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  • Title: Hamlet (Quarto 1, 1603)
  • Textual editor: Eric Rasmussen
  • ISBN: 978-1-55058-434-9

    Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Hamlet (Quarto 1, 1603)

    The Tragedy of Hamlet
    Sleeping within my Orchard, my custome alwayes
    745In the after noone, vpon my secure houre
    Thy vncle came, with iuyce of Hebona
    In a viall, and through the porches of my eares
    Did powre the leaprous distilment, whose effect
    750Hold such an enmitie with blood of man,
    That swift as quickesilner, it posteth through
    The naturall gates and allies of the body,
    And turnes the thinne and wholesome blood
    Like eager dropings into milke.
    And all my smoothe body, barked, and tetterd ouer.
    Thus was I sleeping by a brothers hand
    760Of Crowne, of Queene, of life, of dignitie
    At once depriued, no reckoning made of,
    But sent vnto my graue,
    With all my accompts and sinnes vpon my head,
    765O horrible, most horrible!
    765.1Ham. O God!
    ghost If thou hast nature in thee, beare it not,
    But howsoeuer, let not thy heart
    770Conspire against thy mother aught,
    Leaue her to heauen,
    And to the burthen that her conscience beares.
    I must be gone, the Glo-worme shewes the Martin
    To be neere, and gin's to pale his vneffectuall fire:
    Hamlet adue, adue, adue: remember me. Exit
    Ham. O all you hoste of heauen! O earth, what else?
    And shall I couple hell; remember thee?
    Yes thou poore Ghost; from the tables
    Of my memorie, ile wipe away all sawes of Bookes,
    All triuiall fond conceites
    That euer youth, or else obseruance noted,
    And thy remembrance, all alone shall sit.
    Yes, yes, by heauen, a damnd pernitious villaine,
    Murderons, bawdy, smiling damned villaine,
    (My tables) meet it is I set it downe,
    That