The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by George MacDonald (read out loud books .TXT) 📖

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.


SCENA SECUNDA[3]


Enter Claudius King of Denmarke. Gertrude the Queene, Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes, and his Sister Ophelia, Lords Attendant. [4]
[Sidenote: Florish. Enter Claudius, King of Denmarke,
Gertrad the Queene, Counsaile: as Polonius, and his
sonne Laertes, Hamelt Cum Abijs. ]

King. Though yet of Hamlet our deere Brothers death
[Sidenote: Claud. ] The memory be greene: and that it vs befitted To beare our hearts in greefe, and our whole Kingdome To be contracted in one brow of woe: Yet so farre hath Discretion fought with Nature, That we with wisest sorrow thinke on him,

[Footnote 1: Does it mean- carries off any child, leaving a changeling ? or does it mean- affect with evil , as a disease might infect or take ?]

[Footnote 2: 1st Q . 'hie mountaine top,']

[Footnote 3: In neither Q. ]

[Footnote 4: The first court after the marriage.]

[Page 16]

Together with remembrance of our selues. Therefore our sometimes Sister, now our Queen, Th'Imperiall Ioyntresse of this warlike State, [Sidenote: to this] Haue we, as 'twere, with a defeated ioy, With one Auspicious, and one Dropping eye,
[Sidenote: an auspitious and a] With mirth in Funerall, and with Dirge in Marriage, In equall Scale weighing Delight and Dole[1] Taken to Wife; nor haue we heerein barr'd[2] Your better Wisedomes, which haue freely gone With this affaire along, for all our Thankes. [Sidenote: 8] Now followes, that you know young Fortinbras ,[3] Holding a weake supposall of our worth; Or thinking by our late deere Brothers death, Our State to be disioynt, and out of Frame, Colleagued with the dreame of his Aduantage;[4] [Sidenote: this dreame] He hath not fayl'd to pester vs with Message, Importing the surrender of those Lands Lost by his Father: with all Bonds of Law [Sidenote: bands] To our most valiant Brother. So much for him.

Enter Voltemand and Cornelius. [5]

Now for our selfe, and for this time of meeting Thus much the businesse is. We haue heere writ To Norway, Vncle of young Fortinbras , Who Impotent and Bedrid, scarsely heares Of this his Nephewes purpose, to suppresse His further gate[6] heerein. In that the Leuies, The Lists, and full proportions are all made Out of his subiect: and we heere dispatch You good Cornelius , and you Voltemand , For bearing of this greeting to old Norway, [Sidenote: bearers] Giuing to you no further personall power To businesse with the King, more then the scope Of these dilated Articles allow:[7] [Sidenote: delated[8]] Farewell and let your hast commend your duty.[9]

[Footnote 1: weighing out an equal quantity of each.]

[Footnote 2: Like crossed .]

[Footnote 3: 'Now follows-that ( which ) you know-young Fortinbras:-']

[Footnote 4: Colleagued agrees with supposall . The preceding two lines may be regarded as somewhat parenthetical. Dream of advantage -hope of gain.]

[Footnote 5: Not in Q. ]

[Footnote 6: going; advance. Note in Norway also, as well as in Denmark, the succession of the brother.]

[Footnote 7: ( giving them papers ).]

[Footnote 8: Which of these is right, I cannot tell. Dilated means
expanded , and would refer to the scope; delated means
committed -to them, to limit them.]

[Footnote 9: idea of duty.]

[Page 18]

Volt. In that, and all things, will we shew our duty.

King. We doubt it nothing, heartily farewell.

[Sidenote: 74] [1] Exit Voltemand and Cornelius.

And now Laertes , what's the newes with you? You told vs of some suite. What is't Laertes ? You cannot speake of Reason to the Dane, And loose your voyce. What would'st thou beg Laertes , That shall not be my Offer, not thy Asking?[2] The Head is not more Natiue to the Heart, The Hand more Instrumentall to the Mouth, Then is the Throne of Denmarke to thy Father.[3] What would'st thou haue Laertes ?

Laer. Dread my Lord, [Sidenote: My dread] Your leaue and fauour to returne to France, From whence, though willingly I came to Denmarke To shew my duty in your Coronation, Yet now I must confesse, that duty done, [Sidenote: 22] My thoughts and wishes bend againe towards toward France,[4] And bow them to your gracious leaue and pardon.

King. Haue you your Fathers leaue? What sayes Pollonius ?

[A] Pol. He hath my Lord: I do beseech you giue him leaue to go.

King. Take thy faire houre Laertes , time be thine, And thy best graces spend it at thy will: But now my Cosin Hamlet , and my Sonne?

[Footnote A: In the Quarto :-

Polo. Hath[5] my Lord wroung from me my slowe leaue By laboursome petition, and at last Vpon his will I seald my hard consent,[6] I doe beseech you giue him leaue to goe.]

[Footnote 1: Not in Q. ]

[Footnote 2: 'Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.'- Isaiah , lxv. 24.]

[Footnote 3: The villain king courts his courtiers.]

[Footnote 4: He had been educated there. Compare 23. But it would seem rather to the court than the university he desired to return. See his father's instructions, 38.]

[Footnote 5: H'ath -a contraction for He hath .]

[Footnote 6: A play upon the act of sealing a will with wax.]

[Page 20]

Ham. A little more then kin, and lesse then kinde.[1]

King. How is it that the Clouds still hang on you?

Ham. Not so my Lord, I am too much i'th'Sun.[2]
[Sidenote: so much my ... in the sonne.]

Queen. Good Hamlet cast thy nightly colour off,[4]
[Sidenote: nighted[3]] And let thine eye looke like a Friend on Denmarke. Do not for euer with thy veyled[5] lids [Sidenote: vailed] Seeke for thy Noble Father in the dust; Thou know'st 'tis common, all that liues must dye, Passing through Nature, to Eternity.

Ham. I Madam, it is common.[6]

Queen. If it be; Why seemes it so particular with thee.

Ham. Seemes Madam? Nay, it is: I know not Seemes:[7] 'Tis not alone my Inky Cloake (good Mother)
[Sidenote: cloake coold mother [8]] Nor Customary suites of solemne Blacke, Nor windy suspiration of forc'd breath, No, nor the fruitfull Riuer in the Eye, Nor the deiected hauiour of the Visage, Together with all Formes, Moods, shewes of Griefe,
[Sidenote: moodes, chapes of] That can denote me truly. These indeed Seeme,[9] [Sidenote: deuote] For they are actions that a man might[10] play: But I haue that Within, which passeth show; [Sidenote: passes] These, but the Trappings, and the Suites of woe.

King. 'Tis sweet and commendable In your Nature Hamlet , To giue these mourning duties to your Father:[11] But you must know, your Father lost a Father, That Father lost, lost his, and the Suruiuer bound In filiall Obligation, for some terme To do obsequious[12] Sorrow. But to perseuer In obstinate Condolement, is a course

[Footnote 1: An aside . Hamlet's first utterance is of dislike to his uncle. He is more than kin through his unwelcome marriage-less than
kind by the difference in their natures. To be kind is to behave as one kinned or related. But the word here is the noun, and means
nature , or sort by birth.]

[Footnote 2: A word-play may be here intended between sun and son :
a little more than kin-too much i' th' Son . So George Herbert:

For when he sees my ways, I die;
But I have got his Son , and he hath none;

and Dr. Donne: