Whereon his brains ftill beating, puts him thus Let his Queen-mother all alone intreat him King. It fhall be so: Madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go. SCENE [Exeunt. IV. Ham. Enter Hamlet, and two or three of the Players. SPEA PEAK the speech I pray you, as I pronounc'd it to you, trippingly on the tongue. But if you mouth it, as many of our Players do, I had as lieve the town-crier had fpoke my lines. And do not saw the air too much with your hand thus, but ufe all gently; for in the very torrent, tempeft, and, as I may say, whirl-wind of your paffion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness. Oh, it offends me to the foul, to hear a robustous periwig-pated fellow tear a paffion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings: who (for the most part) are capable of nothing, but inexplicable dumb fhews, and noife: I could have fuch a fellow whipt for o'er-doing termagant; it out-herods Herod. Pray you avoid it. Play. Play. I warrant your honour. Ham. Be not too tame neither; but let your own discretion be your tutor. Sute the action to the word, the word to the action; with this special observance, that you o'er-step not the modesty of nature; for any thing fo overdone is from the purpose of playing; whose end both at the first and now, was and is, to hold as 'twere the mirror up to nature; to fhew virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time, his form and preffure. Now this over-done, or come tardy off, tho' it make the unskilful laugh, judicious grieve: the cenfure of which one, ance o'er-fway a whole theatre of others. that I have seen play, and heard others praise and that highly, (not to speak it prophanely) that neither having the accent of christian, or the gate of chriftian, pagan, or man, have fo ftrutted and bellow'd, that I have thought some of nature's journey-men had made men, and not made them well; they imitated humanity so abominably. cannot but make the must in your allowOh, there be Players. i Play. I hope we have reform'd that indifferently with us. Ham. Oh reform it altogether. And let those that play your clowns, speak no more than is fet down for them: For there be of them that will themfelves laugh, to fet on fome quantity of barren spectators to laugh too, though in the mean time fome neceffary question, of the play be then to be confidered: That's villanous, and fhews a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it. Go make you ready. [Exeunt Players. Enter Polonius, Rofincroffe, and Guildenstern. How now, my lord? will the King hear this piece of work? Pol. And the Queen too, and that presently. Ham. Bid the Players make haste. Will you two help to haften them? Both. We will, my lord. i or Norman. [Exit Polonius. [Exeunt. SCENE Ham. What ho, Horatio? Hor. Here, fweet lord, at your service. Ham. Nay, do not think I flatter: For what advancement may I hope from thee, To feed and cloath thee? Should the poor be flatter'd? Ob Observe mine uncle: if his occult guilt It is a damned ghost that we have seen: As Vulcan's ftithy. Give him heedful note, Hor. Well, my lord. If he fteal ought the whilft this play is playing, Enter King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rofincroffe, Guildenstern, and other lords attendant, with a guard carrying torches. Danish march. Sound a flourish. Ham. They're coming to the play; I must be idle. Get you a place. King. How fares our coufin Hamlet? Ham. Excellent i'faith, of the camelion's difh: I eat the air, promife-cramm'd: you cannot feed capons fo. King. I have nothing with this answer, Hamlet, these words are not mine. Ham No, nor mine now, my lord.. You plaid once i'th' university, you say? [To Polonius. Pol. That I did, my lord, and was accounted a good actor. Ham. And what did you enact? Pol. I did enact Julius Cæfar, I was kill'd i'th' capitol: Brutus kill'd me. Ham. It was a brute part of him, to kill fo capital a calf there. Be the players ready? † Stithy, a fmith's anvil. Rof. Rof. Ay, my lord, they stay upon your patience. Ham. Lady, fhall I lye in your lap? Oph. No, my lord. [Lying down at Ophelia's feet. Ham. Do you think I meant country matters? Oph. I think nothing, my lord. Ham. That's a fair thought to lye between a maid's legs. Oph. What is, my lord? Ham. Nothing. Oph. You are merry, my lord. Ham. Who, I? Oph. Ay, my lord. Ham. Oh God, your only jig-maker; what should a man do, but be merry? For look you how chearfully my mother looks, and my father dy'd within these two hours. Oph. Nay, 'tis twice two months, my lord. Ham. So long? nay then let the devil wear black, for I'll have a fuit of fables. Oh heav'ns! dye two months ago, and not forgotten yet! then there's hope, a great man's memory may out-live his life half a year: but by'r-lady he must build churches then; or else fhall he suffer not thinking on, with the hobby-horse; whose epitaph is For oh, for ob, the hobby-horse is forgot. Hautboys play. The dumb shew enters. Enter a King and Queen, very lovingly; the Queen embracing him, and he her. He takes her up, and declines his head upon ber |