Y

With thoughts beyond the reaches of our fouls?

Say, why is this? wherefore? what fhould we do?

[ Ghoft beckons Hamlet.

Hor. It beckons you to go away with it,

As if it fome impartment did defire

Το

you alone.

Mar. Look, with what courteous action

b

It a waves you to a more removed ground:

But do not go with it.

Hor. No, by no means.

[Holding Hamlet.

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

Hor. Do not, my lord.

Ham. Why, what fhould be the fear?

I do not fet my life at a pin's fee;

And for my foul, what can it do to that,

e

Being a thing immortal * as itself?

It waves me forth again.---I'll follow it.--

Hor. What if it tempt you f tow'rd the flood, my lord,

Or to the dreadful & fummit of the cliff,

That beetles o'er his bafe into the fea;

And there affume fome other horrible form,

Which might deprive your fov'reignty of reason,
And draw you into madnefs? think of it.
The very place puts toys of defperation,

&c.

y The fo's read, beyond thee; reaches,

z Qu's omit gboft and Hamiet.

a The fo's and R. read wafts.
b. alters this line thus, without
giving a reason,

It waves you off to a removed ground.
R. first puts in this direction.
The fo's and R. read will I.

e The 3d q. like for as.

f Second q. towards.

Qu's, fomnet, fo's fennet.

h Qu's, cleefe.

i Fo's, affumes.

k W. and H. read deprave.

1 The lines in Italic are omitted in the fo's and R.

Without

Without more motive, into ev'ry brain,

That looks fo many fathoms to the fea,

And hears it roar beneath.

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

Ham. Hold off your hands.

• Hor. Be rul'd, you shall not go. Ham. My fate cries out,

And makes each petty P artery in this body

As hardy as the Nemean lion's nerve.

Still am I call'd. Unhand ine, gentlemen --

[Breaking from them.

By heaven, I'll make a ghoft of him that lets me ---
I fay, away. ---Go on --- I'll follow thee ---

t

Exeunt Ghoft and Hamlet.

Hor. He waxes defp'rate with imagination.

Mar. Let's follow; 'tis not fit thus to obey him.
Hor. Have after. -- To what iffue will this come?

411

Mar. Something is rotten in the ftate of Denmark.
Hor. Heaven will direct it.

Mar. Nay, let's follow him.

Ham. Whither wilt thou lead me? fpeak, I'll go no further. Ghoft. Mark me.

Ham. I will.

Ghost. My hour is almost come,

When I to fulphurous and tormenting flames

Muft render up myself.

Ham. Alas, poor ghost!

Ghost. 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?

Ghoft. I am thy father's fpirit,

Doom'd for a certain time to walk the night,

a

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 fecrets of my prifon-house,

I could a tale unfold, whofe lightest word

u This description first given by T. x The fo's and all after, except C. Where for Whither.

y First f. bower; ad f. bonour.

2 Second q. bere. So S. but gives not the reading of the other qu's, vix. bear.

a W. reads too, i. c. moft or very. Heath proposes, to lafting fires, &c.

Would

Would harrow up thy foul, freeze thy young blood,

Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres,
Thy knotted and combined locks to part,

b

с

And each particular hair to stand on end

Like quills upon the fearful porcupine;
But this eternal blazon must not be

To ears of flesh and blood. Lift, lift, oh lift!
If thou didst ever thy dear father love---

Ham. O God!

Ghaft. Revenge his foul and moft unnatural murder.

Ham. Murder?

Ghoft. Murder most foul, as in the best it is;

But this moft foul, ftrange, and unnatural.

Ham. Hafte me to know it, that I, with wings as fwift As meditation, or the thoughts of love,

'Tis given out, that, fleeping in m my orchard,
A ferpent ftung me: fo the whole ear of Denmark

knotty.

The fo's, R. P. T. and H. read

e The qu's, fo's, and R. an for en. d So the qu's. The fo's read fretful; and all the fubfequent editors follow them, without mentioning any other reading.

eThe qu's and fo's read, porpentine. f The fo's and R. read, Lift Hamlet,

ab lift,

The fo's, and all the editions after, read, O beav'n!

h The fo's read, Haste, baßte me to know it; qu's, know 't; P. omits it.

i The fo's, R. P. and H. read rots.
* The qu's and fo's read, Lethe wharf.
1 The fo's and R. It's for 'Tis.
m The fo's, mine for my.

n P. omits fo.

Is by a forged process of my death

Rankly abus'd; but know, thou noble youth,
The ferpent, that did fting thy father's life,
Now wears his crown.

Ham. Oh, my prophetic foul! my uncle?
Ghof. Ay that inceftuous, that adulterate beaft,
With witchcraft of his P wits, with trait'rous gifts,
O wicked wit, and gifts, that have the power

r

So to feduce! won to his fhameful luft

The will of my moft (feeming) virtuous queen,
Oh Hamlet, what a falling off was there

t

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 mov'd,

Though lewdness court it in a fhape of heaven;
"So luft, though to a radiant angel link'd,
Will fate itself in a celeflial bed,

But, foft! methinks I fcent the morning air ---
Brief let me be Sleeping within my orchard,
My cuftom always of the afternoon,