Antiquity forgot, custome not knowne,
The ratifiers and props of euery word,

,
The cry choose we, Laertes shall be king,
Caps, hands and tongues applau'd it to the clouds,
Laertes shall be king, Laertes king.
Que. How cheerefully on the false traile they cry.

A noise within. O this is counter, you false Danis dogges.

Enter Laertes with others.

King. The doores are broke.
Laer. Where is this king ? firs stand you all without.
All. No lets come in.
Laer. I pray you giue mee leaue.
All. We will, we will.

Laer. I thanke you : keepe the doore, Othou vile king, Giue me my father.

Quee. Calmely good Laertes.

Laer. That drop of blood thats calme proclaimes me bastard,
Cries cuckold to my father, brands the harlot
Euen heere betweene the chast vnímerched browe
Of my true mother.

King. What is the cause Laertes
That thy rebellion lookes so giant-like?
Let him goe Gertrard, do not feare our person,
There's such diuinity doth hedge a king,
That treason cannot peepe to what it would,
Act's little of his will, tell me Laertes
Why thou art thus incenst, let himn goe Gertrard,
Speake man.

Laer. Where is my father ?
King. Dead.
Quee. But not by him.

King. Let him demaund his fill.

Laer. How came he dead? Ile pot be iugled with,
To hell alegiance, vowes to the blackest diuell,
Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit
I dare damnation, to this poynt I stand,
That both the worlds I giue to negligence,
Let come what comes, onely I'le be reuengd
Most throughly for my father.

King. Who Mall stay you ?

Laer. My will, not all the worlds :
And for my meanes Ile husband them so well,
The shall go farre with little.

King. Good Laertes, if you desire to know the the certainty
Of your deere father, i'lt writ in your reuenge,
That foope-stake, you will draw both friend and foc
Winner and looser.

Laer. None but his enemics.
King. Will you know them then ?

Laer. To his good friends thus wide I'le ope my armes,
And like the kind life-rendering pelican,
Repast them with my blood.

King. Why now you speake
Like a good child and a true gentleman.
That I am guiltiesse of your fathers death,
And am most sencible in griefe for it,
It shall as leuell to your iudgement peare
As day dooes to your eye.

A noyfe within.

Enter Ophelia.

Laer. Let her come in.
How now what noyse is that?
O heate, dry vp my braines, terres feauentimes falt
Burne out the sence and vertue of mine eye.

S2

Ву

By heauen thy madnes shall be payd with weight
Till our scale turne the beame. O rose of May,
Deere mayd, kind sister, sweet Ophelia,
O heauens, ist possible a young maids wits
Should be as mortall as a poore mans life!

SONG.

Ophe. They bore him bare-fac'd on the beere,
And in his graue rain'd many a teare,
Fare you well my doue.

Laer. Hadft thou thy wits, and did'It perswade reuenge
It could not mooue thus.

Ophe. You must sing a downe a downe, And you

call him a downe a. O how the wheele becomes it, It is the falle steward that stole his maisters daughter,

Laer. This nothing's more then matter.

Ophe. There's rosemary, that for remembrance, pray you loue remember, and there is pancies, thats for thoughts.

Laer. A document in madnes, thoughts and remembrance fitted.

Ophe. There's fennill for you, and colembines, there's rewe for you, and heere's some for me, we may call it herbe of grace a Sondaies, you may weare your rewe with a difference, there's a dasie, I would giue you some violets, but they witherd all when my father dyed, they say a made a good end. For bonny sweet Robin is all my ioy.

Laer. Thought and afflictions, paffion, hell it felfe She turnes to fauour and to prettigesle.

SONG.

Ophe. And will a not come againe,
And will a not come againe,
No, no, he is dead, goe to thy death bed,
He neuer will come againe.

His beard was as white as snow,
Flaxen was his pole,
He is
gone,
he is
gone,
and we cast

away mone, God a mercy on his foule, and all christians foules, God buy yous *.

Laer. Doe you this O God.

King. Laertes, I must commune with your griefe,
Or you deney me right, goe but a part,
Make choice of whome your wifest friends you will,
And they shall heare and iudge twixt you and me,
If by direct or by colaturall hand
They find vs toucht, we will our kindome giue,
Our crowne, our life, and all that we call ours
To you in satisfaction ; but if not,
Be you content to lend your patience to vs,
And we shall ioyntly labour with your soule
To give it due content.

Laer. Let this be so.
His meanes of death, his obscure funerall,
No trophæ, sword, nor hachment ore his bones,
No noble right, nor formall oftentation,
Cry to be heard as twere from heauen to earth,
That I must callit in question.

Kin. So you shall,
And where th' offence is, let the great axe fall.
I pray you goe with me.

Exeunt.

Enter Horatio and others.

Hora. What are they that would speake with me?
Gen. Sea-faring men sir, they say they haue letters for you.

Hora. Let them come in.
I doe not know from what part of the world
I should be greeted. If not from lord Hamlet.

you.

Enter S 3

Enter Saylers.
Say. God blesse you fir.
Hora. Let him blene thee to.

Say. A fall fir and please him, there's a letter for you fir, it came from th’ embassador that was bound for England, if your name bee Horatio, as I am let to know it is.

Hor. Horatio, when thou shalt haue over-look't this, giue these fellowes some meanes to the king, they haue letters for him :

: ere wee were two daies old at sea, a pyrat of very warlike appointment gave vs chase, finding our felues too flow of saile, we put on a compeiled valour, and in the grapple I boorded them, on the instant they got cleere of our ship, fo I alone became their prisoner, they haue dealt with me like theeues of mercy, but they knew what they did : I am to doe a turne for them, let the king haue the letters I haue fent, and repayre thou to mee with as much speed as thou wouldIt fly death. I have words to speake in thine eare wil make thee dumbe, yet are they much too light for the bord of the matter, these good fellowes will bring thee where I am, Rosencraus and Guildersterne hold their course for England, of them I haue much to tell thee, farwell.

So that thou knowest thine Hamlet.

Hora. Come I will make you way for these your letters,
And doo't the spcedier that you may direct me
To him from whome you brought them.

Exeunt.

Enter King and Laertes.
King. Now must your conscience my acquittance scale,
And you must put me in your heart for friend,
Sith you haue heard and with a knowing eare,
That he which hath your noble father Naine
Pursued my life.

Laer,