Hamlet (Modern, Editor's Version)

Introduction
Texts of this edition
1. Hamlet (Editor's Choice)
3. Editor's choice
4. Hamlet (First Quarto)
6. Modern
8. Old-spelling transcription
9. Hamlet (Second Quarto)
11. Modern
13. Old-spelling transcription
14. Hamlet (First Folio)
16. Modern
18. Old-spelling transcription
Contextual materials
Facsimiles
3.0.1460[1.3]
3.0.2461469Enter Laertes, and Ophelia his sister.
3.1462470Laertes
 My necessaries are embarked. Farewell. 
3.2463471And sister, as the winds give benefit
3.3464472And convoy is assistant, do not sleep
3.4465473But let me hear from you.
 466474Ophelia
 But let me hear from you.  Do you doubt that?
3.5467475Laertes
 For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favor,
3.6468476Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,
3.7469477A violet in the youth of primy nature,
3.8470478Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,
3.9471479The perfume and suppliance of a minute, 
3.10480No more.
 472481Ophelia
 No more.  No more but so?
 473482Laertes
 No more. No more but so?  Think it no more.
3.11474483For nature crescent does not grow alone
3.12475484In thews and bulk, but as this temple waxes
3.13476485The inward service of the mind and soul
3.14477486Grows wide withal. Perhaps he loves you now,
3.15478487And now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch
3.16479488The virtue of his will; but you must fear,
3.17480489His greatness weighed, his will is not his own,
3.18481For he himself is subject to his birth.
3.19482490He may not, as unvalued persons do,
3.20483491Carve for himself, for on his choice depends
3.21484492The safety and health of the whole state,
3.22485493And therefore must his choice be circumscribed 
3.23486494Unto the voice and yielding of that body
3.24487495Whereof he is the head. Then if he says he loves you,
3.25488496It fits your wisdom so far to believe it
3.26489497As he in his particular act and place 
3.27490498May give his saying deed, which is no further 
3.28491499Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal.
3.29492500Then weigh what loss your honor may sustain
3.30493501If with too credent ear you list his songs,
3.31494502Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open
3.32495503To his unmastered importunity.
3.33496504Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister,
3.34497505And keep within the rear of your affection,
3.35498506Out of the shot and danger of desire.
3.36499507The chariest maid is prodigal enough
3.37500508If she unmask her beauty to the moon.
3.38501509Virtue itself scapes not calumnious strokes.
3.39502510The canker galls the infants of the spring
3.40503511Too oft before their buttons be disclosed,
3.41504512And in the morn and liquid dew of youth
3.42505513Contagious blastments are most imminent. 
3.43506514Be wary, then; best safety lies in fear.
3.44507515Youth to itself rebels, though none else near.
3.45508516Ophelia
 I shall the effect of this good lesson keep
3.46509517As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother,
3.47510518Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, 
3.48511519Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven
3.49512520Whilst, like a puffed and reckless libertine,
3.50513521Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,
3.51514522And recks not his own rede.
3.51.1Enter Polonius  
 515523Laertes
 And recks not his own rede.  Oh, fear me not. 
3.52517524I stay too long. But here my father comes. 
3.53518525A double blessing is a double grace;
3.54519526Occasion smiles upon a second leave.
3.55520527Polonius
 Yet here, Laertes? Aboard, aboard, for shame!
3.56521528The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail,
3.57522529And you are stayed for. There, my blessing with thee, 
3.58523530And these few precepts in thy memory
3.59524531See thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,
3.60525532Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
3.61526533Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
3.62527534Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
3.63528535Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel,
3.64529536But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
3.65530537Of each new-hatched, unfledged comrade. Beware 
3.66531538Of entrance to a quarrel, but, being in,
3.67532539Bear't that th'opposèd may beware of thee.
3.68533540Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice.
3.69534541Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
3.70535542Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, 
3.71536543But not expressed in fancy--rich, not gaudy,
3.72537544For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
3.73538545And they in France of the best rank and station
3.74539546Are of all most select and generous, chief in that.
3.75540547Neither a borrower nor a lender be, 
3.76541548For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
3.77542549And borrowing dulleth edge of husbandry.
3.78543550This above all: to thine own self be true,
3.79544551And it must follow as the night the day
3.80545552Thou canst not then be false to any man. 
3.81546553Farewell. My blessing season this in thee!
3.82547554Laertes
 Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord.
3.83548555Polonius
 The time invites you. Go. Your servants tend.
3.84549556Laertes
 Farewell, Ophelia, and remember well
3.85550557What I have said to you.
3.86551558Ophelia
 'Tis in my memory locked,
3.87552559And you yourself shall keep the key of it.
3.88553560Laertes
 Farewell. 
3.88.1Exit Laertes. 
3.89554561Polonius
 What is't, Ophelia, he hath said to you?
3.90555562Ophelia
 So please you, something touching the Lord Hamlet.
3.91556563Polonius
 Marry, well bethought.
3.92557564'Tis told me he hath very oft of late
3.93558565Given private time to you, and you yourself
3.94559566Have of your audience been most free and bounteous.
3.95560567If it be so--as so 'tis put on me,
3.96561568And that in way of caution--I must tell you
3.97562569You do not understand yourself so clearly
3.98563570As it behooves my daughter and your honor.
3.99564571What is between you? Give me up the truth.
3.100565572Ophelia
 He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders 
3.101566573Of his affection to me.
3.102567574Polonius
 Affection? Pooh, you speak like a green girl,
3.103568575Unsifted in such perilous circumstance.
3.104569576Do you believe his "tenders," as you call them?
3.105570577Ophelia
 I do not know, my lord, what I should think.
3.106571578Polonius
 Marry, I'll teach you. Think yourself a baby
3.107572579That you have ta'en his tenders for true pay
3.108573580Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly,
3.109574581Or--not to crack the wind of the poor phrase
3.110575582Running it thus--you'll tender me a fool.
3.111576583Ophelia
 My lord, he hath importuned me with love
3.112577584In honorable fashion.
3.113578585Polonius
 Ay, fashion you may call it. Go to, go to.
3.114579586Ophelia
 And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord,
3.115580587With almost all the holy vows of heaven.
3.116581588Polonius
 Ay, springes to catch woodcocks. I do know
3.117582589When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul
3.118583590Lends the tongue vows. These blazes, daughter,
3.119584591Giving more light than heat, extinct in both
3.120585592Even in their promise as it is a-making,
3.121586593You must not take for fire. From this time, daughter, 
3.122587594Be something scanter of your maiden presence.
3.123588595Set your entreatments at a higher rate
3.124589596Than a command to parley. For Lord Hamlet,
3.125590597Believe so much in him that he is young, 
3.126591598And with a larger tether may he walk
3.127592599Than may be given you. In few, Ophelia,
3.128593600Do not believe his vows, for they are brokers
3.129594601Not of that dye which their investments show,
3.130595602But mere implorators of unholy suits,
3.131596603Breathing like sanctified and pious bawds
3.132597604The better to beguile. This is for all:
3.133598605I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth
3.134599606Have you so slander any moment leisure
3.135600607As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet. 
3.136601608Look to't, I charge you. Come your ways.
3.137602609Ophelia
 I shall obey, my lord.
3.137.1Exeunt.
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Hamlet (Modern, Editor's Version)
