HAMLE T,

PRINCE OF DENMARK.

Perfons Represented.

CLAUDIUS, king of Denmark.
Fortinbras, prince of Norway.

Hamlet, fon to the former, and nephew to the prefent king.

Polonius, lord chamberlain.
Horatio, friend to Hamlet.

Laertes, fon to Polonius.

Gertrude, queen of Denmark, and mother to Hamlet. Ophelia, daughter to Polonius.

Ladies, players, grave-makers, failors, messengers, and

other attendants.

PRINCE OF DENMARK.

'ACT I. SCENE I.

ELS IN O U R.

A platform before the palace.
Francifco on his poft. Enter to him Bernardo.

BERNARDO.

'HO's there?

WR

Fran. Nay, answer me.
unfold yourself.

Ber. 3 Long live the king!

Stand, and

The original ftory on which this play is built, may be found in Saxo Grammaticus the Danish hiftorian. From thence Belleforeft adopted it in his collection of novels, in feven volumes, which he began in 1564, and continued to publish through fucceeding years. From this work, The Hyftorie of Hamblett, quarto, bl. 1. was tranflated. I have hitherto met with no earlier edition of the play than one in the year 1605, tho' it must have been performed before that time, as I have feen copy of Speght's edition of Chaucer, which formerly belonged to Dr. Gabriel Harvey (the antagonist of Nash) who, in his own hand-writing, has fet down the play, as a performance with which he was well acquainted, in the year 1598. His words are thefe: "The younger fort take much delight "in Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis; but his Lucrece, and "his tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmarke, have it in them "to please the wifer fort, 1598." STEEVENS.

2

2

This play is printed both in the folio of 1623, and in the quarto of 1637, more correctly, than almost any other of the works of Shakespeare. JOHNSON.

3 Long live the king!] This is the watch-word. STEEVENS. VOL. X.

K

Fran.

Fran. Bernardo?

Ber. He.

Fran. You come most carefully upon your hour. Ber. 'Tis now ftruck twelve. Get thee to bed, Francifco.

Fran. For this relief, much thanks: 'tis bitter cold, And I am fick at heart.

Ber. Have you had quiet guard?
Fran. Not a mouse stirring.

Ber. Well, good night.

If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus,

+ The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste.

Enter Horatio and Marcellus.

Fran. I think I hear them.-Stand, ho! Who is there?

Hor. Friends to this ground.

Mar. And liegemen to the Dane.

Fran. Give you good night.

Mar. Oh, farewell, honeft foldier! Who hath reliev'd you?

Fran. Bernardo hath my place. Give you good night. [Exit Francifco.

The rivals of my watch,] Rivals, for partners. WARE. By rivals of the watch are meant those who were to watch on the next adjoining ground. Rivals, in the original fenfe of the word, were proprietors of neighbouring lands, parted only by a brook, which belonged equally to both. HANMER. I fhould propofe to point and alter this paffage thusIf you do meet Horatio, and Marcellus

The rival of my watch

Horatio is reprefented throughout the play as a gentleman of no profeffion. Marcellus was an officer, and confequently did that through duty, for which Horatio had no motive but curiofity. Befides, there is but one perfon on each watch. Bernardo comes to relieve Francifco, and Marcellus to fupply the place of fome other on the adjoining ftation. The reafon why Bernardo as well as the reft expect Horatio, was because he knew him to be informed of what had happened the night before. WARNER.

Mar.

Mar. Holla! Bernardo.

Ber. Say, what, is Horatio there?

5 Hor. A piece of him.

Ber. Welcome, Horatio; welcome, good Marcellus.

Mar. What, has this thing appear'd again tonight?

Ber. I have feen nothing.

Mar. Horatio fays, 'tis but our phantafy;
And will not let belief take hold of him,
Touching this dreaded fight, twice feen of us :
Therefore I have intreated him along

With us to watch the minutes of this night;
That if again this apparition come,

He may 7 approve our eyes, and fpeak to it.
Hor. Tuh! tufh! 'twill not appear.
Ber. Sit down a while;

And let us once again affail your ears,
That are fo fortified against our story.
8 What we two nights have feen.-

.

Hor. Well, fit we down,

And let us hear Bernardo speak of this.
Ber. Laft night of all,

When yon fame star, that's weftward from the pole,
Had made his course to illume that part of heaven
Where now it burns; Marcellus, and myself,
The bell then beating one.

5 Hor. A piece of him.] But why a piece? He fays this as he gives his hand. Which direction fhould be marked. WARB. A piece of him, is, I believe, no more than a cant expreffion. STEEVENS.

6

the minutes of this night;] This feems to have been an expreffion common in Shakespeare's time. I find in one of Ford's plays, The Fancies, A& 5.

7'

I promise e'er the minutes of the night. STEEVENS. •approve our eyes,] Add a new teftimony to that of our eyes. JOHNSON.

8 What ve two nights have feen.] This line is by Hanmer given to Marcellus, but without neceffity. JOHNSON.