King. How long hath she been thus? Oph. I hope, all will be well. We must be patient: but I cannot choose but weep, to think, they should lay him i'the cold ground: My brother shall know of it, and so I thank you for your good counsel. Come, my coach! Good night, ladies; good night, sweet ladies good night, good night. pray you. [Exit. King. Follow her close; give her good watch, I [Exit Horatio. O! this is the poison of deep grief; it springs All from her father's death: And now behold, O Gertrude, Gertrude, When sorrows come, they come not single spies, Next, your son gone; and he most violent author pers, For good Polonius' death; and we have done but greenly, In hugger-mugger to inter him: Poor Ophelia Her brother is in secret come from France: Will nothing stick our person to arraign Queen. [A noise within. Alack! what noise is this? Enter a Gentleman. King. Attend. Where are my Switzers? Let them guard the door: What is the matter? Gent, Save yourself, my lord; The ocean, overpeering of his list, Eats not the flats with more impetuous haste, Than young Laertes, in a riotous head, O'erbears your officers! The rabble call him, lord; And, as the world were now but to begin, Antiquity forgot, custom not known, They cry, Choose we; Laertes shall be king! Caps, hands, and tongues, applaud it to the clouds, Laertes shall be king, Laertes king! Queen. How cheerfully on the false trail they cry! O, this is counter, you false Danish dogs. King. The doors are broke. [Noise within. Enter LAERTES, arm'd; Danes following. Laer. Where is this king?-Sirs, stand you all without. Dan. No, let's come in. Laer. Dan. We will, we will. I pray you, give me leave. [They retire without the door. Laer. I thank you:-keep the door.-O thou vile king, Give me my father. Queen. Calmly, good Laertes. Laer. That drop of blood, that's calm, proclaims me bastard; Cries, cuckold, to my father; brands the harlot Even here, between the chaste unsmirched brow, King. What is the cause, Laertes, That thy rebellion looks so giant-like ?— Let him go, Gertrude; do not fear our person; That treason can but peep to what it would, Acts little of his will.-Tell me, Laertes, Why thou art thus incens'd;-Let him go, Ger King. Let him demand his fill. Laer. How came he dead? I'll not be juggled with: To hell, allegiance; vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience, and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation: To this point I stand,- King. Who shall stay you? Laer. My will, not all the world's: And, for my means, I'll husband them so well, They shall go far with little. King. Good Laertes, If you desire to know the certainty Of your dear father's death, is't writ in your revenge, That, sweepstake, you will draw both friend and foe, Winner and loser? Laer. None but his enemies. King. Will you know them then? Laer. To his good friends thus wide I'll ope my arms; And, like the kind life-rend'ring pelican, Repast them with my blood. Why, now you speak King. Danes. [Within.]. Let her come in. Enter OPHELIA, fantastically dress'd with straws and flowers. O heat, dry up my brains! tears, seven times salt, Oph. They bore him barefac'd on the bier; And in his grave rain'd many a tear ;— Fare you well, my dove! Laer. Hadst thou thy wits, and didst persuade revenge, It could not move thus. Oph. You must sing, Down a-down, an you call him a-down-a. O, how the wheel becomes it! It is the false steward, that stole his master's daughter. Laer. This nothing's more than matter. 105 Oph. There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray you, love, remember: and there is pansies, that's for thoughts. Laer. A document in madness; thoughts and remembrance fitted. |