And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,
But bear me stiffly up!-Remember thee?
Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat
In this distracted globe. Remember thee?
Yea, from the table of my memory

I'll wipe away all trivial fond records,

All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past,
That youth and observation copied there
And thy commandment all alone shall live
Within the book and volume of my brain,
Unmix'd with baser matter: yes, by heaven.
O most pernicious woman!

O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain !
My tables,-meet it is, I set it down,

That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain ;

At least, I am sure, it may be so in Denmark: [Writing, So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word;

It is, Adieu, adieu! remember me.

I have sworn't.

Hor. [within.] My lord, my lord,
Mar. within. Lord Hamlet,-
Hor. [within.] Heaven secure him!
Ham. So be it!

Mar. [within.] Illo, ho, ho, my lord!

Ham. Hillo, ho, ho, boy! Come, bird, come."
Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS.

Mar. How is't, my noble lord?

Hor. What news, my lord?

Ham. O, wonderful!

Hor. Good my lord, tell it.
Ham. No;

You will reveal it.

Hor. Not I, my lord, by heaven.

Mar. Nor I, my lord.

Ham. How say you then; would heart of man once think it ?

But you'll be secret,

Hor. Mar. Ay, by heaven, my lord.

Ham. There's ne'er a villain, dwelling in all Denmark, But he's an arrant knave.

Hor. There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the

grave,

In this head, confused with thought.

STEEVENS.

This is the call which falconers use to their hawk in the air when they would have him come down to them.

HANMER.

To tell us this.

Ham. Why, right; you are in the right;
And so, without more circumstance at all,
I hold it fit, that we shake hands, and part:
You, as your business, and desire, shall point you ;-
For every man hath business, and desire,

Such as it is, and, for my own poor part,

Look you, I will go pray.

Hor. These are but wild and whirling words, my lord. Ham. I am sorry they offend you, heartily; yes, 'Faith, heartily.

Hor. There's no offence, my lord.

Ham. Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio, And much offence too. Touching this vision here,It is an honest ghost, that let me tell you :

For your desire to know what is between us,

O'er-master it as you may.

And now, good friends,

As you are friends, scholars, and soldiers,

Give me one poor request.

Hor. What is't, my lord?

We will.

Ham. Never make known what you have seen to-night. Hor. Mar. My lord, we will not.

Ham. Nay, but swear't.

Hor. In faith,

My lord, not I.

Mar. Nor I, my lord, in faith.

Ham. Upon my sword."

Mar. We have sworn, my lord, already.

Ham. Indeed, upon my sword, indeed.

Ghost. [beneath.] Swear.

Ham. Ha, ha, boy! say'st thou so? Art thou there, true-penny?

Come on,--you hear this fellow in the cellarage,——
Consent to swear.

Hor. Propose the oath, my lord.

[3] How the poet comes to make Hamlet swear by St. Patrick, I know not. However, at this time all the northern world had their learning from Ireland; to which place it had retired, and there flourished under the auspices of this Saint. But it was, I suppose, only said at random; for he makes Hamlet a student at Wittenberg.

WARBURTON.

[4] It was common to swear upon the sword, that is, upon the cross which the old swords always had upon the hilt. JOHNSON.

Spenser observes that the Irish in his time, 1596, used commonly to swear by their sword. This custom is of the highest antiquity; having prevailed, as we learn, from Lucian, amongst the Scythians, MALONE.

Ham. Never to speak of this that you have seen. Swear by my sword.

Ghost. [beneath.] Swear.

Ham. Hic & ubique? then we'll shift our ground:Come hither, gentlemen,

And lay your hands again upon my sword:

Swear by my sword,

Never to speak of this that you have heard.

Ghost. [beneath.] Swear by his sword.

Ham. Well said, old mole! can'st work i'the earth so fast?

A worthy pioneer!-Once more remove, good friends. Hor. O day and night, but this is wondrous strange. Ham. And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dream't of in your philosophy.

