Hamlet · William Shakespeare
_ACTUS PRIMUS._
_Enter Barnardo and Francisco two Centinels_[1]. _Barnardo._ Who's there? _Fran._[2] Nay answer me: Stand and vnfold yourselfe. _Bar._ Long liue the King.[3] _Fran._ _Barnardo?_ _Bar._ He. _Fran._ You come most carefully vpon your houre. _Bar._ 'Tis now strook twelue, get thee to bed _Francisco_. _Fran._ For this releefe much thankes: 'Tis [Sidenote: 42] bitter cold, And I am sicke at heart.[4] _Barn._ Haue you had quiet Guard?[5] _Fran._ Not a Mouse stirring. _Barn._ Well, goodnight. If you do meet _Horatio_ and _Marcellus_, the Riuals[6] of my Watch, bid them make hast. _Enter Horatio and Marcellus._ _Fran._ I thinke I heare them. Stand: who's there? [Sidenote: Stand ho, who is there?] _Hor._ Friends to this ground. _Mar._ And Leige-men to the Dane. _Fran._ Giue you good night. _Mar._ O farwel honest Soldier, who hath [Sidenote: souldiers] relieu'd you? [Page 4] _Fra._ _Barnardo_ ha's my place: giue you good-night. [Sidenote: hath] _Exit Fran._ _Mar._ Holla _Barnardo_. _Bar._ Say, what is Horatio there? _Hor._ A peece of him. _Bar._ Welcome _Horatio_, welcome good _Marcellus_. _Mar._ What, ha's this thing appear'd againe to [Sidenote: _Hor_.[1]] night. _Bar._ I haue seene nothing. _Mar._ Horatio saies, 'tis but our Fantasie, And will not let beleefe take hold of him Touching this dreaded sight, twice seene of vs, Therefore I haue intreated him along With vs, to watch the minutes of this Night, That if againe this Apparition come, [Sidenote: 6] He may approue our eyes, and speake to it.[2]
_Mar._ 'Tis gone, and will not answer. _Barn._ How now _Horatio_? You tremble and look pale: Is not this something more then Fantasie? What thinke you on't? _Hor._ Before my God, I might not this beleeue Without the sensible and true auouch Of mine owne eyes. _Mar._ Is it not like the King? _Hor._ As thou art to thy selfe, Such was the very Armour he had on, When th' Ambitious Norwey combatted: [Sidenote: when he the ambitious] So frown'd he once, when in an angry parle He smot the sledded Pollax on the Ice.[8] [Sidenote: sleaded[7]] 'Tis strange. [Sidenote: 274] _Mar._ Thus twice before, and iust at this dead houre, [Sidenote: and jump at this] [Page 8] With Martiall stalke,[1] hath he gone by our Watch. _Hor_. In what particular thought to work, I know not: But in the grosse and scope of my Opinion, [Sidenote: mine] This boades some strange erruption to our State. _Mar_. Good now sit downe, and tell me he that knowes [Sidenote: 16] Why this same strict and most obseruant Watch,[2] So nightly toyles the subiect of the Land, And why such dayly Cast of Brazon Cannon [Sidenote: And with such dayly cost] And Forraigne Mart for Implements of warre: Why such impresse of Ship-wrights, whose sore Taske Do's not diuide the Sunday from the weeke, What might be toward, that this sweaty hast[3] Doth make the Night ioynt-Labourer with the day: Who is't that can informe me?
