Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed

Hamlet (Quarto 1, 1603)

The Tragedy of Hamlet
3595Gent. Now God saue thee, sweete prince Hamlet.
3595.1Ham. And you sir: foh, how the muske-cod smels!
Gen. I come with an embassage from his maiesty to you
Ham. I shall sir giue you attention:
3600By my troth me thinkes t'is very colde.
Gent. It is indeede very rawish colde.
Ham. T'is hot me thinkes.
3605Gent. Very swoltery hote:
The King, sweete Prince, hath layd a wager on your side,
Six Barbary horse, against six french rapiers,
With all their acoutrements too, a the carriages:
3620In good faith they are very curiously wrought.
Ham. The cariages sir, I do not know what you meane.
Gent. The girdles, and hangers sir, and such like.
Ham. The worde had beene more cosin german to the
3625phrase, if he could haue carried the canon by his side,
And howe's the wager? I vnderstand you now.
3630Gent. Mary sir, that yong Leartes in twelue venies
At Rapier and Dagger do not get three oddes of you,
And on your side the King hath laide,
And desires you to be in readinesse.
Ham. Very well, if the King dare venture his wager,
I dare venture my skull: when must this be?
Gent. My Lord, presently, the king, and her maiesty,
3657.10With the rest of the best iudgement in the Court,
Are comming downe into the outward pallace.
Ham. Goe tell his maiestie, I wil attend him.
Gent. I shall deliuer your most sweet answer. exit.
Ham. You may sir, none better, for y'are spiced,
3644.1Else he had a bad nose could not smell a foole.
Hor. He will disclose himselfe without inquirie.
Ham. Beleeue me Horatio, my hart is on the sodaine
Very sore, all here about.
Hor. My lord, forbeare the challenge then.
Ham. No Horatio, not I, if danger be now,
Why then it is not to come, theres a predestiuate prouidence
in