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The Tragedy of Hamlet
Prince of Denmarke
In their tables, before they come to the play, as thus:
Cannot you stay till I eate my porrige? and, you owe me
A quarters wages: and, my coate wants a cullison:
And, your beere is sowre: and, blabbering with his lips,
And thus keeping in his cinkapase of ieasts,
When, God knows, the warme Clowne cannot make a iest
Vnlesse by chance, as the blinde man catcheth a hare:
Maisters tell him of it.
Cannot you stay till I eate my porrige? and, you owe me
A quarters wages: and, my coate wants a cullison:
And, your beere is sowre: and, blabbering with his lips,
And thus keeping in his cinkapase of ieasts,
When, God knows, the warme Clowne cannot make a iest
Vnlesse by chance, as the blinde man catcheth a hare:
Maisters tell him of it.
players We will my Lord.
exeunt players.Ham. Well, goe make you ready.
Horatio. Heere my Lord.
Ham. Horatio, thou art euen as iust a man,
As e're my conuersation cop'd withall.
As e're my conuersation cop'd withall.
Hor. O my lord!
Ham. Nay why should I flatter thee?
Why should the poore be flattered?
What gaine should I receiue by flattering thee,
That nothing hath but thy good minde?
Let flattery sit on those time‐pleasing tongs,
To glose with them that loues to heare their praise,
And not with such as thou Horatio.
There is a play to night, wherein one Sceane they haue
Comes very neere the murder of my father,
When thou shalt see that Act afoote,
Marke thou the King, doe but obserue his lookes,
For I mine eies will riuet to his face:
And if he doe not bleach, and change at that,
It is a damned ghost that we haue seene.
Horatio, haue a care, obserue him well.
Why should the poore be flattered?
What gaine should I receiue by flattering thee,
That nothing hath but thy good minde?
Let flattery sit on those time‐pleasing tongs,
To glose with them that loues to heare their praise,
And not with such as thou Horatio.
There is a play to night, wherein one Sceane they haue
Comes very neere the murder of my father,
When thou shalt see that Act afoote,
Marke thou the King, doe but obserue his lookes,
For I mine eies will riuet to his face:
And if he doe not bleach, and change at that,
It is a damned ghost that we haue seene.
Horatio, haue a care, obserue him well.
Hor. My lord, mine eies shall still be on his face,
And not the smallest alteration
That shall appeare in him, but I shall note it.
And not the smallest alteration
That shall appeare in him, but I shall note it.
Ham. Harke, they come.
Enter King, Queene, Corambis, and other Lords.
King How now son Hamlet, how fare you, shall we haue (a play?
Ham. Yfaith the Camelions dish, not capon cramm'd,
feede
feede a the ayre.
I father: My lord, you playd in the Vniuersitie.
feede
feede a the ayre.
I father: My lord, you playd in the Vniuersitie.
Cor. That I did my L: and I was counted a good actor.
Ham. What did you enact there?
Cor. My lord, I did act Iulius Cæsar, I was killed
in the Capitoll, Brutus killed me.
in the Capitoll, Brutus killed me.
Ham. It was a brute parte of him,
To kill so capitall a calfe.
Come, be these Players ready?
To kill so capitall a calfe.
Come, be these Players ready?
Queene Hamlet come sit downe by me.
Ham. No by my faith mother, heere's a mettle more at(tractiue:
Lady will you giue me leaue, and so forth:
To lay my head in your lappe?
Lady will you giue me leaue, and so forth:
To lay my head in your lappe?
Ofel. No my Lord.
Ham. Vpon your lap, what do you thinke I meant con(trary matters?
Enter in a Dumbe Shew, the King and the Queene, he sits downe in an Arbor, she leaues him: Then enters Lucianus with poyson in a Viall, and powres it in his eares, and goes away: Then the Queene commeth and findes him dead: and goes away with the other.
Enter the Prologue.Ofel. What meanes this my Lord?
Enter the Prologue.Ofel. What meanes this my Lord?
Ham. This is myching Mallico, that meanes my chiefe.
Ofel. What doth this meane my lord?
Ham. you shall heare anone, this fellow will tell you all.
Ofel. Will he tell vs what this shew meanes?
Ham. I, or any shew you'le shew him,
Be not afeard to shew, hee'le not be afeard to tell:
O these Players cannot keepe counsell, thei'le tell all.
Be not afeard to shew, hee'le not be afeard to tell:
O these Players cannot keepe counsell, thei'le tell all.
Prol. For vs, and for our Tragedie,
Heere stowping to your clemencie,
We begge your hearing patiently.
Heere stowping to your clemencie,
We begge your hearing patiently.
Ham. I'st a prologue, or a poesie for a ring?
Ofel. T'is short my Lord.
Ham. As womens loue.
Enter the Duke and Dutchesse.
Duke Full fortie yeares are past, their date is gone,
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