His beard was grizzl❜d? no? Hor. It was, as I have seen it in his life, A sable silver'd. Ham. I will watch to-night; Perchance, 'twill walk again. Hor. I warrant, it will. Ham. If it assume my noble father's person, I'll speak to it, though hell itself should gape, And bid me hold my peace. I pray you all, If you have hitherto conceal'd this sight, Let it be tenable in your silence still; And whatsoever else shall hap to-night, Give it an understanding, but no tongue; I will requite your loves: So, fare you well: Upon the platform, 'twixt eleven and twelve, I'll visit you. All. Our duty to your honour. Ham. Your loves, as mine to you: Farewell. [Exeunt HOR. MAR. and BER. 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, Though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes. [Exit. SCENE III. A Room in Polonius' House. Enter LAERTES and OPHELIA. Laer. My necessaries are embark'd; farewell: And, sister, as the winds give benefit, And convoy is assistant, do not sleep, But let me hear from you. Oph. Do you doubt that? Laer. For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favour, Hold it a fashion, and a toy in blood; A violet in the youth of primy nature, Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting, The perfume and suppliance of a minute; No more. Oph. No more but so? Think it no more: For nature, crescent, does not grow alone The inward service of the mind and soul you, It fits your wisdom so far to believe it, May give his saying deed; which is no further, Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister; Laer. Enter POLONIUS. A double blessing is a double grace; Pol. Yet here, Laertes! aboard, aboard, for shame; The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, Nor any unproportion'd thought his act. ware Of entrance to a quarrel: but, being in, Bear it that the opposer may beware of thee. Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice: Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judg ment. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy: And they in France, of the best rank and station, Pol. The time invites you; go, your servants tend. Laer. Farewell, Ophelia; and remember well What I have said to you. Oph. 'Tis in my memory lock'd, [Exit LAERTES, And you yourself shall keep the key of it. Laer. Farewell. Pol. What is 't, Ophelia, he hath 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 VOL. VIII. P Given private time to you; and you yourself Have of your audience been most free and boun teous: If it be so (as so 'tis put on me, And that in way of caution), I must tell you, Of his affection to me. Pol. Affection? puh! you speak like a green girl, Unsifted 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 you: think yourself a baby; That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay, Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly; Or (not to crack the wind of the poor phrase, In honourable fashion. Pol. Ay, fashion you may call it; go to, go to. Oph. And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord, With almost all the holy vows of heaven. When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul But mere implorators of unholy suits, I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth, SCENE IV. The Platform. [Exeunt. Enter HAMLET, HORATIO, and MARCELLUS. Ham. The air bites shrewdly; it is very cold. Hor. It is a nipping and an eager air. Ham. What hour now? I think it lacks of twelve. Mar. No, it is struck. Hor. Indeed? I heard it not; it then draws near the season, Wherein the spirit held his wont to walk. [A Flourish of Trumpets, and Ordnance shot off, within. What does this mean, my lord? Ham. The king doth wake to-night, and takes his rouse, Keeps wassel, and the swaggering up-spring reels; And, as he drains his draughts of Rhenish down, Hor. Ham. Ay, marry, is 't: Is it a custom? But to my mind,-though I am native here, More honour'd in the breach than the observance. Makes us traduc'd, and tax'd of other nations: They clepe us, drunkards, and, with swinish phrase Soil our addition; and, indeed it takes From our achievements, though perform'd at height, The pith and marrow of our attribute. That, for some vicious mole of nature in them, |