The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 8 of 9]

King Gertred, leaue me,
And take your leaue of Hamlet,
To England is he gone, ne're to returne:
Our Letters are vnto the King of England,
That on the sight of them, on his allegeance, 170
He presently without demaunding why,
That Hamlet loose his head, for he must die,
There's more in him than shallow eyes can see:
He once being dead, why then our state is free. exit.

[Sc. xii.]

Enter Fortenbrasse, Drumme and Souldiers.

Fort. Captaine, from vs goe greete
The king of Denmarke:
Tell him that Fortenbrasse nephew to old Norway,
Craues a free passe and conduct over his land,
According to the Articles agreed on: 5
You know our Randevous, goe march away. exeunt all.

[Sc. xiii.]

Enter King and Queene.

King Hamlet is ship't for England, fare him well,
I hope to heare good newes from thence ere long,
If every thing fall out to our content,
As I doe make no doubt but so it shall.

Queene God grant it may, heav'ns keep my Hamlet safe: 5
But this mischance of olde Corambis death,
Hath piersed so the yong Ofeliaes heart,
That she, poore maide, is quite bereft her wittes.

King Alas deere heart! And on the other side,
We vnderstand her brother's come from France, 10
And he hath halfe the heart of all our Land,
And hardly hee'le forget his fathers death,
Vnlesse by some meanes he be pacified.

Qu. O see where the yong Ofelia is!

Enter Ofelia playing on a Lute, and her haire downe singing.

Ofelia How should I your true love know 15
From another man?
By his cockle hatte, and his staffe,
And his sandall shoone.
White his shrowde as mountaine snowe,
Larded with sweete flowers, 20
That bewept to the graue did not goe
With true louers showers:
He is dead and gone Lady, he is dead and gone,
At his head a grasse greene turffe,
At his heeles a stone.

King How i'st with you sweete Ofelia?

Ofelia Well God yeeld you,
It grieues me to see how they laid him in the cold ground,
I could not chuse but weepe:
And will he not come againe? 30
And will he not come againe?
No, no, hee's gone, and we cast away mone,
And he neuer will come againe.
His beard as white as snowe:
All flaxen was his pole, 35
He is dead, he is gone,
And we cast away moane:
God a mercy on his soule.
And of all christen soules I pray God.
God be with you Ladies, God be with you. exit Ofelia. 40

King A pretty wretch! this is a change indeede:
O Time, how swiftly runnes our ioyes away?
Content on earth was neuer certaine bred,
To day we laugh and liue, to morrow dead.
How now, what noyse is that? 45

A noyse within. Enter Leartes.

Lear. Stay there vntill I come,
O thou vilde king, giue me my father:
Speake, say, where's my father?

King Dead.

Lear. Who hath murdred him? speake, i'le not 50
Be juggled with, for he is murdred.

Queene True, but not by him.

Lear. By whome, by heau'n I'le be resolued.

King Let him goe Gertred, away, I feare him not,
There's such diuinitie doth wall a king, 55
That treason dares not looke on.
Let him goe Gertred, that your father is murdred,
T'is true, and we most sory for it,
Being the chiefest piller of our state:
Therefore will you like a most desperate gamster, 60
Swoop-stake-like, draw at friend, and foe, and all?

Lear. To his good friends thus wide I'le ope mine arms,
And locke them in my hart, but to his foes,
I will no reconcilement but by bloud.

King Why now you speake like a most louing sonne: 65
And that in soule we sorrow for for his death,
Your selfe ere long shall be a witnesse,
Meane while be patient, and content your selfe.

Enter Ofelia as before.

Lear. Who's this, Ofelia? O my deere sister!
I'st possible a yong maides life, 70
Should be as mortall as an olde mans sawe?
O heau'ns themselues! how now Ofelia?

Ofel. Wel God a mercy, I a bin gathering of floures:
Here, here is rew for you,
You may call it hearb a grace a Sundayes, 75
Heere's some for me too: you must weare your rew
With a difference, there's a dazie.
Here Loue, there's rosemary for you
For remembrance: I pray Loue remember,
And there's pansey for thoughts. 80

Lear. A document in madnes, thoughts, remembrance:
O God, O God!

Ofelia There is fennell for you, I would a giu'n you
Some violets, but they all withered, when
My father died: alas, they say the owle was 85
A Bakers daughter, we see what we are,
But can not tell what we shall be.
For bonny sweete Robin is all my joy.

