Ham. Horatio, thou art e'en as just a man As c'er my conversation cop'd withal.

Hor. O, my dear lord

Ham. Nay, do not think I flatter:
For what advancement may I hope from thee,

I
That no revenue hast, but thy good spirits,
To feed and clothe thee? Should 'the poor be flat-

ter'd ?
No, let the candied tongue lick absurd pomp,
And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee,
Where thrift

may

follow fawning. Dost thou hear?
Since my dear soul was mistress of her choice,
And could of men distinguish, her election
Hath seald thee for herself ; for thou hast been
As one, in suffering all, that suffers nothing;
A man, that fortune's buffets and rewards
Hast ta’en with equal thanks : and bless’d are those,
Whose blood and judgment are so well co-mingled,
That they are not a pipe for fortune's finger
To sound what stop she please : Give me that man
That is not passion's slave, and I will wear him
In my heart's core, ay,

in
my

heart of heart,
As I do thee.--Something too much of this.-
There is a play to-night before the king;
One scene of it comes near the circumstance,
Which I have told thee of my father's death.
I prythee, when thou see'st that act a-foot,
Even with the very comment of thy soul
Observe my uncle: if his occulted guilt
Do not itself unkennel in one speech,
It is a damned ghost that we have seen ;.
And my imaginations are as foul
As Vulcan's stithy : Give him heedful note :
For I mine eyes will rivet to his face;
And, after, we will both our judgments join
In censure of his secming.
Hor, Well, my lord,

[Flourish of Trumpets and Drums. Ham. They are coming to the play; I must be idle: Get you a place.

A grand March. Enter POLONIUS, KING, QUEEN, OPHELIA, ROSEN

CRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, OSRICK, MARCELLUS, BERNARDO, FRANCISCO, GENTLEMEN, and La

DIES.

.

King. How fares our cousin Hamlet ? Ham. Excellent, i' faith ; of the camelion's dish : I eat the air, promise-cramm’d: you cannot feed capons so.

King. I have nothing with this answer, Hamlet ; these words are not mine.

Ham. No, nor mine now.-My lord, -you play'd once in the university, you say?

Pol. That did I, my lord; and was accounted a good actor.

Ham. And what did you enact?

Pol. I did enact Julius Cæsar: I was kill'd i the capitol ; Brutus killd me.

Ham. It was a brute part of him, to kill so capital a calf there.—Be the players ready? Ros. Ay, my lord; they stay upon your patience.

(Bell rings, and the Curtain rises for the Play. Queen. Come hither, my dear Hamlet, sit by me. Ham. No, good mother, here's metal more attrac

tive.
Pol. O ho ! do you mark that ?
Ham. Lady, shall I lie in your lap?
Oph. You are merry, my lord.

(Lying down at OPHELIA's feet. Ham. O! your only jig-maker. What should a man do, but be merry? for, look you, how cheerfully my mother looks, and my father died within these two hours.

Oph. Nay, 'tis two months, my lord.

Ham. So long? Nay, then let the devil wear black, for I'll have a suit of sables. Die two months

ago, and not forgotten yet? Then there's hope, a great man's memory may outlive his life half a year: But, by-'r-lady, he must build churches then.

Oph. What means the play, my lord ?
Ham. Miching mallecho: it means mischief.
Oph. But what is the argument of the play?

Enter Second Actor, as the Prologue.
Ham. We shall know by this fellow.
2 Act. For us, and for our tragedy,

Here stooping to your clemency,
We beg your hearing patiently.

[Exit Second ACTOR. Ham. Is this a prologue, or the posy

of a ring ? Oph. "Tis brief, my lord.

' Ham. As woman's love.

Enter the ACTRESS, and First Actor, as a Duchess,

and Duke. 1 Act. Full thirty times hath Phæbus' cart gone

round
Neptune's salt wash, and Tellus' orbed ground;
Since love our hearts, and Hymen did our hands
Unite commutual in most sacred bands.

Actress. So many journies may the sun and moon
Make us again count o'er, ere love be done !
But, woe is me! you are so sick of late,
So far from cheer, and from your former state,
That I distrust you. Yet, though I distrust,
Discomfort you, my lord, it nothing must;
For women fear too much, even as they love :
Now, what my love is, proof hath made you know ;
And as my love is sizd my fear is so.

1 Act. Faith, I must leave thee, love, and shortly too ; My operant powers their functions leave to do :

F

And thou shalt live in this fair world behind,
Honour'd, belov'd,—and, haply, one as kind
For husband shalt thou-

Actress, O, confound the rest !
Such love must needs be treason in

my

breast : In second husband let me be accurst! None wed the second, but who kill the

first. Ham. That's wormwood.

1 Act. I do believe, you think what now you speak;
But, what we do determine, oft we break.
What to ourselves in passion we propose,
The passion ending, doth the purpose lose :
So think thou wilt no second husband wed;
But die thy thoughts, when thy first lord is dead.
Actress, Nor earth to me give food, nor Heaven

light,
Sport and repose lock from me, day, and night,
Both here, and hence, pursue me lasting strife,
If, once a widow, ever I be wife!

| Act. 'Tis deeply sworn.
Ham. If she should break it now,-

1 Act. Sweet, leave me here awhile ;
My spirits grow dull, and fain I would beguile
The tedious
day with sleep.

(He sits down, and sleeps. Actress. Sleep rock thy brain ; And never come mischance between us twain !

[Exit ACTRESS.
Ham. Madam, how like you this play?
Queen. The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Ham. O, but she'll keep her word.

King. Have you heard the argument? Is there na 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, 'tis a knavish piece of work: But what of that? Your majesty, and we that have free souls, it touches us not: Let the gallid jade wince, our withers are unwrung.“

Enter Second ACTOR, as LUCIANUS. This is one Lucianus, nephew to the duke.

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. Begin, murderer, -leave thy damnable faces, and begin : Come: The croaking raven Doth bellow for revenge. 2 Act. Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and

time agreeing;
Confederate season, else no creature seeing ;
Thou mixture rank, of midnight weeds collected,
With Hecat's ban thrice blusted, thrice infected,
Thy nature magic, and dire property,
On wholesome life usurp immediately.

[Pours the Poison into his Ear.—Exit. 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.

King. Give me some light:--away!
Pol. Lights, lights, lights !

[Exeunt all but Hamlet and HORATIO. Ham. Why, let the strucken deer go weep,

The hart ungalled play;
For some must watch, while some must sleep;

Thus runs the world away O, good Horatio, I'll take the ghost's word for a thousand pound. Didst perceive?