King Hamlet is ship't for England, fare him well,
I hope to heare good newes from thence ere long,
If every thing fall out to our content,
As I doe make no doubt but so it shall.
Queene God grant it may, heav'ns keep my Hamlet safe: 5
But this mischance of olde Corambis death,
Hath piersed so the yong Ofeliaes heart,
That she, poore maide, is quite bereft her wittes.
King Alas deere heart! And on the other side,
We vnderstand her brother's come from France, 10
And he hath halfe the heart of all our Land,
And hardly hee'le forget his fathers death,
Vnlesse by some meanes he be pacified.
Qu. O see where the yong Ofelia is!
Enter Ofelia playing on a Lute, and her haire downe singing.
Ofelia How should I your true love know 15
From another man?
By his cockle hatte, and his staffe,
And his sandall shoone.
White his shrowde as mountaine snowe,
Larded with sweete flowers, 20
That bewept to the graue did not goe
With true louers showers:
He is dead and gone Lady, he is dead and gone,
At his head a grasse greene turffe,
At his heeles a stone.
King How i'st with you sweete Ofelia?
Ofelia Well God yeeld you,
It grieues me to see how they laid him in the cold ground,
I could not chuse but weepe:
And will he not come againe? 30
And will he not come againe?
No, no, hee's gone, and we cast away mone,
And he neuer will come againe.
His beard as white as snowe:
All flaxen was his pole, 35
He is dead, he is gone,
And we cast away moane:
God a mercy on his soule.
And of all christen soules I pray God.
God be with you Ladies, God be with you. exit Ofelia. 40
King A pretty wretch! this is a change indeede:
O Time, how swiftly runnes our ioyes away?
Content on earth was neuer certaine bred,
To day we laugh and liue, to morrow dead.
How now, what noyse is that? 45
A noyse within. Enter Leartes.