And they in France of the best Rank and Station,
Are moft felect and generous, chief in that.
Neither a borrower, nor a lender be;

For Loan oft lofes both it felf and Friend:
A borrowing dulls the edge of Husbandry.
This above all; to thine own felf be true:
And it must follow, as the Night the Day,
Thou canst not then be falfe to any Man.
Farewel; my bleffing feafon this in thee.

Laer. Moft humbly do I take my leave, my Lord.
Pol. The time invites you, go, your Servants tend,
Laer. Farewel, Ophelia, and remember well

What I have faid to you.

Oph. 'Tis in my Memory lockt,

And you your felf fhall keep the Key of it,

Laer. Farewel.

Pol. What is't, Ophelia, he faid to you?

[Exit Laer.

Oph. So please you, fomething touching the Lord Hamlet.
Pol. Marry, well bethought;

'Tis told me he hath very oft of late

Given private time to you; and you your felf

Have of your Audience been molt free and bounteous.

If it be fo, as fo it is put on me,

And that in way of caution, I must tell you,
You do not understand your felf fo clearly,

As it behooves my Daughter, and your Honour,
What is between you, give me up the Truth?

Oph. He hath, my Lord, of late, made many tenders
Of his Affection to me.

Pol. Affection! puh! you speak like a green Girl,
Unfifted in fuch perilous Circumftance.

Do you believe his Tenders, as you call them?
Oph. I do not know, my Lord, what I should think.
Pol. Marry I'll teach you; think your self a Baby,
That you have ta'en his Tenders for true pay,
Which are not fterling. Tender your felf more dearly;
Or not to crack the wind of the poor Phrafe,
Roaming it thus, you'll tender me a Fool.

Oph. My Lord, he hath importun'd me with love,
In honourable fashion,

Pol. Ay, fashion you may call it go to, go to,
X 3

Oph

Oph. And hath given Countenance to his Speech, my Lord, With almost all the Vows of Heaven.

Pol. Ay,Springes to catchWoodcocks. I do know
When the Blood burns, how prodigal the Soul
Gives the Tongue vows; these blazes, Daughter,
Giving more light than hear, extinct in both,
Even in their Promife, as it is a making,

You must not take for Fire. For this time, Daughter,
Be fomewhat fcanter of your Maiden prefence,
Set your Entreatments at a higher rate,

Than a command to Parley. For Lord Hamlet,
Believe fo much in him, that he is young,
And with a larger tether may he walk,
Than may be given you. In few, Ophelia,
Do pot believe his Vows; for they are Brokers,
Not of the Eye, which their Investments fhew,
But meer Implorators of unholy Suits,
Breathing like fanctified and pious Bonds,
The better to beguile. This is for all:

I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth,'
Have you fo flander any moment leifure,
As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet:
Look to't, I charge you; come your way.
Oph. I fhall obey my Lord.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. The Platform before the Palace.

Enter Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus,

Ham. The Air bites fhrewdly; it is very cold.
Hor. It is a nipping and an eager Air.

Ham. What hour now?

Hor. I think it lacks of twelve.

Mar. No, It has not ftruck.

Her. I heard it not: Then it draws near the Seafon,

Wherein the Spirit held his wont to walk.

[Noife of warlike Mufick within.

What does this mean, my Lord?

Ham. The King doth wake to Night, and takes his rowse, Keeps waffel, and the fwaggering upfpring reels, And as he drains his draughts of Rhenifh down, The Kettle Drum and Trumpet thus bray out The triumph of his Pledge.

Hor.

Hor. Is it a Cuftom?

Ham. Ay.marry is't:

But to my Mind, though I am native here,
And to the manner born, it is a Custom

More honour'd in the breach, than the obfervance.
Enter Ghoft.

Hor. Look, my Lord, it comes.

Ham. Angels and Minifters of Grace defend us!
Be thou a Spirit of Health, or Goblin damn'd,
Bring with thee Airs from Heav'n, or blafts from Hell,
Be thy Events wicked or charitable,

Thou com'ft in fuch a queftionable fhape,

That I will speak to thee. I'll call thee Hamlet,
King, Father, Royal Dane: Oh! oh! answer me,
Let me not burft in Ignorance; but tell
Why thy Canoniz'd Bones hearfed in Death,
Have burft their Cearments? why the Sepulcher
Wherein we saw thee quietly Inurn'd,
Hath op'd his ponderous and marble Jaws,
To caft thee up again? What may this mean?
That thou dead Coarfe again in compleat Steel,
Revifit'ft thus the glimpfes of the Moon,
Making Night hideous? and we Fools of Nature,
So horridly to fhake our Difpofition,

With Thoughts beyond the reaches of our Souls;
Say, why is this? wherefore? what should we do?

