Why I want preferment Ross. I thinke not so my lord Ham. Yes faith this great world you see contents me not No nor the spangled heauens nor earth nor sea No nor Man that is so glorious a creature Contents not me no nor woman too though you laugh Gil. My lord we laugh not at that Ham. Why did you laugh then When I said Man did not content mee Gil. My Lord we laughed when you said Man did not content you What entertainement the Players shall haue We boorded them a the way they are comming to you Ham. Players what Players be they Ross. My Lord the Tragedians of the Citty Those that you tooke delight to see so often Ham. How comes it that they trauell Do they grow restie Gil. No my Lord their reputation holds as it was wont Ham. How then Gil. Yfaith my Lord noueltie carries it away For the principall publike audience that Came to them are turned to priuate playes And to the humour of children Ham. I doe not greatly wonder of it For those that would make mops and moes At my vncle when my father liued Now giue a hundred two hundred pounds For his picture but they shall be welcome He that playes the King shall haue tribute of me The ventrous Knight shall vse his foyle and target The louer shall sigh gratis The clowne shall make them laugh That are tickled in the lungs or the blanke verse shall halt for 't And the Lady shall haue leaue to speake her minde freely The Trumpets sound Enter Corambis Do you see yonder great baby He is not yet out of his swadling clowts Gil. That may be for they say an olde man Is twice a childe Ham. I le prophecie to you hee comes to tell mee a the Players You say true a monday last t' was so indeede Cor. My lord I haue news to tell you Ham. My Lord I haue newes to tell you When Rossios was an Actor in Rome Cor. The Actors are come hither my lord Ham. Buz buz Cor. The best Actors in Christendome Either for Comedy Tragedy Historie Pastorall Pastorall Historicall Historicall Comicall Comicall historicall Pastorall Tragedy historicall Seneca cannot be too heauy nor Plato too light For the law hath writ those are the onely men Ha. O Iepha Iudge of Israel what a treasure hadst thou Cor. Why what a treasure had he my lord Ham. Why one faire daughter and no more The which he loued passing well Cor. A stil harping a my daughter well my Lord If you call me Iepha I hane a daughter that I loue passing well Ham. Nay that followes not Cor. What followes then my Lord Ham. Why by lot or God wot or as it came to passe And so it was the first verse of the godly Ballet Wil tel you all for look you where my abridgement comes Welcome maisters welcome all Enter players What my olde friend thy face is vallanced Since I saw thee last com'st thou to beard me in Denmarke My yong lady and mistris burlady but your Ladiship is growne by the altitude of a chopine higher than you were Pray God sir your voyce like a peece of vncurrant Golde be not crack't in the ring come on maisters Wee le euen too 't like French Falconers Flie at any thing we see come a taste of your Quallitie a speech a passionate speech Players What speech my good lord Ham. I heard thee speake a speech once But it was neuer acted or if it were Neuer aboue twice for as I remember It pleased not the vulgar it was cauiary To the million but to me And others that receiued it in the like kinde Cried in the toppe of their iudgements an excellent play Set downe with as great modestie as cunning One said there was no sallets in the lines to make thē sauory But called it an honest methode as wholesome as sweete Come a speech in it I chiefly remember Was Aeneas tale to Dido And then especially where he talkes of Princes slaughter If it liue in thy memory beginne at this line Let me see The rugged Pyrrus like th'arganian beast No t' is not so it begins with Pirrus O I haue it The rugged Pirrus he whose sable armes Blacke as his purpose did the night resemble When he lay couched in the ominous horse Hath now his blacke and grimme complexion smeered With Heraldry more dismall head to foote Now is he totall guise horridely tricked With blood offathers mothers daughters sonnes Back't and imparched in calagulate gore Rifted in earth and fire olde grandsire Pryam seekes So goe on Cor. Afore God my Lord well spoke and with good accent Play A none he finds him striking too short at Greeks His a 〈…〉 d rebellious to his Arme Lies where it falles vnable to resist Pyrrus at Pryam driues but all in rage Strikes wide but with the whiffe and winde Of his fell sword th'unnerued father falles Cor. Enough my friend t' is too long Ham. It shall to the Barbers with your beard A pox hee 's for a Iigge or a tale of bawdry Or else he sleepes come on to Hecuba come Play But who O who had seene the mobled Queene Cor. Mobled Queene is good faith very good Play All in the alarum and feare of death rose vp And o're her weake and all ore-teeming loynes a blancket And a kercher on that head where late the diademe stoode Who this had seene with tongue inuenom'd speech Would treason haue pronounced For if the gods themselues had seene her then When she saw Pirrus with malitious strokes