Ham. Between * who ?

Pol. I mean y the matter that you read, my lord.

b

a

Ham. Slanders, fir; for the fatirical rogue fays here, that old men have grey beards; that their faces are wrinkled ; their eyes purging thick amber, and plum-tree gum; and that they have a plentiful lack of wit; together with most weak hams. All which, fir, though I moft powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honefty to have it thus fet down; for yourself, fir, shall grow old as I am; if, like a crab, you could go backward.

e

Pol. Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't. Will you walk out of the air, my lord?

Ham. Into my grave?

Pol. Indeed, that 's out of the air. --How pregnant fometimes his replies are! A happiness that madness often hits on, Which reafon and fanity could not

So profperously be deliver'd of. I will leave him,

x The qu's, ift f. and C. read who; the reft, whom; but Shakespeare was not fo grammatically nice; he wrote as people difcourfed in common: at this day we fay, Between who? in common talk. y The fo's and R. read, the matter you mean, &c.

z So the qu's and C. The fo's and all "other editions read, the fatirical flave,

&c.

a The fo's and R. read or for and. b. The fo's read lock.

The fo's and R. omit most.

d The fo's and R. read, you yourself,

should be old, as I am, &c. H. reads
shall be but as old as
am, &c. R. and
the reft read, shall be as old as I am,
&c.

f This fpeech in the qu's is printed profe-wife,

8 The qu's read reason and fanity. The fo's, R. and C. read, reafon and fanity. P. and the reft, fanity and reafon. h The 3d q. reads bappily for profperously.

P. reads this word be after could ax in the foregoing line; and is followed by the editors after him, except C,

k P. alters I will to I'll; followed by

So the qu's and C. The fo's read all after but C.

! And

And fuddenly contrive the means of meeting 1 Between him and my daughter.

My honourable lord, I will moft humbly

Take my leave of you.

Ham. You cannot take from me any thing that " I will more willingly part withal, except my life, except my life, except my life.

Pol. Fare you well, my lord.

Ham. Thefe tedious old fools!

Pol. You go to feek P the lord Hamlet; there he is.

[Exit.

SCENE VI.

Enter Rofincraus and Guildenstern.

Rof. God fave you, fir.

t

Ham. My excellent good friends! How doft thou, Guil

denstern?

'Ah! Refineraus, good lads! how do t

ye both? Rof. As the indifferent children of the earth. Guil. Happy in that we are not " over-happy,

On fortune's " cap we are not the very

button.

Ham. Nor the folcs of her fhoe?

Ref. Neither, my lord.

Ham. Then you live about her waift, or in the middle of

Guil. 'Faith, her privates we.

Ham. In the fecret parts of fortune? oh! moft true; she is a ftrumpet. What news?

Ref. None, my lord, but that the world's grown honest. Ham. Then is dooms-day near; but your news is not true. Let me question more in particular: what have you, my good friends, deferved at the hands of fortune, that she fends you to prifon hither?

Guil. Prifon, my lord?

Ham. Denmark 's a prifon.

Rof. Then is the world one.

Ham. A goodly one, in which there are many confines, wards and dungeons; Denmark being one o' the worst.

Rof. We think not fo, my lord.

Ham. Why then, 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it fo: to me it is a prison.

Rof. Why then your ambition makes it one; 'tis too narrow for your mind.

Ham. Ob God! I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space; were it not that I have bad dreams.

w The fat and 2d qu's read lap. * The fo's and R. read favour.

y Here T. interpolates in before her;

followed by all after but C.

z The fo's and R. read, What's the news?

a The qu's omit that.

What is printed in itafic here, is not in the qu's.

Guil. Which dreams indeed are ambition; for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream. Ham. A dream itself is but a shadow.

Rof. Truly, and I hold ambition of so airy and light a quality, that it is but a fhadow's shadow.

Ham. Then are our beggars, bodies; and our monarchs and out-stretch'd heroes, the beggars' fhadows. Shall we to th' court? for, by my fay, I cannot reason.

Both. We'll wait upon you.

Hain. No fuch matter. I will not fort you with the reft of my fervants; for, to speak to you like an honest man, I am moft dreadfully attended. But in the beaten way of friendship, what make you at Elfinoor?

Rof. To vifit you, my lord; no other occafion.

Ham. Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks; but I thank you; and fure, dear friends, my thanks are too dear

с

f

a halfpenny. Were you not sent for? Is it your own inclining? Is it a free vifitation? Come, come, deal juftly with me; come, come; nay, fpeak.

Guil. What fhould we fay, my lord?

Ham. Any thing, but to the purpose. You were sent for; and there is a kind of confeffion in, your looks, which your modefties have not craft enough to colour. I know the good king and queen have fent for you..

Rof. To what end, my lord?

Ham. That you muft teach me; but let me conjure you by the rights of our fellowship, by the confonancy of our

c Fo's, fey.

d First and zd qu's, ever.

h

e T. W. and J. read of a balfpenny.

H. and C. at a balfpenny.

f So the qu's. The fo's and the reft

read, Come, deal juftly, &c.

&c.

E 2

The fo's and R. read, Why any thing,

h Third and 4th fo's, your.

i The 3d q. reads fellowships.

you h,

youth, by the obligation of our ever-preferved love, and by what more dear, a better proposer * could charge you withal; be even and direct with me, whether you were fent for

or no.

Rof. What fay you?

Guild. My lord, we were fent for.

5

[To Guildenstern.

Ham. I will tell you why. So fhall my anticipation prevent your difcovery, and, your fecrely to the king and queen moult no feather. I have of late, but wherefore I know not, loft all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercifes; and indeed it goes fo heavily with my difpofition, that this goodly frame the earth feems to me a fteril promontory; this moft excellent canopy the air, look you, this brave Po'erchanging 9 firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why it appeareth nothing to me * but a foul and peftilent congregation of vapours. What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reafon! how infinite in * faculties! In form and moving how exprefs and admirable! In action how like an angel! In apprchenfions how like a God! The beauty of the world! The paragon of animals! and yet to me what is this quinteffence of duft? Man de

W