Ham. I see a cherub that sees them: but come, for 50 England. Farewell deere mother.

King. Thy loving father Hamlet.

Ham. My mother, father and mother is man and wife,
man and wife is one flesh, and so my mother. Come, for
England.
Exit. 55
King. Follow him at foote, tempt him with speede abord,
Delay it not, Ile have him hence to night.
Away, for every thing is seal'd and done

That els leanes on th'affaire, pray you make hast.
And England, if my love thou hold'st at ought,
As my great power thereof may give thee sense,
Since yet thy cicatrice lookes raw and red
After the Danish sword, and thy free awe
Payes homage to us, thou mayst not coldly set
Our soveraigne processe, which imports at full
By letters congruing to that effect

The present death of Hamlet. Doe it England,
For like the hectique in my blood he rages,
And thou must cure me; till I knowe 'tis done,
How ere my happes, my joyes were ne're begun.

[Scena Quarta.]

Enter Fortinbras with an armie.

Fort. Goe captaine, from me greet the Danish king,

Tell him, that by his license, Fortinbrasse

Craves the conveyance of a promis'd march

Over his kingdome. You know the rendezvous:
If that his majesty would ought with us,
We shall expresse our dutie in his eye,
And let him know so.

Cap.

Fort. Goe softly on.

I will doo't, my lord.

Enter Hamlet, Rosencrans, &c.

Ham. Good sir whose powers are these?

Cap. They are of Norway sir.

60

65

Exit.

5

Exit.

10

50 him (for them) D. 54 and not in ABC. 66 coniuring D. 68 Hectick Hecticke D. 70 haps ABC. will nere begin AC beginne B. Scena Quarta. not in any edition. Enter Fortinbrae with his Army ouer the ftage. ABC. 3 Claimes (for Craves) D. 4 randeuous, A Rendeuous: D. 8 fafely (for softly) D. Exit. not in ABC. Enter Hamlet worth. Exit. not in A*D. 10 The B.

Ham. How purposd sir I pray you?
Cap. Against some part of Poland.
Ham. Who commands them sir?

Cap. The nephew to old Norway, Fortinbrasse.
Ham. Goes it against the maine of Poland sir,
Or for some frontire?

Cap. Truly to speake, and with no addition,
We goe to gaine a little patch of ground
That hath in it no profit but the name

15

To pay five duckets, five I would not farme it;
Nor will it yeeld to Norway or the Pole

20

A rancker rate, should it be sold in fee.

Ham. Why then the Pollacke never will defend it.
Cap. Yes, it is already garisond.

Ham. Two thousand soules, and twenty thousand duckets Will not debate the question of this straw,

26

This is th'impostume of much wealth and peace,

That inward breakes, and showes no cause without
Why the man dies. I humbly thanke you sir.
Cap. God buy you sir.

Ros.

Wil't please you goe my lord? 30
Ham. Ile be with you straight, goe a little before.
How all occasions doe informe against me,

And spur my dull revenge. What is a man
If his chiefe good and market of his time

Be but to sleepe and feede, a beast, no more:

35

Sure he that made us with such large discourse
Looking before and after, gave us not

That capability and god-like reason

To fust in us unusd, now whether it be

Bestiall oblivion, or some craven scruple

40

Of thinking too precisely on th’event,

A thought which quarterd hath but one part wisdome,

And ever three parts coward, I doe not know

Why yet I live to say this thing's to doe,

Sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and meanes

45

To doo't; examples grosse as earth exhort me,

To all that fortune, death, and danger dare,
Even for an egge-shell. Rightly to be great,
Is not to stirre without great argument,
But greatly to find quarrell in a straw

55

When honour's at the stake. How stand I then
That have a father kild, a mother staind,
Excytements of my reason, and my blood,
And let all sleepe, while to my shame I see
The imminent death of twenty thousand men,
That for a fantasie and tricke of fame
Goe to their graves like beds, fight for a plot
Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause,
Which is not tombe enough and continent
To hide the slaine. O from this time forth,
My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth.

[Scena Quinta.]

Enter Queene and Horatio.

Queene. I will not speake with her.
Hor. She is importunat, indeede distract,
Her moode will needes be pittied.

Queene.

60

65

Exit.

What would she have?

Hor. She speakes much of her father, sayes she heares There's tricks i'th'world, and hems, and beates her heart, 5 Spurnes enviously at strawes, speakes things in doubt, That carry but halfe sense: her speech is nothing,

Yet the unshaped use of it doth move

The hearers to collection; they ayme at it,

And botch the words up fit to their owne thoughts,

Which as her winkes, and nods, and gestures yeeld them, Indeede would make one thinke there might be thought, Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily.

