4WHo's there?

5Fran. Nay answer me: Stand & vnfold

6your selfe.

7Bar. Long liue the King.

8Fran. Barnardo?

9Bar. He.

10Fran. You come most carefully vpon your houre.

11Bar. 'Tis now strook twelue, get thee to bed Francisco.

12Fran. For this releefe much thankes: 'Tis bitter cold,

13And I am sicke at heart.

14Barn. Haue you had quiet Guard?

15Fran. Not a Mouse stirring.

16Barn. Well, goodnight. If you do meet Horatio and

17Marcellus, the Riuals of my Watch, bid them make hast.

19Fran. I thinke I heare them. Stand: who's there?

20Hor. Friends to this ground.

21Mar. And Leige-men to the Dane.

22Fran. Giue you good night.

23Mar. O farwel honest Soldier, who hath relieu'd you?

24Fra. Barnardo ha's my place: giue you goodnight.

26Mar. Holla Barnardo.

27Bar. Say, what is Horatio there?

28Hor. A peece of him.

29Bar. Welcome Horatio, welcome good Marcellus.

30Mar. What, ha's this thing appear'd againe to night.

31Bar. I haue seene nothing.

32Mar. Horatio saies, 'tis but our Fantasie,

33And will not let beleefe take hold of him

34Touching this dreaded sight, twice seene of vs,

35Therefore I haue intreated him along

36With vs, to watch the minutes of this Night,

37That if againe this Apparition come,

38He may approue our eyes, and speake to it.

39Hor. Tush, tush, 'twill not appeare.

40Bar. Sit downe a-while,

41And let vs once againe assaile your eares,

42That are so fortified against our Story,

43What we two Nights haue seene.

44Hor. Well, sit we downe,

45And let vs heare Barnardo speake of this.

46Barn. Last night of all,

47When yond same Starre that's Westward from the Pole

48Had made his course t'illume that part of Heauen

49Where now it burnes, Marcellus and my selfe,

50The Bell then beating one.

51Mar. Peace, breake thee of: Enter the Ghost.

52Looke where it comes againe.

53Barn. In the same figure, like the King that's dead.

54Mar. Thou art a Scholler; speake to it Horatio.

55Barn. Lookes it not like the King? Marke it Horatio.

56Hora. Most like: It harrowes me with fear & wonder

57Barn. It would be spoke too.

58Mar. Question it Horatio.

59Hor. What art thou that vsurp'st this time of night,

60Together with that Faire and Warlike forme

61In which the Maiesty of buried Denmarke

62Did sometimes march: By Heauen I charge thee speake.

63Mar. It is offended.

64Barn. See, it stalkes away.

65Hor. Stay: speake; speake: I Charge thee, speake.

67Mar. 'Tis gone, and will not answer.

68Barn. How now Horatio? You tremble & look pale:

69Is not this something more then Fantasie?

70What thinke you on't?

71Hor. Before my God, I might not this beleeue

72Without the sensible and true auouch

73Of mine owne eyes.

74Mar. Is it not like the King?

75Hor. As thou art to thy selfe,

76Such was the very Armour he had on,

77When th'Ambitious Norwey combatted:

78So frown'd he once, when in an angry parle

79He smot the sledded Pollax on the Ice.

80'Tis strange.

81Mar. Thus twice before, and iust at this dead houre,

82With Martiall stalke, hath he gone by our Watch.

83Hor. In what particular thought to work, I know not:

84But in the grosse and scope of my Opinion,

85This boades some strange erruption to our State.

86Mar. Good now sit downe, & tell me he that knowes

87Why this same strict and most obseruant Watch,

88So nightly toyles the subiect of the Land,

89And why such dayly Cast of Brazon Cannon

90And Forraigne Mart for Implements of warre:

91Why such impresse of Ship-wrights, whose sore Taske

92Do's not diuide the Sunday from the weeke,

93What might be toward, that this sweaty hast

94Doth make the Night ioynt-Labourer with the day:

95Who is't that can informe me?

