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. Farewel. 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. SCENE VII. ANOTHER ROOM IN THE SAME. Enter King and Laertes. King. Now must your conscience my acquittance seal, And you must put me in your heart for friend; Laer. It well appears:—But tell me, Why you proceeded not against these feats, So crimeful and so capital in nature, As by your safety, greatness, wisdom, all things else, You mainly were stirr'd up. O, for two special reasons; King. Lives almost by his looks; and for myself, Laer. And so have I a noble father lost; That we are made of stuff so flat and dull, 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,— Mes. Enter a Messenger. Letters, my lord, from Hamlet: This to your majesty; this to the queen. King. From Hamlet! Who brought them? Mes. Sailors, my lord, they say: I saw them not; They were given me by Claudio, he receiv'd them Of him that brought them. King. Leave us. Laertes you shall hear them:[Exit Messenger. [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? Laer. Know you the hand? King. "Tis Hamlet's character. Naked, And, in a postcript 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. 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. turn'd, If he be now re As checking at his voyage, and that he means 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. Laer. The rather, if you could devise it so, My lord, I will be rul'd; It falls right. That I might be the organ. King. You have been talk'd of since your travel much, 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, Here was a gentleman of Normandy, I have seen myself, and serv'd against, the French, With the brave beast: so far he topp'd my thought, That I, in forgery of shapes and tricks, Come short of what he did. Laer. I know him well: he is the brooch, in deed, And gem of all the nation. King. He made confession of you; And gave you such a masterly report, And for your rapier most especial, That he cried out, 'twould be a sight indeed, If one could match you: the scrimers of their na tion, He swore, had neither motion, guard, nor eye, That he could nothing do, but wish and beg 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 that I know, love is begun by time; |