Ham. Give me your pardon, fir: I have done you wrong; But pardon it as you are a gentleman. This prefence knows, and you must needs have heard, That might your nature, honour, and exception, And, when he's not himself, does wrong Laertes, Sir, in this audience, Let my difclaiming from a purpos'd evil Free me fo far in your moft generous thoughts, Laer. I am fatisfy'd in nature, Whofe motive, in this case, should stir me most To keep my name ungor'd: But, 'till that time, Ham. I embrace it freely; And will this brother's wager frankly play.-- Laer. Come, one for me. Ham. I'll be your foil, Laertes; in mine ignorance Your Your fkill fhall, like a star i' the darkest night, Stick fiery off indeed. Laer. You mock me, fir. Ham. Give them the foils, young Ofrick.-Coufir You know the wager? Ham. Very well, my lord; [Hamlet, Your grace hath laid the odds o' the weakest fide. King. Set me the ftoups of wine upon that table;If Hamlet give the first, or fecond hit, Or quit in answer of the third exchange, Let all the battlements their ordnance fire: The trumpet to the cannoneer without, The cannons to the heavens, the heavens to earth, Now the king drinks to Hamlet.-Come, begin ;And you, the judges, bear a wary eye. Ham. Come on, fir. Laer. Come, my lord. Ham. One. Laer. No. -Ham. Judgment. Ofr. A hit, a very palpable hit. [They play. Laer. Well, -again, King. Stay,give me drink: Hamlet, this pearl is Here's to thy health. Give him the cup. [thine; [Trumpets found; fhot goes off Ham. I'll play this bout first, fet it by a while. [They play. Come.-Another hit; what fay you? Queen. He's fat and scant of breath. Here, Hamlet, take my napkin, rub thy brows: I I King. Gertrude, do not drink. Queen. I will, my lord; I pray you, pardon me. Laer. My lord, I'll hit him now. Laer. And yet it is almost against my confci ence. [Afide. Ham. Come, for the third, Laertes; You do but pray you, pafs with your beft violence; [dally; am afraid you make a wanton of me. Laer. Say you fo? come on. Ofr. Nothing neither way. Laer. Have at you now. [Play. LAERTES wounds HAMLET; then, in fcuffling, they change rapiers, and HAMLET wounds LAERTES. King. Part them, they are incens'd. Ham. Nay, come again. Ofr. Look to the queen there,ho! [The Queen falls. Hor. They bleed on both fides :-How is it, my Ofr. How is't, Laertes? [lord? Lacr. Laer. Why, as a woodcock to my own spring I am juftly kill'd with mine own treachery. King. She fwoons to fee them bleed. Queen. No, no, the drink, the drink,-O my dear Hamlet! The drink, the drink!-I am poisoned. [The Queen dies. Ham. O villany!-Ho! let the door be lock'd: Treachery feek it out. Laer. It is here, Hamlet: Hamlet, thou art flain: No medicine in the world can do thee good, In thee there is not half an hour's life; The treacherous inftrument is in thy hand, Unbated, and envenom'd: the foul practice Hath turn'd itself on me ; lo, here I lie, Never to rise again: Thy mother's poifon'd; I can no more, the king, the king's to blame. Ham. The point envenom'd too!— Then, venom, to thy work. All. Treafon ! treafon ! [Stabs the King. King. O, yet defend me, friends, I am but hurt. Ham. Here thou incestuous, murd'rous, damned Drink off this potion:-Is the union here? [Dane, Follow my mother. Laer. He is juftly ferv'd; It is a poifon temper'd by himself. [King dies. Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet: Mine and my father's death come not upon thee; Nor thine on me! [Dies. Ham. Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee, I am dead, Horatio:-Wretched queen, adieu !You look that pale and tremble at this chance, That That are but mutes or audience to this act, Hor. Never believe it; I am more an antique Roman than a Dane, Ham. As thou'rt a man Give me the cup; let go, by heaven I'll have it.- [me? And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, Ofr. Young Fortinbras, with conquest come from To the embaffadors of England gives Ham. O, I die, Horatio! The potent poifon quite o'ergrows my spirit: On Fortinbras; he has my dying voice; So tell him, with the occurrents, more and lefs, And flights of angels fing thee to thy reft!-- M Enter |