Mar. Thus, twice before, and jump at this dead hour,
With martial stalk hath he gone by our watch,
Hor. In what particular thought to work, I
know not;
But, in the grofs and scope of mine opinion,
This bodes fome strange eruption to our state.
Mar. Good now, fit down, and tell me, he that
knows,
Why this fame ftrict and most observant watch
So nightly toils the fubject of the land;
And why fuch daily caft of brazen cannon,
And foreign mart for implements of war;
Why fuch imprefs of fhipwrights, whofe fore tafk
Does not divide the funday from the week:
What might be toward, that this sweaty hafte
Doth make the night joint-labourer with the day 3
Who is't, that can inform me ?
Hor.
That can I ;
At leaft, the whifper goes fo. Our last king,
Whofe image even but now appear'd to us,
Was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway,
Thereto prick'd on by a most emulate pride,
Dar'd to the combat: in which, our valiant Hamlet (For fo this fide of our known world efteem'd him,) Did flay this Fortinbras; who, by a feal'd compáct,
Well ratified by law, and heraldry,
Did forfeit, with his life, all those his lands,
Which he flood feiz'd of, to the conqueror :
Against the which, a moiety competent
Was gaged by our king; which had return'd
To the inheritance of Fortinbras,
Had he been vanquisher; as, by the fame co-mart,
And carriage of the article defign'd,
His fell to Hamlet: Now, fir, young Fortinbras, Of unimproved mettle hot and full,
Hath in the skirts of Norway, here and there,
Shark'd up a lift of landlefs refolutes,
For food and diet, to fome enterprize
That hath a ftomach in't: which is no other
(As it doth well appear unto our ftate,)
But to recover of us, by ftrong hand,
And terms compulfatory, thofe forefaid lands
So by his father loft: And this, I take it,
Is the main motive of our preparations;
The fource of this our watch; and the chief head
Of this poft-hafte and romage in the land.
[Ber. I think, it be no other, but even fo:
Well may it fort, that this portentous figure
Comes armed through our watch; fo like the king
That was, and is, the question of thefe wars.
Her. A mote it is, to trouble the mind's eye.
In the most high and palmy ftate of Rome,
A little ere the mightieft Julius fell,
The
graves flood tenantlefs, and the sheeted dead
Did íqueak and gibber in the Roman streets.
As, ftars with trains of fire and dews of blood,
Difafters in the fun; and the moift ftar,
Upon whofe influence Neptune's empire ftands,
Was fick almoft to doomfday with eclipfe.
And even the like precurse of fierce events,-
As harbingers preceding ftill the fates,
And prologue to the omen coming on,-
Have heaven and earth together démonstrated
Unto our climatures and countrymen.~]
But, foft; behold! lo, where it comes again!
I'll cross it, though it blast me.--Stay, illufion!
If thou haft any found, or ufe of voice,
If there be any good thing to be done,
That may to thee do ease, and grace to me,
Speak to me:
If thou art privy to thy country's fate,
Which, happily, foreknowing may avoid,
O, fpeak!
Or, if thou haft uphoarded in thy life
Extorted treasure in the womb of earth,
For which, they fay, you spirits oft walk in death, [Cock crows. Speak of it:-ftay, and fpeak.-Stop it, Marcellus. Mar. Shall I ftrike at it with my partizan ? Hor. Do, if it will not ftand.
We do it wrong, being fo majestical,
To offer it the show of violence;
For it is, as the air, invulnerable,
And our vain blows malicious mockery.
Ber. It was about to fpeak, when the cock crew, Har. And then it started, like a guilty thing Upon a fearful fummons. I have heard, The cock, that is the trumpet to the morn, Doth with his lofty and fhrill-founding throat Awake the god of day; and, at his warning, Whether in fea or fire, in earth or air, The extravagant and erring fpirit hies To his confine: and of the truth herein This prefent object made probation.
Mar. It faded on the crowing of the cock, Some fay, that ever 'gainst that season comes Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated, This bird of dawning fingeth all night long : And then, they fay, no fpirit dares ftir abroad; The nights are wholefome; then no planets ftrike, No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,
Se hallow'd and fo gracious is the time.
Hor. So have I heard, and do in part believe it.
But, look, the morn, in ruffet 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 fpirit, dumb to us, will speak to him:
Do you confent 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
Where we shall find him moft convenient.
The fame. A Room of State in the fame. Enter the King, Queen, HAMLET, POLONIUS, LAERTES, VOLTIMAND, CORNELIUS, Lords, and Attendants.
King. Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's
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 fo far hath difcretion fought with nature,
That we with wifeft forrow think on him,
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our fometime sister, now our queen,
The imperial jointrefs of this warlike ftate,
Have we, as 'twere, with a defeated joy,—
With one aufpicious, and one dropping eye;
With mirth in funeral, and with dirge in marriage,
In equal fcale weighing delight and dole,-
Taken to wife: nor have we herein barr'd
Your better wifdoms, which have freely gone
With this affair along :-For all, our thanks,
Now follows, that you know, young Fortinbras,-
Holding a weak fuppofal of our worth;
Or thinking, by our late dear brother's death,
Our ftate to be disjoint and out of frame,
Colleagued with this dream of his advantage,
He hath not fail'd to pefter us with message,
Importing the furrender of those lands
Loft by his father, with all bands of law,
To our most valiant brother.-So much for him.
Now for ourself, and for this time of meeting.
Thus much the bufinefs is: We have here writ
To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras,—
Who, impotent and bed-rid, fcarcely hears
Of this his nephew's purpofe,-to fuppress
His further gait herein: in that the levies,
The lifts, and full proportions, are all made
Out of his fubject :-and we here defpatch
You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltimand,
For bearers of this greeting to old Norway;
Giving to you no further perfonal power
To bufinefs with the king, more than the scope
Of thefe dilated articles allow.
Farewell; and let your hafte 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 fome fuit; What is't, Laertes ? You cannot speak of reafon to the Dane,
And lofe your voice: What would'st thou beg,
Laertes,
That fhall not be my offer, not thy asking?
The head is not more native to the heart,
The hand more inftrumental to the mouth,
Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father.
What would't thou have, Laertes?
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