Enter King, Queen, LAERTES, Lords, OSRIC, and Attendants, with foils, &c. King. Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me. [The King puts the hand of LAERtes into that of HAMLET. Ham. Give me your pardon, sir. wrong; But pardon it, as you are a gentleman. 1 I have done you This presence knows, and you must needs have heard, How I am punished with a sore distraction. What I have done, That might your nature, honor, and exception, And, when he's not himself, does wrong Laertes, poor Sir, in this audience,2 Let my disclaiming from a purposed evil And hurt my brother. Laer. But till that time, I do receive your offered love like love, Ham. 1. e. the king and queen. I embrace it freely, 2 This line is not in the quarto 3 i. e. unwounded. And will this brother's wager frankly play.— Laer. Come, one for me. Ham. I'll be your foil, Laertes; in mine ignorance Your skill shall, like a star i' the darkest night, Stick fiery off indeed. Laer. You mock me, sir. Ham. No, by this hand. King. Give them the foils, young Osric.-Cousin You know the wager? Ham. Very well, my lord; Your grace hath laid the odds o' the weaker side. King. I do not fear it. I have seen you both.But since he's bettered, we have therefore odds. Laer. This is too heavy; let me see another. Ham. This likes me well. These foils have all a [They prepare to play. length? Osr. Ay, my good lord. 2 King. Set me the stoups of wine upon that table.If Hamlet give the first or second hit, Or quit in answer of the third exchange, Let all the battlements their ordnance fire. The king shall drink to Hamlet's better breath; Richer than that which four successive kings Give me the cups; And let the kettle to the trumpet speak, The trumpet to the cannoneer without, 1 The king had wagered six Barbary horses to a few rapiers, poniards, &c.; that is, about twenty to one.-These are the odds here meant. The odds the king means in the next speech were twelve to nine in favor of Hamlet, by Laertes giving him three. 2 Stoup is a common word in Scotland at this day, and denotes a pewter vessel resembling our wine measures; but of no determinate quantity. 3 An union is a precious pearl, remarkable for its size. Under pretence of throwing a pearl into the cup, the king may be supposed to drop some poisonous drug into the wine. Hamlet subsequently asks him tauntingly, "Is the union here?" Enter King, Queen, LAERTES, Lords, OSRIC, and Attendants, with foils, &c. King. Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me. [The King puts the hand of LAERTES into that of HAMLET. Ham. Give me your pardon, sir. I have done you wrong; But pardon it, as you are a gentleman. 1 This presence knows, and you must needs have heard, How I am punished with a sore distraction. What I have done, That might your nature, honor, and exception, And, when he's not himself, does wrong Laertes, Sir, in this audience,2 Let my disclaiming from a purposed evil Laer. To keep my name ungorged. But till that time, And will not wrong it. Ham. 1. e. the king and queen. I embrace it freely, 2 This line is not in the quarto 3 i. e. unwounded. And will this brother's wager frankly play.— Laer. Come, one for me. Ham. I'll be your foil, Laertes; in mine ignorance Your skill shall, like a star i' the darkest night, Stick fiery off indeed. Laer. You mock me, sir. Ham. No, by this hand. King. Give them the foils, young Osric.-Cousin Hamlet, You know the wager? Ham. Very well, my lord; Your grace hath laid the odds o' the weaker side. I have seen you both.— But since he's bettered, we have therefore odds. Laer. This is too heavy; let me see another. Ham. This likes me well. length? Osr. Ay, my good lord. These foils have all a [They prepare to play. King. Set me the stoups of wine upon that table. If Hamlet give the first or second hit, Or quit in answer of the third exchange, Let all the battlements their ordnance fire. The king shall drink to Hamlet's better breath; Richer than that which four successive kings Give me the cups; And let the kettle to the trumpet speak, The trumpet to the cannoneer without, 1 The king had wagered six Barbary horses to a few rapiers, poniards, &c.; that is, about twenty to one.-These are the odds here meant. The odds the king means in the next speech were twelve to nine in favor of Hamlet, by Laertes giving him three. 2 Stoup is a common word in Scotland at this day, and denotes a pewter vessel resembling our wine measures; but of no determinate quantity. 3 An union is a precious pearl, remarkable for its size. Under pretence of throwing a pearl into the cup, the king may be supposed to drop some poisonous drug into the wine. Hamlet subsequently asks him tauntingly, "Is the union here?" Mine and my father's death come not upon thee; [Dies. Ham. Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee. I am dead, Horatio.-Wretched queen, adieu !— You that look pale and tremble at this chance, That are but mutes or audience to this act, Had I but time, (as this fell sergeant,' death, Is strict in his arrest,) O, I could tell you,— But let it be. Horatio, I am dead; -- Thou liv'st; report me and my cause aright I am more an antique Roman than a Dane, As thou'rt a man, Ham. Give me the cup; let go; by Heaven, I'll have it.— O God!-Horatio, what a wounded name, Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me! If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, Absent thee from felicity awhile, And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, To the ambassadors of England gives This warlike volley. Ham. O, I die, Horatio; The potent poison quite o'ercrows my spirit. So tell him, with the occurrents, more or less, [Dies. Hor. Now cracks a noble heart.-Good night, sweet prince ; 1 A sergeant was a bailiff or sheriff's officer. 2 To overcrow is to overcome, to subdue. 3 "The occurrents which have solicited"—the occurrences or incidents which have incited. The sentence is left unfinished. |