.

My lord?

Where,

Ham. In my mind's eye, Horatio.
Hor. I saw him once, he was a goodly king.
Ham. He was a man, take him for all in all,

I shall not look upon his like again.

Hor. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.
Ham. Saw! who?

Hor. My lord, the king your father.

Ham.

The king my father!

Hor. Season your admiration for a while

With an attent ear;" till I may deliver,

Upon the witness of these gentlemen,

This marvel to you.

Ham.

For God's love, let me hear.

Hor. Two nights together had these gentlemen,

Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch,

In the dead waist and middle of the night,

4

- the funeral bak'd meats] It was anciently the general

custom to give a cold entertainment to mourners at a funeral. In

distant counties this practice is continued among the yeomanry.

5

- dearest foe in heaven-] Dearest is most immediate, con

sequential, important.

Season your admiration-] That is, temper it.

Been thus encounter'd. A figure like your father,
Armed at point, exactly, cap-à-pé,
Appears before them, and, with solemn march,
Goes slow and stately by them: thrice he walk'd,
By their oppress'd and fear-surprized eyes,
Within his truncheon's length; whilst they, distill'd
Almost to jelly with the act of fear,
Stand dumb, and speak not to him. This to me
In dreadful secrecy impart they did;
And I with them, the third night kept the watch:
Where, as they had deliver'd, both in time,
Form of the thing, each word made true and good,
The apparition comes: I knew your father;

These hands are not more like.

My lord, I did;

But answer made it none: yet once, methought, It lifted up its head, and did address

Itself to motion, like as it would speak:

But, even then, the morning cock crew loud;
And at the sound it shrunk in haste away,

And vanish'd from our sight.

Ham.

'Tis very strange.

Hor. As I do live, my honour'd lord, 'tis true; And we did think it writ down in our duty, To let you know of it.

Ham. Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this troubles me. Hold you the watch to-night?

phraseology seems to have been common in the time of Shakspeare. By waist is meant nothing more than middle.

9

- with the act of fear,] Fear was the cause, the active cause that distilled them by the force of operation which we strictly call act in voluntary, and power in involuntary agents, but popularly call act in both. JOHNSON.

Hor. O, yes, my lord; he wore his beaver up.

Ham. What, look'd he frowningly?

Then saw you not

Hor.

A countenance more

Very like,

Hor. It would have much amaz'd you.

Ham.

Very like: Stay'd it long?

Hor. While one with moderate haste might tell a

hundred.

Mar. Ber. Longer, longer.

Hor. Not when I saw it.

Ham.

His beard was grizzl'd? no?

Hor. It was, as I have seen it in his life,

A sable silver'd.

Ham.

I will watch to-night;

Perchance, 'twill walk again.
Hor.

I warrant, it will.

Ham. If it assume my noble father's person, I'll speak to it, though hell itself should gape,

9

- wore his beaver up.] Though beaver properly signified that part of the helmet which was let down, to enable the wearer. to drink, Shakspeare always uses the word as denoting that part of the helmet which, when raised up, exposed the face of the wearer: and such was the popular signification of the word in his time.

And bid me hold my peace. I pray you all,
If you have hitherto conceal'd this sight,
Let it be tenable in your silence still;
And whatsoever else shall hap to-night,
Give it an understanding, but no tongue;
I will requite your loves: So, fare you well:
Upon the platform, 'twixt eleven and twelve,
I'll visit you.

All.

Our duty to your honour.

Ham. Your loves, as mine to you: Farewell.

[Exeunt HORATIO, MARCELLUS, and Ber

NARDO.

My father's spirit in arms! all is not well;
I doubt some foul play: 'would, the night were come!
Till then sit still, my soul: Foul deeds will rise,
Though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes.

SCENE III.

A Room in Polonius' House.

Enter LAErtes and OPHELIA.

[Exit.

Laer. My necessaries are embark'd; farewell:

And, sister, as the winds give benefit,

And convoy is assistant, do not sleep,

But let me hear from you.

Oph.

Do you doubt that?

Laer. For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favour,

Hold it a fashion, and a toy in blood;

A violet in the youth of primy nature,
Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,
The pérfume and suppliance of a minute;1

No more.

1 The perfume and suppliance of a minute;] i. e. what was supplied to us for a minute; or, perhaps, an amusement to fill up a vacant moment, and render it agreeable.