His name 's Gonzago; the story is extant, and writ in choice Italian: You shall see anon, how the murtherer gets the love of Gonzago's wife. Oph. The king rises. Ham. What! frighted with false fire! Queen. How fares my lord? Pol. Give o'er the play. King. Give me some light :-away! All. Lights, lights, lights! [Exeunt all but HAM. and Hor. Ham. Why, let the strucken deer go weep, The hart ungalled play: For some must watch, while some must sleep; Would not this, sir, and a forest of feathers, (if the rest of my fortunes turn Turk with me,) with two Provincial roses on my razed shoes, get me a fellowship in a cry of players, sir? Hor. Half a share. Ham. A whole one, ay. For thou dost know, O Damon dear, This realm dismantled was Of Jove himself; and now reigns here Hor. You might have rhymed. Ham. O good Horatio, I'll take the ghost's word for a thousand pound. Didst perceive? Hor. Very well, my lord. Ham. Upon the talk of the poisoning,— Hor. I did very well note him. Ham. Ah, ha!-Come, some music; come, the re corders. For if the king like not the comedy, Why, then, belike, he likes it not, perdy. a Razed-slashed. b Paiocke. It is said that paiocke means the Italian baiocco, "a piece of money of about three farthings value." Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Come, some music. Guil. Good my lord, vouchsafe me a word with you. Guil. The king, sir, Ham. Ay, sir, what of him? Guil. Is, in his retirement, marvellous distempered. Guil. No, my lord, rather with choler. Ham. Your wisdom should show itself more richer, to signify this to his doctor; for, for me to put him to his purgation, would, perhaps, plunge him into far more choler. Guil. Good my lord, put your discourse into some frame, and start not so wildly from my affair. Ham. I am tame, sir, pronounce. Guil. The queen, your mother, in most great affliction of spirit, hath sent me to you. Ham. You are welcome. Guil. Nay, good my lord, this courtesy is not of the right breed. If it shall please you to make me a wholesome answer, I will do your mother's commandment: if not, your pardon, and my return, shall be the end of my business. Ham. Sir, I cannot. Guil. What, my lord? Ham. Make you a wholesome answer; my wit 's diseased: But, sir, such answers as I can make you shall command; or, rather, you say, my mother: therefore, no more, but to the matter; My mother, you say, Ros. Then thus she says: Your behaviour hath struck her into amazement and admiration. Ham. O wonderful son, that can so astonish a mother! But is there no sequel at the heels of this mother's admiration? Ros. She desires to speak with you in her closet, ere you go to bed. Ham. We shall obey, were she ten times our mother. Have you any further trade with us? Ros. My lord, you once did love me. Ham. So I do still, by these pickers and stealers. Ros. Good my lord, what is your cause of distemper? you do freely bar the door of your own liberty, if you deny your griefs to your friend. Ham. Sir, I lack advancement. Ros. How can that be, when you have the voice of the king himself for your succession in Denmark? Ham. Ay, but "While the grass grows,"-the proverb is something musty. Enter one with a recorder. O, the recorder: let me see. To withdraw with you: -Why do you go about to recover the wind of me, as you would drive me into a toil? if Guil. O, my lord, if my duty be too bold, my love is too unmannerly. Ham. I do not well understand that. Will you play upon this pipe? Guil. My lord, I cannot. Ham. I pray you. Guil. Believe me, I cannot. Ham. I do beseech you. Guil. I know no touch of it, my lord. Ham. 'T is as easy as lying: govern these vertages with your fingers and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, and it will discourse most excellent music. Look you, these are the stops. Guil. But these cannot I command to any utterance of harmony; I have not the skill. Ham. Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of me. You would play upon me; you would seem to know my stops; you would pluck out the heart of my mystery; you would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass: and there is much music, excellent voice, in this little organ; yet cannot you make it. Why, do you think that I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me. God bless you, sir! Enter POLONIUS. Pol. My lord, the queen would speak with you, and presently. Ham. Do you see that cloud, that 's almost in shape like a camel? Pol. By the mass, and 't is like a camel, indeed. Pol. It is backed like a weasel. Ham. Or, like a whale? Pol. Very like a whale. Ham. Then will I come to my mother by and by.They fool me to the top of my hent.-I will come by and by. Pol. I will say so. [Exit Pol. Ham. By and by is easily said.-Leave me, friends. [Exeunt Ros., GUIL., HOR., &c. "T is now the very witching time of night; When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out Contagion to this world: Now could I drink hot blood, And do such bitter business as the day Would quake to look on. Soft; now to my mother.— O, heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom : Let me be cruel, not unnatural: I will speak daggers to her, but use none; To give them seals never, my soul, consent! a Shent-rebuked; or probably here, hurt. [Exit. b To give them seals-to give my words seals; to make my sayings deeds. SCENE III.-A Room in the same. Enter KING, ROSENCRANTZ, and GUILDENSTERN. Guil. Ros. The single and peculiar life is bound, Did the king sigh, but with a general groan. King. Arm you, I pray you, to this speedy voyage; For we will fetters put upon this fear, Which now goes too free-footed. Ros., Guil. We will haste us. [Ex. Ros. & GUIL. Enter POLONIUS. Pol. My lord, he 's going to his mother's closet: Behind the arras I 'll convey myself, To hear the process; I'll warrant, she 'll tax him home. And, as you said, and wisely was it said, |