Let come what comes; only I'll be reveng'd
Most throughly for my father.

King, Who shall stay you?

Laer. My will, not all the world's:

And, for my means, I'll husband them so well, They shall go far with little.

King Good Laertes,

If you desire to know the certainty

Of your dear father's death, is't writ in your re

venge,

That, sweepstake, you will draw both friend and foe,

Winner and loser?

Laer. None but his enemies.

King. Will you know them then?

Laer. To his good friends thus wide I'll ope

my arms; And, like the kind life-rend'ring pelican, Repast them with my blood.

King. Why, now you speak

Like a good child, and a true Gentleman.
That I am guiltless of your father's death,
And am most sensibly in grief for it,
It shall as level to your judgement 'pear,
As day does to your eye.

Danes. [Within.] Let her come in.
Laer. How now! what noise is that?

Enter OPHELIA, fantastically dress'd with straws and flowers.

O heat, dry up my brains! tears, seven time salt, Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye!

By heaven, thy madness shall be paid with weight, Till our scale turn the beam, O rose of May! Dear maid, kind sister, sweet Ophelia !

O heavens is't possible, a young maid's wits
Should be as mortal as an old man's life?
Nature is fine in love: and, where 'tis fine,
It sends soine precious instance of itself
After the thing it loves.

Oph. They bore him barefac'd on the bier;
Hey no nonny, nonny hey nonny:
And in his grave rain'd many a tear ;—

Fare you well, my dove!

Laer. Hadst thou thy wits, and didst persuade revenge,

It could not move thus.

Oph. You must sing, Down a-down, an you' call him a-down-a. O, how the wheel becomes it! It is the false steward, that stole his master's daughter.

Laer. This nothing's more than matter.

Oph. There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray you, love, remember: and there is pansies, that's for thoughts.

Laer. A document in madness; thoughts and remembrance fitted.

you

Oph, There's fennel for you, and columbines: there's rue for you; and here's some for me:we may call it, herb of grace o'sundays. may wear your rue with a difference. There's a daisy. 1 would give you some violets; but they wither'd all, when my father died: he made a good end,

'They say,

For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy,

Sings.] Laer. Thought and affliction, passion, hell it

self,

She turns to favour, and to prettiness.

Oph. And will he not come again? And will he not come again? he is dead,

No, no,

Go to thy death-bed,

He never will come again.

His beard was as white as snow,
All flaxen was his poll:

He is gone, he is gone,
And we cast away moan;

God 'a mercy on his soul!

[Sings.

And of all christian souls! I pray God. God he

wi' you!

[Exit OPHELIA. Laer. Do you see this, O God?

King. Laertes, I must commune with your grief, Or you deny me right. Go but apart,

Make choice of whom your wisest friends you will, And they shall hear and judge 'twixt you and me: If by direct or by collateral hand

They find us touch'd, we will our kingdom give,
Our crown, our life, and all that we call ours,
To you in satisfaction; but, if not,

Be you content to lend your patience to us,
And we shall jointly labour with your soul
To give it due content.

Laer. Let this be so;

His means of death, his obscure funeral,

No trophy, sword, nor batchment, o'er his bones, No noble rite, nor formal ostentation,

Cry to be heard, as 'twere from heaven to earth, That I must call't in question.

King. So you shall;

And where the offence is, let the great axe fall.
I pray you, go with me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.

Another Room in the same.

Enter HORATIO, and a Servant.

Hor. What are they, that would speak with me? Serv. Sailors, Sir;

They say, they have letters for you.

Hor. Let them come in.

[Exit Servant. I do not know from what part of the world I should be greeted, if not from lord Hamlet.

Enter Sailors.

1. Sail. God bless yon, Sir. Hor. Let him bless thee too.

1. Sail. He shall, Sir, an't please him. There's a letter for you, Sir; it comes from the ambassadour that was bound for England; if your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is.

Ere

Hor. [Reads.] Horatio, when thou shalt have overlook'd this, give these fellows some means to the King; they have letters for him. we were two days old at sea, a pirate of very warlike appointment gave us chace: Finding ourselves too slow of sail, we put on a compell'd valour, and in the grapple I boarded them: on the instant, they got clear of our ship; so I alone became their prisoner. They have dealt with me, like thieves of mercy; but they knew what they did; I am to do a good turn for them. Let the King have the letters I have sent; and repair thou to me with as much haste as thou wouldst fly death. I have words to speak in thine will make thee dumb; yet are they much too light for the bore of the

ear,

matter. These good fellows will bring thee where I am. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hold their course for England: of them I have much to tell thee; Farewell.

He that thou knowest thine, Hamlet. Come, I will give you way for these your letters; And do't the speedier, that you may direct me To him from whom you brought them. [Exeunt.

SCENE VII.

Another Room in the same.

Enter KING and LAERTES.

King. Now must your conscience my acquit-
tance seal,

And you must put me in your heart for friend;
Sith you have heard, and with a knowing ear,
That he, which hath your noble father slain,
Pursu'd my life.

But tell me,

Laer. It well appears;
Why you proceeded not against these feats,
So crimeful and so capital in nature,

As by your safety, greatness, wisdom, all things
else,

You mainly were stirr'd up.

King. O, for two special reasons;

Which may to you, perhaps, seem much unsinew'd,
But yet to me they are strong. The Queen, his
mother,

Lives almost by his looks; and for myself,
(My virtue, or my plague, be it either which,)
She is so conjunctive to my life and soul,
That, as the star moves not but in his sphere,

I could not but by her. The other motive,