Wherein they fay you shine; your fum of parts
Did not together pluck fuch envy from him,
As did that one, and that in my regard
Of the unworthieft fiege.

Laer. What part is that, my Lord ?
King. A very feather in the cap of youth,
Yet needful too; for youth no less becomes
The light and careless livery that it wears,
Than fettled age his fables, and his weeds
Importing wealth and graveness,Two months fince,
Here was a gentleman of Normandy;

I've seen myself, and ferv'd against the French,
And they can well on horseback; but this gallant
Had witchcraft in't, he grew unto his feat;
And to fuch wondrous doing brought his horfe,
As he had been incorps'd and demy natur'd
With the brave beaft; fo far he top'd my thought,
That I in forgery of shapes and tricks

Come fhort of what he did.

Laer. A Norman, was't?

King. A Norman.

Laer. Upon my life, Lamond,

King. The fame.

Laer. I know him well; he is the brooch, indeed, And gem of all the nation.

King. He made confeffion of

you,

And gave you fuch a masterly report,
For art and exercise in your defence;
And for your rapier most especial,

That he cry'd out, 'twould be a fight indeed,

If one could match you. The scrimers of their nation,
He swore, had neither motion, guard, nor eye,
If you oppos'd 'em-Sir, this report of his
Did Hamlet fo invenom with his envy,
That he could nothing do, but wish and beg
Your fudden coming o'er to play with him.
Now out of this-

Laer. What out of this, my Lord ?

King. Laertes, was your father dear to you?
Or are you like the painting of a forrow,
A face without a heart?

Laer. Why afk you this?

King. Not that I think you did not love your father,

But that I know love is begun by time;

And that I fee in paffages of proof,

Time qualifies the spark and fire of it:
"There lives within the very flame of love

"A kind of wick, or snuff, that will abate it,
And nothing is at a like goodness still;

For goodness growing to a pleurity,

Dies in his own too much; what we would do,
We should do when we would; for this would changes,
And hath abatements and delays as many

As there are tongues, are hands, are accidents;
And then this should is like a fpendthrift's figh
That hurts by eafing; but to th' quick o' th' ulcer—
Hamlet comes back; what, would you undertake
To fhew yourself your father's fon indeed

More than in words?

Laer. To cut his throat i' th' church.

King. No place indeed fhould murther fanctuarife;
Revenge fhould have no bounds; but, good Laertes,
Will you do this? keep close within your chamber;
Hamlet, return'd, fhall know you are come home:
We'll put on those shall praise your excellence,
And fet a double varnifh on the fame

The Frenchman gave you; bring you in fine together,
And wager on your heads. He being remifs,
Moft generous, and free from all contriving,
Will not peruse the foils; fo that with ease,
Or with a little fhuffling, you may chufe
A fword unbated *, and in a pass of practice
Requite him for your father.

Laer. I will do't;

t-my fword:

And for the purpose I'll anoint

I bought an unction of a mountebank,

So mortal, that but dip a knife in it,

Where it draws blood, no cataplafm fo rare,
Collected from all fimples that-have-virtue

Under the moon, can fave the thing from death,
That is but scratch'd withal; Ell touch my point
With this contagion, that if I gall him slightly,
It may be death.

i.e. not blunted as folls are,

King. Let's farther think of this;

Weigh what convenience both of time and means
May fit it to our (hape. If this fhould fail,

And that our drift look through our bad performance,
'Twere better not affay'd; therefore this project
Should have a back, or fecond, that might hold,
If this should blast in proof. Soft let me fee-
We'll make a folemn wager on your cunnings;
I ha't—when in your motion you are hot,
(As make your bouts more violent to that end),
And that he calls for drink, I'll have prepar'd him
A chalice for the nonce; whereon but sipping,
If he by chance escape your venom'd tuck,
Our purpose may hold there.

SCENE. X.

How now, fweet Queen?

Enter Queen.

Queen. One woe doth tread upon another's heel, So faft they follow: your fifter's drown'd, Laertes.

Laer. Drown'd! oh where ?