_Hor._ That can I, At least the whisper goes so: Our last King, Whose Image euen but now appear'd to vs, Was (as you know) by _Fortinbras_ of Norway, (Thereto prick'd on by a most emulate Pride)[4] Dar'd to the Combate. In which, our Valiant _Hamlet_, (For so this side of our knowne world esteem'd him)[5] [Sidenote: 6] Did slay this _Fortinbras_: who by a Seal'd Compact, Well ratified by Law, and Heraldrie, [Sidenote: heraldy] Did forfeite (with his life) all those his Lands [Sidenote: these] Which he stood seiz'd on,[6] to the Conqueror: [Sidenote: seaz'd of,] Against the which, a Moity[7] competent Was gaged by our King: which had return'd [Sidenote: had returne] To the Inheritance of _Fortinbras_, [Page 10] Had he bin Vanquisher, as by the same Cou'nant [Sidenote: the same comart] And carriage of the Article designe,[1] [Sidenote: desseigne,] His fell to _Hamlet_. Now sir, young _Fortinbras_, Of vnimproued[2] Mettle, hot and full, Hath in the skirts of Norway, heere and there, Shark'd[3] vp a List of Landlesse Resolutes, [Sidenote: of lawlesse] For Foode and Diet, to some Enterprize That hath a stomacke in't[4]: which is no other (And it doth well appeare vnto our State) [Sidenote: As it] But to recouer of vs by strong hand And termes Compulsatiue, those foresaid Lands [Sidenote: compulsatory,] So by his Father lost: and this (I take it) Is the maine Motiue of our Preparations, The Sourse of this our Watch, and the cheefe head Of this post-hast, and Romage[5] in the Land.
The tenth will close with the twelfth line well enough. But no one, any more than myself, will be _satisfied_ with the suggestion. The probability is, of course, that a line has dropped out between the fifth and sixth. Anything like this would restore the connection: _The labouring heavens themselves teemed dire portent_ As starres &c.] [Page 12] Ile crosse it, though it blast me.[1] Stay Illusion:[2] [Sidenote: _It[4] spreads his armes_.] If thou hast any sound, or vse of Voyce,[3] Speake to me. If there be any good thing to be done, That may to thee do ease, and grace to me; speak to me. If thou art priuy to thy Countries Fate (Which happily foreknowing may auoyd) Oh speake. Or, if thou hast vp-hoorded in thy life Extorted Treasure in the wombe of Earth, (For which, they say, you Spirits oft walke in death) [Sidenote: your] [Sidenote: _The cocke crowes_] Speake of it. Stay, and speake. Stop it _Marcellus_. _Mar_. Shall I strike at it with my Partizan? [Sidenote: strike it with] _Hor_. Do, if it will not stand. _Barn_. 'Tis heere. _Hor_. 'Tis heere. _Mar_. 'Tis gone. _Exit Ghost_[5] We do it wrong, being so Maiesticall[6] To offer it the shew of Violence, For it is as the Ayre, invulnerable, And our vaine blowes, malicious Mockery. _Barn_. It was about to speake, when the Cocke crew.
_Hor_. And then it started, like a guilty thing Vpon a fearfull Summons. I haue heard, The Cocke that is the Trumpet to the day, [Sidenote: to the morne,] Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding Throate[7] Awake the God of Day: and at his warning, Whether in Sea, or Fire, in Earth, or Ayre, Th'extrauagant,[8] and erring[9] Spirit, hyes To his Confine. And of the truth heerein, This present Obiect made probation.[10] _Mar_. It faded on the crowing of the Cocke.[11] [Page 14] Some sayes, that euer 'gainst that Season comes [Sidenote: say] Wherein our Sauiours Birth is celebrated, The Bird of Dawning singeth all night long: [Sidenote: This bird] And then (they say) no Spirit can walke abroad, [Sidenote: spirit dare sturre] The nights are wholsome, then no Planets strike, No Faiery talkes, nor Witch hath power to Charme: [Sidenote: fairy takes,[1]] So hallow'd, and so gracious is the time. [Sidenote: is that time.] _Hor._ So haue I heard, and do in part beleeue it. But looke, the Morne in Russet mantle clad, Walkes o're the dew of yon high Easterne Hill, [Sidenote: Eastward[2]] Breake we our Watch vp, and by my aduice [Sidenote: advise] Let vs impart what we haue scene to night Vnto yong _Hamlet_. For vpon my life, This Spirit dumbe to vs, will speake to him: Do you consent we shall acquaint him with it, As needfull in our Loues, fitting our Duty? [Sidenote: 30] _Mar._ Let do't I pray, and I this morning know Where we shall finde him most conueniently. [Sidenote: convenient.] _Exeunt._
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.