Ham. Up from my cabin, My sea-gown scarf'd about me, in the dark Their grand commission; where I found, Horatio, Hor. Is't possible? Ham. Here's the commission; read it at more lei sure. But wilt thou hear now how I did proceed? Hor. Ay, 'beseech you. Ham. Being thus benetted round with villanies, Or I could make a prologue to my brains, Hor. Ay, good my lord. As England was his faithful tributary; As love between them like the palm might flourish; '; And stand a comma 'tween their amities 129 And many such like as's of great charge,- He should the bearers put to sudden death, Hor. How was this seal'd? Ham. Why, even in that was heaven ordinant; I had my father's signet in my purse, Which was the model of that Danish seal: Folded the writ up in form of the other; Subscrib'd it; gave't the impression; plac'd it safely, The changeling never known: Now, the next day Was our sea-fight; and what to this was sequent Thou know'st already. Hor. So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to't. Ham. Why, man, they did make love to this em ployment; They are not near my conscience; their defeat 'Tis dangerous, when the baser nature comes Of mighty opposites. Hor. Why, what a king is this! Ham. Does it not, think thee, stand me now upon? He that hath kill'd my king, and whor'd my mother; Popp'd in between the 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 is mine; For by the image of my cause, I see The portraiture of his: I'll count his favours: Hor. Peace; who comes here? -Enter OSRICK, Osr. Your lordship is right welcome back to Denmark. Ham. I humbly thank you, sir.-Dost know this water-fly? Hor. No, my good lord. Ham. Thy state is the more gracious; for 'tis a vice to know him: he hath much land, and fertile: let a beast be lord of beasts, and his crib shall stand at the king's mess: 'Tis a chough; but, as I say, spaeious in the possession of dirt. 1 Osr. Sweet lord, if your lordship were at leisure, I should impart a thing to you from his majesty. Ham. I will receive it, sir, with all diligence of spirit: Your 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, it is very sultry and hot; or my complexion Osr. Exceedingly, my lord; it is very sultry, -as 'twere, I cannot tell how.-My lord, his majesty bade me signify to you, that he has laid a great wager on your head: Sir, this is the matter,— Ham. I beseech you, remember [Hamlet moves him to put on his hat. Osr. Nay, good my lord; for my ease, in good faith 130. Sir, 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 of him, he is the card or calendar 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 13;-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 article; and his infusion of such dearth and rareness, as, to make true diction of him, his semblable is his mirrour; 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? Hor. 192 Is't not possible to understand in another tongue? You will do't, sir, really. Ham. What imports the nomination of this gentleman? Osr. Of Laertes ? Hor. His purse is empty already; all his golden words are spent. 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 of what excellence Laertes is Ham. I dare not confess that, lest I should compare with him in excellence; but, to know a man well, were to know himself. Osr. I mean, sir, for his weapon; but in the imputation laid on him by them, in his meed 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, hath wager'd with him six Barbary horses against the which he has impawn'd, as I : |