Hamlet (Quarto 1, 1603)
Not Peer Reviewed
¶
Enter King and Leartes.
¶What chance is this? they are gone, and he come home.
3065At it my iocund heart doth leape for ioy,
¶That I shall liue to tell him, thus he dies.
3068.1And you shall haue no let for your reuenge.
2885Lear. My will, not all the world.
¶King Nay but Leartes, marke the plot I haue layde,
3100I haue heard him often with a greedy wish,
¶Touching your weapon, which with all his heart,
¶He might be once tasked for to try your cunning.
¶Lea. And how for this?
¶King Mary Leartes thus: I'le lay a wager,
¶The which will draw him with a more desire,
¶To try the maistry, that in twelue venies
¶You gaine not three of him: now this being granted,
.5When you are hot in midst of all your play,
¶Among the foyles shall a keene rapier lie,
¶Steeped in a mixture of deadly poyson,
¶That if it drawes but the least dramme of blood,
¶In any part of him, he cannot liue:
¶And not the deerest friend that Hamlet lov'de
3130Lear. My lord, I like it well:
¶King I'le warrant you, wee'le put on you
Such a report of singularitie,
¶Will bring him on, although against his will.
¶In all his heate when that he calles for drinke,
Lear. T'is excellent, O would the time were come!
¶Here comes the Queene.
enter the Queene.
king How now Gertred, why looke you heauily?
3153.1Queene O my Lord, the yong Ofelia
¶Sitting vpon a willow by a brooke,
¶And for a while her clothes spread wide abroade,
Euen Mermaide-like, twixt heauen and earth,
¶Chaunting olde sundry tunes vncapable
¶Till that her clothes, being heauy with their drinke,
¶Dragg'd the sweete wretch to death.
¶Too much of water hast thou Ofelia,
¶Therefore I will not drowne thee in my teares,
3179.1Reuenge it is must yeeld this heart releefe,
¶For woe begets woe, and griefe hangs on griefe.
exeunt.