Who, dipping all his faults in their affection, Laer. And so have I a noble father lost; King. Break not your sleeps for that: you must That we are made of stuff so flat and dull, [not think, That we can let our beard be shook with danger, And think it pastime. You shortly shall hear more: I lov'd your father, and we love ourself; And that, I hope, will teach you to imagine, How now? what news? Mess. Enter a Messenger. 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 receiv'd them King. Laertes, you shall hear them:[Exit Messenger. Laer. Know you the hand? Leave us. [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? If I may praise what has been, but is now found to be no more. 2 Idcirco stolidam præbet tibi vellere barbam Jupiter. Persius, 2. 28.-STEEVENS. King. 'Tis Hamlet's character. Naked, And, in a postscript here, he says, alone : But let him come; aer. I am lost in it, my lord. It warms the very sickness in my heart, That I shall live and tell him to his teeth, Thus diddest thou. King. If it be so, Laertes, As how should it be so? how otherwise? Will you be rul'd by me? Laer. Ay, my lord; So you will not o'er-rule me to a peace. King. To thine own peace. If he be now return'd, As checking at his voyage, and that he means To an exploit, now ripe in my device, Under the which he shall not choose but fall: And call it, accident. Laer. My lord, I will be rul'd; The rather, if you could devise it so, That I might be the organ. It falls right. King. Of the unworthiest siege.' Laer. What part is that, my lord? King. A very ribband in the cap of youth. Yet needful too; for youth no less becomes The light and careless livery that it wears, Than settled age his sables, and his weeds, Importing health and graveness. -Two months since, ' of the lowest rank; siege, for seat, place. Here was a gentleman of Normandy, I have seen myself, and serv'd against, the French, And they can well on horseback: but this gallant Had witchcraft in't; he grew unto his seat; Come short of what he did. Laer. King. A Norman. A Norman, was't? Laer. Upon my life, Lamord. 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 especial, That he cried out, 'twould be a sight indeed, If one could match you; the scrimers of their nation, He swore, had neither motion, guard, nor eye, If you oppos'd 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, Laer. What out of this, my lord? King. Laertes, was your father dear to you? Or are you like the painting of a sorrow, A face without a heart? Laer. Why ask you this? King. Not that I think you did not love your father; But what would you undertake, I could not contrive so many proofs of dexterity as he could perform. * in the science of defence. 3 the fencers. To show yourself in deed your father's son Laer. To cut his throat i' th' church. The Frenchman gave you; bring you, in fine, together, Laer. I will do't: And, for the purpose, I'll anoint my sword. Where it draws blood no cataplasm3 so rare, King. not blunted, as foils are by a button fixed to the end. * a thrust for exercise. 3 Poultice. * may enable us to assume proper characters, and to act our part. A metaphor taken from the proving of fire-arms, which often blast, or burst, in the proof. We'll make a solemn wager on your cunnings, - When in your motion you are hot and dry, Our purpose may hold there. But stay, what noise? How now, sweet queen? Queen. One woe doth tread upon another's heel, So fast they follow:-Your sister's drown'd, Laertes. Laer. Drown'd! O, where? Queen. There is a willow grows ascaunt the brook, Unto that element: but long it could not be, Laer. Alas, then, she is drown'd? Laer. Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia, And therefore I forbid my tears: But yet the express purpose. 2 thrust. 3 insensible to. |