The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke Part 4

_Cor._ A, stil harping a my daughter! well my Lord, If you call me _Iepha_, I hane a daughter that I loue pa.s.sing well.

_Ham._ Nay that followes not.

_Cor._ What followes then my Lord?

_Ham._ Why by lot, or G.o.d wot, or as it came to pa.s.se, And so it was, the first verse of the G.o.dly Ballet Wil tel you all: for look you where my abridgement comes: Welcome maisters, welcome all, _Enter players._ What my olde friend, thy face is vallanced Since I saw thee last, com'st thou to beard me in _Denmarke_?

My yong lady and mistris, burlady but your (you were: Ladiship is growne by the alt.i.tude of a chopine higher than Pray G.o.d sir your voyce, like a peece of vncurrant Golde, be not crack't in the ring: come on maisters, Weele euen too't, like French Falconers, Flie at any thing we see, come, a taste of your Quallitie, a speech, a pa.s.sionate speech.

_Players_ What speech my good lord?

_Ham._ I heard thee speake a speech once, But it was neuer acted: or if it were, Neuer aboue twice, for as I remember, It pleased not the vulgar, it was cauiary To the million: but to me And others, that receiued it in the like kinde, Cried in the toppe of their iudgements, an excellent play, Set downe with as great modestie as cunning: One said there was no sallets in the lines to make the sauory, But called it an honest methode, as wholesome as sweete. [E4]

Come, a speech in it I chiefly remember Was _aeneas_ tale to _Dido_, And then especially where he talkes of Princes slaughter, If it liue in thy memory beginne at this line, Let me see.

The rugged _Pyrrus_, like th'arganian beast: No t'is not so, it begins with _Pirrus_: O I haue it.

The rugged _Pirrus_, he whose sable armes, Blacke as his purpose did the night resemble, When he lay couched in the ominous horse, Hath now his blacke and grimme complexion smeered With Heraldry more dismall, head to foote, Now is he totall guise, horridely tricked With blood of fathers, mothers, daughters, sonnes, Back't and imparched in calagulate gore, Rifted in earth and fire, olde grandsire _Pryam_ seekes: So goe on. (accent.

_Cor._ Afore G.o.d, my Lord, well spoke, and with good _Play._ Anone he finds him striking too short at Greeks, His antike sword rebellious to this Arme, Lies where it falles, vnable to resist.

_Pyrrus_ at _Pryam_ driues, but all in rage, Strikes wide, but with the whiffe and winde Of his fell sword, th' unnerued father falles.

_Cor._ Enough my friend, t'is too long.

_Ham._ It shall to the Barbers with your beard: A pox, hee's for a Iigge, or a tale of bawdry, Or else he sleepes, come on to _Hecuba_, come.

_Play._ But who O who had seene the mobled Queene?

_Cor._ Mobled Queene is good, faith very good.

_Play._ All in the alarum and feare of death rose vp, And o're her weake and all ore-teeming loynes, a blancket And a kercher on that head, where late the diademe stoode, Who this had seene with tongue inuenom'd speech, Would treason haue p.r.o.nounced, [E4v]

For if the G.o.ds themselues had seene her then, When she saw _Pirrus_ with malitious strokes, Mincing her husbandes limbs, It would haue made milch the burning eyes of heauen, And pa.s.sion in the G.o.ds.

_Cor._ Looke my lord if he hath not changde his colour, And hath teares in his eyes: no more good heart, no more.

_Ham._ T'is well, t'is very well, I pray my lord, Will you see the Players well bestowed, I tell you they are the Chronicles And briefe abstracts of the time, After your death I can tell you, You were better haue a bad Epiteeth, Then their ill report while you liue.

_Cor._ My lord, I will vse them according to their deserts.

_Ham._ O farre better man, vse euery man after his deserts, Then who should scape whipping?

Vse them after your owne honor and dignitie, The lesse they deserue, the greater credit's yours.

_Cor._ Welcome my good fellowes. _exit._ _Ham._ Come hither maisters, can you not play the mur- der of _Gonsago_?

_players_ Yes my Lord.

_Ham._ And could'st not thou for a neede study me Some dozen or sixteene lines, Which I would set downe and insert?

_players_ Yes very easily my good Lord.

_Ham._ T'is well, I thanke you: follow that lord: And doe you heare sirs? take heede you mocke him not.

Gentlemen, for your kindnes I thanke you, And for a time I would desire you leaue me.

_Gil._ Our loue and duetie is at your commaund.

