The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Part 4

Together with remembrance of our selues.

Therefore our sometimes Sister, now our Queen, Th'Imperiall Ioyntresse of this warlike State, [Sidenote: to this]

Haue we, as 'twere, with a defeated ioy, With one Auspicious, and one Dropping eye, [Sidenote: an auspitious and a]

With mirth in Funerall, and with Dirge in Marriage, In equall Scale weighing Delight and Dole[1]

Taken to Wife; nor haue we heerein barr'd[2]

Your better Wisedomes, which haue freely gone With this affaire along, for all our Thankes.

[Sidenote: 8] Now followes, that you know young _Fortinbras_,[3]

Holding a weake supposall of our worth; Or thinking by our late deere Brothers death, Our State to be disioynt, and out of Frame, Colleagued with the dreame of his Aduantage;[4] [Sidenote: this dreame]

He hath not fayl'd to pester vs with Message, Importing the surrender of those Lands Lost by his Father: with all Bonds of Law [Sidenote: bands]

To our most valiant Brother. So much for him.

_Enter Voltemand and Cornelius._[5]

Now for our selfe, and for this time of meeting Thus much the businesse is. We haue heere writ To Norway, Vncle of young _Fortinbras_, Who Impotent and Bedrid, sca.r.s.ely heares Of this his Nephewes purpose, to suppresse His further gate[6] heerein. In that the Leuies, The Lists, and full proportions are all made Out of his subiect: and we heere dispatch You good _Cornelius_, and you _Voltemand_, For bearing of this greeting to old Norway, [Sidenote: bearers]

Giuing to you no further personall power To businesse with the King, more then the scope Of these dilated Articles allow:[7] [Sidenote: delated[8]]

Farewell and let your hast commend your duty.[9]

[Footnote 1: weighing out an equal quant.i.ty of each.]

[Footnote 2: Like _crossed_.]

[Footnote 3: 'Now follows--that (_which_) you know--young Fortinbras:--']

[Footnote 4: _Colleagued_ agrees with _supposall_. The preceding two lines may be regarded as somewhat parenthetical. _Dream of advantage_--hope of gain.]

[Footnote 5: _Not in Q._]

[Footnote 6: _going; advance._ Note in Norway also, as well as in Denmark, the succession of the brother.]

[Footnote 7: (_giving them papers_).]

[Footnote 8: Which of these is right, I cannot tell. _Dilated_ means _expanded_, and would refer to _the scope; _delated_ means _committed_--to them, to limit them.]

[Footnote 9: idea of duty.]

[Page 18]

_Volt._ In that, and all things, will we shew our duty.

_King._ We doubt it nothing, heartily farewell.

[Sidenote: 74] [1]_Exit Voltemand and Cornelius._

And now _Laertes_, what's the newes with you?

You told vs of some suite. What is't _Laertes_?

You cannot speake of Reason to the Dane, And loose your voyce. What would'st thou beg _Laertes_, That shall not be my Offer, not thy Asking?[2]

The Head is not more Natiue to the Heart, The Hand more Instrumentall to the Mouth, Then is the Throne of Denmarke to thy Father.[3]

What would'st thou haue _Laertes_?

_Laer._ Dread my Lord, [Sidenote: My dread]

Your leaue and fauour to returne to France, From whence, though willingly I came to Denmarke To shew my duty in your Coronation, Yet now I must confesse, that duty done, [Sidenote: 22] My thoughts and wishes bend againe towards toward France,[4]

And bow them to your gracious leaue and pardon.

_King._ Haue you your Fathers leaue?

What sayes _Pollonius_?

[A] _Pol._ He hath my Lord: I do beseech you giue him leaue to go.

_King._ Take thy faire houre _Laertes_, time be thine, And thy best graces spend it at thy will: But now my Cosin _Hamlet_, and my Sonne?

[Footnote A: _In the Quarto_:--

_Polo._ Hath[5] my Lord wroung from me my slowe leaue By laboursome pet.i.tion, and at last Vpon his will I seald my hard consent,[6]

I doe beseech you giue him leaue to goe.]

[Footnote 1: _Not in Q._]

[Footnote 2: 'Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.'--_Isaiah_, lxv. 24.]

[Footnote 3: The villain king courts his courtiers.]

[Footnote 4: He had been educated there. Compare 23. But it would seem rather to the court than the university he desired to return. See his father's instructions, 38.]

[Footnote 5: _H'ath_--a contraction for _He hath_.]

[Footnote 6: A play upon the act of sealing a will with wax.]

[Page 20]

_Ham._ A little more then kin, and lesse then kinde.[1]

_King._ How is it that the Clouds still hang on you?

_Ham._ Not so my Lord, I am too much i'th'Sun.[2]

[Sidenote: so much my ... in the sonne.]

_Queen._ Good Hamlet cast thy nightly colour off,[4]

[Sidenote: nighted[3]]

And let thine eye looke like a Friend on Denmarke.

Do not for euer with thy veyled[5] lids [Sidenote: vailed]

Seeke for thy n.o.ble Father in the dust; Thou know'st 'tis common, all that liues must dye, Pa.s.sing through Nature, to Eternity.

_Ham._ I Madam, it is common.[6]

_Queen._ If it be; Why seemes it so particular with thee.

_Ham._ Seemes Madam? Nay, it is: I know not Seemes:[7]

'Tis not alone my Inky Cloake (good Mother) [Sidenote: cloake coold mother [8]]

Nor Customary suites of solemne Blacke, Nor windy suspiration of forc'd breath, No, nor the fruitfull Riuer in the Eye, Nor the deiected hauiour of the Visage, Together with all Formes, Moods, shewes of Griefe, [Sidenote: moodes, chapes of]

That can denote me truly. These indeed Seeme,[9] [Sidenote: deuote]