Could not, with all their quantity of love, Make up my sum. What wilt thou do for her? King. O, he is mad, Laertes. Queen. For love of God, forbear him. Ham. 'Swounds, show me what thou'lt do: Woo't weep? woo't fight? woo't fast? woo't tear thyself? Woo't drink up eisel? eat a crocodile ? I'll do't. Dost thou come here to whine? 300 Millions of acres on us, till our ground, I'll rant as well as thou. Ham. Up from my cabin, My sea-gown scarf'd about me, in the dark O royal knavery !-an exact command, Hor. Is't possible? Ham. Here's the commission read it at more leisure. But wilt thou hear me how I did proceed? Ham. Being thus be-netted round with villanies, Ere I could make a prologue to my brains, 30 They had begun the play-I sat me down, Devised a new commission, wrote it fair: I once did hold it, as our statists do, A baseness to write fair and labor'd much Hor. As England was his faithful tributary, flourish, 40 As peace should still her wheaten garland wear And stand a comma 'tween their amities, And many such-like 'As'es of great charge, That, on the view and knowing of these con tents, Without debatement further, more or less, He should the bearers put to sudden death, Not shriving-time allow'd. Hor. How was this seal'd? Ham. Why, even in that was heaven or dinant. I had my father's signet in my purse, The changeling never known. Now, the next Hor. So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to't. Ham. Why, man, they did make love to this employment; They are not near my conscience; their de feat Does by their own insinuation grow. Why, what a king is this! Ham. Does it not, think'st thee, stand me now upon He that hath kill'd my king and whored my mother, Popp'd in between the election and my hopes, To quit him with this arm? and is't not to be damn'd, To let this canker of our nature come 70 Hor. It must be shortly known to him from England What is the issue of the business there. Ham. It will be short: the interim is mine; And a man's life's no more than to say 'One.' But I am very sorry, good Horatio, That to Laertes I forgot myself; For, by the image of my cause, The portraiture of his : I'll court his favors But, sure, the bravery of his grief did put me Into a towering passion. Hor. see Peace! who comes here? 80 Enter OSRIC. Osr. Your lordship is right welcome back to Denmark. Ham. I humbly thank you, sir. Dost know this water-fly? Hor. No, my good lord. Ham. Thy state is the more gracious; for 'tis a vice to know him. He hath much land, and fertile: let a beast be lord of beasts, and his crib shall stand at the king's mess: 'tis a chough; but, as I say, spacious in the possession of dirt. 90 Osr. Sweet lord, if your lordship were at leisure, I should impart a thing to you from his majesty. Ham. I will receive it, sir, with all diligence of spirit. Put your bonnet to his right use; 'tis for the head. Osr. I thank your lordship, it is very hot. Ham. No, believe me, 'tis very cold.; the wind is northerly. 99 Osr. It is indifferent cold, my lord, indeed. Ham. But yet methinks it is very sultry and hot for my complexion. Osr. Exceedingly, my ord; it is very sultry,-as 'twere,-I cannot tell how. But, my lord, his majesty bade me signify to you that he has laid a great wager on your head: sir, this is the matter,- Ham. I beseech you, remember [Hamlet moves him to put on his hat. Osr. Nay, good my lord; for mine ease, in good faith. Sir, here is newly come to court Laertes; believe me, an absolute gentleman, full of most excellent differences, of very soft society and great showing: indeed, to speak feelingly of him, he is the card or calendar of gentry, for you shall find in him the continent of what part a gentleman would see. Ham. Sir, his definement suffers no perdition in you; though, I know, to divide him inventorially would dizzy the arithmetic of memory, fand yet but yaw neither, in respect of his quick sail. a But, in the verity of extolment, I take him to be a soul of great article; and his infusion of such dearth and rareness, as, to make true diction of him, his semblable is his mirror; and who else would trace him, his umbrage, nothing more. Osr. Your lordship speaks most infallibly of him. Ham. The concernancy, sir ? why do we wrap the gentleman in our more rawer breath? Ors. Sir? 130 Hor. Is't not possible to understand in another tongue? You will do't, sir, really. Ham. What imports the nomination of this gentleman? Ors. Of Laertes? Hor. His purse is empty already; all's golden words are spent. Ham. Of him, sir. Ors. I know you are not ignorantHam. I would you did, sir; yet, in faith, if you did, it would not much approve me. Well, sir. Ors. You are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is Ham. I dare not confess that, lest I should compare with him in excellence; but, to know a man well, were to know himself. Osr. I mean, sir, for his wearon; but in the imputation laid on him by them, in his meed he's unfellowed. Ham, What's his weapon? 