I truly, for the power of beautie will sooner transforme honestie from what it is to a Baud, then the force of honesty can translate beautie in his likenesse, this was sometime a Paradoxe, but now the time giues it proofe, I did loue you once.

You should not haue beleeu'd me, for vertue cannot so euacuate our old stock, but we shall rellish of it: I loued you not.

Speake the speech I pray you as I pronounc'd it to you, trippingly on the tongue, but if you mouth it as many of our Players do, I had as liue the Town‐crier spoke my lines, nor doe not saw the aire too much with your hand thus, but vse al gently, for in the very torrent tempest, & as I may say, whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a tempernce, that may giue it smoothnesse, O it offends me to to the soule, to heare a robusti­ GousThe Tragedie of Hamlet ous Perwig‐pated fellow tere a passion to totters, to verie rags, to spleet the eares of the ground‐lings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but in explicable dumbe shewes, and noise: I would haue such a fellow whipt for ore‐doing Termagant, it out Herods, Herod, pray you auoid it.

Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your tutor, sute the action to the word, the word to the action, with this speiall obseruance, that you ore‐step not the modestie of Nature: For any thing so ore‐done, is from the purpose of playing, whose end both a first, and now, was and is, to hold as twere the Mirrour vp to Nature, to shew vertue her feature; scorn her own Image, and te very age and bodie of the time his forme and pressure: Now this ouer‐done, or come tardie off though it makes the vnskilfull laugh, cannot but make h iudicious grieue, the censure of which one mut in your allowance ore‐weigh a whole Theater of others. O there be Players that I haue seen play, and heard others praisd, and that highly, not to speake it profane­ ly, tat neither hauing th' accent of Christians, nor the gate of Christian, Pagan, nor man, haue so strutted & bellowed, that I haue thought some of Natures Iournymen had made men, and not made them well, they imitated humanitie so abominably.

O reforme it altogether, and let those that play your Clownes speake no more then is set downe for them, for there be of them that will themselues laugh, to set on some quantitie of barraine Spectaors to laugh to, though in the meane time, some necssarie question of the play be then to be considered: that's vil­ lanous, and shewes a most pittifull ambition in the Foole that v­ ses it: go make you readie. How now my Lord, will the King heare this piece of woke?

That I can keep your counsaile and not mine owne, be­ sides to be demanded of a spunge, what replication should be made by the sonne of a King.

I sir, that sokes vp the Kings countenance, his rewards, his authorities, but such Officers do the King best seruice in the end, he keepsthem like an apple in the corner of his iaw, first mouth'd to be last swallowed, when he needs what you haue gleand, it is but sqeesing you, and spunge you shall be dry againe.

I vnderstand you not my Lord.

I am glad of it, a knauish speech sleeps in a foolish eare.

My Lord, you must tell vs where the body is, and go with vs to the King.

Not where he eates, but where he is eaten, a certain conuo­ cation of politick worms are een at him: your worme is your only Emperour for dyet, we fat all creatures else to fat vs, and we fat our selues for maggots, your fat King & your leane Beggar is but variable seruice, two dishes but to one table, that's the end.

A man may fish with the worme that hath eat of a King, eat of the fish that hath fed of that worme.

Nothing but to shew you how a King may go a pro­ gressePrince of Denmarke. gresse through the guttes of a Beggar.

In heauen, send thether to see, if your messenger find him not there, seeke him i'th other place your selfe, but if indeed you find him not within this moneth, you shall nose him as you go vp the staires into the Lobby.

A shall sir and please him, there's a Letter for you sir, it came from the Embassador that was bound for England, if your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is.

Horatio, when thou shalt haue ouer‐look't this, giue these fellowes some meanes to the King, they haue Letters for him: Ere we were two daies old at Sea, a Pirat of very warlike appoint­ ment gaue vs chase, finding our selues too slow of saile, we put on a compelled valour, and in the grapple I boorded them, on the in­ stant they got cleere of our ship, so I alone became their prisoner, they haue dealt with me like theeues of mercy, but they knew what they did: I am to doe a turne for them, let the King haue the Letters I haue sent, and repaire thou to me with as much speed as thou wouldst flie death. I haue words to speake in thine eare willThe Tragedie of Hamlet will make thee dumbe, yet are they much too light for the bord of the matter, these good fellowes will bring thee where I am, Rosencraus and Guildersterne hold their course for England, of them I haue much to tell thee, farwell.

So that thou knowest thine Hamlet.

High and mighty, you shall know I am set naked on your King­ dome, to morrow shall I beg leaue to see your Kingly eies, when I shall, first asking you pardon, thereunto recount the occasion of my sudden returne.

Is she to be buried in Christian burial, when she wilfully seeks her owne saluation?

I tell thee she is, therefore make her graue straight, the Crowner hath sate on her, and finds it Christian buriall.

How can that be, vnlesse she drown'd her selfe in her own defence.

Why tis found so.

It must be so offended, it cannot be else, for here lies the point, if I drowne my selfe wittingly, it argues an act, and an act hath three branches, it is to act, to do, to performe, or all; she drown'd her selfe wittingly.

Nay, but here you good man deluer.

Giue me leaue, here lies the water, good, here stands the L3man,The Tragedie of Hamlet man, good, if the man goe to this water and drowne himselfe, it is will he, nill he, he goes, marke you that, but if the water come to him, and drowne him, he drownes not himselfe, argall, he that is not guilty of his owne death shortens not his owne life.

But is this law?

I marry i'st, Crowners quet law.

Will you ha the truth an't, if this had not been a gentle­ woman, she should haue bin buried out a Christian buriall.

Why there thou saist, and the more pitty that great folke should haue countenance in this world to drowne or hang them­ selues, more then their euen Christen: Come my spade, there is no ancient gentlemen but Gardners, Ditchers, and Graue‐makers, they hold vp Adams profession.

Was he a gentleman?

A was the first that euer bore armes. I'le put another question to thee, if thou answerest me not to the purpose, confesse thy selfe.

Goe to.

What is hee that builds stronger then either the Mason, the Shipwright, or the Carpenter.

The gallowes‐maker, for that out‐liues a thousand tenants.

I like thy wit well in good faith, the gallowes dooes well, but how dooes it well? It dooes wel to those that do ill, now thou doot ill to say the gallowes is built stronger then the Church, ar­ gall, the gallowes may doe well to thee. Too't againe, come.

VVho builds stronger then a Mason, a Shipwright, or a Carpenter.

I, tell me that and vnyoke.

Marry now I can tell.

Too't.

Masse I cannot tell.

Cudgel thy brains no more about it, for your dul asse wil not mend his pace with beating, & when your are askt this questiōquestionnext, say a graue‐maker, the houses he makes lats tel Doomsday. Goe get thee in and fetch me a soope of liquer.

Thy state is the more gracious, for tis a vice to know him, He hath much land and fertill: let a beast be Lord of beasts, and his Crib shall stand at the Kings messe, tis a chough, but as I say, spacious in the possession of durt.

Sweet Lord, if your Lordship were at leisure, I should impart a thing to you from his Maiesty.

I will receiue it sir with all diligence of spirit, your bon­ net to his right vse, tis for the head.

I thanke your Lordship, it is very hot.

No beleeue me, tis very cold, the wind is Northerly.

It is indifferent cold my Lord indeed.

But yet me thinks it is very soultry and hot, or my com­ plexion.

Exceedingly my Lord, it is very soultry as t'were I can­ not tell how: my Lord his Maiesty bad me signifie to you, that a has layed a great wager on your head, ir this is the matter.

I beseech you remember.

Nay good my Lord for my ease in good faith, sir here is newly come to Court Laertes, beleeue mee an absolute Gentle­ man,Prince of Denmarke. man, full of most excellent differences, of very soft societie, and great showing: indeed to speake feelingly of him, he is the Card or Kalender of Gentrie: for you shall find in him the conti­ nent of what part a Gentleman would see.

Sir, his definement suffers no perdition in you, though I know to diuide him inuentorially, would dizzie th'arithmetick of memorie, and yet but raw neither, in respect of his quick saile, but in the verity of extolment, I take him to be a soule of great ar­ ticle, and his infusion of such dearth and rarenesse, as to make true dixion of him, his semblable is his mirrour, and who els would trace him, his vmbrage, nothing more.

Your Lordship speakes most infallibly of him.

The concernancy sir, why do we wrap the Gentleman in our mor rawer breath?

Sir.

Ist not possible to vnderstand in another tongue, you will doo't sir really.

What imports the nomination of this Gentleman?

Of Laertes.

His purse is empty already, all's golden words are spent.

Of him sir.

I know you are not ignorant.

I would you did sir, yet in faith if you did, it would, not much approue me, well sir.

You are ignorant of what excellence Laertes is.

I dare not confesse that, least I should compare with him in excellence, but to know a man well, were to know himselfe.

I meane sir for this weapon, but in the imputation laid on him by them in his meed, he's vnfellowed.

What's his weapon?

Rapiar and Dagger.

That's two of his weapons, but well.

The King sir hath wagerd with him six Barbary horses against the which he has impaund as I take it six French Rapiers and Poinards, with their assignes, as girdle, hanger and so. Three of the carriages in faith, are very deare to fancie, very responsiue to the hilts, most delicate carriages, and of very liberall conceit.

What call you the carriages?

I knew you must be edified by the margent ere you had done.