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Laer. To cut his throat i' th' church.

King. No place, indeed, fhould murder fanctuarife Revenge fhould have no bounds; but, good Laertes, Will you do this? keep close within your chamber; Hamlet, return'd, fhall know you are come home : We'll put on those fhall praise your excellence, And fet a double varnish on the fame

The Frenchman gave you; bring you in fine to

gether,

And wager on your heads. He being remifs,
Moft generous and free from all contriving,
Will not perufe the foils; fo that with ease,
Or with a little fhuffling, you may chuse
7 A fword unbated, and in a pass of practice
Requite him for your father.

Laer. I will do't;

8

And for the purpose I'll anoint my fword.
I bought an unction of a Mountebank,
So mortal, that but dip a knife in it,
Where it draws blood, no cataplafm fo rare,
Collected from all fimples that have virtue

Under the Moon, can fave the thing from death,
That is but fcratch'd withal; I'll touch my point
With this contagion, that if I gall him slightly,
It may be death.

King. Let's farther think of this;

Weigh, what convenience both of time and means ? May fit us to our fhape. If this fhould fail,

16 He being remifs,] He infidious firatagem, or privy treabeing not vigilant or cautious. fon, a fense not incongruous to 7 Afword unbated,-] i. e. this paffage, where yet I rather not blunted as foils are. Or as believe, that nothing more is one edition has it embaited or en- meant than a thruft for exercife. venomed. РОРЕ.

8

--a pass of practice] Prac tice is often by Shakespeare, and other old writers, taken for an

9 May fit us to our shape.] May enable us to affume proper charac ters, and to act our part,

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And that our drift look through our bad performance,

'Twere better not affay'd; therefore this project
Should have a back, or fecond, that might hold,
If this fhould blaft in proof. Soft- let me fee-
We'll make a folemn wager on your cunnings.
I ha't

When in your motion you are hot and dry,

As make your bouts more violent to that end,
And that he calls for Drink, I'll have prepar❜d

him

A Chalice for the nonce; wheron but fipping,
If he by chance escape your venom'd tuck,
Our purpose may hold there.

SCENE X.

Enter Queen.

How now, fweet Queen?

Queen. One woe doth tread upon another's heel, So faft they follow. Your fifter's drown'd, Laertes. Laer. Drown'd! oh where ?

Queen. There is a willow grows aflant a Brook, That fhews his hoar leaves in the glassy stream: There with fantaftick garlands did the come, Of crow-flowers, nettles, daifies, and long purples, (That liberal fhepherds give a groffer name; But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them ;)

There on the pendant boughs, her coronet weeds
Clambring to hang, an envious fliver broke;
When down her weedy trophies and herself

1-blast in prof.] This, I or execution, fometimes breaks believe, is a metaphor taken out with an ineffectual blast. from a mine, which, in the proof

Fell

Fell in the weeping brook; her cloaths fpread

wide,

And mermaid-like, a while they bore her up;
• Which time the chaunted fnatches 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, fhe is drown'd!
Queen. Drown'd, drown'd.

Laer. Too much of water haft thou, poor Ophelia, And therefore I forbid my tears. But yet

It is our trick: Nature her custom holds,

Let fhame fay 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 drowns it.

[Exit.

King. Follow, Gertrude.

How much had I to do to calm his

rage!

[Exeunt.

Now fear I, this will give it start again;
Therefore, let's follow.

2 Which time he chaunted Snatches of old tunes,] Fletcher, in his Scornful Lady, very invidiously ridicules this incident.

I will run mad firft, and if that get not pity,

I'll drown myself to a moft difmal ditty.

WARB.

ACT

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ACT V. SCENE I.

A CHURCH.

Enter two clowns, with spades and mattocks.

iCLOWN.

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S fhe to be buried in christian burial, that wilfully feeks her own falvation?

2 Clown. I tell thee, fhe is, therefore make her Grave straight. The crowner hath fate on her, and finds it christian burial.

1 Clown. How can that be, unless she drowned her felf in her own defence?

2 Clown. Why, 'tis found fo.

1 Clown. It must be fe offendendo, it cannot be elfe. For here lies the point; If I drown myself wittingly, it argues an act; and an act hath three branches; it is to act, to do, and to perform. Argal, fhe drown'd herself wittingly.

2 Clown. Nay, but hear you, goodman Delver.

I Clown. Give me leave. Clown, here lies the water; Good: here ftands the man; Good. If the man go to this water, and drown himfelf, it is, will he, nill he, he goes; mark you that: But if the water come to him, and drown him, he drowns not himself.

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Argal, he, that is not guilty of his own death, fhortens not his own life.

2 Clown. But is this law?

1 Clown. Ay, marry is't, crowner's queft-law.

2 Clown. Will you ha' the truth on't? If this had not been a gentlewoman, the should have been buried out of chriftian burial.

1 Clown. Why, there thou fay'ft. And the more pity, that great folk fhould have countenance in this world to drown or hang themselves, more than 5 their even christian. Come. My fpade. There is no ancient gentlemen but gardeners, ditchers, and grave-makers; they hold up Adam's profeffion.

66

2 Clown. Was he a gentleman?

1 Clown. He was the first that ever bore arms. 2 Clown. Why, he had none.

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"I Clown. What, art a heathen? How doft thou "understand the Scripture? the Scripture fays, Adam digg'd; could he dig without arms?" I'll put another question to thee; if thou anfwereft me not to the purpose, confefs thyfelf

2 Clown. Go to.

I Clown. What is he that builds ftronger than either the mason, the fhipwright, or the carpenter?

2 Clown. The gallows-maker; for that frame outlives a thousand tenants.

1 Clown. I like thy wit well, in good faith; the gallows does well; but how does it well? it does well to thofe that do ill: now thou doft ill, to fay the gallows is built ftronger than the church; argal, the gallows may do well to thee. To't again, come.

2 Clown. Who builds ftronger than a mafon, a fhipwright, or a carpenter?

5 their even chriftian] So all old English expreffion for fellowthe old books, and rightly. An chriftians.

Dr. THIRLBY.

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