5

Hamlet

Being thus benetted round with villains,     
Ere I could make a prologue to my brains,
They had begun the play. I sat me down,    
Devised a new commission, wrote it fair.
I once did hold it, as our statists do, 
A baseness to write fair, and labored much
How to forget that learning. But, sir, now
It did me yeoman's service. Wilt thou know
Th' effects of what I wrote?

Horatio

                                                 Ay, good my lord.

Hamlet

An earnest conjuration from the king:
As England was his faithful tributary,
As love between them, like the palm, should flourish,
As peace should still her wheaten garland wear
(And stand a comma 'tween their amities 
And many such like “as’s” of great charge)    
That on the view and know of these contents,
Without debatement further more or less,
He should the bearers put to sudden death,
Not shriving time allowed.

Horatio

                                                How was this sealed?

Hamlet

Why, even in that was heaven ordinate. 
I had my father's signet in my purse,
Which was the model of that Danish seal.
Folded the writ up in the form of the other,
Subscribed it, gave't th' impression, placed it safely —
The changeling never known. Now the next day
Was our sea fight, and what to this was sequent
Thou knowest already.

Hamlet

Does it not, think'st thee, stand me now upon – 
He that has killed my king and whored my mother,
Popped in between th' electioelection and my hopes,
Thrown out his angle for my proper life,
And with such cozenage — is't not perfect conscience    
To quit him with this arm? And is't not to be damned 
To let this canker of our nature come
In further evil?

Hamlet

[Aside to Horatio] Dost know this water-fly?

Horatio

                                                                          No, my good lord.

Hamlet 

Thy state is the more gracious, for 'tis a vice to
know him. He has much land, and fertile. Let a beast
be lord of beasts, and his crib shall stand at the king's mess.
'Tis a chough, but, as I say, spacious in the possession of
dirt.

Hamlet   

What call you the carriages?

Horatio

[To Hamlet] I knew you must be edified by the margin ere
you had done.

Osric   

The carriage, sir, are the hangers.

Hamlet

The phrase would be more germane to the matter 
if we could carry cannon by our sides; I would it might be
hangers till then. But on. Six Barbary horses against six

Osric

The king, sir, has laid that in a dozen passes
between you and him, he shall not exceed you three hits —
he has laid on twelve for nine; and that would come to    
immediate trial if your lordship would vouchsafe the answer.

Osric   

I commend my duty to your lordship.

Hamlet   

Yours, yours. 
[Exit Osric.] 
He does well to commend it himself; there are no
tongues else for's turn.    

Hamlet   

He does well to commend it himself; there are no
tongues else for's turn.    

Horatio

This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head.    

Hamlet

He did comply with his dug before he sucked it.
Thus has he — and many more of the same bevy that I
know the drossy age dotes on — only got the tune of the time
and outward habit of encounter, a kind of yeasty
collection, which carries them through and through
the most fanned and winnowed opinions.
And do but blow them to their trials, the bubbles are out.

Horatio

This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head.    

Hamlet

He did comply with his dug before he sucked it.
Thus has he — and many more of the same bevy that I
know the drossy age dotes on — only got the tune of the time
and outward habit of encounter, a kind of yeasty
collection, which carries them through and through
the most fanned and winnowed opinions.
And do but blow them to their trials, the bubbles are out.

Horatio   

You will lose this wager, my lord. 

Horatio

If your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will forestall 
their repair hither and say you are not fit.

Hamlet

Not a whit, we defy augury. There's special
providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to
come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now,
yet it will come. The readiness is all. Since no man knows
aught of what he leaves, what is't to leave betimes?

Laertes 

                                    I am satisfied in nature, 
Whose motive in this case should stir me most
To my revenge. But in my terms of honor,
I stand aloof and will no reconcilement
Till, by some elder masters of known honor,
I have a voice and precedent of peace
To keep my namenamegored. But all that time
I do receive your offered love like love,
And will not wrong it.

Hamlet

                                       I embrace it freely,
And will this brother's wager frankly play.     

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