Laer. Do you see this, O God? King. Laertes, I must commune with your grief, Or you deny me right. Go but apart, Make choice of whom your wisest friends you will, And they shall hear and judge 'twixt you and me: If by direct or by collateral hand They find us touched, we will our kingdom give, Our crown, our life, and all that we call ours, To you in satisfaction; but if not, Be you content to lend your patience to us, Hor. Let Him bless thee too. 1st Sail. He shall, sir, an 't please Him. There's a letter for you, sir; it comes from the ambassador that was bound for England; if your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is. HORATIO 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 good turn for them. Let the king have the letters I have sent; and repair thou to me with as much haste 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 bore 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. "He that thou knowest thine, HAMLET." Come, I will give you way for these your letters; And do't the speedier, that you may direct me To him from whom you brought them. [Exeunt. Work like the spring that turneth wood to stone, Laer. And so have I a noble father lost; That we are made of stuff so flat and dull, Enter a Messenger. Mess. Letters, my lord, from Hamlet: This to your majesty; this to the queen. King. From Hamlet! Who brought them? Mess. Sailors, my lord, they say: I saw them not. They were given me by Claudio; he received them of him that brought them. King. Laertes, you shall hear them.-—Leave us. [Exit Messenger. KING reads. "High and mighty, you shall know I am set naked on your kingdom. To-morrow shall I beg leave to see your kingly eyes: when I shall, first asking your pardon thereunto, recount the occasion of my sudden and more strange return. "HAMLET." What should this mean? Are all the rest come back? Or is it some abuse, and no such thing? King. "Tis Hamlet's character. "Naked,”And, in a postscript here, he says, "Alone." Can you advise me? Laer. I am lost in it, my lord. But let him come; It warms the very sickness in my heart, That I shall live and tell him to his teeth, "Thus diddest thou." King. organ. It falls right. You have been talked of since your travel much, Laer. What part is that, my lord? Here was a gentleman of Normandy,— I have seen myself, and served against, the French, Laer. A Norman was 't? King. A Norman. Laer. Upon my life, Lamord. King. The very same. Laer. I know him well: he is the brooch, indeed, And gem of all the nation. King. He made confession of you; And gave you such a masterly report For art and exercise in your defence, And for your rapier most especially, That he cried out, 't would be a sight indeed If one could match you: the scrimers of their nation, He swore, had neither motion, guard, nor eye, If you opposed them. Sir, this report of his Did Hamlet so envenom with his envy, That he could nothing do but wish and beg Your sudden coming o'er, to play with you. Now, out of this, Revenge should have no bounds. But, good Laertes, And wager on your heads: he, being remiss, Laer. And, for the purpose, I'll anoint my sword. King. Let's further think of this; When in your motion you are hot and dry How now, sweet queen? Queen. One woe doth tread upon another's heel, So fast they follow:-Your sister's drowned, Laertes. Laer. Drowned! O, where? Queen. There is a willow grows ascaunt the brook, There, on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds |