As did that one; and that, in my regard,
Of the unworthiest siege.

Laer.
What part is that, my lord?
King. A very riband 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.*-] Some two
months hence,

Here was a gentleman of Normandy,—

I have seen myself, and serv'd against the French,

And they can well on horseback: but this

King. He made confession of you;
And gave you such a masterly report,
For art and exercise in your defence,
And for your rapier most especially,
That he cried out, 't would be a sight indeed,

If one could match you: [the scrimers of their nation,

He swore, had neither motion, guard, nor eye,
If you oppos'd them:] Sir, this report of his
Did Hamlet so envenom with his envy,
That he could nothing do, but wish and beg
Your sudden coming o'er, to play with him.
Now, out of this,-

Laer.
Why 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?

d

And wager on your heads: he, being remiss,
Most generous, and free from all contriving,
Will not peruse the foils; so that, with ease,
Or with a little shuffling, you may choose
A sword unbated, and, in a pass of practice,
Requite him for your father.

Laer.
I will do 't:
And, for that purpose, I'll anoint my sword.
I bought an unction of a mountebank,
So mortal, that but dip a knife in it,
Where it draws blood, no cataplasm so rare,
Collected from all simples that have virtue
Under the moon, can save the thing from death,
That is but scratch'd withal: I'll touch my point
With this contagion; that, if I gall him slightly,
It may be death.

King. Let's further think of this; Weigh, what convenience, both of time and

means,

May fit us to our shape: if this should fail,
And that our drift look through our bad per-

formance,

a Plurisy Warburton would read plethory. But plurisy was constantly used in the sense offulness, abundance, by the poets. Thus, in Massinger, we have "plurisy of goodness," and "plurisy of blood."

b The lines in brackets are not in the folio.

e In deed. So the folio; in the quartos, "indeed your father's son."

4 Remiss-inattentive.

Peruse-examine.

f Unbated-not blunted.

Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples,
That liberal shepherds give a grosser name,
But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call
them:

There, on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds
Clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke;
When down the weedy trophies, and herself,
Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread
wide;

And, mermaid-like, a while they bore her up:
Which time, she chanted snatches of old tunes;
As one incapable of her own distress,
Or like a creature native and indued
Unto that element: but long it could not be,
Till that her garments, heavy with their drink,
Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay
To muddy death.

Laer.

Alas then, is she drown'd? Queen. Drown'd, drown'd.

Laer. Too much of water hast thou, poor
Ophelia,

And therefore I forbid my tears: But yet
It is our trick; nature her custom holds,
Let shame say what it will: when these are gone,
The woman will be out.-Adieu, my lord!

I have a speech of fire that fain would blaze,
But that this folly douts it.

King.

[Exit.

Let's follow, Gertrude'; How much I had to do to calm his rage! Now fear I this will give it start again; Therefore let's follow.

[Exeunt.

a Douts, in the folio; in the quartos, drown.