Never to rife again; thy mother poifon'd;

I can no more-the King, the King's to blame.
Ham. The point invenom'd too?

Then, venom, do thy work.

All. Treafon, treafon.

[Stabs the King.

King. O yet defend me, friends, I am but hurt. Ham. Here thou incefluous, murth'rous, damned Drink off this potion: is the union here?

Follow my mother.

Laer. He is justly served.

It is a poifon temper'd by himself.

[Dane, [King dies.

Exchange forgivenefs with me, Noble Hamlet;
Mine and my father's death come not on thee,
Nor thine on me!

[Dies

Ham. Heav'n make thee free of it! I follow thee.
I'm dead, Horatio; wretched Queen, adieu !
You that look pale, and tremble at this chance,
That are but mutes or audience to this act,
Had I but time, (as this fell ferjeant Death
Is strict in his arreft), oh, I could tell you
But let it be-Horatio, I am dead;-

Thou liv'ft, report me and my cause aright
To the unfatisfied.

Hor. Never believe it.

I'm more an antic Roman than a Dane :
Here's yet fome liquor left.

Ham. As th'art a man,

Give me the cup; let go; by heav'n I'll have't.
Oh good Horatio, what a wounded name,

Things ftanding thus unknown, thall live behind me?
If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart,

Abfent thee from felicity a-while,

And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain,
To tell my tale. [March afar off, and shout within.
What warlike noife is this?

SCENE VI. Enter Ofrick.

Ofr. Young Fortinbras, with conquest come from To the ambaffadors of England gives

This warlike volley.

Ham. O I die, Horatio:

The potent poifon quite o'ergrows my fpirit;

[Poland,

I

I cannot live to hear the news from England.
But I do prophefy th' election lights

On Fortinbras; he has my dying voice;

So tell him, with the occurrents more or less,
Which have folicited *.-The reft is filence.

[Dies.

Hor. Now cracks a noble heart! good night, fweet Prince;

And flights of angels wing thee to thy reft!

Why does the drum come hither?

E

nter Fortinbras and English Ambassadors, with drum, colours, and attendants.

Fort. Where is this fight?

Hor. What is it you would fee?

If aught of woe or wonder ceafe your fearch.

Fort. This quarry cries

on havock. Oh proud

[Death!

What feast is tow'rd in thy infernal cell,

That thou fo many princes at a shot

So bloodily haft ftruck?

Amb. The fight is difmal,

And our affairs from England come too late:
The ears are fenfelefs that fhould give us hearing
To tell him his commandment is fulfill'd,
That Rofincrantz and Guildenftern are dead.
Where fhould we have our thanks?

Hor. Not from his mouth †,

Had it th' ability of life to thank you:

He never gave commandment for their death.
But fince fo jump upon this bloody question,
You from the Polack wars, and you from England,
Are here arriv'd; give order, that these bodies
High on a ftage be placed to the view,

And let me fpeak to th' unknowing world,
How these things came about. So fhall you hear
Of cruel, bloody, and unnatural acts;

Of accidental judgments, cafual flaughters;
Of deaths put on by cunning, and force'd caufe;
And, in this upfhot, purposes mistook,

Fall'n on th' inventors' heads. All this can I
Truly deliver.

felicited, for brought on the event. ti. e. the King's

Fort.

Fort. Let us hafte to hear it,

And call the Nobleffe to the audience.

For me, with forrow I embrace my fortune;

I have fome rights of memory in this kingdom,
Which now to claim, my vantage doth invite me.
Hor. Of that I fhall have alfo cause to speak,
And from his mouth whofe voice will draw on more :
But let the fame be presently perform'd,

Even while mens' minds are wild, left more mischance
On plots and errors happen.

Fort. Let four captains

Bear Hamlet, like a foldier, to the stage;

For he was likely, had he been put on,

To have prov'd moft royally. And for his paffage, The foldiers' mufic, and the rites of war

Speak loudly for him..

Take up the body; fuch a fight as this

Becomes the field, but here fhews much amifs.
Go, bid the foldiers fhoot.

[Exeunt marching: after which a peal of ord
nance is foot off.

OTHELLO,

DRAMATIS PERSON Æ.

DUKE of Venice.

Brabantio, a Noble Venetian. Gratiano, brother to Brabantio.

Lodovico, kinfman to Brabantio and Gratiano. Othello, the Moor, General for the Venetians in Cyprus. Caffio, kis Lieutenant-Gene-. ral.

Iago, fandard-bearer to 0thello.

Rodorigo, a foolish gentleman, in love with Defde

mona.

Montano, the Moor's prede-
cellor in the government of
Cyprus.
Clown, fervant to the Moor.
Herald.

Defdemona, daughter to Bra-
bantio, and wife to Othello.
Emilia, wife to lago.
Bianca, a courtezan, mistress
to Caffio.

Officers, Gentlemen, Messengers, Muficians, Sailors, and Attendants.

SCENE, for the first act, in Venice; during the rest of the play, in Cyprus.

A C T I.

SCENE I.

Rod.

A freet in Venice.

Enter Rodorigo and Iagò.

Ufh, never tell me, I take it much unkindly,
That thou, Iago, who haft had my purse,
As if the strings were thine, shouldst know
of this-

Iago. But you'll not hear me.

If ever I did dream of fuch a matter, abhor me.
Rod. Thou toldft me, thou didst hold him in thy hate.
Iago. Defpife me,

If I do not. Three great ones of the city,
In perfonal fuit to make me his lieutenant,
Off-cap'd to him: and, by the faith of man,
I know my price, I'm worth no worfe a place.
But he, as loving his own pride and purpose,
The flory is taken from Cynthio's novels,

Evades them with a bombaft circumstance,

Horribly ftuft with epithets of war,
And, in conclufion,

Non-fuits my mediators. Certes, fays he,
I have already chofe my officer.
And what was he?

Forfcoth, a great arithmetician,

One Michael Caffio,---(A Florentine's
A fellow almoft damn'd in a fair wife, -)
That never fet a fquadron in the field,
Nor the divifion of a battle knows

More than a spinfter; but the bookish theoric,
Wherein the toged confuls can propofe

*

As masterly as he; mere prattle without practice,
Is all his foldierfhiphe had th' election;
And I, of whom his eyes had feen the proof
At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds,
Christian and Heathen, must be let and calm'd
By debtor and creditor, this counter-cafter;
He, in good time, muft his lieutenant be,

And I (God bless the mark!) his Moorfhip's ancient. Rod. By Heav'n, I rather would have been his hang

man.

Iago. But there's no remedy, 'tis the curfe of fervice; Preferment goes by letter and affection,

Not (as of old) gradation, where each fecond
Stood heir to th' firft. Now, Sir, be judge yourself,
If I in any juft term am affign'd

To love the Moor.

Rod. I would not follow him then.
Iago. O Sir, content you;

I follow him to ferve my turn upon him.
We cannot all be mafters, nor all masters
Cannot be truly follow'd.

66

"You fhall mark

Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,

"That, doating on his own obfequious bondage, "Wears out his time, much like his master's ass, "For nought but provender; and when he's old, cashier'd;

Whip me fuch honeft knaves-- Others there are, Who, trimm'd in forms and vifages of duty,

VOL .VIII.

*confuls, for unfellors.
R

"Keep