SCENE III. A Room in POLONIUS' House. Laer. My necessaries are embark'd; farewell: Oph. A violet in the youth of primy nature, Oph. No more but so? Think it no more: For nature, crescent, does not grow alone As he in his particular act and place May give his saying deed; which is no further, Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister; Out of the shot and danger of desire. Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven; Laer. O, fear me not. I stay too long;-But here my father comes. Enter POLONIUS. A double blessing is a double grace; Occasion siniles upon a second leave. Pol. Yet here, Laertes! aboard, aboard, for shame; The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, And you are staid for: There, my blessing with you; [Laying his Hand on Laertes' Heud. And these few precepts in thy memory Look thou charácter. Give thy thoughts no tongue, B Beware But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy: And they in France, of the best rank and station, For loan oft loses both itself and friend; Oph. "Tis in my memory lock'd, And you yourself shall keep the key of it. Laer Farewell. [Exit Laertes. Pol. What is't, Ophelia, he hath said to you? "Tis told me, he hath very oft of late Given private time to you: and you yourself [Hamlet. Have of your audience been most free and bounteous: And that in way of caution), I must tell you, Oph. He hath, my lord, of late, made many tenders Of his affection to me. Pol. Affection? puh! you speak like a green girl, Unsifted in such perilous circumstance. Do you believe his tenders, as you call them? Oph. I do not know, my lord, what I should think. 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, Wronging it thus), you'll tender me a fool. Oph. My lord, he hath impórtun'd me with love, In honourable fashion. Pol. Ay, fashion you may call it; go to, go to. Oph. And hath given countenance to his speech, my With almost all the holy vows of heaven. [lord, 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,— You must not take for fire. From this time, Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence; Set your entreatments at a higher rate, Than a command to parley. For lord Hamlet, Believe so much in him, That he is young; And with a larger tether may he walk, Than may be given you: In few, Ophelia, Do not believe his vows: for they are brokers, Not of that die which their investments show, But mere implorators of unholy suits, Breathing like sanctified and pious bonds, The better to beguile. This is for all,I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth, Have you so slander any moment's leisure, As to give words or talk with the lord Hamlet. Look to't, I charge you; come your ways. Oph. I shall obey, my lord. SCENE IV. The Platform. [Exeunt. Enter HAMLET, HORATIO, and MARCELLUS. Ham. What hour now? Mar. No, it is struck. I think, it lacks of twelve. Hor. Indeed? I heard it not; it then draws near the Wherein the spirit held is wont to walk. [season, [Aflourish 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; The triumph of his pledge. Hor. Ham. Ay, marry, is't: Is it a custom? 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 observance. Makes us traduc'd, and tax'd of other nations: From our achievements, though perform'd at height, So, oft it chances in particular men, That, for some vicious mole of nature in them, By the o'ergrowth of some complexion, Shall, in the general censure, take corruption Hor. Enter GHOST. Look, my lord, it comes! Ham. Angels and ministers of grace defend us!Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damu'd, Bring with thee airs from heaven, or blasts from hell, Be thy intents wicked, or charitable, |