That might your Nature, Honour, and Exception
Roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness:
Was't Hamlet wrong'd Laertes? Never Hamlet.
If Hamlet from himself be ta'en away,

And when he's not limfelf, do's wrong Laertes;
Then Hamlet do's it not, Hamlet denies it:
Who does it then? His madnefs. If't be fo,
Hamlet is of the Faction that is wrong'd,
His madness is poor Hamlet's Enemy.
Sir, in this Audience,

Let my difclaiming from a purpos'd evil,
Free me fo far in your moft generous thoughts,
That I have fhot mine Arrow o'er the House,
And hurt my Mother.

Laer. I am fatisfied in Nature,

Whole Motive, in this cafe, fhould ftir me moft
To

my Revenge. But in my terms of Honour I ftand aloof, and will no reconcilement,

'Till by fome elder Mafters of known honour,
I have a Voice, and prefident of peace

To keep my Name ungorg'd. But 'till that time,
I do receive your offer'd love like love,
And will not wrong it.

Ham. I do embrace it freely,

And will this Brother's Wager frankly play,

Gives us the Foils: Come on.

Laer. Come one for me.

Ham. I'll be your Foil, Laertes, in mine ignorance, Your skill fhall like a Star i'th' brightest Night,

Stick fiery off indeed.

Laer. You mock me, Sir.

Ham. No, by this Hand.

King Give the Foils, young Ofrick.

Coufin Hamlet, you know the Wager.

Ham. Very well, my Lord,

Your Grace hath laid the odds o'th' weaker fide.
King. I do not fear it, I have feen you both:
But fince he is better'd, we have therefore odds..
Laer. This is too heavy,

Let me fee another.

Ham. This likes me well; These Foils have all a length? Ofr. Ay, my good Lord.

[Prepares to play.

King. Set me the Stopes of Wine upon that Table:
If Hamlet give the firft, or fecond hit,
Or quit in anfwer of a third exchange,

Let all the Battlements their Ordnance fire.
The King fhall drink to Hamlet's better breath,
And in the Cup an Union fhall he throw
Richer than that, which four fucceffive Kings
In Denmark's Crown have worn. Give me the Cups,
And let the Kettle to the Trumpets fpeak,
The Trumpets to the Canoncer without,

The Cannons to the Heav'ns, the Heav'n to Earth,

Now the King drinks to Hamlet. Come, begin,

And you the Judges bear a wary Eye.

Ham. Come on, Sir.

Laer. Come on, Sir.

Ham. One.

Laer. No.

Ham. Judgment.

Ofr. A hit, a very palpable hit.

Laer. Well-again

[They play.

King. Stay, give me drink. Hamlet, this Pearl is thine,

Here's to thy health. Give him the Cup.

[Trumpet found, Shot goes off.

Ham. I'll play this bout first, fet it by a while.

Come another hit-what fay you? [They play again.

Laer. A touch, a touch, I do confefs.

King. Our Son fhall win.

Queen. He's fat, and fcant of breath.

Here's a Napkin, rub thy brows,

The Queen caroufes to thy fortune, Hamlet.

Ham. Good Madam

King. Gertrude, do not drink.

Queen. I will, my Lord; I pray you pardon me.

King. It is the poifon'd Cup, it is too late.

[Afide.

Ham. I dare not drink yet, Madam, by and by.

Queen. Come, let me wipe thy Face.

Laer. My Lord, I'll hit him now.

King•

King. I do not think't.

Laer. And yet 'tis almoft 'gainft my Confcience. [Afide. Ham. Come, for the third. Laertes, you but dally, I pray you pass with your beft violence,

I 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!

Hor. They bleed on both fides. How is't, my Lord?

Ofr. How is't Laertes?

Laer. Why, as a Woodcock to my Sprindge, Ofrick, I am juftly kill'd with mine own treachery.

Ham. How does the Queen?

