Ham. I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow student;

I think it was to see my mother's wedding.

Hor. Indeed, my lord, it follow'd hard upon. Ham. Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral bak'd

24

Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.
Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven,"
Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio!—
My father, methinks, I see my father.

Hor. O! where, my lord?
Ham.

In my mind's eye, Horatio. Hor. I saw him once; he was a goodly king. Ham. He was a man, take him for all in all,2

I shall not look upon his like again.

Hor. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.
Ham. Saw who? 26

Hor. My lord, the king your father.
Ham. The king my father?

Hor. Season your admiration for a while

With an attent ear, till I may deliver,

Upon the witness of these gentlemen,
This marvel to you.

25

23 Scott, in The Bride of Lammermoor, has made the readers of romance familiar with the old custom of " funeral bak'd meats," which was kept up in Scotland till a recent period.

H.

24 Caldecott has shown that in Shakespeare's time dearest was applied to any person or thing that excites the liveliest interest, whether of love or hate. See Twelfth Night, Act v. sc. 1, note 3.

H.

25 Some would read this as if it were pointed thus: "He was a man take him for all in all," &c.; laying marked stress on man, as if it were meant to intimate a correction of Horatio's " goodly king." There is, we suspect, no likelihood that the Poet had any such thought, as there is no reason why he should have had.

H.

26 In colloquial language, it was common, as indeed it still is, thus to use the nominative where strict grammar would require the objective. Modern editions embellish the two words with various pointing; as thus: "Saw! who?" or thus: "Saw? who?"

H.

Ham. For God's love, let me hear.

Hor. Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch, In the dead vast and middle of the night,27 Been thus encounter'd. A figure like your father, Arm'd at all points, exactly, cap-à-pé,28

Appears before them, and with solemn march Goes slow and stately by them: thrice he walk'd By their oppress'd and fear-surprised eyes,

29

Within his truncheon's length; whilst they, distill'd
Almost to jelly with the act of fear,2
Stand dumb, and speak not to him.

In dreadful secrecy impart they did;

This to me

And I with them the third night kept the watch; Where, as they had deliver'd, both in time,

Form of the thing, each word made true and good, The apparition comes: I knew your father;

These hands are not more like.

Ham.

But where was this?

Hor. My lord, upon the platform where we

watch'd.

Ham. Did you not speak to it?

Hor.

My lord, I did;

27 So the quarto of 1603; the other old copies have wast and waste instead of vast. Modern editions have differed whether it should be waste or waist, the latter meaning middle. We have no doubt that rast is the right word. Of course it means void or vacancy. See The Tempest, Act i. sc. 2, note 32; also, The Winter's Tale, Act i. sc. 1, note 1; and Pericles, Act iii. sc. 1, note 1.

H.

28 So the folio; the first quarto, "Armed to point;" the other quartos, "Armed at point."

H.

29 So all the quartos; the folio has bestill'd instead of distill'd. Of course to distill is to fall in drops, to melt; so that distill'd is a very natural and fit expression for the cold sweat caused by intense fear. Mr. Collier finds bechill'd in his famous second folio, and is greatly delighted with it, as usual. The idea of human Dodies being chilled or frozen to a jelly is rather queer. H.

But answer made it none: yet once, methought,
It lifted up its head, and did address

Itself to motion, like as it would speak;
But even then the morning cock crew loud,
And at the sound it shrunk in haste away,
And vanish'd from our sight.3

Ham.

30

"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?

All. My lord, from head to foot.

Ham. Then, saw you not his face?

Hor. O, yes, my lord! he wore his beaver up. Ham. What! look'd he frowningly ?

Hor.

In sorrow than in anger.

Ham.

Hor. Nay, very pale.
Ham.

31

A countenance more

Pale, or red?

And fix'd his eyes upon you?

30 It is a most inimitable circumstance in Shakespeare so to have managed this popular idea, as to make the Ghost, which has been so long obstinately silent, and of course must be dismissed by the morning, begin or rather prepare to speak, and to be interrupted at the very critical time of the crowing of a cock. Another poet, according to custom, would have suffered his ghost tamely to vanish, without contriving this start, which is like a start of guilt to say nothing of the aggravation of the future suspense occasioned by this preparation to speak, and to impart some mysterious secret. Less would have been expected if nothing had been promised.-T. WARTON.

31 That part of the helmet which may be lifted up.

Hor. Most constantly.

Ham.

I would I had been there.

Hor. It would have much amaz'd you.

Ham. Very like, very like.

Stay'd it long?

Hor. While one with moderate haste might tell

a hundred.

Mar. Ber. Longer, longer.

'Hor. Not when I saw't.

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:

Perchance, 'twill walk again.

Hor.

I warrant it will

Ham. If it assume my noble father's person,
I'll speak to it, though hell itself should gape,
And bid me hold my peace. I pray you all,
If you have hitherto conceal'd this sight,
Let it be tenable in your silence still; 32
And whatsoever else shall hap to-night,
Give it an understanding, but no tongue :
I will requite your loves.

So, fare you well:
Upon the platform, 'twixt eleven and twelve,
I'll visit you.

All.

Our duty to your honour.

Ham. Your loves, as mine to you: Farewell. [Exeunt all but HAMLET. 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.

32 The quarto of 1603 reads tenible. The other quartos tenable.

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,

And convoy is assistant, do not sleep,

But let me hear from you.

Do you doubt that?

Oph.
Laer. For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favour,
Hold it a fashion, and a toy in blood;

A violet in the youth of primy nature,
Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,
The perfume and suppliance of a minute;1
No more.

Oph.
Laer.

No more but so?

Think it no more:

For nature, crescent, does not grow alone
In thews, and bulk; but, as this temple waxes,
The inward service of the mind and soul
Grows wide withal. Perhaps he loves you now;
And now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch 3
The virtue of his will: but you must fear;
His greatness weigh'd, his will is not his own;
For he himself is subject to his birth: *

1 This is the reading of the quartos. The folio omits perfume and. It is plain that perfume is necessary to exemplify the idea of sweet, not lasting. "The suppliance of a minute" should seem to mean supplying or enduring only that short space of time; as transitory and evanescent. The simile is eminently beautiful.

2 That is, sinews and muscular strength. See the Second Part of King Henry IV., Act iii. sc. 2, note 12.

3 Cautel is cautious circumspection, subtlety, or deceit. Minsheu explains it, "a crafty way to deceive." See Coriolanus, Act iv. sc. 1, note 3. Besmirch is besmear, or sully.

4 This line is found only in the folio. This scene," says Coleridge, "must be regarded as one of Shakespeare's lyric