Lear. Thoughts & afflictions, torments worse than hell.

Ofel. Nay Loue, I pray you make no words of this now: 90
I pray now, you shall sing a downe,
And you a downe a, t'is a the Kings daughter
And the false steward, and if any body
Aske you of any thing, say you this.
To morrow is saint Valentines day, 95
All in the morning betime,
And a maide at your window,
To be your Valentine:
The yong man rose, and dan'd his clothes,
And dupt the chamber doore, 100
Let in the maide, that out a maide
Neuer departed more.
Nay I pray marke now,
By gisse, and by saint Charitie,
Away, and fie for shame: 105
Yong men will doo't when they come too't:
By cocke they are too blame.
Quoth she, before you tumbled me,
You promised me to wed.
So would I a done, by yonder Sunne, 110
If thou hadst not come to my bed.
So God be with you all, God bwy Ladies.
God bwy you Loue. exit Ofelia.

Lear. Griefe vpon griefe, my father murdered,
My sister thus distracted: 115
Cursed be his soule that wrought this wicked act.

King Content you good Leartes for a time,
Although I know your griefe is as a floud,
Brimme full of sorrow, but forbeare a while,
And thinke already the reuenge is done 120
On him that makes you such a haplesse sonne.

Lear. You haue preuail'd my Lord, a while I'le striue,
To bury griefe within a tombe of wrath,
Which once vnhearsed, then the world shall heare
Leartes had a father he held deere. 125

King No more of that, ere many dayes be done,
You shall heare that you do not dreame vpon. exeunt om.

[Sc. xiv.]

Enter Horatio and the Queene.

Hor. Madame, your sonne is safe arriv'de in Denmarke,
This letter I euen now receiv'd of him,
Whereas he writes how he escap't the danger,
And subtle treason that the king had plotted,
Being crossed by the contention of the windes, 5
He found the Packet sent to the king of England,
Wherein he saw himselfe betray'd to death,
As at his next conuersion with your grace,
He will relate the circumstance at full.

Queene Then I perceiue there's treason in his lookes 10
That seem'd to sugar o're his villanie:
But I will soothe and please him for a time,
For murderous mindes are alwayes jealous,
But know not you Horatio where he is?

Hor. Yes Madame, and he hath appoynted me 15
To meete him on the east side of the Cittie
To morrow morning.

Queene O faile not, good Horatio, and withall, commend me
A mothers care to him, bid him a while
Be wary of his presence, lest that he 20
Faile in that he goes about.

Hor. Madam, neuer make doubt of that:
I thinke by this the news be come to court:
He is arriv'de, obserue the king, and you shall
Quickely finde, Hamlet being here, 25
Things fell not to his minde.

Queene But what became of Gilderstone and Rossencraft?

Hor. He being set ashore, they went for England,
And in the Packet there writ down that doome
To be perform'd on them poynted for him: 30
And by great chance he had his fathers Seale,
So all was done without discouerie.

Queene Thankes be to heauen for blessing of the prince,
Horatio once againe I take my leaue,
With thowsand mothers blessings to my sonne. 35

Horat. Madam adue.

[Sc. xv.]

Enter King and Leartes.

King. Hamlet from England! is it possible?
What chance is this? they are gone, and he come home.

Lear. O he is welcome, by my soule he is:
At it my iocund heart doth leape for ioy,
That I shall liue to tell him, thus he dies. 5

King Leartes, content your selfe, be rulde by me,
And you shall haue no let for your reuenge.

Lear. My will, not all the world.

King Nay but Leartes, marke the plot I haue layde,
I haue heard him often with a greedy wish, 10
Vpon some praise that he hath heard of you
Touching your weapon, which with all his heart,
He might be once tasked for to try your cunning.

Lea. And how for this?

King Mary Leartes thus: I'le lay a wager, 15
Shalbe on Hamlets side, and you shall giue the oddes,
The which will draw him with a more desire,
To try the maistry, that in twelue venies
You gaine not three of him: now this being granted,
When you are hot in midst of all your play, 20
Among the foyles shall a keene rapier lie,
Steeped in a mixture of deadly poyson,
That if it drawes but the least dramme of blood,
In any part of him, he cannot liue:
This being done will free you from suspition, 25
And not the deerest friend that Hamlet lov'de
Will euer haue Leartes in suspect.