150 Ham. That's two of his weapons: but, well. Osr. The king, sir, hath wagered with him six Barbary horses: against the which he ha imponed, as I take it, six French rapiers and poniards, with their assigns, as girdle, hang. ers, and so: three of the carriages, in faith, are very dear to fancy, very responsive to the hilts, most delicate carriages, and of very liberal conceit. Ham. What call you the carriages? Hor. I knew you must be edified by the margent ere you had done. Osr. The carriages, sir, are the hangers. Ham. The phrase would be more german to the matter, if we could carry cannon by our sides I would it might be hangers till then. But, on six Barbary horses against six French swords, their assigns, and three liberal-conceited carriages; that's the French bet against the Danish. Why is this 'imponed,' as you call it ? 171 Osr. The king, sir, hath laid, that in a dozen passes between yourself and him, he shall not exceed you three hits he hath laid on twelve for nine; and it would come to immediate trial, if your lordship would vouchsafe the answer. Ham. How if I answer 'no'? Osr. I mean, my lord, the opposition of your person in trial. 179 Ham. Sir, will walk here in the hall if It please his majesty, 'tis the breathing time of day with me; let the foils be brought, the gentleman willing, and the king hold his purpose, I will win for him an I can; if not, I will gain nothing but my shame and the oda hits. Osr. Shall I re-deliver you e'en so? Ham. To this effect, sir; after what flourish your nature will. Osr. I commend my duty to your lordship. Ham. Yours, yours. [Exit Osric.] He does well to commend it to himself; there are no tongues else for's turn. Hor. This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head. Ham. He did comply with his dug, before he sucked it. Thus has he--and many more of the same bevy that I know the drossy age dotes on-only got the tune of the time and outward habit of encounter; a kind of yesty collection, which carries them through and through the most †fond and winnowed opinions; and do but blow them to their trial, the bubbles are out. Ham. In happy time. Lord. The queen desires you to use some gentle entertainment to Laertes before you fall to play. Ham. She well instructs me. [Exit Lord. Hor. You will lose this wager, my lord. Ham. I do not think so since he went into France, I have been in continual practice I shall win at the odds. But thou wouldst not think how ill all's here about my heart but it is no matter. Hor. Nay, good my lord,- Hum. It is but foolery; but it is such a kind of gain-giving, as would perhaps trouble a woman. Hor. If your mind dislike any thing, obey it I will forestal their repair hither, and say you are not fit. 229 Ham. Not a whit, we defy augury: there's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come the readiness is all since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is't to leave betimes? Enter KING, QUEEN, LAERTES, Lords, OSRIC, and Attendants with foils, &c. King. Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me. [The King puts Laertes' hand into Hamlet's. Ham. Give me your pardon, sir: I've done all a length? Laer. This is too heavy, let me see another. If Hamlet give the first or second hit, Laer. [Aside] And yet 'tis almost 'gainst my conscience. Ham. Come, for the third, Laertes: you but dally; I pray you, pass with your best violence; 310 I am afeard you make a wanton of me. Laer. Have at you now! [Laertes wounds Hamlet; then in scuffling, they change rapiers, and Hamlet wounds Laertes. King. Part them; they are incensed. Ham. Nay, come, again. [The Queen falls. Osr. Look to the queen there, ho Hor. They bleed on both sides. How is it, my lord ? Osr. How is't, Laertes ? Laer. Why, as a woodcock to mine own springe, Osric; I am justly kill'd with mine own treachery. Ham. How does the queen? King. She swounds to see them bleed. Queen. No, no, the drink, the drink,-0 my dear Hamlet, 320 The drink, the drink! I am poison'd. [Dies. Ham. O villany! Ho! let the door be lock'd: Treachery! Seek it out. Laer. It is here, Hamlet: Hamlet, thou art slain; 329 No medicine in the world can do thee good; Treason! treason! King. O, yet defend me, friends; I am but hurt. Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? Follow my mother. Laer. [King dies. 339 He is justly served; It is a poison temper'd by himself. Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet: Mine and my father's death come not upon thee, Nor thine on me. [Dies. Ham. Heaven make thee free of it ! I fol low thee. The potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit : So tell him, with the occurrents, more and less, Which have solicited. The rest is silence. [Dies. Hor. Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince : 370 And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! Why does the drum come hither? [March within. Enter FORTINBRAS, the English Ambassadors, So bloodily hast struck? To tell him his commandment is fulfill'd, 381 Are here arrived, give order that these bodies Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts, |