Ham.
So much for this, now shall you see 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 I lay
Worse than the mutineers in bilboes; rashness
(And prais'd be rashness for it) lets us know
Our indiscretion sometimes serves us well,
When our deep plots do fail; and that should teach us,
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 forgetting manners) to unseal
Their grand commission, where I found, Horatio,
A royal knavery; an exact command,
Larded with many several sorts of reasons,
Importing Denmark's health, and England's too,
(With ho! such buggs and goblings in my life,)
That on the supervize, no leisure bated,
No not to stay the grinding of the ax,
My head should be struck off.

Hor.
Is't possible?

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

Hor.
I beseech you.

Ham.
Being thus benetted round with villains,
Ere I could make a prologue to my brains,
They had begun the play. I sate 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
Th' effect 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,
As peace should still her wheaten garland wear,

And stand a comma 'tween their amities,
And many such like As's of great charge;
That on the view and knowing these contents,
Without debatement further, more or less,
He should the bearers put to sudden death,
No shriving time allow'd.

Hor.
How was this seal'd?

Ham.
Why ev'n in that was heaven ordinate;
I had my father's signet in my purse,
Which was the model of that Danish seal:
I folded the writ up in form of th' other,
Subscrib'd it, gave th' impression, plac'd it safely,
The change was never known: now, the next day
Was our sea-fight, and what to this was sequent,
Thou know'st already.

Hor.
So, Guildenstern and Rosincrosse go to't.

Ham.
They are not near my conscience; their defeat
Doth by their own insinuation grow:
'Tis dangerous when 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'st thou, stand me now upon?
He that hath kill'd my King, and whor'd my mother,
Popt in between th' election and my hopes,
Thrown out his angle for my proper life,
And with such cozenage; is't not perfect conscience,
To quit him with this arm? and is't not to be damn'd,
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's 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 my self;
For by the image of my cause I see
The pourtraiture of his; I'll court his favours:
But sure the bravery of his grief did put me
Into a towring passion.

Hor.
Peace, who comes here?

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