[Ghoft beckons Hamlet.
Hor. It beckons you to go away with it,
As if it fome impartment did defire,
To you alone.

Mar. Look with what courteous A&tion It wafts you to a more removed Ground: But do not go with it.

Hor. No, by no means.

[Holding Hamlet,

Ham. It will not speak; then will I follow it.

Hor. Do no', my Lord.

Ham. Why, what fhould be the fear?

I do not fet my Life at a Pins fee;

And for my Soul, what can it do to that?
Being a thing immortal as it felf.
It waves me forth again,

-I'll follow it

X 4

Hor.

Hor. What if it tempt you toward the Flood, my Lord? Or to the dreadful Summit of the Cliff,

That beetles o'er his bafe into the Sea,

And there affume fome other horrible Form,

Which might deprive your Sovereignty of Reason,

And draw you into madness? think of it.

Ham. It wafts me ftill: Go on, I'll follow thee---
Mar. You fhall not go, my Lord.

Ham. Hold off your Hand.

Hor. Be rul'd, you fhall not go.

Ham. My Fate cries out,

And makes each petty Artery in this Body,

As hardy as the Nemean Lion's Nerve:

Still am I call'd? Unhand me,Gentlemen---[Breaking from them. By Heav'n I'll make a Ghoft of him that letts mego on I'll follow thee

I fay away

[Exeunt Ghoft and Hamlet. Hor. He waxes defperate with Imagination.

Mar. Let's follow; 'tis not fit thus to obey him.
Hor. Have after; to what iffue will this come?
Mar. Something is rotten in the State of Denmark.
Hor. Heav'n will direct it.

Mar. Nay, let's follow him.

Enter Ghoft and Hamlet.

[Exeunt

Ham. Where wilt thou lead me? speak; I'll go no further.

Gboft. Mark mẹ.

Hum. I will.

Ghost. My hour is almost come,

When I to fulphurous and tormenting Flames

Muft render up my felf.

Ham. Alas poor Ghost.

Ghoft. Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing

To what I fhall unfold.

Ham. Speak, I am bound to hear.

Ghoft. So art thou to Revenge, when thou shalt hear,
Ham. What?

Ghost. I am thy Father's Spirit ;

Doom'd for a certain term to walk the Night,

And for the Day confin'd to faft in Fires;
'Till the foul Crimes done in my Days of Nature,
Are burnt and purg'd away. But that I am forbid
To tell the Secrets of my Prifon-house;

I

I could a Tale unfold, whofe lightest word

Would harrow up thy Soul, freeze thy young Blood,
Make thy two Eyes like Stars, ftart from their Spheres,
Thy knotty and combined Locks to part,
And each particular Hair to stand an end
Like Quills upon the fretful Porcupine:
But this eternal Blazon muft not be

To ears of Flesh and Blood; lift Hamlet! oh lift!
If thou didst ever thy dear Father love-

Ham. Oh Heav'n!

Ghoft. Revenge his foul and moft unnatural Murther.

Ham. Murther?

Ghoft. Murther moft foul, as in the beft it is;

But this moít foul, ftrange, and unnatural.

Ham. Hafte me to know it, that I with Wings as fwift As Meditation, or the Thoughts of Love

May fweep to my Revenge.

Ghost. I find thee apt;

And duller fhouldft thou be than the fat Weed
That rots it felf in ease on Lethe's Wharf,

Wouldst thou not ftir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear:
It's given out, that fleeping in my Orchard,

A Serpent ftung me. So the whole car of Denmark,
Is by a forged Process of my Death

Rankly abus'd: But know, thou noble Youth,
The Serpent that did fting thy Father's Life,
Now wears his Crown.

Ham, O my Pophetick Soul; mine Uncle?
Ghoft. Ay, that inceftuous, that adulterate Beaft,
With Witchcraft of his Wits, and traiterous Gifts,
Oh wicked Wit, and Gifts that have the Power
So to feduce! won to his fhameful Luft
The Will of my moft feeming virtuous Queen.
Oh Hamlet, what a falling off was there!
From me, whofe Love was of that Dignity,
That it went hand in hand, even with the Vow
I made to her in Marriage; and to decline
Upon a Wretch, whofe natural Gifts were poor
To thofe of mine! But Virtue, as it never will be moved,
Though Lewdaefs court it in a Shape of Heav'n;

So