Hautboys play. The dumb-show enters.

Enter a King and a Queen, very lovingly; the Queen embracing him, and he her. She kneels, and makes show of protestation unto him. He takes her up, and declines his head upon her neck; lays him down upon a bank of flowers: she, seeing him asleep, leaves him. Anon comes in a fellow, takes off his crown, kisses it, and pours poison in the King's ears, and exit. The Queen returns, finds the King dead, and makes passionate action. The Poisoner, with some two or three Mutes, comes in again, seeming to lament with her. The dead body is carried away. The Poisoner wooes the Queen with gifts; she seems loath and unwilling awhile, but in the end accepts his love.

Ophelia. What means this, my lord?

[Exeunt.

Hamlet. Marry, this is miching mallecho; it means mischief.

Ophelia. Belike this show imports the argument of the 150 play.

Enter Prologue.

Hamlet. We shall know by this fellow: the players cannot keep counsel; they'll tell all.

Ophelia. Will he tell us what this show meant ?
Hamlet. Ay, or any show that you'll show him.
Ophelia. I'll mark the play.

Prologue. For us and for our tragedy,

Here stooping to your clemency,

We beg your hearing patiently.

Hamlet. Is this a prologue, or the posy of a ring?

Ophelia. 'Tis brief, my lord.

Hamlet. As woman's love.

Enter two Players, King and Queen.

155

160

165

Player King. Full thirty times hath Phœbus' cart gone round

Neptune's salt wash and Tellus' orbed ground,

And thirty dozen moons with borrow'd sheen

About the world have times twelve thirties been,

170

Since love our hearts and Hymen did our hands

Unite commutual in most sacred bands.

Player Queen. So many journeys may the sun and moon

Make us again count o'er ere love be done!

But, woe is me! you are so sick of late,

175

So far from cheer and from your former state,
That I distrust you. Yet, though I distrust,
Discomfort you, my lord, it nothing must;
For women's fear and love holds quantity,
In neither aught, or in extremity.

Now, what my love is, proof hath made you know;
And as my love is siz'd, my fear is so.

180

Where love is great, the littlest doubts are fear;

Where little fears grow great, great love grows there.

Player King. Faith, I must leave thee, love, and shortly too ;

My operant powers their functions leave to do:

186

And thou shalt live in this fair world behind,
Honour'd, belov'd; and haply one as kind

For husband shalt thou

Player Queen.

O! confound the rest;

Such love must needs be treason in my breast :

In second husband let me be accurst;

None wed the second but who kill'd the first.
Hamlet. [Aside.] Wormwood, wormwood.

Player Queen. The instances that second marriage move, Are base respects of thrift, but none of love ;

A second time I kill my husband dead,

190

195

Player King. I do believe you think what now you speak;

When second husband kisses me in bed.

But what we do determine oft we break.

Purpose is but the slave to memory,

200

Of violent birth, but poor validity ;

Which now, like fruit unripe, sticks on the tree,
But fall unshaken when they mellow be.
Most necessary 'tis that we forget

To pay ourselves what to ourselves is debt ;
What to ourselves in passion we propose,
The passion ending, doth the purpose lose.
The violence of either grief or joy
Their own enactures with themselves destroy;
Where joy most revels grief doth most lament,
Grief joys, joy grieves, on slender accident.

205

210

This world is not for aye, nor 'tis not strange,

That even our love should with our fortunes change;

For 'tis a question left us yet to prove

Whe'r love lead fortune or else fortune love.

215

The great man down, you mark his favourite flies;
The poor advanc'd makes friends of enemies.
And hitherto doth love on fortune tend,

For who not needs shall never lack a friend;

And who in want a hollow friend doth try
Directly seasons him his enemy.

220

But, orderly to end where I begun,

Our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own:

225

So think thou wilt no second husband wed;

But die thy thoughts when thy first lord is dead.

Sport and repose lock from me day and night !

Player Queen. Nor earth to me give food, nor heaven light!

To desperation turn my trust and hope!
An anchor's cheer in prison be my scope !
Each opposite that blanks the face of joy
Meet what I would have well, and it destroy !
Both here and hence pursue me lasting strife,
If, once a widow, ever I be wife!

Hamlet. If she should break it now!

230

235

Player King. 'Tis deeply sworn. Sweet, leave me here awhile; My spirits grow dull, and fain I would beguile

The tedious day with sleep.

Player Queen.