_Exeunt all but Hamlet._ _Ham._ Why what a dunghill idiote slaue am I?

Why these Players here draw water from eyes: For Hecuba, why what is Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba? [F1]

What would he do and if he had my losse?

His father murdred, and a Crowne bereft him, He would turne all his teares to droppes of blood, Amaze the standers by with his laments, Strike more then wonder in the iudiciall eares, Confound the ignorant, and make mute the wise, Indeede his pa.s.sion would be generall.

Yet I like to an a.s.se and Iohn a Dreames, Hauing my father murdred by a villaine, Stand still, and let it pa.s.se, why sure I am a coward: Who pluckes me by the beard, or twites my nose, Giue's me the lie i'th throate downe to the lungs, Sure I should take it, or else I haue no gall, Or by this I should a fatted all the region kites With this slaues offell, this d.a.m.ned villaine, Treachcrous, bawdy, murderous villaine: Why this is braue, that I the sonne of my deare father, Should like a scalion, like a very drabbe Thus raile in wordes. About my braine, I haue heard that guilty creatures sitting at a play, Hath, by the very cunning of the scene, confest a murder Committed long before.

This spirit that I haue seene may be the Diuell, And out of my weakenesse and my melancholy, As he is very potent with such men, Doth seeke to d.a.m.ne me, I will haue sounder proofes, The play's the thing, Wherein I'le catch the conscience of the King. _exit._

_Enter the King, Queene, and Lordes._

_King_ Lordes, can you by no meanes finde The cause of our sonne Hamlets lunacie?

You being so neere in loue, euen from his youth, Me thinkes should gaine more than a stranger should.

_Gil._ My lord, we haue done all the best we could, [F1v]

To wring from him the cause of all his griefe, But still he puts vs off, and by no meanes Would make an answere to that we exposde.

_Ross._ Yet was he something more inclin'd to mirth Before we left him, and I take it, He hath giuen order for a play to night, At which he craues your highnesse company.

_King_ With all our heart, it likes vs very well: Gentlemen, seeke still to increase his mirth, Spare for no cost, our coffers shall be open, And we vnto your selues will still be thankefull.

_Both_ In all wee can, be sure you shall commaund.

_Queene_ Thankes gentlemen, and what the Queene of May pleasure you, be sure you shall not want. (_Denmarke_ _Gil._ Weele once againe vnto the n.o.ble Prince.

_King_ Thanks to you both; Gertred you'l see this play.

_Queene_ My lord I will, and it ioyes me at the soule He is incln'd to any kinde of mirth.

_Cor._ Madame, I pray be ruled by me: And my good Soueraigne, giue me leaue to speake, We cannot yet finde out the very ground Of his distemperance, therefore I holde it meete, if so it please you, Else they shall not meete, and thus it is.

_King_ What i'st _Corambis_? (done, _Cor._ Mary my good lord this, soone when the sports are Madam, send you in haste to speake with him, And I my selfe will stand behind the Arras, There question you the cause of all his griefe, And then in loue and nature vnto you, hee'le tell you all: My Lord, how thinke you on't?

_King_ It likes vs well, Gerterd, what say you?

_Queene_ With all my heart, soone will I send for him.

_Cor._ My selfe will be that happy messenger, Who hopes his griefe will be reueal'd to her. _exeunt omnes_ _Enter Hamlet and the Players_. [F2]

_Ham._ p.r.o.nounce me this spcech trippingly a the tongue as I taught thee, Mary and you mouth it, as a many of your players do I'de rather heare a towne bull bellow, Then such a fellow speake my lines.

Nor do not saw the aire thus with your hands, But giue euerything his action with temperance. (fellow, O it offends mee to the soule, to heare a rebellious periwig To teare a pa.s.sion in totters, into very ragges, To split the eares of the ignorant, who for the (noises, Most parte are capable or nothing but dumbe shewes and I would haue such a fellow whipt, or o're doing, tarmagant It out, Herodes Herod.

_players_ My Lorde, wee haue indifferently reformed that among vs.

_Ham._ The better, the better, mend it all together: There be fellowes that I haue seene play, And heard others commend them, and that highly too, That hauing neither the gate or Christian, Pagan, Nor Turke, haue so strutted and bellowed, That you would a thought, some of Natures journeymen Had made men, and not made them well, They imitated humanitie, so abhominable: Take heede, auoyde it.

_players_ I warrant you my Lord.