Mincing her husbandes limbs It would haue made milch the burning eyes of heauen And passion in the gods Cor. Looke my lord if he hath not changde his colour And hath teares in his eyes no more good heart no more Ham. T' is well t' is very well I pray my lord Will you see the Players well bestowed I tell you they are the Chronicles And briefe abstracts of the time After your death I can tell you You were better haue a bad Epiteeth Then their ill report while you liue Cor. My lord I will vse them according to their deserts Ham. O farre better man vse euery man after his deserts Then who should scape whipping Vse them after your owne honor and dignitie The lesse they deserue the greater credit's yours Cor. Welcome my good fellowes exit Ham. Come hither maisters can you not play the murder of Gonsage players Yes my Lord. Ham. And could'st not thou for a neede study me Some dozen or sixteene lines Which I would set downe and insert players Yes very easily my good Lord. Ham. T' is well I thanke you follow that lord And doe you heare sirs take heede you mocke him not Gentlemen for your kindnes I thanke you And for a time I would desire you leaue me Gil. Our loue and duetie is at your commaund Exeunt all but Hamlet Ham. Why what a dunghill idiote slaue am I Why these Players here draw water from eyes For Hecuba
might stay mee Yet something is there whispers in my hart Which makes my minde and spirits bend all for France King Haue you your fathers leaue Leartes Cor. He hath my lord wrung from me aforced graunt And I beseech you grant your Highnesse leaue Kiug With all our heart Leartes fare thee well Lear. I in all loue and dutie take my leaue King And now princely Sonne Hamlet What meanes these sad and melancholy moodes For your intent going to Wittenberg Wee hold it most vnmeet and vnconuenient Being the Ioy and halfe heart of your mother Therefore let mee intreat you stay in Court All Denmarkes hope our coosin and dearest Sonne Exit Ham. My lord ti 's not the sable sute I weare No nor the teares that still stand in my eyes Nor the distracted hauiour in the visage Nor all together mixt with outward semblance Is equall to the sorrow of my heart Him haue I lost I must os force forgoe These but the ornaments and sutes of woe King This shewes a louing care in you Sonne Hamlet But you must thinke your father lost a father That father dead lost his and so shal be vntill the Generall ending Therefore cease laments It is a fault gainst heauen fault gainst the dead A fault gainst nature and in reasons Common course most certaine None liues on earth but hee is borne to die Que. Let not thy mother loose her praiers Hamlet Stay here with us go not to Wittenberg Ham. I shall in all my best obay you madam King Spoke like a kinde and a most louing Sonne And there 's no health the King shall drinke today But the great Canon to the clowdes shall tell The rowse the King shall drinke vnto Prince Hamlet Exeunt all but Hamlet Ham. O that this too much grieu'd and fallied flesh Would melt to nothing or that the vniuersall Globe of heauen would turne al to a Chaos O God within two months no not two â— married Mine vncle O let me not thinke of it My fathers brother but no more like My father then I to Hercules Within two months ere yet the salt of most Vnrighteous teares had left their flushing In her galled eyes she married O God a beast Deuoyd of reason would not haue made Such speede Frailtie thy name is Woman Why she would hang on him as if increase Of appetite had growne by what it looked on O wicked wicked speede to make such Dexteritie to incestuous sheetes Ere yet the shooes were olde The which she followed my dead fathers corse Like Nyobe all teares married well it is not Nor it cannot come to good But breake my heart for I must holde my tongue Enter Horatio and Marcellus Hor. Health to your Lordship Ham. I am very glad to see you Horatio or I much forget my selfe Hor. The same my Lord and your poore seruant euer Ham. O my good friend I change that name with you but what make you from Wittenberg Horatio Marcellus Marc. My good Lord. Ham. I am very glad to see you good euen sirs But what is your affaire in Elsenoure Wee le teach you to drinke deepe ere you depart Hor. A trowant disposition my good Lord Ham. Nor shall you make mee truster Of your owne report against your selfe Sir I know you are no trowant But what is your affaire in Elsenoure Hor. My good Lord I came to see your fathers funerall Ham. O I pre thee do not mocke hee fellow studient I thinke it was to see my mothers wedding Hor. Indeede my Lord it followed hard vpon Ham. Thrift thrift Horatio the funerall bak't meates Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables Would I had met my deerest foe in heauen Ere euer I had seene that day Horatio O my father my father me thinks I see my father Hor. Where my Lord Ham. Why in my mindes eye Horatio Hor. I saw him once he was a gallant King Ham. He was a man take him for all in all I shall not looke vpon his like againe Hor. My Lord I thinke I saw him yesternight Ham. Saw who Hor. My Lord the King your father Ham. Ha ha the King my father keyou Hor. Ceasen your admiration for a while With an attentiue eare till I may deliuer Vpon the witnesse of these Gentlemen This wonder to you Ham. For Gods loue let me heare it Hor. Two nights together had these Gentlemen Marcelllus and Bernardo on their watch In the dead vast and middle of the night Beene thus incountered by a figure like your father Armed to poynt exactly Capapâ—â— Appeeres before them thrise he walkes Before their weake and feare oppressed eies Within his tronchions length While they distilled almost to gelly With the act of feare stands dumbe And speake not to him this to mee In dreadfull secresie impart they did And I with them the third night kept the watch Where as they had deliuered forme of the thing Each part made true and good The Apparition comes I knew your father These handes are not more like Ham. T is very strange Hor. As I do liue my honord lord t is true And wee did thinke it right done In our dutie to let you know it Ham. Where was this Mar. My Lord vpon the platforme where we watched Ham. Did you not speake to it Hor. My Lord we did but answere made it none Yet once me thought it was about to speake And lifted vp his head to motion Like as he would speake but euen then The morning cocke crew lowd and in all haste It shruncke in haste away and vanished Our fight Ham. Indeed indeed sirs but this troubles me Hold you the watch to night All We do my Lord. Ham. Armed say ye All Armed my good Lord. Ham. From top to toe All. My good Lord from head to foote Ham. Why then saw you not his face Hor. O yes my Lord he wore his beuer vp Ham. How look't he frowningly Hor. A countenance more in sorrow than in anger Ham. Pale or red Hor. Nay verie pal Ham. And fixt his eies vpon you Hor. Most constantly Ham. I would I had beene there Hor. It would a much amazed you Ham. Yea very like very like staid it long Hor. While one with moderate pace Might tell a hundred Mar. O longer longer Ham. His beard was grisleld no. Hor. It was as I haue seene it in his life A sable siluer Ham. I wil watch to night perchance t' wil walke againe Hor. I warrant it will Ham. If it assume my noble fathers person I le speake to it if hell it selfe should gape And bid me hold my peace Gentlemen If you haue hither consealed this sight Let it be tenible in your silence still And whatsoeuer else shall chance to night Giue it an vnderstanding but no tongue I will requit your loues so fare you well Vpon the platforme twixt eleuen and twelue I le visit you All. Our duties to your honor excunt Ham. O your loues your loues as mine to you Farewell my
know That thing that I haue saide t' is so positiuely And it hath fallen out otherwise Nay if circumstances leade me on I le finde it out if it were hid As deepe as the centre of the earth King how should wee trie this same Cor. Mary my good lord thus The Princes walke is here in the galery There let Ofelia walke vntill hee comes Your selfe and I will stand close in the study There shall you heare the effect of all his hart And if it proue any otherwise then loue Then let my censure faile an other time King see where hee comes poring vppon a booke Enter Hamlet Cor. Madame will it please your grace To leaue vs here Que. With all my hart exit Cor. And here Ofelia reade you on this booke And walke aloofe the King shal be vnseene Ham. To be or not to be I there 's the point To Die to sleepe is that all I all No to sleepe to dreame I mary there it goes For in that dreame of death when wee awake And borne before an euerlasting Iudge From whence no passenger euer retur'nd The vndiscouered country at whose sight The happy smile and the accursed damn'd But for this the ioyfull hope of this Whol'd beare the scornes and flattery of the world Scorned by the right rich the rich curssed of the poore The widow being oppressed the orphan wrong'd The taste of hunger or a tirants raigne And thousand more calamities besides To grunt and sweate vnder this weary life When that he may his full Quietus make With a bare bodkin who would this indure But for a hope of something after death Which pusles the braine and doth confound the sence Which makes vs rather beare those euilles we haue Than flie to others that we know not of I that O this conscience makes cowardes of vs all Lady in thy orizons be all my sinnes remembred Ofel. My Lord I haue sought opportunitie which now I haue to redeliuer to your worthy handes a small remembrance such tokens which I haue receiued of you Ham. Are you faire Ofel. My Lord. Ham. Are you honest Ofel. What meanes my Lord Ham. That if you be faire and honest Your beauty should admit no discourse to your honesty Ofel. My Lord can beauty haue better priuiledge than with honesty Ham. Yea mary may it for Beauty may transforme Honesty from what she was into a bawd Then Honesty can transforme Beauty This was sometimes a Paradox But now the time giues it scope I neuer gaue you nothing Ofel. My Lord you know right well you did And with them such earnest vowes of loue As would haue moou'd the stoniest breast aliue But now too true I finde Rich giftes