How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable That grows to seed; things rank, and gross in nature, But two months dead! - nay, not so much, not two; Hyperion to a satyr?: so loving to my mother, By what it fed on: And yet, within a month, — O heaven! a beast, that wants discourse of reason, But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue! Enter HORATIO, BERNARDO, and MARCELLUS. Hor. Hail to your lordship! Ham. I am glad to see you well: Horatio,-or I do forget myself. 8 merely.] Is entirely, absolutely. 9 Hyperion to a satyr:] Hyperion or Apollo is represented in all the ancient statues, &c. as exquisitely beautiful, the satyrs hideously ugly. That he might not beteem-] i. e. permit, or suffer. Hor. The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever. Ham. Sir, my good friend; I'll change that name2 with you. And what make you3 from Wittenberg, Horatio? Mar. My good lord, Ham. I am very glad to see you; good even, sir, — But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg? Hor. A truant disposition, good my lord. Nor shall you do mine ear that violence, We'll teach you to drink deep, ere you depart. Hor. Indeed, my lord, it follow'd hard upon. Ham. Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral bak'd meats 4 Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables. Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven 5 Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio !— My father, Methinks, I see my father. Hor. My lord? Ham. In my mind's eye, Horatio. Where, Hor. I saw him once, he was a goodly king. Ham. He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again. 2 I'll change that name -] I'll be your servant, you shall be my friend. 3 ·what make you—] A familiar phrase for what are you doing. 4 - the funeral bak'd meats-] It was anciently the general custom to give a cold entertainment to mourners at a funeral. In distant counties this practice is continued among the yeomanry. 5- dearest foe in heaven —] Dearest is most immediate, consequential, important. Hor. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight. Hor. My lord, the king your father. Ham. The king my father! Hor. Season your admiration for a while Ham. For God's love, let me hear. Hor. Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch, In the dead waist and middle of the night," Been thus encounter'd. A figure like your father, Appears before them, and, with solemn march, Stand dumb, and speak not to him. This to me And I with them, the third night kept the watch: Ham. But where was this? Mar. My lord, upon the platform where we watch'd. Ham. Did you not speak to it? 6 Season your admiration-] That is, temper it. 7 With an attent ear;] Attent for attentive. • In the dead waist and middle of the night,] This strange phrase. ology seems to have been common in the time of Shakspeare. By waist is meant nothing more than middle. 9 with the act of fear,] Fear was the cause, the active cause that distill'd them by the force of operation which we strictly call act in voluntary, and power in involuntary agents, but popularly call act in both. JOHNSON. Hor. My lord, I did: Itself to motion, like as it would speak: Ham. 'Tis very strange. Hor. As I do live, my honour'd lord, 'tis true; And we did think it writ down in our duty, To let you know of it. Ham. Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this troubles me. Hold you the watch to-night? Hor. O, yes, my lord; he wore his beaver up.9 Ham. What, look'd he frowningly? Hor. In sorrow than in anger. Ham. Hor. Nay, very pale. Ham. Hor. Most constantly. Ham. A countenance more Pale, or red? And fix'd his eyes upon you? I would I had been there. Hor. It would have much amaz'd you. Ham. Very like: Stay'd it long? 9 Very like, wore his beaver up.] Though beaver properly signified that part of the helmet which was let down, to enable the wearer to drink, Shakspeare always uses the word as denoting that part of the helmet, which, when raised up, exposed the face of the wearer: and such was the popular signification of the word in his time. Hor. While one with moderate haste might tell a hundred. Mar. Ber. Longer, longer. Hor. Not when I saw it. Ham. His beard was grizzl'd? no? Hor. It was, as I have seen it in his life, A sable silver'd. Ham. I will watch to-night; I warrant, it will. Perchance, 'twill walk again. Hor. Ham. If it assume my noble father's All. Our duty to your honour. Ham. Your loves, as mine to you: Farewell. [Exeunt HORATIO, MARCELLUS, and BER NARDO. My father's spirit in arms! all is not well; I doubt some foul play: 'would, the night were come! Till then sit still, my soul: Foul deeds will rise, Though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes. [Exit. SCENE III. A Room in Polonius' House. Enter LAERTES and OPHELIA. Laer. My necessaries are embark'd; farewell: And, sister, as the winds give benefit, |