128 Ham. If she should break it now, 129 P. King. 'T is deeply sworn. Sweet, leave me here a while: My spirits grow dull, and fain I would beguile The tedious day with sleep. P. Queen. [Sleeps. Sleep rock thy brain; [Exit, And never come mischance between us twain! Queen. The lady doth protest too much, methinks. King. Have you heard the argument? Is there no offence in 't? Ham. No, no; they do but jest, poison in jest: no offence i' the world. King. What do you call the play? Ham. The mouse-trap. Marry, how? Tropically. This play is the image of a murder done in Vienna: Gonzago is the duke's name; his wife Baptista. You shall see anon; 't is a knavish piece of work; but what of that? your majesty, and we that have free souls, it touches us not let the galled jade wince, our withers are unwrung.! Enter LUCIANUS. This is one Lucianus, nephew to the king. Oph. You are as good as a chorus, my lord. Ham. I could interpret between you and your love, if I could see the puppets dallying. Oph. You are keen, my lord, you are keen. Ham. It would cost you a groaning to take off my edge Ham. So you must take your husbands. Begin, mur derer: leave thy damnable faces, and begin. Come: The croaking raven doth bellow for revenge. Luc. Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and time agreeing; Confederate season, else no creature seeing; Thou mixture rank, of midnight weeds collected, With Hecate's ban thrice blasted, thrice infected, On wholesome life usurp immediately. [Pours the Poison into the Sleeper's Ears. | 130 Ham. He poisons him i' the garden for his estate. His name's Gonzago: the story is extant, and written in very choice Italian. You shall see anon, how the murderer gets the love of Gonzago's wife. Oph. The king rises. Ham. What! frighted with false fire? 3 Queen. How fares my lord? away! [Exeunt all but HAMLET and HORATIO. Ham. Why, let the stricken 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, I. 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 recorders! For if the king like not the comedy,: Why then, belike, he likes it not, perdy. 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. Ham. With drink, Sir? Guil. No, my lord, 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 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. 131 132 133 134 135 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 answer as I can make, you shall command; or, rather, as 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? impart. 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 farther trade with us? Ros. My lord, you once did love me. Ham. And do still, by these pickers and stealers. Ros. Good, my lord, what is your cause of distemper? you do, surely, but bar the door upon 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, Sir, but "while the grass grows," verb is something musty. | Enter the Players, with Recorders. the pro O the recorders: let me see one. To withdraw with you: why do you go about to recover the wind of me, as if you would drive me into a toil? 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. It is as easy as lying: govern these ventages with your finger and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, and it will discourse most eloquent 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 speak. 'Sblood! do you think 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. -1 God bless you, Sir! Enter POLONIUS. Pol. My lord, the queen would speak with you, and presently. Ham. Do you see yonder cloud, that 's almost in shape of a camel? Pol. By the mass, and 't is like a camel, indeed, Ham. Methinks, it is like a weasel, Pol. It is becked 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 bent. I will come by and by. Pol. I will say so. Ham. By and by is easily said. [Erit. POLONIUS. Leave me, friends. [Exeunt Ros., GUIL., HOR., &c. | 'T is now the very witching time of night, Would quake to look on. Soft! now to my mother, I will speak daggers to her, but use none; [Exit. 136 137 138 139 140 SCENE III. A Room in the Same. Enter King, ROSENCRANTZ, and GUILDENSTERN, Guil. We will ourselves provide. Most holy and religious fear it is, 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, and Guil. We will haste us. [Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. | 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, 'T is meet that some more audience than a mother, Since nature makes them partial, should o'erhear The speech, of vantage. Fare you well, my liege: And tell you what I know. |