King. She fwoons to fee them bleed. Queen. No, no, the drink, the drinkOh my dear Hamlet, the drink, the drink, I am poifon'd

[Queen dies.

Ham. Oh Villany! How? Let the door be lock❜d:
Treachery! feck 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 of life;
The treacherous Inftrument is in thy hand,
Unbated and envenom'd: the foul practice
Hath turn'd it felf on me. Lo, here I lye,
Never to rife again; thy Mother's poifon'd;
I can no morethe 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 incefluous, mu: d'rous, damned Dane,

Drink off this Potion: Is thy Union here?

Follow my Mother.

Laer. He is juftly ferv'd.

CC 4

[King dies.

It is a poifon temper'd by himself. ·

Exchange forgiveness with me, Noble Hamlet;
Mine and my Father's Death come not upon thee,
Nor thine on me.

Ham. Heav'n make thee free of it, I follow thee.
I am dead, Horatio; wretched Queen, adieu.
You that look pale, and tremble at this chance,
That are but Mutes or audience at this Act,
Had I but time, (as this fell Serjeant Death
Is ftrict in his Arreft) oh I could tell you,
But let it be-Horatio, I am dead,
Thou liv'ft, report me and my causes right
To the unfatisfied.

Hor. Never believe it.

I am more an Antique Roman than a Dane;
Here's yet fome Liquor left.

Ham. As th'arta Man, give me the Cup,
Let go, by Heav'n I'll hav't.

Oh, good Horatio, what a wounded name,

Things ftanding thus unknown, fhall live behind me?
If thou didst ever hold me in thy Heart,

Abfent thee from felicity a while,

And in this harsh World draw thy breath in pain,

To tell my story.

[Dies

[March afar off, and shout within.

What warlike noife is this?

Enter Ofrick.

Ofr. Young Fortinbras, with Conquest come from Poland, To th'Ambaffadors of England gives this Warlike Volley. Ham. O, I die, Horatie:

The potent Poison quite o'er-crows my Spirit,

I cannot live to hear the News from England.
But I do prophefie th'election lights

On Fortinbras, he has my dying Voice,

So tell him with the occurrents more or lefs,

Which have folicited.The reft is filence,0,0,0. [Dies. Hor. Now cracks a noble Heatt; good Night, fweet Prince; And flights of Angels fing thee to thy reft.

Why do's the Drum come hither?

Enter

Enter Fortinbras and English Ambassador, with Drum, Colours, and Attendants.

Fort. Where is the fight?

Hor. What is it you would fee?

If ought of woe or wonder, ceafe your search.

Fort. This quarry cries on Havock. Oh proud death!
What Feaft is toward in thine eternal Cell,

That thou fo many Princes at a shoot,
So bloodily haft ftruck?

Amb. The fight is difmal,

And our Affairs from England come too late,
The Ears are fenfelefs that fhould give us hearing;
To tell him his Command'ment is fulfill'd,
That Rofeneraus and Guildenstern are dead:
Where should we have our thanks?

Hor. Not from his mouth,

Had it th' ability of Life to thank you:
He never gave Command'ment for their Death.
But fince fo jump upon this bloody queftion,
You from the Polack Wars, and you from England
Are he e arriv'd: Give order that these Bodies
High on a Stage be placed to the view,

And let me fpeak to th' yet unknowing World,
How these things came about. So fhall you hear
Of cruel, bloody, and unnatural acts,

Of accidental judgments, cafual flaughters,
Of Deaths pet on by cunning, and forc'd caufe,
And in this upfhor, purposes mistook,

Fall'n on the Inventors Heads. All this can I
Truly deliver.

Fort. Let us hafte to hear it,

And call the Nobleft to the Audience.

For me, with forrow, I embrace my Forture,

I have fome rights of Memory in this Kingdom,
Which now to claim, my vantage doth

Invite me.

Hor. Of that I fhall have also cause to speak, And from his mouth whose Voice will draw no more: But let this fame be presently perform'd,

Even whiles Mens minds are wild,left more mifchance

On