The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke | Page 4

Lord.
Ham. Armed say ye?
All Armed my good Lord.
Ham. From top to toe?
All. My good Lord, from head to foote.
Ham. Why then saw you not his face?
Hor. O yes my Lord, he wore his beuer vp.
Ham. How look't he, frowningly?
Hor. A countenance more in sorrow than in anger.
Ham. Pale, or red?
Hor. Nay, verie pal
Ham. And fixt his eies vpon you. [C1v]
Hor. Most constantly.
Ham. I would I had beene there.
Hor. It would a much amazed you.
Ham. Yea very like, very like, staid it long?
Hor. While one with moderate pace
Might tell a hundred.
Mar. O longer, longer.
Ham. His beard was grisleld, no.
Hor. It was as I haue seene it in his life,
A sable siluer.
Ham. I wil watch to night, perchance t'wil walke againe.
Hor. I warrant it will.
Ham. If it assume my noble fathers person,
Ile speake to it, if hell it selfe should gape,
And bid me hold my peace, Gentlemen,
If you haue hither consealed this sight,
Let it be tenible in your silence still,
And whatsoeuer else shall chance to night,
Giue it an vnderstanding, but no tongue,
I will requit your loues, so fare you well,
Vpon the platforme, twixt eleuen and twelue,
Ile visit you.
All. Our duties to your honor. exeunt.
Ham. O your loues, your loues, as mine to you.
Farewell, my fathers spirit in Armes,
Well, all's not well. I doubt some foule play,
Would the night were come,
Till then, sit still my soule, foule deeds will rise
Though all the world orewhelme them to mens eies. Exit.
Enter Leartes and Ofelia.
Leart. My necessaries are inbarkt, I must aboord,
But ere I part, marke what I say to thee:
I see Prince Hamlet makes a shew of loue
Beware Ofelia, do not trust his vowes,
Perhaps he loues you now, and now his tongue,
Speakes from his heart, but yet take heed my sister, [C2]
The Chariest maide is prodigall enough,
If she vnmaske hir beautie to the Moone.
Vertue it selfe scapes not calumnious thoughts,
Belieu't Ofelia, therefore keepe a loofe
Lest that he trip thy honor and thy fame.
Ofel. Brother, to this I haue lent attentiue care,
And doubt not but to keepe my honour firme,
But my deere brother, do not you
Like to a cunning Sophister,
Teach me the path and ready way to heauen,
While you forgetting what is said to me,
Your selfe, like to a carelesse libertine
Doth giue his heart, his appetite at ful,
And little recks how that his honour dies.
Lear. No, feare it not my deere Ofelia,
Here comes my father, occasion smiles vpon a second leaue.
Enter Corambis.
Cor. Yet here Leartes? aboord, aboord, for shame,
The winde sits in the shoulder of your saile,
And you are staid for, there my blessing with thee
And these few precepts in thy memory.
"Be thou familiar, but by no meanes vulgare;
"Those friends thou hast, and their adoptions tried,
"Graple them to thee with a hoope of steele,
"But do not dull the palme with entertaine,
"Of euery new vnfleg'd courage,
"Beware of entrance into a quarrell; but being in,
"Beare it that the opposed may beware of thee,
"Costly thy apparrell, as thy purse can buy.
"But not exprest in fashion,
"For the apparell oft proclaimes the man.
And they of France of the chiefe rancke and station
Are of a most select and generall chiefe in that:
"This aboue all, to thy owne selfe be true,
And it must follow as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any one, [C2v]
Farewel, my blessing with thee.
Lear. I humbly take my leaue, farewell Ofelia,
And remember well what I haue said to you. exit.
Ofel. It is already lock't within my hart,
And you your selfe shall keepe the key of it.
Cor. What i'st Ofelia he hath saide to you?
Ofel. Somthing touching the prince Hamlet.
Cor. Mary wel thought on, t'is giuen me to vnderstand,
That you haue bin too prodigall of your maiden presence
Vnto Prince Hamlet, if it be so,
As so tis giuen to mee, and that in waie of caution
I must tell you; you do not vnderstand your selfe
So well as befits my honor, and your credite.
Ofel. My lord, he hath made many tenders of his loue
to me.
Cor. Tenders, I, I, tenders you may call them.
Ofel. And withall, such earnest vowes.
Cor. Springes to catch woodcocks,
What, do not I know when the blood doth burne,
How prodigall the tongue lends the heart vowes,
In briefe, be more scanter of your maiden presence,
Or tendring thus you'l tender mee a foole.
Ofel. I shall obay my lord in all I may.
Cor. Ofelia, receiue none of his letters,
"For louers lines are snares to intrap the heart;
"Refuse his tokens, both of them are keyes
To vnlocke Chastitie vnto Desire;
Come in Ofelia, such men often proue,
"Great in their wordes, but little in their loue.
Ofel. I will my lord. exeunt.
Enter Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus.
Ham. The ayre bites shrewd; it is an eager and
An nipping winde, what houre i'st?
Hor. I think it lacks of twelue, Sound Trumpets.
Mar. No, t'is strucke.
Hor. Indeed I heard it not, what doth this mean my lord? [C3]
Ham. O the king doth wake to night, & takes his rowse,
Keepe