96Hor. That can I,

The Tragedie of Hamlet. 153

97At least the whisper goes so: Our last King,

98Whose Image euen but now appear'd to vs,

99Was (as you know) by Fortinbras of Norway,

100(Thereto prick'd on by a most emulate Pride)

101Dar'd to the Combate. In which, our Valiant Hamlet,

102(For so this side of our knowne world esteem'd him)

103Did slay this Fortinbras: who by a Seal'd Compact,

104Well ratified by Law, and Heraldrie,

105Did forfeite (with his life) all those his Lands

106Which he stood seiz'd on, to the Conqueror:

107Against the which, a Moity competent

108Was gaged by our King: which had return'd

109To the Inheritance of Fortinbras,

110Had he bin Vanquisher, as by the same Cou'nant

111And carriage of the Article designe,

112His fell to Hamlet. Now sir, young Fortinbras,

113Of vnimproued Mettle, hot and full,

114Hath in the skirts of Norway, heere and there,

115Shark'd vp a List of Landlesse Resolutes,

116For Foode and Diet, to some Enterprize

117That hath a stomacke in't: which is no other

118(And it doth well appeare vnto our State)

119But to recouer of vs by strong hand

120And termes Compulsatiue, those foresaid Lands

121So by his Father lost: and this (I take it)

122Is the maine Motiue of our Preparations,

123The Sourse of this our Watch, and the cheefe head

124Of this post-hast, and Romage in the Land.

126But soft, behold: Loe, where it comes againe:

127Ile crosse it, though it blast me. Stay Illusion:

128If thou hast any sound, or vse of Voyce,

129Speake to me. If there be any good thing to be done,

130That may to thee do ease, and grace to me; speak to me.

131If thou art priuy to thy Countries Fate

132(Which happily foreknowing may auoyd) Oh speake.

133Or, if thou hast vp-hoorded in thy life

134Extorted Treasure in the wombe of Earth,

135(For which, they say, you Spirits oft walke in death)

136Speake of it. Stay, and speake. Stop it Marcellus.

137Mar. Shall I strike at it with my Partizan?

138Hor. Do, if it will not stand.

139Barn. 'Tis heere.

140Hor. 'Tis heere.

141Mar. 'Tis gone. Exit Ghost.

142We do it wrong, being so Maiesticall

143To offer it the shew of Violence,

144For it is as the Ayre, invulnerable,

145And our vaine blowes, malicious Mockery.

146Barn. It was about to speake, when the Cocke crew.

147Hor. And then it started, like a guilty thing

148Vpon a fearfull Summons. I haue heard,

149The Cocke that is the Trumpet to the day,

150Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding Throate

151Awake the God of Day: and at his warning,

152Whether in Sea, or Fire, in Earth, or Ayre,

153Th'extrauagant, and erring Spirit, hyes

154To his Confine. And of the truth heerein,

155This present Obiect made probation.

156Mar. It faded on the crowing of the Cocke.

157Some sayes, that euer 'gainst that Season comes

158Wherein our Sauiours Birth is celebrated,

159The Bird of Dawning singeth all night long:

160And then (they say) no Spirit can walke abroad,

161The nights are wholsome, then no Planets strike,

162No Faiery talkes, nor Witch hath power to Charme:

163So hallow'd, and so gracious is the time.

164Hor. So haue I heard, and do in part beleeue it.

165But looke, the Morne in Russet mantle clad,

166Walkes o're the dew of yon high Easterne Hill,

167Breake we our Watch vp, and by my aduice

168Let vs impart what we haue seene to night

169Vnto yong Hamlet. For vpon my life,

170This Spirit dumbe to vs, will speake to him:

171Do you consent we shall acquaint him with it,

172As needfull in our Loues, fitting our Duty?

173Mar. Let do't I pray, and I this morning know

174Where we shall finde him most conueniently. Exeunt