King Laer. King Laer. King Danes Laer. Oph. Good Laertes, if you desire to know the certainty Swoop-stake, you will draw both friend and foe, Winner and loser ? None but his enemies. Will you know them then? To his good friends, thus wide I'll ope my arms; Why, now you speak [Fantastically drest with straws and flowers] O heat, dry up my brains! tears seven times salt, O heavens! is't possible a young maid's wits [Sings] They bore him barefaced on the bier; Laer. Oph. Laer. Oph. Laer. Oph. Laer. Oph. Hadst thou thy wits, and didst persuade revenge, You must sing "a-down a-down," O, how the wheel It is the false steward that stole his master's daughter. This nothing's more than matter. There's rosemary; that's for remembrance: pray you love, remember and there is pansies; that's for thoughts. A document in madness: thoughts and remembrance fitted-O God! O God! There's fennel for you, and columbines; there's rue for you; and here's some for me: we may call it herb of grace o' Sundays: you must wear your rue with a difference. There's a daisy: I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died: they say he made a good end. [Sings] For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy. Thought and afflictions, passion, hell itself, She turns to favour and to prettiness. Laer. King Do you see this, O God! Laertes, I must commune with your grief, [Exit Ophelia] Laer. King Or you deny me right. Go but apart, They find us touch'd, we will our kingdom give, To you in satisfaction: but if not, Be you content to lend your patience to us, You have prevail'd my lord; a while I'll strive, Which once unhearsed, then the world shall hear His means of death, his obscure funeral, No trophy, sword, nor hatchment o'er his bones, Cry to be heard, as 'twere from heaven to earth, So you shall; And where th' offence is, let the great axe fall. [Exeunt King and Laertes] Hor. Serv. Hor. SCENE VI-ELSINORE A ROOM IN THE CASTLE Enter HORATIO and a Servant What are they that would speak with me? Sea-faring men, sir; they say they have letters for you. [Exit Servant] I do not know from what part of the world God bless you, sir. Let him bless thee too. Enter Sailors He shall, sir, an't please him. There's a letter for you, sir; it came from th'ambassador that was bound for England; if your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is. [Reads] Horatio, when thou shalt have overlooked this, give these fellows some means to the king; they have letters for him. Ere we were two days old at sea, a pirate of very warlike appointment gave us chase. Finding ourselves too slow of sail, we put on a compelled valour, and in the grapple I boarded them: on the instant they got clear of our ship, so I alone became their prisoner. They have dealt with me like thieves of mercy; but they knew what they did; I am to do a turn for them. Let the king have the letters I have sent; and repair thou to me with as much speed as thou wouldst fly death. I have words to speak in thine ear will make thee dumb; yet are they much too light for the bord of the matter. These good fellows will bring thee where I am. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hold their course for England; of them I have much to tell thee. Farewell. So that thou knowest thine Come, I will you way for these your letters; [Exeunt Horatio and Sailors] HAMLET. King SCENE VII-ELSINORE THE KING'S APARTMENT IN THE CASTLE Enter KING and LAERTES Now must your conscience my acquittance seal, Laer. King Laer. King Mess. Sith you have heard, and with a knowing ear, It well appears; but tell me So criminal and so capital in nature, As by your safety, greatness, wisdom, all things else, Oh, for two special reasons, That, as the star moves not but in his sphere, Is the great love the general gender bear him; And so have I a noble father lost; Whose worth, (if praises may go back again) For her perfections. But my revenge will come. Break not your sleeps for that; you must not think That we can let our beard be shook with danger, And that, I hope, will teach you to imagine Enter a Messenger with letters These to your majesty; this to the queen. |