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Hor. Let him bless thee toq.

Sail. He shall, Sir, an't please him. There's a

sailors here denoted are those human-like figures situate towards the top of Hamlet's head and shoulders about the stern of the ship, the uppermost or most prominent of which has the appearance of a letter, or paper, before his breast. Fig. 72.

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letter for you, Sir: it comes from th' embassador that was bound for England, if your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is.

Horatio reads the Letter.

"Horatio, when thou shalt have overlooked "this, give these fellows some means to the

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King they have letters for him. Ere we were "two days old at sea, a pirate (68) of very warlike "appointment gave us chace. Finding ourselves "too slow of sail, we put on a compelled valour, "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 haste as thou "wouldest fly death. I have words to speak in thy ear, will make thee dumb; yet are they "much too light for the matter. These good fel

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"lows will bring thee where I am.

Rosencrantz

(68) It needs no great exercise of the imagination to conceive the same shadows of the moon to constitute two ships instead of one, the point of division being at the neck of Horatio (drawn in fig. 49), and the straight lines and spaces of light, situate towards the center of the moon, making up the masts, sails, and cordage of either.

"and Guildenstern hold their course for England. "Of them I have much to tell thee. Farewel.

"He that thou knowest thine,

"Hamlet."

Come, I will make you way for these your letters; And do't the speedier, that you may direct me To him from whom you brought them. [Exeunt.

Enter King, and LAERTES.

King. Now must your conscience my acquittance seal,

And you must put me in your heart for friend;
Sith you have heard, and with a knowing ear,
That he, which hath your noble father slain,
Pursued my life.

Laer. It well appears. But tell me,
Why you proceeded not against these feats,
So crimeful and so capital in nature,
As by your safety, wisdom, all things else,
You mainly were stirred up?

King. Two special reasons,

Which may to you perhaps seem much unsinewed,
And yet to me are strong. The Queen his mother
Lives almost by his looks; and for myself
(My virtue or my plague, be't either which),
She's so conjunctive to my life and soul,
That as the star moves not but in his sphere,
I could not but by her. The other motive,

Why to a public count 1 might not go, i
Is the great love the general gender bear him;
Who dipping all his faults in their affection,
Would, like the spring that turneth wood to stone,
Convert his gyves to graces. So that
my arrows
Too slightly timbered for so loud a wind,
Would have reverted to my bow again,

And not where I had aimed them.

Laer. And so have I a noble father lost,
A sister driven into desperate terms,
Whose worth, if praises may go back again,
Stood challenger on mount of all the age
For her perfections.-But my revenge will come.
King. Break not your sleep for that; you must
not think

That we are made of stuff so flat and dull,
That we can let our beard be shook with danger,
And think it pastime. You shall soon hear more.
I loved your father, and we love ourself,
And that I hope will teach you to imagine

How now,

what news?

Enter a Messenger.

Mes. Letters, my Lord, from Hamlet. These to your Majesty this to the Queen, King. From Hamlet? who brought them? Mes. Sailors, my Lord, they say; I saw them not; They were given me by Claudio, he received them.

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King. Laertes, you shall hear them: leave us [Exit Messenger.

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High and mighty, you shall know, I am set "naked on your kingdom. To-morrow shall I

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beg leave to see your kingly eyes. When I shall (first asking your pardon thereunto,) recount the "occasion of my sudden return.

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"Hamlet."

What should this mean? are all the rest come Or is it some abuse-and no such thing? [back?" Laer. Know you the hand?

King. 'Tis Hamlet's character.

Naked; and in a postscript here, he says

Alone can you advise me?

Laer. I'm lost in it, my Lord; but let him come;

It warms the very sickness of my heart,

That I shall live, and tell him to his teeth,
Thus diddest thou.

King. If it be so, Laertes,

As how should it be so ?-how otherwise
Will

you be ruled by me?.

Laer. Ay, so you'll not o'er-rule me to a peace.

King. To thine own peace. If he be now returned, As liking not his voyage, and that he means No more to undertake it; I will work him To an exploit now ripe in my device,

Under the which he shall not choose but fall?' 'N

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