waxe poore when giuers grow vnkinde Ham. I neuer loued you Ofel. You made me beleeue you did Ham. O thou shouldst not a beleeued me Go to a Nunnery goe why shouldst thou Be a breeder of sinners I am myselfe indifferent honest But I could accuse my selfe of such crimes It had beene better my mother had ne're borne me O I am very prowde ambitious disdainefull With more sinnes at my becke then I haue thoughts To put them in what should such fellowes as I Do crawling between heauen and earth To a Nunnery goe we are arrant knaues all Beleeue none of vs to a Nunnery goe Ofel. O heauens secure him Ham. Wher 's thy father Ofel. At home my lord Ham. For Gods sake let the doores be shut on him He may play the foole no where but in his Owne house to a Nunnery goe Ofel. Help him good God Ham. If thou dost marry I le giue thee This plague to thy dowry Be thou as chaste as yee as pure as snowe Thou shalt not scape calumny to a Nunnery goe Ofel. Alas what change is this Ham. But if thou wilt needes many marry a foole For wisemen know well enough What monsters you make of them to a Nunnery goe Ofel. Pray God restore him Ham. Nay I haue heard of your paintings too God hath giuen you one face And you make your selues another You fig and you amble and you nickname Gods creatures Making your wantonnesse your ignorance A pox t' is scuruy I le no more of it It hath made me madde I le no more marriages All that are married but one shall liue The rest shall keepe as they are to a Nunnery goe To a Nunnery goe exit Ofe Great God of heauen what a quicke change is this The Courtier Scholler Souldier all in him All dasht and splinterd thence O woe is me To a seene what I haue seene see what I see exit King Loue No no that 's not the cause Some deeper thing it is that troubles him Enter King and Corambis Cor. Wel something it is my Lord content you a while I will my selfe goe feele him let me worke I le try him euery way see where he comes Send you those Gentlemen let me alone To finde the depth of this away be gone Now my good Lord do you know me exit King Enter Hamlet Ham. Yea very well y' are a fishmonger Cor. Not I my Lord. Ham. Then sir I would you were so honest a man For to be honest as this age goes Is one man to be pickt out of tenne thousand Cor. What doe you reade my Lord Ham. Wordes wordes Cor. What 's the matter my Lord Ham. Betweene who Cor. I meane the matter you reade my Lord. Ham. Mary most vile heresie For here the Satyricall Satyre writes That olde men haue hollow eyes weake backes Grey beardes pittifull weake hammes gowty legges All which sir I most potently beleeue not For sir your selfe shal be olde as I am If like a Crabbe you could goe backeward Cor. How pregnant his replies are and full of wit Yet at first he tooke me for a fishmonger All this comes by loue the vemencie of loue And when I was yong I was very idle And suffered much extasie in loue very neere this Will you walke out of the aire my Lord Ham. Into my graue Cor. By the masse that 's out of the aire indeed Very shrewd answers My lord I will take my leaue of you Enter Gilderstone and Rossencraft Ham. You can take nothing from me sir I will more willingly part with all Olde doating foole Cor You seeke Prince Hamlet see there he is exit Gil. Health to your Lordship Ham. What Gilderstone and Rossencraft Welcome kinde Schoole-fellowes to Elsanoure Gil. We thanke your Grace and would be very glad You were as when we were at Wittenberg Ham. I thanke you but is this visitation free of Your selues or were you not sent for Tell me true come I know the good King and Queene Sent for you there is a kinde of confession in your eye Come I know you were sent for Gil. What say you Ham. Nay then I see how the winde sits Come you were sent for Ross. My lord we were and willingly if we might Know the cause and ground of your discontent Ham.
say the owle was A Bakers daughter we see what we are But can not tell what we shall be For bonny sweete Robin is all my ioy Lear. Thoughts afflictions torments worse than hell Ofel. Nay Loue I pray you make no words of this now I pray now you shall sing a downe And you a downe a t' is a the Kings daughter And the false steward and if any body Aske you of any thing say you this Tomorrow is saint Valentines day All in the morning betime And a maide at your window To be your Valentine The yong man rose and dan'd his clothes And dupt the chamber doore Let in the maide that out a maide Neuer departed more Nay I pray marke now By gisle and by saint Charitie Away and fie for shame Yong men will doo 't when they come too'â—â— By cocke they are too blame Quoth she before you tumbled me You promised me to wed So would I a done by yonder Sunne If thou hadst not come to my bed So God be with you all God bwy Ladies God bwy you Loue. exit Ofelia Lear. Griefe vpon griefe my father murdered My sister thus distracted Cursed be his soule that wrought this wicked act king Content you good Leartes for a time Although I know your griefe is as a floud Brimme full of sorrow but forbeare a while And thinke already the reuenge is done On him that makes you