my

My Father,----methinks I see Father.

Hor. © where, my Lord?
Ham. In my Mind's Eye, Horatio.
Hor. I saw him once, he was a goodly King.

Ham. He was a Man, take him for all in all,
I should not look upon his like again,

Hor. My Lord, I think I saw him yesternight.
Ham. Saw! Who?-
Hor. My Lord, the King your Father.
Ham. The King my Father!"

Hor. Season your Admiration for a while
With an attent Ear; 'till I may deliver
Upon the witness of these Gentlemen,
This marvel to you.

Ham. For Heav'n's love, let me hear.

Hor. Two Nights together had these Gentlemen,
Marcellus and Bernardo, on their Watch,
In the dead waste and middle of the Night,
Been thus encountred. A figure like your Father,
Arm'd at all points exa&ly, Cap a Pé,
Appears before them, ind with folemn March
Goes slow and state By them thrice he walk'd,
By their opprest and fear-surprized Eyes,
Within his Truncheon's length; whilst they, be-stillid
Almost to Jelly with the A& of fear,
Stand dumb and speak not to him. This to me
In dreadful fecrecy impart they did,
And I with them the third Night kept the Watch,
Where, as they had deliver'd both in time,
Form of the thing, each word made true and good,
The Apparition comes. I knew your Father:
These Hands are not more like.

Ham. But where was this?
Mar. My Lord, upon the Platform where we watche.
Ham. Did you not speak to it?

Hor. My Lord, I did;
But answer made it none; yet once methought
It lifted up its Head, and did address
It self to Motion, like as it would speak :
But even then, the Morning Cock crew loud;
And at the found it fhrunk in haste

away, VOL. y.

And

And vanisht from our fight.

Ham. 'Tis very strange.

Hor. As I do live, my honourable Lord, 'tis true;
And we did think it writ down in our Duty
To let you know of it.

Ham. Indeed, indeed, Sirs, but this troubles mei
Hold you the Watch to Night?

Both. We do, my Lord.
Ham. Armid, say you?
Both. Arm'd, my Lord.
Ham. From top to toe?
Both. My Lord, from head to foot.
Ham. Then saw you not his Face?
Hor. O yes, my Lord, he wore his Beaver up.
Ham. What, look'd he frowningly?
Hor. A Countenance more in Sorrow than in Anger.
Ham. Pale, or red?
Hor. Nay, very pale.
Ham, And fixt his Eyes upon you?
Hor. Most constantly.
Ham. I would I had been there.
Hor. It would have much amaz’d you.
Ham. Very like, very like;. staid it long?
Hor. While one with moderate haste might tell a hundred.
All. Longer, longer.
Hor. Not when I saw't.
Ham. His Beard was grisly?

Hor. It was, I have seen it in his Life,
A Sable filver'd.

Ham. I'll watch to Night; perchance 'twill walk again.
Hor. I warrant you it will.

Ham. If it assume my noble Father's Person,
I'll speak to it, tho' Hell it self should gape
And 'hid me hold my Peace. I pray you all,
If
you

have hitherto conceal'd this Sight ;
Let ir be treble in your filence still:
And whatsoever else shall hap to Night,
Give it an Understanding, but no Tongue;
I will require your Loves : so, fare ye well :
Upon the Platform 'twixt eleven and twelve,

I'll visit you.

All. Our duty to your Honour. [Excunt.

Ham.

Ham. Your love, as mine to you: Farewel.
My Father's Spirit in Arms ! All is not well;
I doubt some foul play; would the Night were come;
'Till then sit still, my Soul; foul Deeds will rise,
Tho' all the Earth o'erwhelm them to Mens Eyes. [Exit.

Enter Laertes and Ophelia.
Laer. My Necessaries are imbark'd, farewel ;
And Sister, as the Winds give benefit,
And Convoy is a distant ; do not sleep,
But let me hear from you.

Oph. Do you doubt that?

Laer. For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favours,
Hold it a fashion and a toy in Blood,
A Violet in the youth of primy Nature,
Forward, not permanent, tho' sweet, not lasting
The suppliance of a minute ; no more.

Oph. No more but so?

Laer. Think it no more :
For Nature crescent does not grow alone,
In Thews and Bulk; but as his Temple waxes,
The inward service of the Mind and Soul
Grows wide withal. Perhaps he loves you now,
And now no foil nor cautel doth besmerch
The virtue of his Fear : But you must fear
His greatness weighd, his will is not his own :
For he himself is subject to his Birth;
He may not, as unvalued Persons do;
Carve for himfelf; for, on his choice depends
The san&ity and health of the whole State.
And therefore must his choice be circumscrib'd
Unto the voice and yielding of that Body,
Whereof he is the Head. Then if he says he loves you,
It fits
your

Wisdom so far to believe it,
As he in his peculiar Sect and force
May give his saying deed; which is no further,
Than the main Voice of Denmark goes withal.
Then weigh that loss your Honour may sustain,
If with too credent Ear you lift his Songs,
Or lose your Heart ; or your chaste Treasure open
To his unmastered importunity.
Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear Sifter,

Xa

And

And keep within the rear of your Affe&ion;
Out of the shot and danger of Defire.
The chariest Maid is prodigal enough,
If she unmask her Beauty to the Moon:
Virtue it self scapes not calumnious strokes
The Canker galls the infant of the Spring,
Too oft before the Buttons be disclos'd,
And in the morn and liquid dew of Youth,
Contagious blaftments are moft imminent.
Be wary then, best safety lies in fear ;
Youth to it self rebels, though none else near.

Oph. I shall th'effe&t of this good Lellon keeps
As Watchmen to my Heart: But good my Brothers
Do not as some ungracious Pastors do,
Shew me the steep and thorny way to Heav'n;
Whilst like a puft and reckless Libertine,
Himself, the Primrose path of dalliance treads,
And reaks not his own read.
Laer. Oh, fear me not.

Enter Polonius.
I stay too long; but here my Father comes : :
A double Bleffing is a double Grace ;
Occasion smiles upon a fecond leave.

Pol. Yet here, Laertes! aboard, aboard for shame,
The Wind sits in the shoulder of your Sail,
And you are staid for there. My Blessing with you;
And these few. Precepts in thy Memory,
See thou Character. Give thy Thoughts no Tongue,
Nor any unproportion'd Thought his AG:
Be thou familiar, but by no means-vulgar;
The Friends thou hast, and their adoption try'd,
Grapple them to thy Soul, with hoops of Steel:
But do not dull thy Palm, with Entertainment
Of each unharch’d, unfledg'd Comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a Quarrel : But being in
Bear't that th'opposed may beware of thee:
Give every Man thine Ear ; but few thy Voice.
Take each Man's censure; but reserve thy Judgment.
Costly thy Habit as thy Purse can buy;
But not expreft in fancy; rich, not gaudy:
For the Apparel oft proclaims the Man,

a

And they in France of the best Rank and Station,
Are most select and generous, chief in that.
Neither a borrower, nor a lender be;
For Loan oft loses both it self and Friend :
A borrowing dulls the edge of Husbandry.
This above ail; to thine own self be true :
And it must follow, as the Night the Day,
Thou canst not then be false to any Man.
Farewel; my blessing season this in thee.

Laer. Most humbly do I take my leave, my Lord.
Pol. The time invites you, go, your Servants tend.

Laer. Farewel, Ophelia, and remember well
What I have said to you.

Oph. 'Tis in my Memory lockt,
And you your self mall keep the Key of it.
Laer. Farewel.

[Exit Laer.
Pol. What is't, Ophelia, he said to you?
Oph. So please you, something touching the Lord Hamlet.
Pol

. Marry, well bethought;
'Tis told me he hath very oft of late
Given private time to you; and you your self
Have of your Audience been most free and bounceous,
If it be so, as so it is put on me,
And that in way of caution, I must tell you,
You do not understand your self so clearly,
As it behooves my Daughter, and your Honour, .
What is between you, give me up the Truth?

Oph. He hath, my Lord, of late, made many tenders of his Affection to me.

Pol. Affection! puh! you speak like a green Girl,
Unfifted in such perilous Circumstance.
Do you believe his Tenders, as you call them?

Oph. I do not know, my Lord, what I should think.
Pol. Marry I'll teach

ach you; think your self a Baby,
That you have ta'en his Tenders for true pay.
Which are not sterling. Tender your self more dearly;
Or not to crack the wind of the poor Phrase,
Roaming it thus, you'll tender me a Fool.

Oph. My Lord, he hath importun'd me with love,
In honourable fashion.
Pola Ay, fashion you may call it : go to, go to.
X 3

Oph.