Lear. My lord, I like it well:
But say lord Hamlet should refuse this match.

King I'le warrant you, wee'le put on you 30
Such a report of singularitie,
Will bring him on, although against his will.
And lest that all should misse,
I'le haue a potion that shall ready stand,
In all his heate when that he calles for drinke, 35
Shall be his period and our happinesse.

Lear. T'is excellent, O would the time were come!
Here comes the Queene. enter the Queene.

King How now Gertred, why looke you heauily?

Queene O my Lord, the yong Ofelia
Hauing made a garland of sundry sortes of floures,
Sitting vpon a willow by a brooke,
The enuious sprig broke, into the brooke she fell,
And for a while her clothes spread wide abroade,
Bore the yong Lady vp: and there she sate smiling, 45
Euen Mermaide-like, twixt heauen and earth,
Chaunting olde sundry tunes vncapable
As it were of her distresse, but long it could not be,
Till that her clothes, being heauy with their drinke,
Dragg'd the sweete wretch to death. 50

Lear. So, she is drownde:
Too much of water hast thou Ofelia,
Therefore I will not drowne thee in my teares,
Reuenge it is must yeeld this heart releefe,
For woe begets woe, and griefe hangs on griefe. exeunt. 55

[Sc. xvi.]

Enter Clowne and an other.

Clowne I say no, she ought not to be buried
In christian buriall.

2. Why sir?

Clowne Mary because shee's drownd.

2. But she did not drowne her selfe. 5

Clowne No, that's certaine, the water drown'd her.

2. Yea but it was against her will.

Clowne No, I deny that, for looke you sir, I stand here,
If the water come to me, I drowne not my selfe:
But if I goe to the water, and am there drown'd, 10
Ergo I am guiltie of my owne death:
Y'are gone, goe y'are gone sir.

2. I but see, she hath christian buriall,
Because she is a great woman.

Clowne Mary more's the pitty, that great folke 15
Should haue more authoritie to hang or drowne
Themselues, more than other people:
Goe fetch me a stope of drinke, but before thou
Goest, tell me one thing, who buildes strongest,
Of a Mason, a Shipwright, or a Carpenter? 20

2. Why a Mason, for he buildes all of stone,
And will indure long.

Clowne That's prety, too't agen, too't agen.

2. Why then a Carpenter, for he buildes the gallowes,
And that brings many a one to his long home. 25

Clowne Prety agen, the gallowes doth well, mary howe
dooes it well? the gallowes dooes well to them that doe ill,
goe get thee gone:
And if any one aske thee hereafter, say,
A Graue-maker, for the houses he buildes 30
Last till Doomes-day. Fetch me a stope of beere, goe.

Enter Hamlet and Horatio.

Clowne A picke-axe and a spade,
A spade for and a winding sheete,
Most fit it is, for t'will be made, he throwes vp a shouel.
For such a ghest most meete. 35

Ham. Hath this fellow any feeling of himselfe,
That is thus merry in making of a graue?
See how the slaue joles their heads against the earth.

Hor. My lord, Custome hath made it in him seeme nothing.

Clowne A pick-axe and a spade, a spade, 40
For and a winding sheete,
Most fit it is for to be made,
For such a ghest most meet.

Ham. Looke you, there's another Horatio.
Why mai't not be the scull of some Lawyer? 45
Me thinkes he should indite that fellow
Of an action of Batterie, for knocking
Him about the pate with's shouel: now where is your
Quirkes and quillets now, your vouchers and
Double vouchers, your leases and free-holde, 50
And tenements? why that same boxe there will scarse
Holde the conueiance of his land, and must
The honor lie there? O pittifull transformance!
I prethee tell me Horatio,
Is parchment made of sheep-skinnes? 55

Hor. I my Lorde, and of calues-skinnes too.

Ham. Ifaith they prooue themselues sheepe and calues
That deale with them, or put their trust in them.
There's another, why may not that be such a ones
Scull, that praised my Lord such a ones horse, 60
When he meant to beg him? Horatio, I prethee
Lets question yonder fellow.
Now my friend, whose graue is this?

Clowne Mine sir.

Ham. But who must lie in it? 65

Clowne If I should say, I should, I should lie in my throat sir.

Ham. What man must be buried here?

Clowne No man sir.

Ham. What woman?

Clowne. No woman neither sir, but indeede 70
One that was a woman.

Ham. An excellent fellow by the Lord Horatio,
This seauen yeares haue I noted it: the toe of the pesant,
Comes so neere the heele of the courtier,
That hee gawles his kibe, I prethee tell mee one thing, 75
How long will a man lie in the ground before hee rots?

Clowne Ifaith sir, if hee be not rotten before
He be laide in, as we haue many pocky corses,
He will last you, eight yeares, a tanner
Will last you eight yeares full out, or nine. 80

Ham. And why a tanner?

Clowne Why his hide is so tanned with his trade,
That it will holde out water, that's a parlous
Deuourer of your dead body, a great soaker.
Looke you, heres a scull hath bin here this dozen yeare, 85
Let me see, I euer since our last king Hamlet
Slew Fortenbrasse in combat, yong Hamlets father,
Hee that's mad.

Ham. I mary, how came he madde?

Clowne Ifaith very strangely, by loosing of his wittes. 90

Ham. Vpon what ground?

Clowne A this ground, in Denmarke.

Ham. Where is he now?

Clowne Why now they sent him to England.

Ham. To England! wherefore? 95

Clowne Why they say he shall haue his wittes there,
Or if he haue not, t'is no great matter there,
It will not be seene there.

Ham. Why not there?

Clowne Why there they say the men are as mad as he. 100

Ham. Whose scull was this?

Clowne This, a plague on him, a madde rogues it was,
He powred once a whole flagon of Rhenish of my head,
Why do not you know him? this was one Yorickes scull.

Ham. Was this? I prethee let me see it, alas poore Yoricke 105
I knew him Horatio,
A fellow of infinite mirth, he hath caried mee twenty times
vpon his backe, here hung those lippes that I haue Kissed a
hundred times, and to see, now they abhorre me: Wheres
your iests now Yoricke? your flashes of meriment: now go 110
to my Ladies chamber, and bid her paint her selfe an inch
thicke, to this she must come Yoricke. Horatio, I prethee
tell me one thing, doost thou thinke that Alexander looked
thus?

Hor. Euen so my Lord. 115

Ham. And smelt thus?

Hor. I my lord, no otherwise.

Ham. No, why might not imagination worke, as thus of
Alexander, Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander
became earth, of earth we make clay, and Alexander being 120
but clay, why might not time bring to passe, that he might
stoppe the boung hole of a beere barrell?
Imperious Cæsar dead and turnd to clay,
Might stoppe a hole, to keepe the winde away.

Enter King and Queene, Leartes, and other lordes, with a Priest after the coffin.

Ham. What funerall's this that all the Court laments? 125
It shews to be some noble parentage:
Stand by a while.

Lear. What ceremony else? say, what ceremony else?

Priest My Lord, we haue done all that lies in vs,
And more than well the church can tolerate, 130
She hath had a Dirge sung for her maiden soule:
And but for fauour of the king, and you,
She had beene buried in the open fieldes,
Where now she is allowed christian buriall.

Lear. So, I tell thee churlish Priest, a ministring Angell 135
shall my sister be, when thou liest howling.

Ham. The faire Ofelia dead!

Queene Sweetes to the sweete, farewell:
I had thought to adorne thy bridale bed, faire maide,
And not to follow thee vnto thy graue. 140

Lear. Forbeare the earth a while: sister farewell:

Leartes leapes into the graue.

Now powre your earth on, Olympus hie,
And make a hill to o're top olde Pellon: Hamlet leapes in after Leartes
Whats he that coniures so?

Ham. Beholde tis I, Hamlet the Dane. 145

Lear. The diuell take thy soule.

Ham. O thou praiest not well,
I prethee take thy hand from off my throate,
For there is something in me dangerous,
Which let thy wisedome feare, holde off thy hand: 150
I lou'de Ofelia as deere as twenty brothers could:
Shew me what thou wilt doe for her:
Wilt fight, wilt fast, wilt pray,
Wilt drinke vp vessels, eate a crocadile? Ile doot:
Com'st thou here to whine? 155
And where thou talk'st of burying thee a liue,
Here let vs stand: and let them throw on vs,
Whole hills of earth, till with the heighth therof,
Make Oosell as a Wart.

King. Forbeare Leartes, now is hee mad, as is the sea,
Anone as milde and gentle as a Doue:
Therfore a while giue his wilde humour scope.

