270

Queen. How fares my lord?

Pol. Give o'er the play. 285 King. Give me some light. Away! All. Lights, lights, lights!

[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.

Thus runs the world away. Would not this, sir, and a forest of feathersif the rest of my fortunes turn Turk with momwith two Provincial roses on my razed

shoes, get me a fellowship in a cry of players, 276 sir?

Hor. Half a share.
Ham. A whole one, I.

For thou dost know, 0 Damon dear,

This realm dismantled was
380 Of Jove himself; and now reigns here

A very, very-pajock.
Hor. You might have rhymed.
Ham. O good Horatio, I'll take the ghost's word

for a thousand pound. Didst perceive? 286 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!

980

295

800

For if the king like not the comedy, 290

Why, then, belike, he likes it not, perdy. Come, some music!

Re-enter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Guil. Good my lord, vouchsafe me a word with

you. Ham. Sir, a whole history. 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, rather with choler. Ham. Your wisdom should show itself more richer

to signify this to the doctor; for, for me to put him to his purgation would perhaps

plunge him into far more choler. Guil. Good my lord, put your discourse into some 305

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. 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 315

business. Ham. Sir, I can not. Guil. What, my lord?

810

Ham. Make you a wholesome answer. My wit's 320

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 326 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 330 ere you go to bed. Ham. We shall obey, were she ten times our

mother. Have you any further trade with

us? Ros. My lord, you once did love me. 335 Ham. And do still, by these pickers and stealers. Ros. Good my lord, what is your cause of

distemper? You do surely bar the door upon your own liberty if you deny your

griefs to your friend. 340 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,"'345 the proverb is something musty.

Re-enter Players with recorders. 0, 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 850

love is too unmannerly. Ham. I do not well understand that. Will you

play upon this pipe? Guil. My lord, I can not. Ham. I pray you. .

355 Guil. Believe me, I can not. Ham. I do beseech you. Guil. I know no touch of it, my lord. Ham. It is as easy as lying. Govern these vent

ages with your fingers and thumb, give it 360 breath with your mouth, and it will discourse most eloquent music. Look you, these are

the stops. Guil. But these can not I command to any utter.

ance of harmony. I have not the skill. 365 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 370
the top of my compass; and there is much
music, excellent voice, in this little organ,
yet can not you make it speak. 'Sblood,
do you think I am easier to be played on
than a pipe? Call me what instrument you 375
will, though you can fret me, you cannot play
upon me.

Enter Polonius. God bless yon, sir. Pol. My lord, the Queen would speak with you, 380 and presently. Ham. Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in

shape of a camel? Pol. By the mass, and 'tis like a camel, indeed.

Ham. Methinks it is like a weasel. 385 Pol. It is backed like a weasel.

Ham. Or like a whale?
Pol. Very like a whale.
Ham. Then I will come to my mother by and by.

[Aside.] They fool me to the top of my 390 bent.--I will come by and by. Pol. I will say so.

[Exit. Ham. “By and by” is easily said. Leave me,

friends. [Exeunt all but Hamlet. 'Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn and hell itself

breathes out Contagion to this world. Now could I drink

hot blood, And do such bitter business as the day Would quake to look on. Soft! now to my

mother. O heart, lose not thy nature! Let not

ever

The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom; 400 Let me be cruel, not unnatural.

I will speak daggers to her, but use none.

895

400