But to my mind, though I am native here, More honored in the breach, than the observance. Enter GHOST. Hor. Look, my lord, it comes! Ham. Angels and ministers of grace defend us! Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damned, Thou com'st in such a questionable shape, With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls? As if it some impartment did desire To you alone. Mar. Look, with what courteous' action It waves you to a more removed ground; But do not go with it. Hor. No, by no means. Ham. It will not speak ; then I will follow it. Hor. Do not, my lord. Ham. Why, what should be the fear? I do not set my life at a pin's fee; And, for my soul, what can it do to that, Being a thing immortal as itself? It waves me forth again ;-I'll follow it. Corteous, (kert' e us), of court-like or elegant and condescending man s; well-bred; complaisant. Hor. What, if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff, That beetles ō'er his base into the sea? And there assume some other horrible form, And draw you into madness? And makes each petty artery in this body Still am I called ;---unhand me, gentlemen : [GHOST beckons. [Breaking from them. 1 By heaven, I'll make a ghost of him that lets me : I say, away! Go on, I'll follow thee. [Exeunt Ghost and HAMLET, followed by HORATIO and MARCELLUS. Re-enter GHOST and HAMLET. Ham. Whither wilt thou lead me? speak, I'll go no further. Ghost. Mark me. Ham. I will. Ghost. My hour is almost come, When I to sulphurous and tormenting flames Must render up myself. Ghost. Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing To what I shall unfold. Ham. Speak, I am bound to hear. Ghost. So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear. Ghost. I am thy father's spirit ; Doomed for a certain term to walk the night, Lěts, retards; hinders. Would harrow up thy soul; freeze thy young blood; Like quills upon the fretful porcupine : But this eternal blazon must not be To ears of flesh and blood: - List, -list, -O list!- Ham. O heaven! Ghost. Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. Ghost. Murder most foul, as in the best it is; But this most foul, strange, and unnatural, Ham. Haste me to know it; that I, with wings as swift As meditation, or the thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge. And duller should'st thou be than the fat weed Would'st thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear: Rankly abused: but know, thou noble youth, Ham. O, my prophetic soul! my uncle! Ay, With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts, The will of my most seeming virtuous queen : I made to her in marriage; and to decline 1 Le' the, a river of Africa, watering the city of Berenice, which, because it runs many miles under round, was fabled by the poets to one of the rivers of hell, and be cause the name signifies oblivion, was feigned to cause forgetfulness of all that was past to those who drank of its waters; oblivion; forgetfulness. Upon a wretch, whose natural gifts were poor But, soft! methinks, I scent the morning air; Ham. O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible! But, howsoever thou pursu'st this act, Ham. Hold, hold, my heart: Yea, from the table of my memory I'll wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past And thy commandment all alone shall live [Exit. Within the book and volume of my brain, IV. 160. SCENES FROM HAMLET. PART THIRD. POLONIUS interrupts HAMLET who is reading a book. POLONIUS. Do you know me, my lord? Hamlet. Excellent well; you are a fishmonger. Pol. Not I, my lord. Ham. Then I would you were so honest a man. Pol. Honest, my lord? Ham. Ay, sir; to be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand. Pol. That's very true, my lord. Ham. Have you a daughter? Pol. I have, my lord. Ham. Let her not walk i' the sun : friend, look to't. Pol. How say you by that? (Aside.] Still harping on my daughter :-yet he knew me not at first; he said, I was a fishmonger. He is far gone, far gone; and, truly, in my youth I suffered much extremity for love ;-very near this. I'll speak to him again. [TO HAMLET.] What do you read, my lord? Ham. Words, words, words. Pol. What is the matter, my lord? Pol. I mean the matter that you read, my lord. Ham. Slanders, sir: for the satirical rogue says here, that old men have gray beards; that their faces are wrinkled; all of which, sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down; for yourself, sir, should be as old as I am, if, like a crab, you could go backward. 1 Hamlet, after the interview with the ghost of his father, in order that he may verify his belief of the murder and successfully avenge it, affects insanity. The king and queen are so disturbed by this that they send osencrantz and Guildenstern, two of his former companions, to draw out, if possible, the secret which oppresses him. Polonius, lord chamberlain of the palace, an aged man, also tries to fathom him, and confidently declares him crazy through lovesickness. |