Upon whose influence Neptune's empire stands,
Was sick almost to doomsday with eclipse.
And even the like precurse of fierce events,
As harbingers preceding still the fates,
And prologue to the omen coming on,
llave heaven and earth together démonstrated
Unto our climatures and countrymen. -]

Re-enter Ghost. But, soft;, behold! lo, where comes again! I'll cross it, though it blast me. - Stay, illusion ! If thou hast any sound, or use of voice, Speak to me: If there be any good thing to be done, That may to thee do ease and grace to me, Speak 'to me: It thou art privy to thy country's fate, 'Which, happily, foreknowing may avoid , O, speak! Or, if thou hast uphoarded in thy life Extorted treasure in the womb of earth, For which, they say, you spirits oft walk in death,

[Cock crows. Speak of it: - stay, and speak. - Stop it, Mar-,

cellus. Mar. Shall I strike at it with my partizan ? Hor. Do, if it will not stand. Ber. ' 'Tis here! Hor. 'Tis here! Mar. 'Tis gone!

[ Exit Ghost. We do it wrong, being so majestical, To offer it the show of violence; For it is ,' as the air, invutnerable, And our vain blows malicious mockery.

Ber. It was about to speak when the cock crew.

a

Hor. And then it started, like a guilty thing
Upon a fearful summons. I have heard ,
The cock ; that is the trumpet to the morn,
Doth with his lofty and shrill – sounding throat
Awake the God of day; and, at his warning,
Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air, vi
T'he extravagant and erring spirit hies
To his confine: and of the truth herein
This present object made probation.

Mar. It faded on the crowing of the cock;
Some say, that ever 'gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated,
This bird of dawning singeth all night long :
And then , they say, no spirit dares stir a broad;
The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike,
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,
So hallow'd and so gracious is the time.
Hor. So have I heard, and do in part bę-

lieve it.

in russet mantle clad ,
Walks o'er the dew of yon high eastern hill:
Break we our watch up; and, by my advice,
Let us impárt what we have seen to-night
Unto young Hamlet; for, upon my life,
This spirit dumb to us, will speak to him:
Do

you consent we shall acquaint him with it,
As needful in our loves, fitting our duty ?
Mar. Let's do't, I pray: and I this morning

kuow
Where we shall find him most convenient.

[ Zreunt.

But, look,

the morn,

SCEN E 11.

The same. A Room of State in the same.

Enter the King, Queen, HAMLET, POLONIUS, LAERTES, VOLTIMAND, CORNELIUS, Lords,

and Attendants.

a

King. Though yet of Hamlet our dear bro

ther's death
The memory be green; and that it us befilted
To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe;
Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature,
That we with wisest sorrow think on him,
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister, now our Queen,
The imperial jointress of this warlike state,
Have we, as 't were, with a defeated joy,
With one auspicious, and one dropping eye;
With mirth in funeral, and with dirge in mar-

riage,
In equal scale weighing delight and dole,
Taken to wife: nor have we herein barr'd
Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
With this affair along: - For all, our thanks.

Now follows, that you know, young Fortin-
Holding a weak supposal of our worıb;
Or thinking, by our late dear brother's death,
Our stale to be disjoint and out of frame,
Colleagued with this dream of his advantage,
He hath not fail'd to pester us with message,
Iinporting the surrender of those lands
Lost by his father, with all baods of law,
To our most Paliaut bruiber. - So auch for him.

bras,

Now for ourself, and for this time of meeting.
This much the business is : We have here writ
To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras,
Who, impotent and bed-rid, scarcely hears
of this his nephew's purpose, to suppress
His. further gait berein; in that the levies,
The lists, and full proportions, are all made
Out of his subject :- and we here despatch
You, good Cornelius , and you , Voltimand,
For bearers of this greeting to old Norway;
Giviug to you no further personal power
To business with the King, more than the scope
Of these dilated articles allow.
Farewell; and let your haste commend your duty.
Cor. Vol. In that, and all things, will we show

our duty.
King. We doubt it nothing; heartily farewell.

[ Exeunt VoLTIMAND and Cornelius.
And now, Laertes, what's the news with you?
You told us of some suit; What is't, Laertes ?
You cannot speak of reason to the Daue,
And lose your voice: What would'st thou beg,

Laertes,
That shall not be my offer, not thg asking ?
The head is not more native to the heart,
The band more instrumental to the mouth,
Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father.
What would'st thou have, Laertes ?

Laer. My dread Lord, 'Your leave and favour to return to France; From whence though willingly I came to Dens

mark, To show my duty in your coronation; Yet now, I must confess, that duly done, My thoughts and wishes bend again toward France, And how them to your gracious leave and pardou.

King. Have you your father's leave? What

says Polonius ? Pol. IIe liath, my Lord, (wrung from me my

slow leave, By laboursome petition; and, at last, Upon his will I scal'd my hard consent:] I do beseech you, give him leave to go. King. Take thy fair hour, Laertes ; time be

thine, And thy best graces : spend it at thy will. But now, my cousin Hamlet, aud my son, Ham. A little more than kin, and less than

kind.

[ Aside. King. How is it that the clouds still hang on.

you? Ham. Not so, my Lord, I am too much i't he

SIIN.

Queen. Good Hamlet cast thy nighted colour off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not, for ever, with thy vailed lids Seek for thy noble father in the dust: Thoukuow'st, 'ris common; all, that live, must die, Passing through nature to elernily.

Ham. Ay, Madain, it is common.

Queen. If it be,
Why seems it so particular with thee?

Ham. Seems, madam! nay, it is; I know not
'Tis not alone my ipky cloak, good mother,
Nor customary suits of solemo black,
Nor windy suspiration of forc'd breath,
No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,
Nor the dejected baviour of the visage,
Together with all forms, modes, shows of grief,
That can denote me truly: These, indeed, seem,
For they are actions that a man might play: