And terms compulsative, those 'foresaid lands,
So by his father lost: And this, I take it,
Is the main motive of our preparation;

The source of this our watch; and the chief head.
Of this posthaste and romage(15) thro' the land.
[BAR. I think it be no other, but even so:
Well may it sort, that this portentous figure
Comes armed thro' our watch; so like the king,
That was and is the question of these wars.

a

b

HOR. A moth (17) it is to trouble the mind's eye.
In the most high and palmy state of Rome,
A little ere the mightiest Julius fell,

The graves stood tenantless, and the sheeted dead
Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets:
As, stars with trains of fire and dews of blood,
Disasters in the sun; (18) and the moist star,(19)
Upon whose influence Neptune's empire stands,
Was sick almost to dooms-day with eclipse.
And even the like precurse of fierce events,
As harbingers preceding still the fates,
And prologue to the omen coming on,(21)
Have heaven and earth together démonstrated
Unto our climatures and countrymen.-] (22)

Re-enter Ghost.

(20)

But, soft; behold! lo, where it 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,

a

b

sort] Fall in with the idea of: suit, accord.

palmy state] Outspread, flourishing. Of victory palm branches were the emblem.

estands-sick to dooms-day] To death, to extinction, as at the day of doom. Stands is depends.

d sound, or use of voice] Articulation.

Speak to me:

If 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,(23)

For which, they say, you spirits oft walk in death,

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

MAR. Shall I strike at it with my partizan?
HOR. Do, if it will not stand.

BAR.

HOR.

MAR. 'Tis gone!

'Tis here!

'Tis here!

[Exit Ghost.

We do it wrong, being so majestical,
To offer it the show of violence;

For it is, as the air, invulnerable, (24)

And our vain blows malicious mockery.

BAR. It was about to speak, when the cock crew.
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,(25)
Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding throat
Awake the god of day; and, at his warning,
Whether in sea (26) or fire, in earth or air,
The extravagant and erring spirit hies (27)
To his confine: and of the truth herein
This present object made probation.

MAR. It faded on the crowing of the cock.(28)
Some say, that ever 'gainst that season comes,
Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long:
And then, they say, no spirit dare stir* abroad;

*

• Sayes. 1623, 32.

• So 4tos.

can walk,

The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike, 1623, 32. No fairy (29) takes, nor witch hath power to charm,⚫ So 4tos. So hallow'd and so gracious is the time.(50)

a Partizan] Pertuisane, Fr. halberd.

blofty] High and loud

talkes.

1623, 32.

HOR. So have I heard, and do in part believe it. But, look, the morn,(3) 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 impart 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

know

Where we shall find him most conveniently.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

The same. A Room of State in the same.

Enter the King, Queen, HAMLET, POLONIUS, LAERTES, VOLTIMAND, CORNELIUS, Lords, and Attendants.

KING. Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death

The memory be green ;" and that it us befitted
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 'twere with a defeated joy, (32)
With one auspicious, and one dropping eye,
With mirth in funeral, and with dirge in marriage,
In equal scale weighing delight and dole,

Taken to wife: nor have we herein barr'd

green] Fresh. See Rom. & Jul. IV. 3. Jul.

b wisest sorrow] Sober grief, passion discreetly reined. barr'd] Excluded: acted without the concurrence of.

Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
With this affair along :-For all, our thanks.

Now follows, that you know, young Fortinbras,
Holding a weak supposal of our worth;
Or thinking, by our late dear brother's death,
Our state to be disjoint and out of frame,
Colleagued with this dream" of his advantage,
He hath not fail'd to pester us with message,
Importing the surrender of those iands

Lost by his father, with all bands of law,(33)
To our most valiant brother.-So much for him.
Now for ourself, and for this time of meeting.
Thus 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 (34) herein; in that the levies,
The lists, and full proportions, are all made
Out of his subject:-(35) and we here despatch
You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltimand,
For bearers of this greeting to old Norway;
Giving to you no further personal power
To business with the king, more than the scope
Of these dilated articles allow. (36)

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 Dane,

*

And lose your voice: What wouldst thou beg, • So 4tos.

a

Laertes,

Colleagued with this dream] United with this wild conceit.

b power to business] For the purpose of, to transact, business.

с

You cannot speak of reason to the Dane,

And lose your voice] Of any matter fit to be brought under discussion, and throw away your labour.

loose. 1623, 32.

That shall not be my offer, not thy asking?
The head is not more native to the heart,
The hand more instrumental to the mouth,
Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father.*
What wouldst thou have, Laertes?

LAER.

My dread lord,
Your leave and favour to return to France;
From whence though willingly I came to Den-
mark,

To shew my duty in your coronation;
Yet now, I must confess, that duty done,

My thoughts and wishes bend again toward France,
And bow them to your gracious leave and pardon.
KING. Have you your father's leave? What says
'Polonius?

POL. He hath, my lord, [wrung from me my slow leave,

By laboursome petition; and, at last,
Upon his will I seal'd my hard consent:]
I do beseech you, give him leave to go.

KING. Take thy fair hour, Laertes! time be
thine !d

And thy best graces spend it at thy will!
But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son,-

a The head is not more native, &c.] The principal parts of the body are not more natural, instrumental, or necessary to each other, than is the throne natural to, and a machine acted upon and under the guidance of, your father.

b Your leave and favour] The favour of your leave granted, the kind permission. Two substantives with a copulative being here, as is the frequent practise of our author, used for an adjective and substantive: an adjective sense is given to a substantive. See "Law and Heraldry," sc. 1. Horatio.

с

Upon his will I seal'd my hard consent] At or upon his earnest and importunate suit, I gave my full and final, though hardly obtained and reluctant, consent.

Take thy fair hour! time be thine!

And thy best graces spend it at thy will!] Catch the auspicious moment! be time thy own! and may the exercise of thy fairest virtues fill up those its hours, that are wholly at your command!