This Grave fhall have a living Monument:
An Hour of quiet fhortly fhall we fee;

'Till then in patience our proceeding be.

SCENE

[Exeunt.

Enter Hamlet and Horatio.

Ham. So much for this, Sir; now let me 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 the Bilboes; rafhly,
(And prais'd be rashness for it) let us know
Our Indifcretion fometimes ferves us well,

When our dear Plots do pall; and that should teach us,
There's a Divinity that fhapes our ends,
Rough-hew them how we will.
Hor. That is most certain.

Ham. Up from my Cabin,

My Sea-Gown 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 so bold,
My Fears forgetting Manners, to unfeal
Their grand Commiffion, where I found, Horatio,
Oh Royal knavery! an exact command,
Larded with many feveral forts of reason,
Importing Denmark's Health, and England's too,
With hoo, fuch Buggs and Goblins in my life,
That on the fupervize, no leifure bated,

No not to stay the grinding of the Axe,

My Head should be ftruck off.

Hor. Is't poffible?

Ham. Here's the Commiffion, read it at more leifure;

But wilt thou hear how I did proceed?

Hor. I befeech you.

Ham. Being thus benetted round with Villains,

E'er I could make a Prologue to my Brains,

They

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 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
The effects of what I wrote ?

Hor. Ay, good my Lord.

Ham. An earnest Conjuration from the King,
As England was his faithful Tributary,

As love between them, as the Palm fhould flourish,
As Peace fhould ftill her wheaten Garland wear,
And ftand a Comma 'tween their amities,
And many fuch like As's of great charge,
That on the view and know of thefe contents,
Without debatement further, more or less,
He fhould the bearers put to fudden death,
No fhriving time allowed.

Hor. How was this feal'd ?

Ham. Why even in that was Heav'n ordinate ;
I had my Father's Signet in my Purse,
Which was the Model of that Danish Seal:
I folded the Writ up in form of the other,
Subfcrib'd it, gave th' Impreffion, plac'd it safely,
The Changeling never know: Now, the next day
Was our Sea-fight, and what to this was fequent,
Thou know't already.

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

Ham. Why Man, they did make love to this employment They are not near my Confcience; their debate

Doth by their own infinuation grow:

'Tis dangerous when bafer nature comes Between the pafs, 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 his arm? And is't not to be damn'd,
VOL. V.

Cc

To

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.

The Interim's 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 caufe 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?

Enter Offick.

Orf. Your Lordship is right welcome back to Denmark. Ham. I humbly thank you, Sir. Doft know this water-fly? 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 Beaft be Lord of Beafts, and his Crib fhall ftand at the King's Meffe; 'tis a Chough; but as I fay, fpacious in the poffeffon of dirt.

Ofr. Sweet Lord, if your friendship were at leifure, I should impart a thing to you from his Majefty.

Ham. I will receive it with all diligence of Spirit; put 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: but, my Lord, his Majefty bid me fignifie to you, that he has laid a great wager on your head: Sir, this is the matter

Ham. I befeech you remember.

Ofr. Nay in good faith, for mine eafe-in good faith: Sir, you are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is at his

weapon.

Ham. What's his weapon?

Ofr.

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 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 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 Horles, against fix French Swords, their Affigns, and three liberal conceited carriages, that's the French; but 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 shall not exceed you three hits ; He hath laid on twelve for nine, and that would come to immediate trial, if your Lordship would vouchlafe the Anfwer.

Ham. How if I anfwer mo?

Ofr. I mean, my Lord, the Oppofition of your P

in trial.

erfon

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 I hold his purpofe; I will win for him if I can: if not, I'll gain nothing but my fhame, and the odd hits.

Ofr. Shall I redeliver you e'en 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 himEfelf, there are no tongues elfe for's turn.

Hor. This Lapwing runs away with the hell on his Head.

Ham. He did fo with his Dug before he fuck'd it : thus has he and nine more of the fame Beavy that I know the droflie Age dotes on, only got the tune of the time, and outward habit of encounter, a kind of yefty Collection,

which carries them through and through the most fond and winnowed Opinions; and do but blow them to their Trials, the Bubbles are out.

Enter a Lord.

Lord. My Lord, his Majefty commended him to you by young Ofrick, who brings back to him that you attend him in the Hall, he fends to know if your pleasure hold to play with Laertes, or that you will take longer time?

Ham. I am conftant to my purposes, they follow the King's pleafure; if his fitnefs fpeaks, mine is ready, now or when foever, provided I be fo able as now.

Lord. The King and Queen and all are coming down.
Ham. In happy time.

Lord. The Queen defires you to use some gentle entertainment to Laertes before you go to play.

Ham. She well inftructs me..

Hor. You will lofe this Wager, my Lord.

Ham. I do not think fo; fince he went into France, I have been in continual Practice; I fhall win at the odds; but thou wouldeft not think how all's here about my Heart: but it is no matter.

Her. Nay, good my Lord.

Ham. It is but Foolery; but it is fuch a kind of gaingiving as would perhaps trouble a Woman.

Hor. If your mind diflike any thing, obey. I will foreftal their repair hither, and fay you are not fit.

Ham. Not a whit, we defy Augury; there's a special Providence in the fall of 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: fince Do Man has ought of what he leaves, what is't to leave betimes?

Enter King, Queen, Laertes and Lords, with other Attendants with Foils, and Gantlets, a Table and Flagons of Wine on it.

King, Come, Hamlet, come, and take this Hand from me. Ham. Give me your pardon, Sir, I've done you wrong,

But pardon't, as you are a Gentleman.

This Prefence knows, and you must needs have heard
How I am punished with fore diftraction.

What I have done

That