Hamlet

Worse than the mutines in the bilboes. Rashly6 --

And praise be rashness for it -- let us know7

Our indiscretion8 sometimes serves us well, When our dear plots do pall9, and that should teach us There's a divinity that shapes our ends,

Rough-hew11 them how we will--

HORATIO That is most certain.

HAMLET Up from my cabin,

My sea-gown scarfed14 about me, in the dark Groped I to find out them15, had my desire, Fingered their packet, and in fine16 withdrew To mine own room again, making so bold --

My fears forgetting manners -- to unseal

Their grand commission, where I found, Horatio --

O, royal knavery! -- an exact command,

Larded with many several21 sorts of reason Importing22 Denmark's health and England's too, With, ho, such bu

gs and goblins in my life23, That on the supervise, no leisure bated24, No, not to stay25 the grinding of the axe, My head should be struck off.

HORATIO Is't possible?

HAMLET Here's the commission: read it at more leisure.

Gives a paper

But wilt thou hear me how I did proceed?

HORATIO I beseech you.

HAMLET Being thus benetted round31 with villainies --

Ere I could make a prologue to my brains32, They had begun the play -- I sat me down,

Devised a new commission, wrote it fair34: I once did hold it, as our statists35 do, A baseness to write fair and laboured much

How to forget that learning, but, sir, now

It did me yeoman's38 service. Wilt thou know The effect39 of what I wrote?

HORATIO Ay, good my lord.

HAMLET An earnest conjuration41 from the king, As England was his faithful tributary42, As love between them as the palm should flourish,

As peace should still her wheaten garland44 wear And stand a comma 'tween their amities45, And many such-like 'As'es of great charge46, That on the view and know of these contents,

Without debatement further, more or less,

He should the bearers put to sudden death,

Not shriving-time50 allowed.

HORATIO How was this sealed?

HAMLET Why, even in that was heaven ordinant52.