Oph. Will he tell us what this show meant? Ham. Ay, or any show that you'll show him: be not you ashamed to show, he 'll not shame to tell you what it means. Oph. You are naught, you are naught: I'll mark the play. Pro. 'For us and for our tragedy, Here stooping to your clemency, We beg your hearing patiently.' Ham. Is this a prologue, or the posy of a ring? Oph. 'Tis brief, my lord. Ham. As woman's love. Enter a KING and a QUEEN. P. King. Full thirty times hath Phoebus' cart gone round Neptune's salt wash, and Tellus' orbed ground; P. Queen. So many journeys may the sun and moon Make us again count o'er, ere love be done! So far from cheer, and from your former state, 1 Splendor, lustre. That I distrust you; yet, though I distrust, Now what my love is, proof hath made you know; Where love is great, the littlest doubts are fear; Where little fears grow great, great love grows there. P. King. Faith, I must leave thee, love, and shortly too : 2 My operant powers their functions leave to do; P. Queen. O, confound the rest! Such love must needs be treason in my breast: In second husband let me accursed! None wed the second, but who kill'd the first. P. Queen. The instances,3 that second marriage move, Are base respects of thrift, but none of love; A second time I kill my husband dead, When second husband kisses me in bed, P. King. I do believe you think what now you speak, But what we do determine oft we break. 1 i. e. in proportion to the extent of my love. Purpose is but the slave to memory; Of violent birth, but poor validity; Which now, like fruit unripe, sticks on the tree, To pay ourselves what to ourselves is debt: Their own enactures with themselves destroy : our loves should with our fortunes change; For 'tis a question left us yet to prove, Whether love lead fortune, or else fortune love. The For who not needs shall never lack a friend; But, orderly to end where I begun ;— That our devices still are overthrown; Our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own: So think thou wilt no second husband wed: But die thy thoughts when thy first lord is dead. P. Queen. Nor earth to me give food, nor heaven light! Sport and repose lock from me, day and night! To desperation turn my trust and hope! Ham. If she should break it now, [to Ophelia. P. King. 'Tis deeply sworn. Sweet, leave me here awhile; My spirits grow dull, and fain I would beguile The tedious day with sleep. P. Queen. [sleeps. Sleep rock thy brain; And never come mischance between us twain ! Ham. Madam, how like you this play? [Exit. Queen. The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Ham. O, but she'll keep her word. King. Have you heard the argument? Is there no offence in 't? Ham. No, no, they do but jest, poison in jest: no offence i' the world. King. What do you call the play? Ham. The mouse-trap. Marry, how? Tro 1 An anchoret's. i. e. to detect the villany of the king. pically. 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 LUCIANUS. This is one Lucianus, nephew to the king. Oph. You are keen, my lord, you are keen. Ham. It would cost you a groaning to take off my edge. Oph. Still better, and worse. Ham. So you mistake your husbands.-Begin, murderer ;-leave thy damnable faces, and begin.— Come ; - The croaking raven Doth bellow for revenge.' Lu. Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and time agreeing; Confederate season, else no creature seeing; In allusion to the interpreter who formerly sat on the stage at all motions or puppet-shows, and interpreted to the audience. 2 Curse. |