ere you depart.
Horatio. My lord, I came to see your father's funeral.
Hamlet. I prithee do not mock me, fellow student.
I think it was to see my mother's wedding.
Horatio. Indeed, my lord, it followed hard upon. 385
Hamlet. Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral bak'd meats
Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.
Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven
Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio!
My father- methinks I see my father. 390
Horatio. O, where, my lord?
Hamlet. In my mind's eye, Horatio.
Horatio. I saw him once. He was a goodly king.
Hamlet. He was a man, take him for all in all.
I shall not look upon his like again. 395
Horatio. My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.
Hamlet. Saw? who?
Horatio. My lord, the King your father.
Hamlet. The King my father?
Horatio. Season your admiration for a while 400
With an attent ear, till I may deliver
Upon the witness of these gentlemen,
This marvel to you.
Hamlet. For God's love let me hear!
Horatio. Two nights together had these gentlemen 405
(Marcellus and Bernardo) on their watch
In the dead vast and middle of the night
Been thus encount'red. A figure like your father,
Armed at point exactly, cap-a-pe,
Appears before them and with solemn march 410
Goes slow and stately by them. Thrice he walk'd
By their oppress'd and fear-surprised eyes,
Within his truncheon's length; whilst they distill'd
Almost to jelly with the act of fear,
Stand dumb and speak not to him. This to me 415
In dreadful secrecy impart they did,
And I with them the third night kept the watch;
Where, as they had deliver'd, both in time,
Form of the thing, each word made true and good,
The apparition comes. I knew your father. 420
These hands are not more like.
Hamlet. But where was this?
Marcellus. My lord, upon the platform where we watch'd.
Hamlet. Did you not speak to it?
Horatio. My lord, I did; 425
But answer made it none. Yet once methought
It lifted up it head and did address
Itself to motion, like as it would speak;
But even then the morning cock crew loud,
And at the sound it shrunk in haste away 430
And vanish'd from our sight.
Hamlet. 'Tis very strange.
Horatio. As I do live, my honour'd lord, 'tis true;
And we did think it writ down in our duty
To let you know of it. 435
Hamlet. Indeed, indeed, sirs. But this troubles me.
Hold you the watch to-night?
Marcellus. [with Bernardo] We do, my lord.
Hamlet. Arm'd, say you?
Marcellus. [with Bernardo] Arm'd, my lord. 440
Hamlet. From top to toe?
Marcellus. [with Bernardo] My lord, from head to foot.
Hamlet. Then saw you not his face?
Horatio. O, yes, my lord! He wore his beaver up.
Hamlet. What, look'd he frowningly. 445
Horatio. A countenance more in sorrow than in anger.
Hamlet. Pale or red?
Horatio. Nay, very pale.
Hamlet. And fix'd his eyes upon you?
Horatio. Most constantly. 450
Hamlet. I would I had been there.
Horatio. It would have much amaz'd you.
Hamlet. Very like, very like. Stay'd it long?
Horatio. While one with moderate haste might tell a hundred.
Marcellus. [with Bernardo] Longer, longer. 455
Horatio. Not when I saw't.
Hamlet. His beard was grizzled- no?
Horatio. It was, as I have seen it in his life,
A sable silver'd.
Hamlet.
