Of impious stubbornness; 'tis unmanly grief: Queen. Let not thy mother lose her prayers, I pray thee, stay with us, go not to Wittenberg. Re-speaking earthly thunder. Come away. * Contrary. + Draught. + Report. Ham. O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve* itself into a dew! Or, that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon+ 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God! That grows to seed; things rank, and gross in nature, Possess it merely‡. That it should come to this! But two months dead!-nay, not so much, not two: So excellent a king; that was, to this, Hyperions to a satyr: so loving to my mother, That he might not beteem|| 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,Let me not think on't;-Frailty, thy name is woman! A little month; or ere those shoes were old, With which she follow'd my poor father's body, Like Niobe, all tears;-why she, even she, 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, Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears But break, my heart: for I must hold my tongue! Enter Horatio, Bernardo, and Marcellus. Hor. Hail to your lordship. Ham. I am glad to see you well: + Entirely. * Dissolve. + Law. || Suffer. Horatio,-or I do forget myself. Hor. 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?— Marcellus? 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. funeral. Ham. I pray thee, do not mock me, fellowstudent; I think, it was to see my mother's wedding. Hor. Indeed, my lord, it follow'd hard upon. Ham. Thrift, thrift, Horatio: the funeral-bak'd meats* Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables. Hor. My lord? Ham. In my mind's eye, Horatio. Where, Hor. I saw him once, he was a goodly king. I shall not look upon his like again. Hor. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight. * It was anciently the custom to give a cold entertainment at a funeral. + Chiefest. Hor. My lord, the king your father. Ham. The king my father! Hor. Season your admiration for a while With an attent* ear; till I may deliver, Upon the witness of these gentlemen, This marvel to you. Ham. For God's love, let me hear. *Hor. Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch, In the dead waist and middle of the night Been thus encounter'd. A figure like your father, Armed at point, exactly, cap-à-pé, 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, In dreadful secrecy, impart they did; And I with them, the third night, kept the watch: Form of the thing, each word made true and good, Ham. But where was this? Hor. My lord, upon the platform where we watch'd. Ham. Did you not speak to it? Hor. My lord, I did; But answer made it none: yet once, methought, It lifted up its head, and did address Itself to motion, like as it would speak: But, even then, the morning cock crew loud; And vanish'd from our sight. Ham. 'Tis very strange. Hor. As I do live, my honour'd lord, 'tis true; And we did think it writ down in our duty, To let you know of it. * Attentive. Ham. Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this troubles me. Hold you the watch to-night? All. Ham. Arm'd, say you? We do, my lord. All. Arm'd, my lord. Hor. O, yes, my lord; he wore his beaver* up. Ham. What, look'd he frowningly? Hor. Most constantly. Ham. I would, I had been there. Hor. It would have much amaz'd you. 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. |