such a haplesse sonne Lear. You haue preuail'd my Lord a while I 'le striue To bury griefe within a tombe of wrath Which once vnhearsed then the world shall heare Leartes had a father he held deere king No more of that ere many dayes be done You shall heare that you do not dreame vpon exeunt om Enter Horatio and the Queene Hor. Madame your fonne is safe arriv'de in Denmarke This letter I euen now receiv'd of him Whereas he writes how he escap't the danger And subtle treason that the king had plotted Being crossed by the contention of the windes He found the Packet sent to the king of England Wherein he saw himselfe betray'd to death As at his next conuersion with your grace He will relate the circumstance at full Queene Then I perceiue there 's treason in his lookes That seem'd to sugar o're his villanie But I will soothe and please him for a time For murderous mindes are alwayes jealoâ—s But know not you Horatio where he is Hor. Yes Madame and he hath appoynted me To mâ— ete hâ—m on the east side of the Cittie To morrow morning Queene O faile not good Horatio and withall commend me A mothers care to him bid him a while Be wary of his presence lest that he Faile in that he goes about Hor. Madam neuer make doubt of that I thinke by this the news be come to court He is arriv'de obserue the king and you shall Quickely finde Hamlet being here Things fell not to his minde Queene But what became of Gilderstone and Rossencraft Hor. He being set a shore they went for England And in the Packet there writ down that doome To be perform'd on them poynted for him And by great chance he had his fathers Seale So all was done without discouerie Queene Thankes be to heauen for blessing of the prince Horatio once againe I take my leaue With thowsand mothers blessings to my sonne Horat. Madam adue Enter King and Leartes King Hamlet from England is it possible What chance is this they are gone and he come home Lear. O he is welcome by my soule he is At it my iocund heart doth leape for ioy That I shall liue to tell him thus he dies king Leartes content your selfe be rulde by me And you shall haue no let for your reuenge Lear. My will not all the world King Nay but Leartes marke the plot I haue layde I haue heard him often with a greedy wish Vpon some praise that he hath heard of you Touching your weapon which with all his heart He might be once tasked for to try your cunning Lea. And how for this King Mary Leartes thus I 'le lay a wager Shal be on Hamlets side and you shall giue the oddes The which will draw him with a more desire To try the maistry that in twelue venies You gaine not three of him now this being granted When you are hot in midst of all your play Among the foyles shall a keene rapier lie Steeped in a mixture of deadly poyson That if it drawes but the least dramme of blood In any part of him he cannot liue This being done will free youfrom suspition And not the deerest friend that Hamlet lov'de Will euer haue Leartes in suspect Lear. My lord I like it well But say lord Hamlet should refuse this match King I 'le warrant you wee 'le put on you Such a report of singularitie Will bring him on although against his will And lest that all should misse I 'le haue a potion that shall ready stand In all his heate when that he calles for drinke Shall be his period and our happinesse Lear. T' is excellent O would the time were come Here comes the Queene enter the Queene king How now Gertred why looke you heauily Queene O my Lord the yong Ofelia Hauing made a garland of sundry sortes of floures Sitting vpon a willow by a brooke The enuious sprig broke into the brooke she fell And for a while her clothes spread wide abroade Bore the yong Lady vp and there she sate smiling Euen Mermaide like twixt heauen and earth Chaunting olde sundry tunes vncapable As it were of her distresse but long it could not be Till that her clothes being heauy with their drinke Dragg'd the sweete wretch to death Lear. So she is drownde Too much of water hast thou Ofelia Therefore I will not drowne thee in my teares Reuenge it is must yeeld this heart releefe For woe begets woe and griefe hangs on griefe exeunt enter Clowne and an other Clowne I say no she ought not to be buried In christian buriall 2. Why sir Clowne Mary because shee 's drownd 2. But she did not drowne her selfe Clowne No that 's certaine the water drown'd her 2. Yea but it was against her will Clowne No I deny that for looke you sir I stand here If the water come to me I drowne not my selfe But if I goe to the water and am there drown'd Ergo I am guiltie of my owne death Y' are gone goe y' are gone sir. 2. I but see she hath christian buriall Because she is a great woman Clowne Mary more 's the pitty that great folke Should haue more authoritie to hang or drowne Themselues more than other people Goe fetch me a stope of drinke but before thou Goest tell me one thing who buildes strongest Of a Mason a Shipwright or a Carpenter 2. Why a Mason for he buildes all of stone And will indure long Clowne That 's prety too 't agen too 't agen 2. Why then a Carpenter for he buildes the gallowes