King. 'Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet, To give these mourning duties to your father: To do obsequious sorrow: but to persever Of impious stubbornness; 'tis unmanly grief: As of a father; for let the world take note, Than that which dearest father bears his son, 1 For unavailing. It is most retrograde to our desire: And, we beseech you, bend you to remain I Queen. Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet : pray thee, stay with us; go not to Wittenberg. Ham. I shall in all my best obey you, madam. King. Why, 'tis a loving and a fair reply: Be as ourself in Denmark.-Madam, come; This gentle and unforced accord of Hamlet Sits smiling to my heart; in grace whereof, No jocund health, that Denmark drinks to-day, But the great cannon to the clouds shall tell; And the king's rouse the heaven shall bruit 2 again, Respeaking earthly thunder.-Come away. [Exeunt King, Queen, Lords, &c. Polonius, and Ham. O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve 3 itself into a dew; Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God! Fie on 't! O, fie! 'tis an unweeded garden, nature, 1 Jovial draught. s Dissolve. 2 Report. 4 Law. Possess it merely.1 That it should come to this! But two months dead!-nay, not so much, not two: So excellent a king, that was, to this, 2 Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother, That he might not beteeme 3 the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth! Must I remember? why, she would hang on him, As if increase of appetite had grown By what it fed on: and yet, within a month,- A little month; or ere those shoes were old, (O heaven! a beast, that wants discourse of reason, Would have mourn'd longer) married with my uncle, My father's brother; but no more like my father But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue! Intirely. 2 Apollo. Suffer. Enter HORATIO, BERNARDO, and MARCELLUS. Ho. Hail to your lordship! Ham. I am glad to see you well. Horatio, or I do forget myself. Ho. The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever. Ham. Sir, my good friend; I'll change that name with you. And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio ?— Mar. My good lord, Ham. I am very glad to see you; good even, sir. But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg? We'll teach you to drink deep ere you depart. Ho. My lord, I came to see your father's funeral. Ham. I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow-student; I think, it was to see my mother's wedding. Ho. Indeed, my lord, it follow'd hard upon. Ham. Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral baked meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables. Would I had met my dearest 1 foe in heaven Ham. I shall not look upon his like again. Ho. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight. Ho. My lord, the king your father. Ham. The king my father? Ho. Season your admiration for awhile With an attent 2 ear; till I may deliver, Upon the witness of these gentlemen, This marvel to you. Ham. For God's love, let me hear. Ho. Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch, In the dead waist and middle of the night, father. Appears before them, and, with solemn march, Goes slow and stately by them: thrice he walk'd, By their oppress'd and fear-surprised eyes, Within his truncheon's length; whilst they, distill'd Almost to jelly with the act of fear, Stand dumb, and speak not to him. This to me 1 Most inveterate. 2 For attentive. |