Where now it burns, Marcellus and myself,

The bell then beating one

Enter the Ghoft.

Mar. Peace, break thee off; look where it comes again.
Ber. In the fame figure, like the king that's dead.
Mar. Thou art a scholar, speak to it, Horatio..

• Ber. Looks it not like the king? mark it, Horatio. Hor. Moft like it harrows me with fear and wonder. Ber. It would be spoke to.

u

Mar. Speak to it, Horatio.

Hor. What art thou that usurp'ft this time of night, Together with that fair and warlike form,

In which the majefty of buried Denmark

Did fometimes march? by heav'n I charge thee speak.
Mar. It is offended.

Ber.

Pee! it ftalks away.

* Hor. Stay; fpeak; fpeak; I charge thee, speak.

Mar. 'Tis gone, and will not anfwer.

[Exit Ghoft.

Ber. How now, Horatio? you tremble and look pale. Is not this fomething more than phantafy?

What think you ' on 't?

Hor. Before my God, I might not this believe,

The qu's read, borrowes; all the and is followed by the editors after him,

reft, barrows.

u The fo's and R. read, Question it, Horatio.

except C.

y So the first g. the fo's, R. and C. the reft of it for en 't.

Without

a

Such was the very armour he had on,

When he th' ambitious Norway combated:
So frown'd he once, when in an angry parle,
He finote the fleaded Polack on the ice.

e

Mar. Thus twice before, and juft at this dead hour, With martial stalk, hath he gone by our watch.

Hor. In what particular thought to work, I know not; But in the grofs and scope of my opinion,

This bodes fome ftrange eruption to our state.

Mar. Good now fit down; and tell me, he that knows, Why this fame ftrict and moft obfervant watch

So nightly toils the

i

k

And why fuch daily coft of brazen cannon,
And foreign mart for implements of war?

Why fuch imprefs of fhip-wrights, whofe fore tak
'Does not divide the funday from the week?

What might be toward, that this sweaty haste

Doth make the night joint TM labourer with the day,
Who is't that can inform me ?

Hor. That can I;

n

At least the whifper goes fo: Our last king,
Whose image " even but now appear'd to us,
Was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway,
Thereto prickt on by a moft emulate pride,

Dar'd to the combat. In which, our valiant Hamlet
(For fo this fide of our known world efteem'd him)
Did flay this Fortinbras: P who by a feal'd compact,
Well ratified by law and heraldry,

Did forfeit (with his life) all thofe his lands

Which he flood feiz'd of, to the conqueror;

Again the which, a moiety competent

Was gaged by our king; which had return'd
To the inheritance of Fortinbras,

W

Had he been " vanquisher, " as by the fame comart
And carriage of the articles defign'd,

His fell to Hamlet, Now, fir, young Fortinbras,
Of unimproved mettle hot and full,

Hath in the fkirts of Norway, here and there,

The third q. reads labour,

n W. and J, read but even now. • All the editions before P. read combat; he alters it to fight; followed by the rest, except C.

P So all the editors read before P. who alters it to, who by feal'd compact; and is followed by the reft, except C. a H. and W. read of for end, The qu's, thefe for those. The fo's and R. ex for of.

turn.

So the fo's, R. and F. the rest, re

u The 3d q. vanquifit.

w So the qu's, W. and C. the fo's and R. As by the jame cov`nant; the rest, As by that cov`nant.

* The first q. the fo's, R. and C. read article.

y The firft q. reads deffeigne; the ad define; the 3d q. and firit f, defigne. z P. and all after, except C. omit fir

Shark'd

a

Shark'd up a lift of lawlefs refolutes,

For food and diet, to fome enterprize

That hath a stomach in 't; which is no other (As it doth well appear unto our ftate)

But to recover of us by strong hand

d

And terms compulfatory, thofe forefaid lands
So by his father loft: and this, I take it,

Is the main motive of our preparations,

The fource of this our watch, and the chief head
Of this poft-hafte and romage in the land.

f

Ber. I think it be no other, but even fo: Well may it fort that this portentous figure Comes armed through our watch fo like the king, That was and is the question of thefe wars.

Hor. A moth it is to trouble the mind's eye.
In the mofl high and palmy state of Rome,
A little ere the mightiest Julius fell,

graves food tenantless, and the fheeted dead Did fqueak and gibber in the Roman streets;

As flars with trains of fire, and dews of blood,

a So the qu's and C. all the reft landless.

b The 2d and 3d qu's, omit is.

The fo's, R. and P. And for As. d So the qu's, W. and C. the reft, compulfative.

The lines in itajic are omitted in

the fo's, but reftored by R.

f First q. enfo for even fo.

motb.

i P, T, H, and W. omit and.

* Something feems to be wanting here; a line perhaps might be omitted through mistake, fomewhat like the following,

Tremendous prodigies in bear'n appear`d— 1 So the qu's.

R. alters this to, Stays fhone with trairs of fire, dews of load fill, &c. to make

The 3d q, R. and all after, mete for fenfe of the paffage, without fuppofing

h Palmy, i. e. victorious. P.

R. alters palmy to flourishing、

any thing wanting; followed by the

Difafters in the fun, and the moist ftar,
Upon whofe influence Neptune's empire jiaids,
Was fick almoft to dooms-day with eclipfe.
And even the like preçurfe of" fierce events,
As harbinger's preceding still the fates,
And prologue to the omen coming on,

Have heav'n and earth together demonstrated
Unto our climatures and country-men-

Enter Ghoft again.

But foft, behold! lo, where it comes again!
I'll cross it though it blaft me. Stay, illufion!

If thou haft any found, or ufe of voice,
Speak to me.

[Spreading his arms,

If there be any good thing to be done,
That may to thee do eafe, and grace to me;
Speak to me.

If thou art privy to thy country's fate,
Which happily foreknowing may avoid,
O fpeak:

Or, if thou haft uphoarded in thy life
Extorted treasure in the womb of earth,

[ The cock crows.

For which, they fay, you fpirits oft walk in death,
Speak of it; ftay and fpeak-Stop it, Marcellus-
Mar. Shall I ftrike it with my partizan?
Hor. Do, if it will not stand,