Woo't weep? woo't fight? woo't faft? woo't tear thyself?
Woo't drink up 'Nile? woo't eat a crocodile?
I'll do't. Doft thou come hither but to whine?
To out-face me with leaping in her grave?
Be buried quick with her; and fo will I;
And if thou prate of mountains, let them throw
Millions of acres on us, 'till our ground
Sindging his pate against the burning zone,
Make Offa like a wart! nay, an thou❜lt mouth,
I'll rant as well as thou.

Queen. This is mere madness;

And thus a while the fit will work on him:
Anon as patient as the female dove,

When that her golden couplets are difclos'd,
His filence will fit drooping.

Ham. Hear you, Sir

What is the reason that you use me thus?
I lov'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.

[Exit.

[Exit Hor.

Strengthen your patience in our last night's speech.

We'll put the matter to the prefent push.
Good Gertrude, fet fome watch over your fon.
This grave fhall have a living monument.
An hour of quiet fhortly fhall we fee;
'Till then, in patience our proceeding be.

[To Laertes.

[Exeunt.

III.

Iam.

9 Efill?

A HALL in the Palace.

Enter Hamlet and Horatio.

O much for this, now fhall you fee 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 Worfe than the mutineers in bilboes; rafhness

(And prais'd be rafhnefs for it) let us know

Our indifcretion fometimes ferves us well,

When our deep plots do fail; and that should teach us,
There's a divinity that shapes our ends,
Rough-hew them how we will.

Hor. That is most certain.

Ham. Up from my cabin,

My fea-grown fcarft 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 fo bold
(My fears forgetting manners) to unfeal
Their grand commiffion, where I found, Horatio,
A royal knavery; an exact command,
Larded with many several sorts of reafons,
Importing Denmark's health, and England's too,
(With ho! fuch buggs and goblins in my life,)
That on the fupervize, no leisure bated

No not to stay the grinding of the ax,
My head fhould be ftruck 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 beseech you.

Ham. Being thus benetted round with 'villains, and Ere I could make a prologue to my brains,

2

They having begun the play; I fate me down,

Devis'd a new commiffion, wrote it fair:

(I once did hold it, as our ftatists do,

A bafenefs 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 ?

I villains, È'er

2 had

Hor.

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 fhould still her wheaten garland wear,
And stand a cement` 'tween their amities,
And many fuch like As's of great charge;
That on the view and knowing thefe 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 ordinant ;
I had my father's fignet in my purse,
Which was the model of that Danish feal:
I folded the writ up in form of th' other,
Subfcrib'd it, gave th' impreffion, plac'd it fafely,
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 Rofincroffe go to't.

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

'Tis dangerous when bafer natures come

Between the pass and fell incenfed points

Of mighty oppofites.

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 confcience,
To quit him with this arm; 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.

3 comma er commere

Ham.

Ham. It will be fhort. The interim is mine,
And a man's life's no more than to fay, one.
But I am very forry, good Horatio,
That to Laertes I forgot my felf;

For by the image of my cause I fee
The portraiture of his; I'll court his favour:
But fure the bravery of his grief did put me
Into a tow'ring paffion.

Hor. Peace, who comes here?

SCENE IV.

Enter Ofrick.

Ofr. Your Lordship is right welcome back to Denmark.

Ham. I humbly thank you, Sir. Doft know this waterfly?

Hor. No, my good Lord.

Ham. Thy ftate is the more gracious; for 'tis a vice to know him he hath much land, and fertile ; let a beast be lord of beafts, and his crib fhall ftand 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 fhould impart a thing to you from his Majefty.

Ham. I will receive it with all diligence of fpirit; pur your bonnet to his right ufe, '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 Majesty bid me fignifie to you, that he has laid a great wager on your head: Sir, this is the matter

Ham. I beseech you, remember

Ofr.

Ofr. Nay, in good faith, for mine ease, in good faith;
Sir, you are not ignorant of what excellence La

ertes is at his weapon.

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 horfes, against the which he impon'd, as I take it, fix French rapiers and poniards, with their affigns, as girdle, hangers, or fo: three of the carriages in faith are very dear to fancy, very refponfive to the hilts, moft delicate carriages, and of very liberal conceit.

Ham. What call you the carriages?

Ofr. The carriages, Sir, are the hangers.

Ham. The phrafe 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 liberalconceited 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 paffes 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 vouchfafe the answer.

Ham. How if I answer no?

Ofr. I mean, my Lord, the oppofition of your person in tryal.

Ham. Sir, I will walk here in the hall; if it please his Majefty, '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.