40 Hor. How was this seal'd? Ham. Why, even in that was heaven ordinant. safely, 50 The changeling never known. Now, the next day Hor. So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to't. They are not near my conscience; their defeat Hor. 90 shall stand at the king's mess: 'tis a chough; but, Ham. I will receive it, sir, with all diligence of spirit. Put your bonnet to his right use; 'tis for the head. Osr. I thank your lordship, it is very hot. Ham. No, believe me, 'tis very cold; the wind is northerly. 99 Osr. It is indifferent cold, my lord, indeed. Ham. But yet methinks it is very sultry and hot for my complexion. Osr. Exceedingly, my lord; it is very sultry, — as 'twere, I cannot tell how. But, my lord, his majesty bade me signify to you that he has laid a great wager on your head: sir, this is the matter, Ham. I beseech you, remember [Hamlet moves him to put on his hat. Osr. Nay, good my lord; for mine ease, in good faith. Sir, here is newly come to court Laertes; believe me, an absolute gentleman, full of most excellent differences, of very soft society and great showing: indeed, to speak feelingly of him, he is the card or calendar of gentry, for you shall find in him the continent of what part a gentleman would see. Ham. Sir, his definement suffers no perdition in you; though, I know, to divide him inventori60 ally would dizzy the arithmetic of memory, fand yet but yaw neither, in respect of his quick sail. But, in the verity of extolment, I take him to be a soul of great article; and his infusion of such dearth and rareness, as, to make true diction of him, his semblable is his mirror; and who else would trace him, his umbrage, nothing more. Why, what a king is this! Ham. Does it not, thinks't thee, stand me now upon He that hath kill'd my king and whored my 70 Hor. It must be shortly known to him from What is the issue of the business there. Ham. It will be short: the interim is mine; And a man's life's no more than to say 'One.' But I am very sorry, good Horatio, That to Laertes I forgot myself; For, by the image of my cause, I see The portraiture of his: I'll court his favours: Osr. Your lordship speaks most infallibly of him. Ham. The concernancy, sir? why do we wrap the gentleman in our more rawer breath? Osr. Sir? 130 Hor. Is't not possible to understand in another tongue? You will do't, sir, really. Ham. What imports the nomination of this gentleman? Osr. Of Laertes? Hor. His purse is empty already; all's golden words are spent. Ham. Of him, sir. Osr. I know you are not ignorant Ham. I would you did, sir; yet, in faith, if you did, it would not much approve me. Well, sir? Osr. You are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is Ham. I dare not confess that, lest I should Peace! who comes here? 80 compare with him in excellence; but, to know a Enter OSRIC. Osr. Your lordship is right welcome back to Hor. No, my good lord. Ham. Thy state is the more gracious; for 'tis a vice to know him. He hath much land, and fertile: let a beast be lord of beasts, and his crib man well, were to know himself. Osr. I mean, sir, for his weapon; but in the imputation laid on him by them, in his meed he's unfellowed. Ham. What's his weapon? 150 Ham. That's two of his weapons: but, well. Osr. The king, sir, hath wagered with him six Barbary horses: against the which he has imponed, as I take it, six French rapiers and poniards, with their assigns, as girdle, hangers, and 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? Hor. I knew you must be edified by the margent ere you had done. Osr. The carriages, sir, are the hangers. Ham. The phrase would be more german to the matter, if we could carry cannon by our sides: I would it might be hangers till then. But, on: six Barbary horses against six French swords, their assigns, and three liberal-conceited carriages; that's the French bet against the Danish. Why is this 'imponed,' as you call it? 171 Osr. The king, sir, hath laid, that in a dozen passes between yourself and him, he shall not exceed you three hits: he hath laid on twelve for nine; and it would come to immediate trial, if your lordship would vouchsafe the answer. Ham. How if I answer 'no'? Osr. I mean, my lord, the opposition of your person in trial. 179 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 an I can; if not, I will gain nothing but my shame and the odd hits. Osr. Shall I re-deliver you e'en so? your nature will. Osr. I commend my duty to your lordship. Ham. Yours, yours. [Exit Osric.] He does well to commend it himself; there are no tongues else for's turn. Hor. This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head. Ham. He did comply with his dug, before he sucked it. Thus has he-and many more of the same breed that I know the drossy age dotes ononly got the tune of the time and outward habit of encounter; a kind of yesty collection, which carries them through and through the most ffond and winnowed opinions; and do but blow them to their trial, the bubbles are out. Ham. Not a whit, we defy augury: there's a special providence in the fall of a 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: since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is 't to leave betimes? Enter KING, QUEEN, LAERTES, Lords, OSRIC, and Attendants with foils, &c. King. Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me. I am satisfied in nature, Whose motive, in this case, should stir me most To my revenge: but in my terms of honour I stand aloof; and will no reconcilement, Till by some elder masters, of known honour, I have a voice and precedent of peace, To keep my name ungored. But till that time, I do receive your offer'd love like love, And will not wrong it. Ham. I embrace it freely; And will this brother's wager frankly play. Give us the foils. Come on. Laer. 260 Come, one for me. Ham. I'll be your foil, Laertes: in mine ig. norance Your skill shall, like a star i' the darkest night,. Stick fiery off indeed. Laer. You mock me, sir. Ham. No, by this hand. Hamlet, You know the wager? Ham. Very well, my lord; 270 Your grace hath laid the odds o' the weaker side. King. I do not fear it; I have seen you both: But since he is better'd, we have therefore odds. Laer. This is too heavy, let me see another. Ham. This likes me well. These foils have [They prepare to play. all a length? Osr. Ay, my good lord. If Hamlet give the first or second hit, Ham. O villany! Ho! let the door be lock'd: Treachery! Seek it out. In Denmark's crown have worn. Give me the Hath turn'd itself on me; lo, here I lie, 280 Laer. It is here, Hamlet: Hamlet, thou art slain; No medicine in the world can do thee good; 329 Never to rise again: thy mother's poison'd: I can no more: the king, the king's to blame. Ham. The pointenvenom'd too! Then, venom, to thy work. All. Treason! treason! [Stabs the King. 290 The cannons to the heavens, the heavens to earth, 'Now the king drinks to Hamlet.' Come, begin: And you, the judges, bear a wary eye. Come, my lord. [They play. King. O, yet defend me, friends; I am but hurt. Ham. Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane, Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? Ham. Come on, sir. Laer. Follow my mother. [King dies. Osr. A hit, a very palpable hit. Laer. Laer. He is justly served; It is a poison temper'd by himself. 339 [Dies. Ham. Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee. King. Stay; give me drink. pearl is thine; Here's to thy health. [Trumpets sound, and cannon shot off within. Give him the cup. Ham. I'll play this bout first; set it by awhile. Come. [They play.] Another hit; what say you? Laer. A touch, a touch, I do confess. King. Our son shall win. Queen. He's fat, and scant of breath. Here, Hamlet, take my napkin, rub thy brows: The queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet. 300 Ham. Good madam! As thou'rt a man, If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, [March afar off, and shot within. Osr. Young Fortinbras, with conquest come from Poland, To the ambassadors of England gives Hor. What is it ye would see? | Fall'n on the inventors' heads: all this can I If aught of woe or wonder, cease your search. Fort. This quarry cries on havoc. O proud death, What feast is toward in thine eternal cell, That thou so many princes at a shot So bloodily hast struck? First Amb. The sight is dismal; And our affairs from England come too late: The ears are senseless that should give us hearing, To tell him his commandment is fulfill'd, That Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead: Where should we have our thanks? Hor. 381 Not from his mouth, Had it the ability of life to thank you: He never gave commandment for their death. But since, so jump upon this bloody question, You from the Polack wars, and you from Eng land, Are here arrived, give order that these bodies High on a stage be placed to the view; 389 And let me speak to the yet unknowing world How these things came about: so shall you hear Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts, Of accidental judgements, casual slaughters, Of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause, And, in this upshot, purposes mistook SCENE I. King Lear's palace. Enter KENT, GLOUCESTER, and EDMUND. Kent. I thought the king had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall. Glou. It did always seem so to us: but now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most for equalities are so weighed, that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's moiety. Kent. Is not this your son, my lord? Glou. His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge: I have so often blushed to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed to it. Kent. I cannot conceive you. II Glou. Sir, this young fellow's mother could: whereupon she grew round-wombed, and had, indeed, sir, a son for her cradle ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault? Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper. Glou. But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came something saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair; there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged. Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund? Edm. No, my lord. Glou. My lord of Kent: remember him hereafter as my honourable friend. Edm. My services to your lordship. Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you better. 31 Edm. Sir, I shall study deserving. Glou. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again. The king is coming. Sennet. Enter KING LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants. Lear. Attend the lords of France and Bur gundy, Gloucester. Glou. I shall, my liege. Lear. Meantime we shall express our darker purpose. Give me the map there. Know that we have As much as child e'er loved, or father found; 60 A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable; Beyond all manner of so much uch I love you. Cor. [Aside] What shall Cordelia do? Love, and be silent. Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, With shadowy forests and with champains rich'd, With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads, We make thee lady: to thine and Albany's issue Be this perpetual. What says our second daughter, Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall? Speak. Reg. Sir, I am made Of the self-same metal that my sister is, [Exeunt Gloucester and Edmund. And prize me at her worth. In my true heart 70 |