Ham.
So much for this, sir: now shall you see ^note the other;—
You do remember all the circumstance?

Hor.
Remember it, my lord!

Ham.
Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting,
That would not let me sleep; methought ^note, I lay
Worse than the mutines in the bilboes. ^note Rashness ^note
(And prais'd ^note be rashness for it!) lets us know,
Our indiscretion sometime ^note serves us ^note well,
When our deep plots do fail: ^{note note} and that should teach us ^note,
There's a divinity that shapes our ends,
Rough-hew them how we will.

Hor.
That is most certain.

Ham.
Up from my cabin,
My sea-gown scarft about me, in the dark
Grop'd I to find out them: had my desire;
Finger'd their packet; and, in fine, withdrew
To mine own room again: making so bold,
My fears ^note forgetting manners, to unseal ^note
Their grand commission; where I found, Horatio,
A royal ^note knavery; an exact command,—
Larded with many several sorts of reasons, ^note
Importing Denmark's health, and England's too,
With, ho, such bugs and goblins in my life,—
That, on the supervize, no leisure bated,
No, not to stay the grinding of the axe,
My head should be strook off.

Hor.
Is't possible?

Ham.
Here's the &dagger2; commission; read it at more leisure.
But wilt thou hear now how ^note I did proceed?

Hor.
Ay, 'beseech you.

Ham.
Being thus benetted14Q1478 round with villanies, ^note—
Or I could make a prologue to my brains,
They had begun the play;—I sat ^note me down;
Devis'd a new commission; wrote it fair:
I once did hold it, as our statists do,
A baseness to write fair, and labour'd much
How to forget that learning; but, sir, now
It did me yeoman's service: Wilt thou know
The effect ^note of what I wrote?

Hor.
Ay, good my lord.

Ham.
An earnest conjuration from the king,—
As England was his faithful tributary;
As love between them like the palm might flourish ^note;
As peace should still her wheaten garland wear,
And stand a commere ^note14Q1479 'tween their amities;
And many such like as's of ^note great charge,—
That, on the view and knowing of ^note these contents,
Without debatement further, more, or less,
He should the bearers ^note put to sudden death,
Not shriving time allow'd.

Hor.
How was this seal'd?

Ham.
Why, even in that was heaven ordinant; ^note
I had my father's signet in my purse,
Which was the model of that Danish seal:
I folded the writ up in form ^note of the other;
Subscrib'd ^note it; gav't the ^note impression; plac'd it safely,
The changeling never known: Now, the next day

Was our sea-fight; and what to this was sequent ^note
Thou know'st already.

Hor.
So Guildenstern and Rosincrantz go to't.

Ham.
Why, man, they did make love to this employment; ^note
They are not near my conscience; their defeat ^note
Does ^note by their own insinuation grow:
'Tis dangerous, when the ^note baser nature comes
Between the pass and fell incensed points
Of mighty opposites.

Hor.
Why, what a king is this!

Ham.
Does it not, think thee, ^note stand me now upon?
He that hath kill'd my king, and whor'd my mother;
Popt in between the election and my hopes;
Thrown out his angle for my proper life,
And with such cous'nage; is't not perfect conscience,
To quit him with this arm? and is't not to be damn'd, ^note
To let this canker of our nature come
In further evil.

Hor.
It must be shortly known to him from England,
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 ^note his favours:
But, sure, the bravery of his grief did put me
Into a towering passion.

Hor.
Peace; who comes here? Enter Osrick, a Courtier.

Osr.
Your lordship is right welcome back to Denmark.

Ham.
I humbly thank you, sir.—&clquo;Dost know this water-fly?&crquo;

&clquo;Hor.
&clquo;No, my good lord.&crquo;

&clquo;Ham.

&clquo;Thy state is the more gracious; for 'tis a vice, to know him: He hath much land, and fertil: let a beast be lord of beasts, and his crib shall stand at the king's mess: 'tis a cough; ^note but, as I say, spacious ^note in the possession of dirt&crquo;

Osr.

Sweet lord, if your lordship ^note were at leisure, I should impart a thing to you from his majesty.

Ham.

I will receive it, sir, ^note with all diligence of spirit: Your ^note bonnet to his right use; 'tis for the head.

Osr.

I thank your lordship, 'tis very hot.

Ham.

No, believe me, 'tis very cold; the wind is northerly.

Osr.

It is indifferent cold, my lord, indeed.

Ham.

But yet, methinks ^note, it is very sultry and hot; or my complexion—14Q1480

Osr.

