Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

gars' shadows.

Ros.

Guil.

Shall we to the court? for,

by my fay, I cannot reason.

We'll wait upon you.

Ham. No such matter. I will not sort you with the rest of my servants, for, to speak to you 280 like an honest man, I am most dreadfully attended. But in the beaten way of friendship, what make you at Elsinore?

Ros. To visit you, my lord; no other occasion. Ham. Beggar that I am, I am even poor in 285 thanks, but I thank you; and sure, dear friends, my thanks are too dear a halfpenny. Were you not sent for? Is it your own inclining? Is it a free visitation?

Come, deal

justly with me. Come, come. Nay, speak. 200 Guil. What should we say, my lord?

Ham. Why, any thing, but to the purpose. You were sent for; and there is a kind of confession in your looks which your modesties have not craft enough to colour. I know the 295 good king and queen have sent for you.

Ros. To what end, my lord?

Ham. That you must teach me. But let me conjure you, by the rights of our fellowship, by the consonancy of our youth, by the obligation 300 of our ever-preserved love, and by what more dear a better proposer could charge you withal, be even and direct with me, whether you were sent for or no!

P

305 Ros. [Aside to Guil.] What say you?

310

315

320

325

830

Ham. [Aside.] Nay, then, I have an eye of you. If you love me, hold not off.

Guil. My lord, we were sent for.

Ham. I will tell you why; so shall my anticipation prevent your discovery, and your secrecy to the King and Queen moult no feather. I have of late-but wherefore I know not— lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises; and indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory, this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appeareth nothing to me but a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours. What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculties! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world! The paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me,-no, nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so. Ros. My lord, there was no such stuff in my thoughts.

Ham. Why did you laugh then, when I said, "Man delights not me"?

Ros. To think, my lord, if you delight not in 335

man, what lenten entertainment the players
shall receive from you. We coted them on

the way, and hither are they coming, to offer
you service.

Ham. He that plays the king shall be welcome; 340
his majesty shall have tribute of me; the
adventurous knight shall use his foil and
target; the lover shall not sigh gratis; the
humorous man shall end his part in peace;
[the clown shall make those laugh whose lungs 345
are tickle o' the sere;] and the lady shall say
her mind freely, or the blank verse shall halt
for 't. What players are they?

Ros. Even those you were wont to take such
delight in, the tragedians of the city.
Ham. How chances it they travel? Their res-
idence, both in reputation and profit, was
better both ways.

Ros. I think their inhibition comes by the means

of the late innovation.

Ham. Do they hold the same estimation they did

when I was in the city? Are they so followed?

Ros. No, indeed, are they not.

350

355

[Ham. How comes it? Do they grow rusty? Ros. Nay, their endeavour keeps in the wonted 360 pace; but there is, sir, an aery of children, little eyases, that cry out on the top of question, and are most tyrannically clapped for 't. These are now the fashion, and so

365

370

375

380

berattle the common stages-so they call them that many wearing rapiers are afraid of goose-quills and dare scarce come thither. Ham. What, are they children? Who maintains 'em? How are they escoted? Will they pursue the quality no longer than they can sing? Will they not say afterwards, if they should grow themselves to common players,— as it is most like, if their means are no better, their writers do them wrong, to make them exclaim against their own succession? Ros. Faith, there has been much to do on both sides, and the nation holds it no sin to tarre them to controversy. There was for a while no money bid for argument unless the poet and the player went to cuffs in the question. Ham. Is't possible?

Guil. O, there has been much throwing about of brains.

Ham. Do the boys carry it away?

385 Ros. Ay, that they do, my lord; Hercules and his load too.]

890

Ham. It is not very strange; for my uncle is king of Denmark, and those that would make mows at him while my father lived, give twenty, forty, fifty, a hundred ducats apiece for his picture in little. 'Sblood, there is something in this more than natural, if philosophy could find it out.

[Flourish of trumpets within.

Guil. There are the players.

Ham. Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore. 395 Your hands, come then. The appurtenance of welcome is fashion and ceremony. Let me comply with you in this garb, lest my extent to the players, which, I tell you, must show fairly outward, should more 400 appear like entertainment than yours. You are welcome; but my uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived.

Guil. In what, my dear lord?

Ham. I am but mad north-north-west.

When 405

the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw.

Enter Polonius.

Pol. Well be with you, gentlemen!

Ham. [Aside to them.] Hark you, Guildenstern,

and you too, at each ear a hearer, that great 410 baby you see there is not yet out of his swadding-clouts.

Ros. Haply he is the second time come to them, for they say an old man is twice a child. Ham. I will prophesy he comes to tell me of the 415 players; mark it. [Aloud.] You say right,

sir. O' Monday morning; 'twas then indeed.

Pol. My lord, I have news to tell you

Ham. My lord, I have news to tell you. When Roscius was an actor in Rome,

Pol. The actors are come hither, my lord.

Ham. Buz, buz!

420

« VorigeDoorgaan »