_Ham._ And doe you heare? let not your Clowne speake More then is set downe, there be of them I can tell you That will laugh themselues, to set on some Quant.i.tie of barren spectators to laugh with them, Albeit there is some necessary point in the Play Then to be obserued: O t'is vile, and shewes A pittifull ambition in the foole that vseth it.

And then you haue some agen, that keepes one sute Of ieasts, as a man is knowne by one sute of Apparell, and Gentlemen quotes his ieasts downe In their tables, before they come to the play, as thus: [F2v]

Cannot you stay till I eate my porrige? and, you owe me A quarters wages: and, my coate wants a cullison: And, your beere is sowre: and, blabbering with his lips, And thus keeping in his cinkapase of ieasts, When, G.o.d knows, the warme Clowne cannot make a iest Vnlesse by chance, as the blinde man catcheth a hare: Maisters tell him of it.

_players_ We will my Lord.

_Ham._ Well, goe make you ready. _exeunt players._ _Horatio_. Heere my Lord.

_Ham._ _Horatio_, thou art euen as iust a man, As e're my conuersation cop'd withall.

_Hor._ O my lord!

_Ham._ Nay why should I flatter thee?

Why should the poore be flattered?

What gaine should I receiue by flattering thee, That nothing hath but thy good minde?

Let flattery sit on those time-pleasing tongs, To glose with them that loues to heare their praise, And not with such as thou _Horatio_.

There is a play to night, wherein one Sceane they haue Comes very neere the murder of my father, When thou shalt see that Act afoote, Marke thou the King, doe but obserue his lookes, For I mine eies will riuet to his face: And if he doe not bleach, and change at that, It is a dammed ghost that we haue seene.

_Horatio_, haue a care, obserue him well.

_Hor._ My lord, mine eies shall still be on his face, And not the smallest alteration That shall appeare in him, but I shall note it.

_Ham._ Harke, they come.

_Enter King, Queene, Corambis, and other Lords._ (a play?

_King_. How now son _Hamlet_, how fare you, shall we haue _Ham_. Yfaith the Camelions dish, not capon cramm'd, feede a the ayre. [F3]

I father: My lord, you playd in the Vniuersitie.

_Cor._ That I did my L: and I was counted a good actor.

_Ham_. What did you enact there?

_Cor._ My lord, I did act _Iulius Caesar_, I was killed in the Capitol, _Brutus_ killed me.

_Ham_. It was a brute parte of him, To kill so capitall a calfe.

Come, be these Players ready?

_Queene_ Hamlet come sit downe by me.

_Ham._ No by my faith mother, heere's a mettle more at- Lady will you giue me leaue, and so forth: (tractiue: To lay my head in your lappe?

_Ofel._ No my Lord. (trary matters?

_Ham._ Vpon your lap, what do you thinke I meant con- _Enter in Dumbe Shew, the King and the Queene, he sits downe in an Arbor, she leaues him: Then enters Luci- a.n.u.s with poyson in a Viall, and powres it in his eares, and goes away: Then the Queene commmeth and findes him dead: and goes away with the other._ _Ofel._ What meanes this my Lord? _Enter the Prologue._ _Ham._ This is myching Mallico, that meanes my chiefe.

_Ofel._ What doth this meane my lord?

_Ham._ You shall heare anone, this fellow will tell you all.

_Ofel._ Will he tell vs what this shew meanes?

_Ham._ I, or any shew you'le shew him, Be not afeard to shew, hee'le not be afeard to tell: O, these Players cannot keepe counsell, thei'le tell all.

_Prol._ For vs, and for our Tragedie, Here stowpiug to your clemencie, We begge your hearing patiently.

_Ham._ Is't a prologue, or a poesie for a ring?

_Ofel._ T'is short, my Lord.

_Ham._ As womens loue.

_Enter the Duke and Dutchesse._ _Duke_ Full fortie yeares are past, their date is gone, Since happy time ioyn'd both our hearts as one: [F3v]

And now the blood that fill'd my youthfull veines, Runnes weakely in their pipes, and all the straines Of musicke, which whilome pleasde mine eare, Is now a burthen that Age cannot beare: And therefore sweete Nature must pay his due, To heauen must I, and leaue the earth with you.

_Dutchesse_ O say not so, lest that you kill my heart, When death takes you, let life from me depart.

_Duke_ Content thy selfe, when ended is my date, Thon maist (perchance) haue a more n.o.ble mate, More wise, more youthfull, and one.

_Dutchesse_ O speake no more for then I am accurst, None weds the second, but she kils the first: A second time I kill my Lord that's dead, When second husband kisses me in bed.

_Ham._ O wormewood, wormewood!