3007King. Now must your conscience my acquittance seal,

3008And you must put me in your heart for Friend,

3009Sith you haue heard, and with a knowing eare,

3010That he which hath your Noble Father slaine,

3011Pursued my life.

3012Laer. It well appeares. But tell me,

3013Why you proceeded not against these feates,

3014So crimefull, and so Capitall in Nature,

3015As by your Safety, Wisedome, all things else,

3016You mainly were stirr'd vp?

3017King. O for two speciall Reasons,

3018Which may to you (perhaps) seeme much vnsinnowed,

3019And yet to me they are strong. The Queen his Mother,

3020Liues almost by his lookes: and for my selfe,

3021My Vertue or my Plague, be it either which,

3022She's so coniunctiue to my life and soule;

3023That as the Starre moues not but in his Sphere,

3024I could not but by her. The other Motiue,

3025Why to a publike count I might not go,

3026Is the great loue the generall gender beare him,

3027Who dipping all his Faults in their affection,

3028Would like the Spring that turneth Wood to Stone,

3029Conuert his Gyues to Graces. So that my Arrowes

3030Too slightly timbred for so loud a Winde,

3031Would haue reuerted to my Bow againe,

3032And not where I had arm'd them.

3033Laer. And so haue I a Noble Father lost,

3034A Sister driuen into desperate tearmes,

3035Who was (if praises may go backe againe)

3036Stood Challenger on mount of all the Age

3037For her perfections. But my reuenge will come.

3038King. Breake not your sleepes for that,

3039You must not thinke

3040That we are made of stuffe, so flat, and dull,

3041That we can let our Beard be shooke with danger,

3042And thinke it pastime. You shortly shall heare more,

3043I lou'd your Father, and we loue our Selfe,

3044And that I hope will teach you to imagine---

3046How now? What Newes?

3047Mes. Letters my Lord from Hamlet. This to your

3048Maiesty: this to the Queene.

3049King. From Hamlet? Who brought them?

3050Mes. Saylors my Lord they say, I saw them not:

3051They were giuen me by Claudio, he receiu'd them.

3052King. Laertes you shall heare them:

3053Leaue vs. Exit Messenger

3054 High and Mighty, you shall know I am set naked on your

3055Kingdome. To morrow shall I begge leaue to see your Kingly

3056Eyes. When I shall (first asking your Pardon thereunto) re-

3057count th'Occasions of my sodaine, and more strange returne.

3059What should this meane? Are all the rest come backe?

3060Or is it some abuse? Or no such thing?

3061Laer. Know you the hand?

3062Kin. 'Tis Hamlets Character, naked and in a Post-

3063script here he sayes alone: Can you aduise me?

3064Laer. I'm lost in it my Lord; but let him come,

3065It warmes the very sicknesse in my heart,

3066That I shall liue and tell him to his teeth;

3067Thus diddest thou.

3068Kin. If it be so Laertes, as how should it be so:

3069How otherwise will you be rul'd by me?

3070Laer. If so you'l not o'rerule me to a peace.

3071Kin. To thine owne peace: if he be now return'd,

3072As checking at his Voyage, and that he meanes

3073No more to vndertake it; I will worke him

3074To an exployt now ripe in my Deuice,

3075Vnder the which he shall not choose but fall;

3076And for his death no winde of blame shall breath,

3077But euen his Mother shall vncharge the practice,

3078And call it accident: Some two Monthes hence

3079Here was a Gentleman of Normandy,

3080I'ue seene my selfe, and seru'd against the French,

3081And they ran well on Horsebacke; but this Gallant

276 The Tragedie of Hamlet.

3082Had witchcraft in't; he grew into his Seat,

3083And to such wondrous doing brought his Horse,

3084As had he beene encorps't and demy-Natur'd

3085With the braue Beast, so farre he past my thought,

3086That I in forgery of shapes and trickes,

3087Come short of what he did.

3088Laer. A Norman was't?

3089Kin. A Norman.

3090Laer. Vpon my life Lamound.

3091Kin. The very same.

3092Laer. I know him well, he is the Brooch indeed,

3093And Iemme of all our Nation.