10

Queene. "Twere good she were spoken with, for she may strew Dangerous conjectures in ill breeding mindes.

Let her come in.

To my sicke soule, as sinnes true nature is,

60 iminent ABC.

15

Scena Quinta. not in any edition. Enter Horatio, Gertrard, and a Gentleman. ABC. 2 & 4 Gent. (for Hor.) ABC. importunate D. 3 needs CD. 5 trickes D beats BCD. 9 yawne (for ayme) ABC. 11 as omitted in BC. wincks A winckes B winks C. 12 would (for might) D. 14 Hora. (for Queene) ABC. 17 Enter Ophelia. Quee. “To ABC.

Each toy seemes prologue to some great amisse,
So full of artlesse jealousie is guilt,

It spills it selfe in fearing to be spilt.

Enter Ophelia distracted.

Oph. Where is the beauteous majesty of Denmarke?
Queene. How now Ophelia?

Oph. How should I your true love know

From another one?

By his cockle hat and staffe,

And his sandal shoone.

Queene. Alas sweet lady, what imports this song?

Oph. Say you? nay pray you marke.

He is dead and gone lady,

He is dead and gone,

At his head a gras-greene turfe,

At his heeles a stone.

Oph.

Larded with sweet flowers,

20

25

30

35

Which beweept to the grave did not go

With true love showers.

King. How doe you, pretty lady?

40

Oph. Well, God dild you. They say the owle was a bakers daughter. Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be. God be at your table.

King. Conceit upon her father.

45

Oph. Pray let's have no words of this: but when they aske you what it meanes, say you this:

To morrow is S. Valentines day,
All in the morning betime,

And I a maide at your window,

To be your Valentine.

Then up he rose, and don'd his clothes,
And dupt the chamber dore,

Let in the maide, that out a maide,
Never departed more.

50

55

26 Sendall ABC. 28 Say you, ABC. 33 O ho not in D. Enter King. 39 bewept D. ground (for grave) ABC. 42 good (for God) ABC. God yeeld A*. 52 clofe ABC.

21 beautious Maieftie A. 23 fhee fings, A.
ABC. 29 Song. ABC. 31 turph
D. 38 Song. Larded all ABC.
40 true-loue Showres D. 41 ye D.
46 Pray you D. 48 Song. ABC.

King. Pretty Ophelia.

Oph. Indeede la? without an oath Ile make an end on't, By gis and by Saint Charity,

Alack, and fie for shame,

Young men will doo't, if they come too't,

60

By Cock they are to blame.

Quoth she, before you tumbled me,

You promis'd me to wed:

So would I ha done by yonder sunne
And thou hadst not come to my bed.

King. How long hath she beene thus ?

65

Oph. I hope all will be well. We must be patient, but I cannot choose but weepe, to thinke they should lay him i'th' cold ground: my brother shall know of it, and so I thanke you for your good counsaile. Come, my coach: good night 70 ladies, good night sweet ladies: good night, good night. Exit. King. Follow her close, give her good watch I pray you. O this is the poyson of deepe griefe, it springs All from her fathers death. O Gertrude, Gertrude, When sorrowes come, they come not single spies, But in battalians: first, her father slaine,

75

Next, your sonne gone, and he most violent author
Of his owne just remove: the people muddied,

Thick and unwholsome in their thoughts, and whispers

For good Polonius death; and we have done but greenly 80
In hugger mugger to interre him: poore Ophelia
Divided from her selfe, and her faire judgement,

Without the which we are pictures, or meere beasts.

Last, and as much containing as all these,
Her brother is in secret come from France,

85

Feeds on this wonder, keepes himselfe in clowdes,
And wants not buzzers to infect his eare

With pestilent speeches of his fathers death,
Wherein necessity of matter beggerd,
Will nothing sticke our person to arraigne
In eare and eare. O my deere Gertrude, this,
Like a murdring peece in many places,
Gives me superfluous death.

ABC.

90

A noise within.

57 la? not in ABC. 64 (He anfwers.) So ABC. fhould BC. a (for ha) ABC. 65 If (for And) A*. 66 bin this D. 68 chufe ABC. would (for should) ABC. 70 counfell D. God (for good) ABC. 71 Exit. not in 74 death, and now behold, o ABC. 75 comes D. 76 Battaliaes. D [battalions Quarto 1676.] 79 Thicke D. their omitted in ABC. 81 inter ABC. 86 Keepes on his wonder D. 89 Where in D. Beggard D. 90 perfons D. 92 murdering D.