Queen. "There is a willow grows aflant a brook, "That fhews his hoar leaves in the glaffy ftream: "There with fantastic garlands did the come, "Of crow-flowers, nettles, daifies, and long purples, (That liberal fhepherds give a groffer name to; "But our cold maids do dead mens' fingers call them); "There on the pendant boughs, her coronet weeds "Clamb'ring to hang, an envious fliver broke; "When down her weedy trophies and herself "Fell in the weeping brook; her cloaths spread wide, "And mermaid-like, a while they bore her up; "Which time the chaunted fnatches of old tunes, "As one incapable of her own distress ; "Or like a creature native, and endued "Unto that element: but long it could not be, Till that her garments, heavy with their drink, Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay To muddy death.

Laer. Alas then, fhe is drown'd!

Queen. Drown'd, drown'd.

Laer. Too much of water haft thou, poor Ophelia, And therefore I forbid my tears: but yet

7

It is our trick; Nature her culom holds,

Let fhame fay what it will; when thefe are gone,

The woman will be out.

Adieu, my Lord !

[Exit.

I have a fpeech of fire, that fain would blaze,

But that this folly drowns it.

King. Follow, Gertrude:

How much had I to do to calm his rage!

Now fear I this will give it start again;

Therefore let's follow.

[Exeunt.

I

A CT V. SCENE I.

A church.

Enter two Clowns, with spades and mattocks.

Clown. Is the to be buried in Christian burial, that wilfully feeks her own falvation?

2 Clown. I tell thee fhe is, therefore make her grave ftraight; the crowner hath lat on her, and finds it Chriftian burial.

1 Cloun. How can that be, unlefs fhe drowned herfelf in her own defence?

2 Clown. Why, 'tis found fo.

1 Clown "It must be se offendendo, it cannot be else. "For here lies the point: If I drown myself wittingly,

it argues an act; and an act hath three branches; it "is to act, to do, and to perform; argal, fhe drown'd herself wittingly.

2 Clown Nay, but hear you, goodman Delver.

1 Clown. "Give me leave; here lies the water, good: "Here ftands the man, good: If the man go to this water, and drown himdelf, it is, will he, nill he, he goes; mark you that: But if the water come to him, "and drown him, he drowns not himself. Argal, ħe "that is not guilty of his own death, shortens not his own life."

2 Clown But is this law?

1 Clown. Ay, marry is t, crowner's quest law. 2 Clown. Will you ka' the truth out?

If this had not been a gentlewoman, fhe fhould have been buried out of Chriflian burial.

.

Clown. Why, there thou fay'st

And the more

pity, that great folk fhould have countenance in this world to drown or hang themselves, more than their even Christian. Come, my fpade; there is no ancient gentlemen but gardeners, ditchers, and grave-makers; they hold up Adam's profeffion.

2 Closun. Was he a gentlemen?

I Clown. He was the first that ever bore arms.

2 Clown. Why, he had none.

1 Clown. What, art a Heathen? how doft thou underftand the fcripture? the fcripture fays Adam digg'd; could he dig without arms? I'll put another question to thee; if thou answereft me to the purpofe, confefs thyfelf

2 Clown. Go to.

1 Clown. What is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright or the carpenter?

2 Clown. The gallows-maker; for that frame outlives a thousand tenants.

2. Clown, I like thy wit well, in good faith; the gal lows does well; but how does it well? it does well to those that do ill: now thou doft ill, to fay the gallows. is built ftronger than the church; Argal, the gallows may do well to thee. To't again, come.

2 Clown Who builds stronger than a mafon, a ship. wright, or a carpenter?

Clown. Ay, tell me that, and unyoke.

2 Clown. Marry, now I can tell.

1 Clown. To't.

2 Clown. Mafs, I cannot tell.

Enter Hamlet and Horatio, at a distance.

1 Clown. Cudgel thy brains no more about it; for your dull afs will not mend his pace with beating; and when you are afk'd this question next, fay a grave. maker. The houses he makes laft till dooms day Go, get thee to Youghan, and fetch me a ftoup o liquor. [Exit 2 Clown..

He digs, and fings.

In youth when I did love, did love,
Me thought it was very fweet ;.