3094Kin. Hee mad confession of you,

3095And gaue you such a Masterly report,

3096For Art and exercise in your defence;

3097And for your Rapier most especially,

3098That he cryed out, t'would be a sight indeed,

3099If one could match you Sir. This report of his

3100Did Hamlet so envenom with his Enuy,

3101That he could nothing doe but wish and begge,

3102Your sodaine comming ore to play with him;

3103Now out of this.

3104Laer. Why out of this, my Lord?

3105Kin. Laertes was your Father deare to you?

3106Or are you like the painting of a sorrow,

3107A face without a heart?

3108Laer. Why aske you this?

3109Kin. Not that I thinke you did not loue your Father,

3110But that I know Loue is begun by Time:

3111And that I see in passages of proofe,

3112Time qualifies the sparke and fire of it:

3113Hamlet comes backe: what would you vndertake,

3114To show your selfe your Fathers sonne indeed,

3115More then in words?

3116Laer. To cut his throat i'th' Church.

3117Kin. No place indeed should murder Sancturize;

3118Reuenge should haue no bounds: but good Laertes

3119Will you doe this, keepe close within your Chamber,

3120Hamlet return'd, shall know you are come home:

3121Wee'l put on those shall praise your excellence,

3122And set a double varnish on the fame

3123The Frenchman gaue you, bring you in fine together,

3124And wager on your heads, he being remisse,

3125Most generous, and free from all contriuing,

3126Will not peruse the Foiles? So that with ease,

3127Or with a little shuffling, you may choose

3128A Sword vnbaited, and in a passe of practice,

3129Requit him for your Father.

3130Laer. I will doo't,

3131And for that purpose Ile annoint my Sword:

3132I bought an Vnction of a Mountebanke

3133So mortall, I but dipt a knife in it,

3134Where it drawes blood, no Cataplasme so rare,

3135Collected from all Simples that haue Vertue

3136Vnder the Moone, can saue the thing from death,

3137That is but scratcht withall: Ile touch my point,

3138With this contagion, that if I gall him slightly,

3139It may be death.

3140Kin. Let's further thinke of this,

3141Weigh what conuenience both of time and meanes

3142May fit vs to our shape, if this should faile;

3143And that our drift looke through our bad performance,

3144'Twere better not assaid; therefore this Proiect

3145Should haue a backe or second, that might hold,

3146If this should blast in proofe: Soft, let me see

3147Wee'l make a solemne wager on your commings,

3148I ha't: when in your motion you are hot and dry,

3149As make your bowts more violent to the end,

3150And that he cals for drinke; Ile haue prepar'd him

3151A Challice for the nonce; whereon but sipping,

3152If he by chance escape your venom'd stuck,

3153Our purpose may hold there; how sweet Queene.

3155Queen. One woe doth tread vpon anothers heele,

3156So fast they'l follow: your Sister's drown'd Laertes.

3157Laer. Drown'd! O where?

3158Queen. There is a Willow growes aslant a Brooke,

3159That shewes his hore leaues in the glassie streame:

3160There with fantasticke Garlands did she come,

3161Of Crow-flowers, Nettles, Daysies, and long Purples,

3162That liberall Shepheards giue a grosser name;

3163But our cold Maids doe Dead Mens Fingers call them:

3164There on the pendant boughes, her Coronet weeds

3165Clambring to hang; an enuious sliuer broke,

3166When downe the weedy Trophies, and her selfe,

3167Fell in the weeping Brooke, her cloathes spred wide,

3168And Mermaid-like, a while they bore her vp,

3169Which time she chaunted snatches of old tunes,

3170As one incapable of her owne distresse,

3171Or like a creature Natiue, and indued

3172Vnto that Element: but long it could not be,

3173Till that her garments, heauy with her drinke,

3174Pul'd the poore wretch from her melodious buy,

3175To muddy death.

3176Laer. Alas then, is she drown'd?

3177Queen. Drown'd, drown'd.

3178Laer. Too much of water hast thou poore Ophelia,

3179And therefore I forbid my teares: but yet

3180It is our tricke, Nature her custome holds,

3181Let shame say what it will; when these are gone

3182The woman will be out: Adue my Lord,

3183I haue a speech of fire, that faine would blaze,

3184But that this folly doubts it. Exit.

3185Kin. Let's follow, Gertrude:

3186How much I had to doe to calme his rage?

3187Now feare I this will giue it start againe;

3188Therefore let's follow. Exeunt.