Mess. Letters, my lord, from Hamlet:
This to your majesty; this to the queen.[1860]
King. From Hamlet! who brought them?[1861]
Mess. Sailors, my lord, they say; I saw them not:
They were given me by Claudio; he received them 40
Of him that brought them.
King. Laertes, you shall hear them.[1862]
Leave us. [Exit Messenger.[1863]
[Reads] 'High and mighty, You shall know I am set[1864]
naked on your kingdom. To-morrow shall I beg leave[1865]
to see your kingly eyes: when I shall, first asking your[1866][1867] 45
pardon thereunto, recount the occasion of my sudden and[1866][1868][1869]
more strange return.[1869]
'Hamlet.'[1870]
What should this mean? Are all the rest come back?
Or is it some abuse, and no such thing?[1871] 50
Laer. Know you the hand?
Laer. I'm lost in it, my lord. But let him come;[1875] 55
It warms the very sickness in my heart,
That I shall live and tell him to his teeth,[1876]
'Thus didest thou.'[1877]
King. To thine own peace. If he be now return'd,[1882]
As checking at his voyage, and that he means[1883]
No more to undertake it, I will work him
To an exploit now ripe in my device,[1884] 65
Under the which he shall not choose but fall:
And for his death no wind of blame shall breathe;
But even his mother shall uncharge the practice,
And call it accident.[1885]
King. It falls right.[1886]
You have been talk'd of since your travel much,[1886]
And that in Hamlet's hearing, for a quality[1886]
Wherein, they say, you shine: your sum of parts[1886]
Did not together pluck such envy from him,[1886] 75
As did that one, and that in my regard[1886]
Of the unworthiest siege.[1886]
Laer. What part is that, my lord?[1886]
King. A very riband in the cap of youth,[1886][1889]
Yet needful too; for youth no less becomes[1886]
The light and careless livery that it wears[1886] 80
Than settled age his sables and his weeds,[1886]
Importing health and graveness. Two months since,[1886][1890]
Here was a gentleman of Normandy:—[1891]
I've seen myself, and served against, the French,[1892]
And they can well on horseback: but this gallant[1893] 85
Had witchcraft in't; he grew unto his seat,[1894]
And to such wondrous doing brought his horse
As had he been incorpsed and demi-natured[1895]
With the brave beast: so far he topp'd my thought[1896]
That I, in forgery of shapes and tricks, 90
Come short of what he did.[1897]
Laer. A Norman was't?
King. A Norman.
Laer. Upon my life, Lamond.
Laer. I know him well: he is the brooch indeed
And gem of all the nation.[1899] 95
King. He made confession of you,[1900]
And gave you such a masterly report,
For art and exercise in your defence,
And for your rapier most especial,[1901]
That he cried out, 'twould be a sight indeed[1902] 100
If one could match you: the scrimers of their nation.[1903][1904]
He swore, had neither motion, guard, nor eye,[1903]
If you opposed them. Sir, this report of his[1903]
Did Hamlet so envenom with his envy[1905]
That he could nothing do but wish and beg 105
Your sudden coming o'er, to play with him.[1906]
Now, out of this—
Laer. What out of this, my lord?
King. Laertes, was your father dear to you?[1907]
Or are you like the painting of a sorrow,
A face without a heart?
Laer. Why ask you this? 110
King. Not that I think you did not love your father,
But that I know love is begun by time,[1908]
And that I see, in passages of proof,
Time qualifies the spark and fire of it.
There lives within the very flame of love[1909] 115
A kind of wick or snuff that will abate it;[1909][1910]
And nothing is at a like goodness still,[1909]
For goodness, growing to a plurisy,[1909][1911]
Dies in his own too much: that we would do[1909][1912]
We should do when we would; for this 'would' changes[1909][1913] 120
And hath abatements and delays as many[1909]
As there are tongues, are hands, are accidents,[1909][1914]
And then this 'should' is like a spendthrift sigh,[1909][1913][1915]
That hurts by easing. But, to the quick o' the ulcer:[1909]
Hamlet comes back: what would you undertake,[1916] 125
To show yourself your father's son in deed[1917]
More than in words?
Laer. To cut his throat i' the church.
King. No place indeed should murder sanctuarize;[1918]
Revenge should have no bounds. But, good Laertes,
Will you do this, keep close within your chamber.[1919] 130
Hamlet return'd shall know you are come home:
We'll put on those shall praise your excellence
And set a double varnish on the fame[1920]
The Frenchman gave you; bring you in fine together[1921]
And wager on your heads: he, being remiss,[1922] 135
Most generous and free from all contriving,
Will not peruse the foils, so that with ease,[1923]
Or with a little shuffling, you may choose
A sword unbated, and in a pass of practice[1924]
Requite him for your father.
Laer. I will do't 140
And for that purpose I'll anoint my sword.[1925]
I bought an unction of a mountebank,
So mortal that but dip a knife in it,[1926]
Where it draws blood no cataplasm so rare,
Collected from all simples that have virtue 145
Under the moon, can save the thing from death
That is but scratch'd withal: I'll touch my point
With this contagion, that, if I gall him slightly,[1927][1928]
It may be death.[1927]
King. Let's further think of this;
Weigh what convenience both of time and means[1929] 150
May fit us to our shape: if this should fail,[1930]
And that our drift look through our bad performance,[1931]
'Twere better not assay'd: therefore this project
Should have a back or second, that might hold
If this did blast in proof. Soft! let me see:[1932] 155
We'll make a solemn wager on your cunnings:[1933]
I ha't:[1934][1935]
When in your motion you are hot and dry—[1935][1936]
As make your bouts more violent to that end—[1937]
And that he calls for drink, I'll have prepared him[1938] 160
A chalice for the nonce; whereon but sipping,[1939]
If he by chance escape your venom'd stuck,[1940]
Our purpose may hold there. But stay, what noise?