And shall I couple hell? Oh, fie! Hold, hold, my

heart;

And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,

But bear me swiftly up.

Remember thee!

Ay, thou poor ghost, whiles memory holds a seat

In this distracted globe. Remember thee!
Yea, from the table of my memory

I'll wipe away all trivial fond records,

All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past,
That youth and observation copied there;
And thy commandment all alone shall live,
Within the book and volume of my brain,
Unmix'd with baser matter: yes, by heaven :
O most pernicious woman!

O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!
My tables, meet it is I set it down,

That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain ;
At least I'm sure it may be so in Denmark.—

So, uncle, there you are.

Now to my word;
It is "Adieu, adieu ! remember me."
So-'tis enough—I have sworn't.
[Within] My Lord, my lord!

[Writing]

Hor.

Mar.

[Within]

Lord Hamlet !

Heaven secure him!

How say you, then? would heart of man once think it ?
But you'll be secret?

Ham.

Hor.

Mar.

Ay, by heaven, my lord.

Ham.

Hor.

Ham.

Hor.

Ham.

Hor.

Ham.

Hor.

Ham.

There's ne'er a villain, dwelling in all Denmark,
But he's an arrant knave.

There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave,
To tell us this.

Why, right; you are in the right;
And so, without more circumstance at all,
I hold it fit that we shake hands and part;

You, as your business and desire shall point you,
(For every man hath business and desire,
Such as it is) and, for my own poor part,
Look you, I will go pray.

These are but wild and whirling words, my lord.

I'm sorry they offend you, heartily;
Yes, faith, heartily.

There's no offence, my lord.

Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio,
And much offence too. Touching this vision here,
It is an honest ghost, that let me tell

you:

For your desire to know what is between us,

O'ermaster't as you may. And now, good friends,
As you are friends, scholars, and soldiers,
Give me one poor request.

What is't, my lord? we will.

Never make known what you have seen to-night.

Ham.

Hor.

Ham.

Ghost

Ham.

Ghost

Ham.

Hor.

Ham.

Indeed, upon my sword, indeed.

[Beneath] Swear.

Ah, ha, boy! say'st thou so? art thou there, true-penny ?
Come on; you hear this fellow in the cellarage;

Consent to swear.

Propose the oath, my lord.

Never to speak of this that you have seen,
Swear by my sword.

[Beneath] Swear.

Hic & ubique? nay then, we'll shift our ground:
Come hither, gentlemen,

And lay your hands again upon my sword:
Swear by my sword

Never to speak of this that you have heard.

[Beneath] Swear by his sword.

Well said, old mole! canst work i' th'earth so fast?
A worthy pioner! Once more remove, good friends.
O day and night, but this is wondrous strange!
And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. But come ;
Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,
How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself,
(As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
To put an antic disposition on)

Ghost

Ham.

That

you, at such times seeing me, never shallWith arms encumber'd thus, or this head-shake, Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,

As "Well, well, we know," or "We could, and if we would,"

Or "If we list to speak," or "There be, and if they might,"

Or such ambiguous giving out-note

That you know aught of me: this do swear,

So grace

and

mercy at your most need help you.

With all my love I do commend me to you;
And what so poor a man as Hamlet is,

[They swear]

May do, t'express his love and friending to you,

God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together;
And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.

The time is out of joint; O cursed spite,

That ever I was born to set it right.

Nay, come, let's go together.

[Exeunt Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus]

END OF THE FIRST ACT

Pol.

Rey. Pol.

Rey.

Pol.

Rey.

Pol.

Second Act

SCENE I-ELSINORE

A ROOM IN THE HOUSE OF POLONIUS

Enter POLONIUS and REYNALDO

Reynaldo, here, these letters to my son,

And this same money with my blessing to him ;
And bid him ply his learning, good Reynaldo.

Marry, well said, very well said. Look you, sir,
Inquire me first what Danskers are in Paris;

And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,
What company, at what expense; and finding

By this encompassment, and drift of question

That they do know my son, come you more nearer
Than your particular demands will touch it ;

Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him,
As thus, "I know his father, and his friends,
And in part him."
him." Do you mark this, Reynaldo ?

Ay, very well, my lord.

"And in part him; but," you may say, "not well,
But if't be he I mean, he's very wild,
Addicted so and so "; and there put on him