[Sleeps.

Sleep rock thy brain;

[Exit. 240

And never come mischance between us twain !

Hamlet. Madam, how like you this play?

Queen. The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Hamlet. O! but she'll keep her word.

King. Have you heard the argument? Is there no 245 offence in't?

Hamlet. No, no, they do but jest, poison in jest; no offence i' the world.

King. What do you call the play?

Hamlet. The Mouse-trap. Marry, how? Tropically. 250 This play is the image of a murder done in Vienna: Gonzago is the duke's name; his wife, Baptista. You shall see anon; 'tis a knavish piece of work: but what of that? your majesty and we that have free souls, it touches us not let the galled jade wince, our withers are unwrung.

Enter Player as Lucianus.

This is one Lucianus, nephew to the king.

Ophelia. You are a good chorus, my lord.

255

Hamlet. I could interpret between you and your love, 260 if I could see the puppets dallying.

Ophelia. Still better, and worse.

265

Hamlet. So you must take your husbands. Begin, murderer; leave thy damnable faces, and begin. Come; the croaking raven doth bellow for revenge.

Lucianus. Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and
time agreeing;

Confederate season, else no creature seeing;
Thou mixture rank, of midnight weeds collected,
With Hecate's ban thrice blasted, thrice infected,
Thy natural magic and dire property,
On wholesome life usurp immediately.

270

275

[Pours the poison into the Sleeper's ears. Hamlet. He poisons him i' the garden for's estate. His name's Gonzago; the story is extant, and writ in very choice Italian. You shall see anon how the murderer gets the love of Gonzago's wife.

Ophelia. The king rises.

Hamlet. What! frighted with false fire ?
Queen. How fares my lord?
Polonius. Give o'er the play.
King. Give me some light

All. Lights, lights, lights!

away!

280

285

[Exeunt all except HAMLET and HORATIO.

Hamlet. Why, let the stricken deer go weep,

The hart ungalled play;

For some must watch, while some must sleep :
So runs the world away.

Would not this, sir, and a forest of feathers, if the rest of
my fortunes turn Turk with me, with two Provincial roses
on my razed shoes, get me a fellowship in a cry of players,
sir ?

290

295

For thou dost know, O Damon dear,

This realm dismantled was

Of Jove himself; and now reigns here
A very, very-pajock.

Horatio. You might have rimed.

Hamlet. O good Horatio! I'll take the ghost's word

for a thousand pound. Didst perceive?

Horatio. Very well, my lord.

Hamlet. Upon the talk of the poisoning?

Horatio. I did very well note him.

Hamlet. Ah, ha! Come, some music! recorders!

300

305

come, the

For if the king like not the comedy,
Why then, belike he likes it not, perdy.

Come, some music!

Re-enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Guildenstern. Good my lord, vouchsafe me a word with

you.

Hamlet. Sir, a whole history.

Hamlet. Ay, sir, what of him?

310

Guildenstern. The king, sir,

315

Guildenstern. Is in his retirement marvellous distem

Hamlet. With drink, sir?

pered.

Guildenstern. No, my lord, rather with choler.

320

Hamlet. Your wisdom should show itself more richer to signify this to his doctor; for, for me to put him to his purgation would perhaps plunge him into far more choler. Guildenstern. Good my lord, put your discourse into 325 some frame, and start not so wildly from my affair. Hamlet. I am tame, sir; pronounce. Guildenstern. The queen, your mother, in most great affliction of spirit, hath sent me to you.

Hamlet. You are welcome.

330

Guildenstern. Nay, good my lord, this courtesy is not of the right breed. It it shall please you to make me a wholesome answer, I will do your mother's commandment; 335 if not, your pardon and my return shall be the end of my business.

Hamlet. Sir, I cannot.

Guildenstern. What, my lord?

Hamlet. Make you a wholesome answer; my wit's 340 diseased; but, sir, such answer as I can make, you shall command; or, rather, as you say, my mother: therefore no more, but to the matter: my mother, you say,

Rosencrantz. Then, thus she says: your behaviour 345 hath struck her into amazement and admiration.

Hamlet. O wonderful son, that can so astonish a mother! But is there no sequel at the heels of this mother's admiration? Impart.

Rosencrantz. She desires to speak with you in her closet 350 ere you go to bed.

Hamlet. We shall obey, were she ten times our mother. Have you any further trade with us?

Rosencrantz. My lord, you once did love me.