As watchman to my heart: But, good my bro ther, Do not, as some ungracious pastors do. Leer. O, fear me not. I stay too long; But here my father comes. Enter POLONIUS. A double blessing is a double grace; Pol. Yet here, Laeites! aboard, aboard, for shame; The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, with you; my blessing [laying his hand on Laertes' head. And these few piecepts in thy memory tongue, Nor any unproportion'd thought his act. ware Of entrance to a quarrel; but, being in, ment. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, And they in France, of the best rank and Are of a station, most select and generous chief, in that. Neither a borrower, nor a lender be: lord. Pol. The time invites you; go, your servants tend. Laer. Farewell, Ophelia: and remember well What I have said to you. Oph. "Tis in my memory lock'd, And you yourself shall keep the key of it. Laer. Farewel [Exit LAERTES. Pol. What is't, Ophelia, he hath said to you? Oph. So please you, something touching the lord Hamlet. Pol. Marry, well bethought: 'Tis told me, he bath very oft of late "Given private time to you; and you yourself Have of your audience been most free and bounteous: If it be so, (as so 'tis put on me, And that in way of caution,) I must tell you, Of his affection to me. Pol. Affection? puh! you speak like a green girl, Unfifted in such perilous circumstance. Do you believe his tenders, as you call them? Oph. I do not know, my lord, what I shouldthink. Pol. Marry, I'll teach you: think yourself a baby; That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay, Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly; Or (not to crack the wind of the poor phrase, In honourable fashion. Pol. Ay, fashion you may call it; go to, go to. Oph. And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord, With almost all the holy vows of heaven. Pol. Ay, springes to catch woodcocks. I do know, When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul Lends the tongue vows: these blazes, daughter, Giving more light than heat, extinct in both, Even in their promise, as it is a making, Breathing like sanctified and pious bonds, I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth, Have you so slander any moment's leisure, [Exeunt. SCENE IV. The Platform. Enter HAMLET, HORATIO, and MARCELLUS. Ham. The air bites shrewdly; it is very Hor. It is a nipping and an eager air. Ham. What hour now? Hor. I think, it lacks of twelve. Mar. No, it is struck. Hor. Indeed? I heard it not; it then draws near the season, Wherein the spirit held his wont to walk. [A flourish of trumpets, and ordnance shot off, within. What does this mean, my lord? Ham. The king doth wake to-night, and takes his rouse, Keeps wassel, and the swaggering, up-spring reels; And, as he drains his draughts of Rhenish down, The kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out Hor. Is it a custom? Ham. Ay, marry, is't: But to my mind, though I am native here, And to the manner born, it is a custom More honour'd in the breach, than the observ ance. This heavy-headed revel, east and west, Makes us traduc'd, and tax'd of other nations: They clepe us, drunkards, and with swinish phrase Soil our addition; and, indeed it takes From our atchievements, though perform'd at height, The pith and marrow of our attribute. That, for some vicious mole of nature in them, By the o'er-growth of some complexion, Oft breaking down the pales and forts of rea son; Or by some habit, that too much o'er-leavens The form of plausive manners; men, that these Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect; Shall in the general censure take corruption Enter Ghost. Hor. Look, my lord, it comes! Ham. Angels and ministers of grace defend us! |