But come;

Here, as before, never, so help you mercy!
How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself,
As I, perchance, hereafter shall think meet
To put an antic disposition on,—

That you, at such times seeing me, never shall,
With arms encumber'd thus, or this head-shake,
Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,

As, Well, well, we know ;-or, We could, an if we would ;or, If we list to speak ;—or, There be, an if they might ;-Or such ambiguous giving out, to note

That you know aught of me: This do you swear,

So

grace and mercy at your most need help you! Ghost. [beneath.] Swear.

Ham. Rest, rest, perturbed spirit!-So, gentlemen, With all my love I do commend me to you :

And what so poor a man as Hamlet is

May do, to express his love and friending to you,

God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together;

And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.

The time is out of joint;--O cursed spite!
That ever I was born to set it right!

Nay, come, let's go together.

[Exeunt

B 2

ACT II.

SCENE I.-A Room in POLONIUS's House. Enter POLONIUS and REYNALDO.

Pol. Give him this money, and these notes, ReynaldoRey. I will, my lord.

Pol. You shall do marvellous wisely, good Reynaldo, Before you visit him, to make inquiry

Of his behaviour.

Rey. My lord, I did intend it.

Pol. Marry, well said: very well said.

Look you, sir

Inquire me first what Danskers are in Paris;

And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,
What company, at what expence; and finding,
By this incompassment and drift of question,
That they do know my son, come you more nearer
Than your particular demands will touch it.

Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him ;
As thus, I know his father, and his friends,

And, in part, him ;-Do you mark this, Reynaldo ?
Rey. Ay, very well, my lord.

Pol. And, in part, him;-but, you may say, not well : But, if't be he I mean, he's very wild;

Addicted so and so ;-and there put on him

What forgeries you please: marry, none so rank
As may dishonour him; take heed of that;
But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips,
As are companions noted and most known
To youth and liberty.

Rey. As gaming, my lord.

Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling, Drabbing:-You may go so far.

Rey. My lord, that would dishonour him.

Pol. 'Faith, no; as you may season it in the charge. You must not put another scandal on him,

That he is open to incontinency;

That's not my meaning: but breathe his faults so quaintly, That they may seem the taints of liberty:

The flash and out-break of a fiery mind;

A savageness in unreclaimed blood,"

[5] Danske (in Warner's Albion's England) is the ancient name of Denmark.

[6] Savageness for wildness. WARBURTON.

STEEVENS.

Of general assault."

Rey. But, my good lord,

Pol. Wherefore should you do this?
Rey. Ay, my lord,

I would know that.

Pol. Marry, sir, here's my drift ;
And, I believe, it is a fetch of warrant :
You laying these slight sullies on my son,
As 'twere a thing a little soil'd i'the working,
Mark you,

Your party in converse, him you would sound,
Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes,"
The youth, you breathe of, guilty, be assur'd,
He closes with you in this consequence;
Good sir, or so; or friend, or gentleman,-
According to the phrase, or the addition,
Of man, and country.

Rey. Very good, my lord.

Pol. And then, sir, does he this,-He doesWhat was I about to say?-By the mass, I was about To say something :--Where did I leave?

Rey. At, closes in the consequence.

Pol. At, closes in the consequence,-Ay, marry ; He closes with you thus:-I know the gentleman ; I saw him yesterday, or t'other day,

Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as you say, There was he gaming; there o'ertook in his rouse; There falling out at tennis: or, perchance,

I saw him enter such a house of sale, (Videlicet, a brothel,) or so forth.

See you now;

Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth
And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
With windlaces, and with assays of bias,
By indirections find directions out;

So, by former lecture and advice,

:

Shall you my son. You have me, have you not?
Rey. My lord, I have.

Pol. God be wi' you : fare you well.

Rey. Good my lord,

Pol. Observe his inclination in yourself."

Rey. I shall, my lord.

[7] i. e. Such as youth in general is liable to.

WARBURTON.

Crimes already named.

STEEVENS.

JOHNSON.

In your own person, not by spies