Osr. I commend my duty to your lordship. [Exit OSRICK. Hor. You will lose this wager, 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. But thou would'st not think how ill all's here 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 gaingiving, as would, perhaps, trouble a woman. Hor. If your mind dislike any thing, obey it: I will forestall their repair hither, and say, you are not fit. Ham. Not a whit, we defy augury; there is a special Providence in the fall of a sparrow. [Exeunt. SCENE III. The Court of Denmark. Flourish of Trumpets and Drums. KING and QUEEN, seated,-LAERTES, OSRICK, MARCELLUS, BERNARDO, FRANCISCO, GENTLEMEN, and LADIES, discovered. Enter HAMLET and HoRatio. King. Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me. Ham. Give me your pardon, sir: I have done you wrong: But, pardon it, as you are a gentleman. Let my disclaiming from a purpos'd evil, Free me so far in your most generous thoughts, Laer. I am satisfied in nature, Whose motive, in this case, should stir me most To my revenge: I do receive your offer'd love like love, And will not wrong it. Ham. I embrace it freely; And will this brother's wager frankly play.— Laer. Come, one for me. Ham. I'll be your foil, Laertes; in mine igno rance Your skill shall, like a star i̇'the darkest night, Stick fiery off indeed. Laer. You mock me, sir. Ham. No, by this hand. King. Give them the foils, young Osrick.[OSRICK gives the Foils to HAMLET and LAERTES. Cousin Hamlet, You know the wager? Ham. Very well, my lord: Your grace hath laid the odds o' the weaker side. Ham. This likes me well :-These foils have all a length? Osr. Ay, my good lord. King. Set me the stoups of wine upon that table: If Hamlet give the first or second hit, Or quit in answer of the third exchange, The king shall drink to Hamlet's better breath: And in the cup a union shall he throw, cups; And let the kettle to the trumpet speak, Give me the The cannons to the Heavens, the Heavens to earth, Now the King drinks to Hamlet. [He drinks. [Drums and Trumpets sound,-Cannons shot off within. Come begin; And you, the judges, bear a wary eye. Ham. Come on, sir. Laer. Come, my lord. They play. Ham. One. Laer. No. Ham. Judgment. Osr. A hit, a very palpable hit. [Drums and Trumpets,-Cannon. Laer. Well, again, King. Stay; give me the drink :—Hamlet, this pearl is thine;- [Puts Poison into the Cup. [He pretends to drink. [Gives the Cup to FRANCISCO. Here's to thy health. Give him the cup. Ham. I'll play this bout first; set it by a while. Come.- [They play.] Another hit: What say you? Laer. A touch, a touch, I do confess. King. Our son shall win. [Talks to MARcellus. Queen. The queen carouses to thy fortune, Ham let. Ham. Good madam, [The QUEEN drinks. [Drums and Trumpets,-Cannon. King. Gertrude, do not drink. Queen. I have, my lord, I pray you, pardon me. King. It is the poison'd cup; it is too late. [Aside. Laer. I'll hit him now: And yet it is almost against my conscience. [Aside. Ham. Come, for the third, Laertes:-You do but dally; I pray you, pass with your best violence; I am afeard, you make a wanton of me. [They play.-LAERTES wounds HAMLET: then, King. Part them, they are incens'd. Ham. Nay, come again. [HAMLET wounds LAERTES, who falls. Queen. 0, 0, 0! Osr. Look to the queen there, ho! Hor. How is it, my lord? Osr. How is't, Laertes ? [She swoons. Laer. Why, as a woodcock to my own springe, Osrick; I am justly kill'd with mine own treachery. Ham. How does the queen? King. She swoons to see them bleed. Queen. No, no; the drink, the drink, O, my dear The drink, the drink,-I am poison'd. [She dies. Ham. O villainy!-Ho! let the door be lock'd : Treachery! seek it out. Laer. It is here, Hamlet: Hamlet, thou art slain; No medicine in the world can do thee good, In thee there is not half an hour's life; The treacherous instrument is in thy hand, Unbated, and envenom'd: the foul practice Hath turn'd itself on me: lo, here I lie, Never to rise again: Thy mother's poison'd; I can no more;-the King, the King's to blame. Ham. The point Envenom'd too! Then, venom, to thy work! I Here, thou incestuous, murd'rous, damned Dane, Follow my mother.— [Stabs the KING, who dies. Laer. He is justly serv'd.— [He dies. Thou liv'st; report me and my cause aright Hor. Never believe't; [Takes the Cup from FRANCISCO. I am more an antique Roman than a Dane, Here's yet some liquor left. Ham. As thou'rt a man, [Snatches the Cup. Give me the cup; let go; by Heaven, I'll have it. O, good Horatio, what a wounded name, Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me! If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, Absent thee from felicity a while, And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, The potent poison quite o'ergrows my spirit : The rest is silence. Hor. Now cracks a noble heart: sweet prince; [He dies. -Good night, And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! Give order, that these bodies High on a stage be placed to the view; And let me speak, to the yet unknowing world, How these things came about. Bear Hamlet, like a soldier, to the stage; For he was likely, had he been put on, |