Ham. What is the reason sir that you wrong mee thus?
I neuer gaue you cause: but stand away,
A Cat will meaw, a Dog will haue a day. 165

Exit Hamlet and Horatio.

[Sc. xvii.]

Queene. Alas, it is his madnes makes him thus,
And not his heart, Leartes.

King. My lord, t'is so: but wee'le no longer trifle,
This very day shall Hamlet drinke his last,
For presently we meane to send to him, 5
Therfore Leartes be in readynes.

Lear. My lord, till then my soule will not bee quiet.

King. Come Gertred, wee'l haue Leartes, and our sonne,
Made friends and Louers, as befittes them both,
Euen as they tender vs, and loue their countrie. 10

Queene God grant they may. exeunt omnes.

[Sc. xviii.]

Enter Hamlet and Horatio

Ham. Beleeue mee, it greeues mee much Horatio,
That to Leartes I forgot my selfe:
For by my selfe me thinkes I feele his griefe,
Though there's a difference in each others wrong.
Enter a Bragart Gentleman.
Horatio, but marke yon water-flie, 5
The Court knowes him, but hee knowes not the Court.

Gent. Now God saue thee, sweete prince Hamlet.

Ham. And you sir: foh, how the muske-cod smels!

Gen. I come with an embassage from his maiesty to you

Ham. I shall sir giue you attention: 10
By my troth me thinkes t'is very colde.

Gent. It is indeede very rawish colde.

Ham. T'is hot me thinkes.

Gent. Very swoltery hote:
The King, sweete Prince, hath layd a wager on your side, 15
Six Barbary horse, against six french rapiers,
With all their acoutrements too, a the carriages:
In good faith they are very curiously wrought.

Ham. The cariages sir, I do not know what you meane.

Gent. The girdles, and hangers sir, and such like. 20

Ham. The worde had beene more cosin german to the
phrase, if he could haue carried the canon by his side,
And howe's the wager? I vnderstand you now.

Gent. Mary sir, that yong Leartes in twelue venies
At Rapier and Dagger do not get three oddes of you, 25
And on your side the King hath laide,
And desires you to be in readinesse.

Ham. Very well, if the King dare venture his wager,
I dare venture my skull: when must this be?

Gent. My Lord, presently, the king, and her maiesty, 30
With the rest of the best iudgement in the Court,
Are comming downe into the outward pallace.

Ham. Goe tell his maiestie, I wil attend him.

Gent. I shall deliuer your most sweet answer. exit.

Ham. You may sir, none better, for y'are spiced, 35
Else he had a bad nose could not smell a foole.

Hor. He will disclose himselfe without inquirie.

Ham. Beleeue me Horatio, my hart is on the sodaine
Very sore, all here about.

Hor. My lord, forbeare the challenge then. 40

Ham. No Horatio, not I, if danger be now,
Why then it is not to come, theres a predestiuate prouidence
in the fall of a sparrow: heere comes the King.

Enter King, Queene, Leartes, Lordes.

King Now sonne Hamlet, we hane laid vpon your head,
And make no question but to haue the best. 45

Ham. Your maiestie hath laide a the weaker side.

King. We doubt it not, deliuer them the foiles.

Ham. First Leartes, heere's my hand and loue,
Protesting that I neuer wrongd Leartes.
If Hamlet in his madnesse did amisse, 50
That was not Hamlet, but his madnes did it,
And all the wrong I e're did to Leartes,
I here proclaime was madnes, therefore lets be at peace,
And thinke I haue shot mine arrow o're the house,
And hurt my brother. 55

Lear. Sir I am satisfied in nature,
But in termes of honor I'le stand aloofe,
And will no reconcilement,
Till by some elder maisters of our time
I may be satisfied. 60

King Giue them the foyles.

Ham. I'le be your foyle Leartes, these foyles,
Haue all a laught, come on sir: a hit.

Lear. No none. Heere they play:

Ham. Iudgement. 65

Gent. A hit, a most palpable hit.

Lear. Well, come againe. They play againe.

Ham. Another. Iudgement.

Lear. I, I grant, a tuch, a tuch.

King Here Hamlet, the king doth drinke a health to thee70

Queene Here Hamlet, take my napkin, wipe thy face.

King Giue him the wine.

Ham. Set it by, I'le haue another bowt first,
I'le drinke anone.

Queene Here Hamlet, thy mother drinkes to thee. 75

Shee drinkes.