Anon as patient as the female dove,

When that her golden cuplets are disclos'd,

His filence will fit drooping.

Ham. Hear you Sir

What is the reason that you use me thus ?
Ilov'd you ever; but it is no matter
Let Hercules himself do what he may,

The cat will mew, and dog will have his day.

King. I pray you good Horatio, wait upon him.
Strengthen your patience in our last night's fpeech.
We'll put the matter to the present push.
Good Gertrude fet fome watch over your fon.
This grave shall have a living monument.
An hour of quiet shortly shall we see;
'Till then, in patience our proceeding be.

Ham.

S

SCENE III.

A HALL.

Enter Hamlet and Horatio.

[Exit.

(Exit Hor. [To Laertes.

much for this, now fhall you see the other. You do remember all the circumftance.

Hor. Remember it, my lord?

Ham. Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting,
That would not let me fleep; methought I lay
Worse than the mutineers in bilboes; rashness
(And prais'd be rashness for it) lets us know

Our indiscretion fometimes ferves us well,

When our deep plots do fail; and that should teach us,
There's a divinity that fhapes our ends,

Rough-hew them how we will.

[Exeunt.

Hor. That is most certain.

Ham. Up from my cabin,

My fea-gown scarft about me, in the dark
Grop'd I to find out them; had my defire,
Finger'd their packet, and in fine withdrew
To mine own room again, making so bold
(My fears forgetting manners) to unseal
Their grand commiffion, where I found, Horatio,
A royal knavery; an exact command,
Larded with many several sorts of reasons,
Importing Denmark's health, and England's too,
(With ho! fuch buggs and goblings in my life,)
That on the supervize, no leisure bated,

No not to stay the grinding of the ax,

My head fhould be struck off.

Hor. Is't poffible?

Ham. Here's the commiffion, read it at more leisure;

But wilt thou hear now how I did proceed?

Hor. I befeech you.

Ham. Being thus benetted round with villains,

Ere I could make a prologue to my brains,

They had begun the play. I fate me down,
Devis'd a new commiffion, wrote it fair:
(I once did hold it as our statists do,

A baseness to write fair; and labour'd much
How to forget that learning; but, Sir, now
It did me yeoman's fervice;) wilt thou know
Th' effect of what I wrote?

Hor. Ay, good my lord.

Ham. An earneft conjuration from the King,
As England was his faithful tributary,

As love between them like the palm might flourish,
As peace should still her wheaten garland wear,

And

And ftand a comma 'tween their amities,
And many fuch like As's of great charge;
That on the view and knowing these contents,
Without debatement further, more or less,
He should the bearers put to fudden death,
No fhriving time allow'd.

Hor. How was this feal'd?

Ham. Why ev'n in that was heaven ordinate;
I had my father's fignet in my purse,
Which was the model of that Danish seal:
I folded the writ up in form of th' other,
Subscrib❜d it, gave th' impreffion, plac'd it safely,
The change was never known: now, the next day
Was our fea-fight, and what to this was fequent,
Thou know'ft already.

Hor. So, Guildenstern and Rofincrosse go to't.

Ham. They are not near my confcience; their defeat Doth by their own infinuation grow:

'Tis dangerous when bafer nature comes

Between the pass, and fell incensed points

Of mighty opposites.

Hor. Why, what a King is this?

Ham. Does it not, think'ft thou, ftand me now upon?
He that hath kill'd my King, and whor'd my mother,
Popt in between th' election and my hopes,
Thrown out his angle for my proper life,

And with fuch cozenage; is't not perfect conscience,
To quit him with this arm? and is't not to be damn'd,
To let this canker of our nature come

In further evil?

Hor. It must be fhortly known to him from England, What is the iffue of the business there.

Ham. It will be short.

2

The

The Interim's mine, and a man's life's no more
Than to say, one.

But I am very forry, good Horatio,
That to Laertes I forgot my self;

For by the image of my cause I fee

The pourtraiture of his; I'll court his favours:

But fure the bravery of his grief did put me
Into a towring paffion.

Hor. Peace, who comes here?

SCENE IV.

Enter Ofrick.

Ofr. Your lordship is right welcome back to Denmark.

Ham. I humbly thank
Hor. No, my good lord.

Sir. you,

Doft know this water-fly?

Ham. Thy ftate is the more gracious; for 'tis a vice to know him: he hath much land, and fertile; let a beaft be lord of beasts, and his crib shall stand at the King's meffe; 'tis a chough; but as I fay, fpacious in the poffeffion of dirt.

Ofr. Sweet lord, if your lordship were at leifure, I should impart a thing to you from his majesty.

Ham. I will receive it with all diligence of fpirit; put your bonnet to his right use, 'tis for the head.

Ofr. I thank your lordship, 'tis very hot.

Ham. No, believe me, 'tis very cold, the wind is northerly.
Ofr. It is indifferent cold, my lord, indeed.

Ham. Methinks it is very fultry, and hot for my complexion. Ofr. Exceedingly, my lord, it is very fultry, as 'twere, I cannot tell how: --- My lord, his majefty bid me fignifie to yoù, that he has laid a great wager on your head: Sir, this is the matter Ham. Ibefeech you remember Ofr. Nay in good faith, for mine ease in good faith: Sir, you are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is at his weapon.

130

a frendship.

Ham.

Ham. What's his weapon?

Ofr. Rapier and dagger.

Ham. That's two of his weapons; but well.

Ofr. The King, Sir, has wag'd with him fix Barbary horses, against the which he impon'd, as I take it, fix French rapiers and poniards, with their affigns, as girdle, hangers, or 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?

Ofr. The carriages, Sir, are the hangers.

Ham. The phrase would be more germane to the matter, if we could carry cannon by our fides; I would it might be hangers 'till then. But on; fix Barbary horses, against fix French fwords, their affigns, and three liberal-conceited carriages, that's the French bett against the Danish; why is this impon'd, as you call it?

Ofr. The King, Sir, hath laid, that in a dozen passes between you and him, he fhall not exceed you three hits; he hath laid on twelve for nine, and it would come to immediate tryal, if your lordship would vouchsafe the answer.

Ham. How if I anfwer no?

Ofr. I mean, my lord, the oppofition of your perfon in tryal. Ham. Sir, I 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 if I can: if not, I'll gain nothing but my fhame, and the odd hits. Ofr. Shall I deliver you fo?

Ham. To this effect, Sir, after what flourish your nature will. Ofr. I commend my duty to your lordship.

[Exit.

Ham. Yours, yours; he does well to commend it himself, there are no tongues elfe for's turn.

Hor. This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head. Ham. He did fo with his dug before he fuck'd it: thus has he (and many more of the fame breed that I know the droffy age

dotes