KING.

Why, now you speak

Like a good child and a true gentleman.

That I am guiltless of your father's death,

And am most sensibly in grief for it,

It shall as level to your judgment 'pear

As day does to your eye.

 

A noise within:

 

»Let her come in!«

LAER.

How now, what noise is that?

 

Enter Ophelia.

 

O heat, dry up my brains! tears seven times salt

Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye!

By heaven, thy madness shall be paid with weight

[Till] our scale turn the beam. O rose of May!

Dear maid, kind sister, sweet Ophelia!

O heavens, is't possible a young maid's wits

Should be as mortal as [an old] man's life?

[Nature is fine in love, and where 'tis fine,

It sends some precious instance of itself

After the thing it loves.]

OPH.

 

Song.

 

»They bore him barefac'd on the bier,

[Hey non nonny, nonny, hey nonny,]

And in his grave rain'd many a tear« –

Fare you well, my dove!

LAER.

Hadst thou thy wits and didst persuade revenge,

It could not move thus.

OPH. You must sing, »A-down, a-down,« and you call him a-down-a. O how the wheel becomes it! It is the false steward, that stole his master's daughter.

LAER. This nothing's more than matter.

OPH. There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray you, love, remember. And there is pansies, that's for thoughts.

LAER. A document in madness, thoughts and remembrance fitted.

OPH [To Claudius.] There's fennel for you, and columbines. [To Gertrude.] There's rue for you, and here's some for me; we may call it herb of grace a' Sundays. You may wear your rue with a difference. There's a daisy. I would give you some violets, but they wither'd all when my father died. They say 'a made a good end –

 

[Sings.]

 

»For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy.«

LAER.

Thought and afflictions, passion, hell itself,

She turns to favor and to prettiness.

OPH.

 

Song.

 

»And will 'a not come again?

And will 'a not come again?

No, no, he is dead,

Go to thy death-bed,

He never will come again.

 

His beard was as white as snow,

[All] flaxen was his pole,

He is gone, he is gone,

And we cast away moan,

God 'a' mercy on his soul!«

And of all Christians' souls, [I pray God]. God buy you.

 

[Exit.]

 

LAER. Do you [see] this, O God?

KING.

Laertes, I must commune with your grief,

Or you deny me right. Go but apart,

Make choice of whom your wisest friends you will,

And they shall hear and judge 'twixt you and me.

If by direct or by collateral hand

They find us touch'd, we will our kingdom give,

Our crown, our life, and all that we call ours,

To you in satisfaction; but if not,

Be you content to lend your patience to us,

And we shall jointly labor with your soul

To give it due content.

LAER.

Let this be so.

His means of death, his obscure funeral –

No trophy, sword, nor hatchment o'er his bones,

No noble rite nor formal ostentation –

Cry to be heard, as 'twere from heaven to earth,

That I must call't in question.

KING.

So you shall,

And where th' offense is, let the great axe fall.

I pray you go with me.

 

Exeunt.

 

 

[Scene VI]

Enter Horatio and others.

 

HOR. What are they that would speak with me?

GENTLEMAN. Sea-faring men, sir. They say they have letters for you.

HOR.

Let them come in.

 

[Exit Gentleman.]

 

I do not know from what part of the world

I should be greeted, if not from Lord Hamlet.

 

Enter Sailors.

 

[1.] SAIL. God bless you, sir.

HOR. Let him bless thee too.

[1.] SAIL. 'A shall, sir, and['t] please him. There's a letter for you, sir – it came from th' embassador that was bound for England – if your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is.

HOR [Reads.] »Horatio, when thou shalt have overlook'd this, give these fellows some means to the King, they have letters for him. Ere we were two days old at sea, a pirate of very warlike appointment gave us chase. Finding ourselves too slow of sail, we put on a compell'd valor, and in the grapple I boarded them. On the instant they got clear of our ship, so I alone 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 speed as thou wouldest fly death.