Hamlet (Quarto 2, 1604)

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
3.0.1461[1.3]
3.0.2469Enter Laertes, and Ophelia his sister.
3.1462470Laertes
 My necessaries are inbarked. Farewell.
3.2463471And sister, as the winds give benefit
3.3464472And convey 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 bulks, 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.
3.18482490He may not, as unvalued persons do,
3.19483491Carve for himself, for on his choice depends
3.20484492The safety and health of this whole state,
3.21485493And therefore must his choice be circumscribed
3.22486494Unto the voice and yielding of that body
3.23487495Whereof he is the head. Then if he says he loves you,
3.24488496It fits your wisdom so far to believe it
3.25489497As he in his particular act and place
3.26490498May give his saying deed, which is no further
3.27491499Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal.
3.28492500Then weigh what loss your honor may sustain
3.29493501If with too credent ear you list his songs,
3.30494502Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open
3.31495503To his unmastered importunity.
3.32496504Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister,
3.33497505And keep you in the rear of your affection,
3.34498506Out of the shot and danger of desire.
3.35499507The chariest maid is prodigal enough
3.36500508If she unmask her beauty to the moon.
3.37501509Virtue itself scapes not calumnious strokes.
3.38502510The canker galls the infants of the spring
3.39503511Too oft before their buttons be disclosed,
3.40504512And in the morn and liquid dew of youth
3.41505513Contagious blastments are most imminent.
3.42506514Be wary, then; best safety lies in fear.
3.43507515Youth to itself rebels, though none else near.
3.44508516Ophelia
 I shall the effect of this good lesson keep
3.45509517As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother,
3.46510518Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,
3.47511519Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven
3.48512520Whiles, a puffed and reckless libertine,
3.49513521Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,
3.50514522And recks not his own rede.
3.50.1516Enter Polonius. 
 515523Laertes
 And recks not his own rede.  Oh, fear me not.
3.51517524I stay too long. But here my father comes.
3.52518525A double blessing is a double grace;
3.53519526Occasion smiles upon a second leave.
3.54520527Polonius
 Yet here, Laertes? Aboard, aboard, for shame!
3.55521528The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail,
3.56522529And you are stayed for. There, my blessing with thee,
3.57523530And these few precepts in thy memory
3.58524531Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,
3.59525532Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
3.60526533Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
3.61527534Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
3.62528535Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel,
3.63529536But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
3.64530537Of each new-hatched, unfledged courage. Beware
3.65531538Of entrance to a quarrel, but, being in,
3.66532539Bear't that th'opposèd may beware of thee.
3.67533540Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.
3.68534541Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
3.69535542Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
3.70536543But not expressed in fancy--rich, not gaudy,
3.71537544For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
3.72538545And they in France of the best rank and station
3.73539546Are of a most select and generous, chief in that.
3.74540547Neither a borrower nor a lender, boy,
3.75541548For love oft loses both itself and friend,
3.76542549And borrowing dulleth edge of husbandry.
3.77543550This above all: to thine own self be true,
3.78544551And it must follow as the night the day
3.79545552Thou canst not then be false to any man.
3.80546553Farewell. My blessing season this in thee!
3.81547554Laertes
 Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord.
3.82548555Polonius
 The time invests you. Go. Your servants tend.
3.83549556Laertes
 Farewell, Ophelia, and remember well
3.84550557What I have said to you.
3.85551558Ophelia
 'Tis in my memory locked,
3.86552559And you yourself shall keep the key of it.
3.87553560Laertes
 Farewell.
3.87.1Exit Laertes. 
3.88554561Polonius
 What is't, Ophelia, he hath said to you?
3.89555562Ophelia
 So please you, something touching the Lord Hamlet.
3.90556563Polonius
 Marry, well bethought.
3.91557564'Tis told me he hath very oft of late
3.92558565Given private time to you, and you yourself
3.93559566Have of your audience been most free and bounteous.
3.94560567If it be so--as so 'tis put on me,
3.95561568And that in way of caution--I must tell you
3.96562569You do not understand yourself so clearly
3.97563570As it behooves my daughter and your honor.
3.98564571What is between you? Give me up the truth.
3.99565572Ophelia
 He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders
3.100566573Of his affection to me.
3.101567574Polonius
 Affection? Pooh, you speak like a green girl,
3.102568575Unsifted in such perilous circumstance.
3.103569576Do you believe his "tenders," as you call them?
3.104570577Ophelia
 I do not know, my lord, what I should think.
3.105571578Polonius
 Marry, I will teach you. Think yourself a baby
3.106572579That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay
3.107573580Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly,
3.108574581Or--not to crack the wind of the poor phrase
3.109575582Wrong[ing] it thus--you'll tender me a fool.
3.110576583Ophelia
 My lord, he hath importuned me with love
3.111577584In honorable fashion.
3.112578585Polonius
 Ay, fashion you may call it. Go to, go to.
3.113579586Ophelia
 And hath given countenance to his speech,
3.114580587My lord, with almost all the holy vows of heaven.
3.115581588Polonius
 Ay, spring[e]s to catch woodcocks. I do know
3.116582589When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul
3.117583590Lends the tongue vows. These blazes, daughter,
3.118584591Giving more light than heat, extinct in both
3.119585592Even in their promise as it is a-making ,
3.120586593You must not take for fire. From this time
3.121587594Be something scanter of your maiden presence.
3.122588595Set your entreatments at a higher rate
3.123589596Than a command to parle. For Lord Hamlet,
3.124590597Believe so much in him that he is young,
3.125591598And with a larger tether may he walk
3.126592599Than may be given you. In few, Ophelia,
3.127593600Do not believe his vows, for they are brokers
3.128594601Not of that dye which their investments show,
3.129595602But mere implorators of unholy suits
3.130596603Breathing like sanctified and pious bonds
3.131597604The better to beguile. This is for all:
3.132598605I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth
3.133599606Have you so slander any moment leisure
3.134600607As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet.
3.135601608Look to't, I charge you. Come your ways.
3.136602609Ophelia
 I shall obey, my lord.
3.136.1Exeunt. 
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Hamlet (Quarto 2, 1604)
