Goes slow and stately by them. Thrice he walked, Stand dumb, and speak not to him. This to me And I, with them, the third night kept the watch; Form of the thing, each word made true and good, These hands are not more like. Ham. But where was this? Hor. My lord, upon the platform where we watched. 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; Ham. 'Tis very strange. Hor. As I do live, my honored lord, 'tis true; And we did think it writ down in our duty, To let you know of it. Ham. Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this troubles me. Hold you the watch to-night? Hor. O yes, my lord; he wore his beaver2 up. Ham. What, looked he frowningly? Hor. In sorrow than in anger. 1 The folio reads bestilled. A countenance more 2 That part of the helmet which may be lifted up. Ham. Very like. Staid it long? Hor. While one with moderate haste might tell a hundred. Mar. Ber. Longer, longer. Hor. Not when I saw it. Ham. His beard was grizzled? no? Hor. It was as I have seen it in his life, A sable silvered. Ham. I will watch to-night; I warrant you it will. Perchance 'twill walk again. If you have hitherto concealed this sight, All. BERNARDO. 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. 1 The quarto of 1603 reads tenible; the other quartos, tenable; the folio of 1623, treble. SCENE III. A Room in Polonius's House. Enter LAERTES and OPHELIA. Laer. My necessaries are embarked; 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 favor A violet in the youth of primy nature, Oph. No more but so? 2 Think it no more. For nature, crescent, does not grow alone Grows wide withal. Perhaps he loves you now; 4 1 This is the reading of the quarto copy. The folio has : "The suppliance of a minute" should seem to mean, supplying or enduring only that short space of time; as transitory and evanescent. 2 i. e. sinews and muscular strength. 3 Cautel is cautious circumspection, subtlety, or deceit. Minsheu explains it, "A crafty way to deceive." 4 The safety and health of the whole state." Thus the quarto of 1604. In the folio, it is altered to "The sanctity," &c., supposing the metre defective. But safety is used as a trisyllable by Spenser and others. Unto the voice and yielding of that body, Whereof he is the head. Then if he says he loves you, It fits your wisdom so far to believe it, As he in his particular act and place May give his saying deed; which is no further, Or lose your heart; or your chaste treasure open 3 2 Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister; Oph. I shall the effect of this good lesson keep, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven, Laer. O, fear me not. I stay too long;-but here my father comes. Enter POLONIUS. A double blessing is a double grace; 1 "If with too credulous ear you listen to his songs." 2 Licentious. 3 i. e. the most cautious, the most discreet. 4 i. e. regards not his own lesson. In The Two Angry Women of Abingdon, 1599, we have :-"Take heed, is a good reed.” Pol. Yet here, Laertes! aboard, aboard, for shame; The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, And you are staid for. There,--my blessing with you; [Laying his hand on LAERTES' head. And these few precepts in thy memory 1 Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. 3 2 The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, 4 But not expressed in fancy; rich, not gaudy; 5 And they in France, of the best rank and station, For loan oft loses both itself and friend; 1 i. e. mark, imprint, strongly infix. 2 The old copies read, " with hoops of steel." 3 This figurative expression means, " do not blunt thy feeling by taking every new acquaintance by the hand." 4 i. e. judgment, opinion. 5 The quarto of 1603 reads :— The folio: "Are of a most select and generall chief in this." "Are of a most select and generous cheff, in that." The other quartos give the line: "As of a most select and generous, cheefe in that.” "Or of a most select and generous, cheefe in that.' The simple emendation by omitting of a, and the proper punctuation of the line, make all clear. "The nobility of France are most select and high-minded (generous) chiefly in that;" chief being an adjective, used adverbially. |