Exceedingly, my lord; it is very sultry, as't were; I cannot tell how. My ^note lord, his majesty bad me signify to you, ^note that he has lay'd a great wager on your head: Sir, this is the matter;—

Ham.

I beseech you, remember.

Osr.

Nay, good my lord; for my ease ^note, in good faith. Sir, ^note 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 ^note of him, he is the very card or kalendar 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 inventorially, would dizzy

the arithmetick of memory;—and yet but raw neither, in respect of his quick sail. But, in the verity of extolment, I take him to be a soul of great ^note 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.

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?

&clquo;Hor.

&clquo;Is't not possible to understand in another tongue?—You will do't, sir, rarely. ^note&crquo;

Ham.

What imports the nomination of this gentleman?

Osr.

Of Laertes?

&clquo;Hor.

&clquo;His purse is empty already; all's golden words ^note are spent.&crquo;

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 ^note of what excellence Laertes is:

Ham.

I dare not confess that, lest I should compare with him in excellence; for, to ^note know a man well, were to know himself.

Osr.

I mean, sir,14Q1481 for his ^note weapon; but in the imputation lay'd on him by them: in this meed ^note he's unfellow'd.

Ham.

What's his weapon?

Osr.

Rapier and dagger.

Ham.

That's two of his weapons: but, well.

Osr.

The king, sir ^note, has wager'd with him six Barbary horses: against the which he has ^note impon'd ^note, as I take it, six French rapiers and poniards, with their assigns, as girdle, hanger, and so; ^note 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?

&clquo;Hor.

&clquo;I knew, you must be edify'd by the margent, ^note ere you had done.&crquo;

Osr.

The carriages ^note, sir, are the hangers.

Ham.

The phrase would be more germane ^note to the matter, if we could carry a ^note cannon by our sides; I would, it might be ^note hangers 'till then. But, on: Six Barbary horses, against six French swords, their assigns, and three liberal-conceited carriages; that's the French bet ^note against the Danish; Why is this impon'd, as you ^note call it?

Osr.

The king, sir, hath lay'd, that ^note, in a dozen passes between yourself and ^note him, he shall not exceed you three hits: he hath lay'd on twelve for nine; and it would ^note 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.

Ham.

Sir, I will walk here in the hall; if it please his majesty, it is the breathing time of day with me, let the foils be brought: the gentleman willing, and the king holding his purpose, I will win for him, an I ^note can; if not, I will ^note gain nothing but my shame, and the odd hits.

Osr.

Shall I deliver you so? ^note

Ham.

To that effect, sir; after what flourish your nature will.

Osr.

I commend my duty to your lordship.

Ham.

Yours ^note, yours.—[Exit Osrick.] He does well, to commend it himself; there are no tongues ^note else for's ^note turn.

Hor.

This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head.

Ham.

He did compliment ^note14Q1482 with his dug, before he ^note suck'd it. Thus has he ^note (and many more ^note of the same breed, ^note that, I know, the drossy age dotes on) only got the tune of the time, an outward ^note habit ^note of encounter; a kind of yesty ^note collection, that carries them through and through the most fan'd ^note and ^note winnow'd ^note opinions; and, do but blow them to their trial ^note, the bubbles are out.

Cou.

My lord, his majesty commended him to you by young Osrick, who brings back to him, that you attend him in the hall: he sends to know, if your pleasure hold to play with Laertes, or that you will take longer time.

Ham.

I am constant to my purposes, they follow the king's pleasure: if his fitness speaks, mine is ready; now, or whensoever, provided I be so able as now.

Cou.

The king, and queen, and all are coming down.

Ham.

In happy time.

Cou.

The queen desires you, to use some gentle entertainment to Laertes, before you fall to ^note play.

Ham.

She well instructs me.

Hor.

You will lose this wager ^note, my lord.

Ham.

I do not think so; since he went into France, I have been in continual practice; I shall win at the odds. ^note Thou would'st not think, how ill all's here ^note about my heart: but it is no matter.

Hor.

Nay, good my lord,—

Ham.

It is but foolery; but it is such a kind of 'gain-giving ^note, as would, perhaps, trouble a woman.

Hor.

If your mind dislike any thing, obey it: I ^note will forestal ^note their repair hither, and say, you are not fit.

Ham.

Not a whit, we defy augury; there is special ^note providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ^note '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, of ought he leaves, knows, what is't ^note to leave betimes? Let be ^note.