Part 3 (1/2)

_Cor._ Madam I will: my Lord, I haue a daughter, Haue while shee's mine: for that we thinke Is surest, we often loose: now to the Prince.

My Lord, but note this letter, The which my daughter in obedience Deliuer'd to my handes.

_King_ Reade it my Lord.

_Cor._ Marke my Lord.

Doubt that in earth is fire, Doubt that the starres doe moue, Doubt trueth to be a liar, But doe not doubt I loue.

To the beautifull _Ofelia_: Thine euer the most vnhappy Prince _Hamlet_.

My Lord, what doe you thinke of me?

I, or what might you thinke when I sawe this?

_King_ As of a true friend and a most louing subiect.

_Cor._ I would be glad to prooue so.

Now when I saw this letter, thus I bespake my maiden: Lord _Hamlet_ is a Prince out of your starre, And one that is vnequall for your loue: Therefore I did commaund her refuse his letters, Deny his tokens, and to absent her selfe.

Shee as my childe obediently obey'd me.

Now since which time, seeing his loue thus cross'd, Which I tooke to be idle, and but sport, He straitway grew into a melancholy, From that vnto a fast, then vnto distraction, Then into a sadnesse, from that vnto a madnesse, And so by continuance, and weakenesse of the braine [D4v]

Into this frensie, which now possesseth him: And if this be not true, take this from this.

_King_ Thinke you t'is so?

_Cor._ How? so my Lord, I would very faine know That thing that I haue saide t'is so, positiuely, And it hath fallen out otherwise.

Nay, if circ.u.mstances leade me on, Ile finde it out, if it were hid As deepe as the centre of the earth.

_King_. how should wee trie this same?

_Cor._ Mary my good lord thus, The Princes walke is here in the galery, There let _Ofelia_, walke vntill hee comes: Your selfe and I will stand close in the study, There shall you heare the effect of all his hart, And if it proue any otherwise then loue, Then let my censure faile an other time.

_King_. See where hee comes poring vppon a booke.

_Enter Hamlet._ _Cor._ Madame, will it please your grace To leaue vs here?

_Que._ With all my hart. _exit._ _Cor._ And here _Ofelia_, reade you on this booke, And walke aloofe, the King shal be vnseene.

_Ham._ To be, or not to be, I there's the point, To Die, to sleepe, is that all? I all: No, to sleepe, to dreame, I mary there it goes, For in that dreame of death, when wee awake, And borne before an euerlasting Iudge, From whence no pa.s.senger euer retur'nd, The vndiscouered country, at whose sight The happy smile, and the accursed d.a.m.n'd.

But for this, the ioyfull hope of this, Whol'd beare the scornes and flattery of the world, Scorned by the right rich, the rich curssed of the poore?

The widow being oppressd, the orphan wrong'd; [E1]

The taste of hunger, or a tirants raigne, And thousand more calamities besides, To grunt and sweate vnder this weary life, When that he may his full _Quietus_ make, With a bare bodkin, who would this indure, But for a hope of something after death?

Which pusles the braine, and doth confound the sence, Which makes vs rather beare those euilles we haue, Than flie to others that we know not of.

I that, O this conscience makes cowardes of vs all, Lady in thy orizons, be all my sinnes remembred.

_Ofel._ My Lord, I haue sought opportunitie, which now I haue, to redeliuer to your worthy handes, a small remem- brance, such tokens which I haue receiued of you.

_Ham._ Are you faire?

_Ofel._ My Lord.

_Ham._ Are you honest?

_Ofel._ What meanes my Lord?

_Ham._ That if you be faire and honest, Your beauty should admit no discourse to your honesty.

_Ofel._ My Lord, can beauty haue better priuiledge than with honesty?

_Ham._ Yea mary may it; for Beauty may transforme Honesty, from what she was into a bawd: Then Honesty can transforme Beauty: This was sometimes a Paradox, But now the time giues it scope.

I neuer gaue you nothing.

_Ofel._ My Lord, you know right well you did, And with them such earnest vowes of loue, As would haue moou'd the stoniest breast aliue, But now too true I finde, Rich giftes waxe poore, when giuers grow vnkinde.

_Ham._ I neuer loued you.

_Ofel._ You made me beleeue you did.

_Ham._ O thou shouldst not a beleeued me! [E1v]

Go to a Nunnery goe, why shouldst thou Be a breeder of sinners? I am my selfe indifferent honest, But I could accuse my selfe of such crimes It had beene better my mother had ne're borne me, O I am very prowde, ambitious, disdainefull, With more sinnes at my becke, then I haue thoughts To put them in, what should such fellowes as I Do, crawling between heauen and earth?

To a Nunnery goe, we are arrant knaues all, Beleeue none of vs, to a Nunnery goe.

_Ofel._ O heauens secure him!

_Ham._ Wher's thy father?

_Ofel._ At home my lord.

_Ham._ For G.o.ds sake let the doores be shut on him, He may play the foole no where but in his Owne house: to a Nunnery goe.

_Ofel._ Help him good G.o.d.

_Ham._ If thou dost marry, Ile giue thee This plague to thy dowry: Be thou as chaste as yce, as pure as snowe, Thou shalt not scape calumny, to a Nunnery goe.

_Ofel._ Alas, what change is this?

_Ham._ But if thou wilt needes marry, marry a foole, For wis.e.m.e.n know well enough, What monsters you make of them, to a Nunnery goe.