It shall as level to your judgement pierce

As day does to your eye.

Danes. [Within]

Let her come in.

150

Laer. How now! what noise is that?

Re-enter OPHELIA.

O heat, dry up my brains! tears seven times salt,
Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye!

By heaven, thy madness shall be paid with weight,
Till our scale turn the beam. O rose of May!
Dear maid, kind sister, sweet Ophelia !

O heavens is't possible a young maid's wits
Should be as mortal as an old man's life?
Nature is fine in love, and where 'tis fine
It sends some precious instance of itself
After the thing it loves.

Oph. [Sings] They bore him barefaced on the bier;
Hey non nonny, nonny, hey nonny :
And in his grave rain'd many a tear,-

Fare you well, my dove!

148 pierce] Ff. peare Qq. lye Q (1676).
'pear Johnson.

149 SCENE VII. Pope.

Danes. [Within] Capell. See note
(XXVI).

151 Re-enter...] Collier. Enter Ophelia,
fantastically drest with Straws and
Flowers. Rowe. Enter Ophelia,
still distraught. Collier MS.
152 Burn out] Burn on Pope (ed. 1).
153 with] Qq. by Ff.
154 Till] Tell Q2Q3-

turn] turne Qq. turnes FF2. turns
F3F4-

157 an old] Ff. a poore Qq. a sick Q

(1676).

158-160 Nature......loves.] Ff. Omit-

ted in Qq.

155

160

158, 159 fine......fine,...instance] fire...
fire,...incense Pope conj. faln...
fal'n...instance Warburton.

161 [Sings] Song. Qq. om. Ff.

barefaced] bare-faste QQ3

162 Hey...nonny] Hey non nony, nony,

hey nony F. Hey non nony, noney,
hey noney F. Hey non noney,
noney, hey noney F3F4. Omitted
in Qq.

non] no Steevens (1778).

163 in] Qq. on Ff.

rain'd] Qq. raines FF rains
FF4 remains Warburton. rain
Collier MS. See note (II).
164 Fare...dove!] See note (XXVII).

Laer. Hadst thou thy wits, and didst persuade re

venge,

It could not move thus.

Oph. [Sings] You must sing down a-down,

An you call him a-down-a.

165

O, how the wheel becomes it! It is the false steward, that stole his master's daughter.

Laer. This nothing's more than matter.

170

Oph. There's rosemary, that's for remembrance: pray you, love, remember: and there is pansies, that's for thoughts.

174

Laer. A document in madness; thoughts and remembrance fitted.

Oph. There's fennel for you, and columbines: there's rue for you; and here's some for me: we may call it herb of grace o' Sundays: O, you must wear your rue with a difference. There's a daisy: I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died: they say a' made a good end,

[Sings] For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy.

165, 166 Hadst......thus.] Verse in Qq. Prose in Ff.

166 move] move me Hudson, 1879 (S. Walker conj.).

167 See note (xxvIII),

168 An] an Capell. And Qq. and Ff.

169 wheel becomes it] wheele becomes it

QqF. wheeles become it F2. wheels
become F3F4. weal becomes it War-
burton.

171 nothing's] nothing is much Q
(1676).

172 There's...remembrance:] Prose in
Qq. One line in Ff.
that's] that QQ5°

182

Laer. Thought and affliction, passion, hell itself,
She turns to favour and to prettiness.

Oph. [Sings] And will a' not come again?
And will a' not come again?

No, no, he is dead,

Laer. Do you see this, O God?

Laertes, I must commune with your grief,

Or you deny me right. Go but apart,

Make choice of whom your wisest friends you will. 200

And they shall hear and judge 'twixt
If by direct or by collateral hand

you and me:

They find us touch'd, we will our kingdom give,
Our crown, our life, and all that we call ours,
To you in satisfaction; but if not,

Be you content to lend your patience to us,
And we shall jointly labour with your soul
To give it due content.

His means of death, his obscure funeral,

No trophy, sword, nor hatchment o'er his bones,
No noble rite nor formal ostentation,

Cry to be heard, as 'twere from heaven to earth,
That I must call 't in question.

King.

So you shall;

And where the offence is let the great axe fall.
I pray you, go with me.

205

210

[Exeunt.

215

SCENE VI. Another room in the castle.

Enter HORATIO and a Servant.

Hor. What are they that would speak with me?

202 collateral] FF. colaturall Q2Q3

Q4 collaturall Q. Colaterall F1.
Collaterall FQ6

203 kingdom] kindome Q4.
206 patience] paience F

209 funeral] funerall Qq. buriall F

F. burial F3F4

210 trophy, sword] trophe sword Q2 Q3

trophe, sword Q4Q5 Trophee, Sword Ff. Trophey, Sword Q 211 rite] Ff. right Qq.

213 call 't] Qq. call Ff.
214 axe] tax Warburton.

SCENE VI.] Capell. SCENE VIII.
Pope. SCENE III. Hudson (1879).
Another...] Another Room in the
same. Capell.

Enter......] Capell. Enter Horatio,
with an Attendant. Ff. Enter
Horatio and others. Qq.

1-3 What.....in.] Verse by Capell, ending the lines Sailors, sir...in.

Serv. Sea-faring men, sir: they say they have letters

I do not know from what part of the world
I should be greeted, if not from Lord Hamlet.

Enter Sailors.

First Sail. God bless you, sir.

Hor. Let him bless thee too.

[Exit Servant.

5

First Sail. He shall, sir, an 't please him. There's a letter for you, sir; it comes from the ambassador that was bound for England; if your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is.

11

Hor. [Reads] Horatio, when thou shalt have overlooked this, give these fellows some means to the king: they have letters for him. Ere we were two days old at sea, a pirate of very warlike appointment gave us chase. Finding ourselves too slow of sail, we put on a compelled valour, and in the grapple I boarded them: on the instant they got clear of our ship; so I alone became their prisoner. They have dealt with me like thieves of mercy: but they knew what they did; I am to do a good turn for them. Let the king have the letters I have sent; and repair thou to me with as much speed as thou wouldest fly death. I have words to speak in thine ear will make thee dumb;