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 ____ Gent. Now God saue thee, sweete prince Hamlet.

Ham. And you sir: foh, how the muske‐cod smels!

Gen. I come with an embassage from his maiesty to you

Ham. I shall sir giue you attention:

By my troth me thinkes t'is very colde.

Gent. It is indeede very rawish colde.

Ham. T'is hot me thinkes.

Gent. Very swoltery hote:

The King, sweete Prince, hath layd a wager on your side,

Six Barbary horse, against six french rapiers,

With all their acoutrements too, a the carriages:

In good faith they are very curiously wrought.

Ham. The cariages sir, I do not know what you meane.

Gent. The girdles, and hangers sir, and such like.

Ham. The worde had beene more cosin german to the phrase, if he could haue carried the canon by his side,

And howe's the wager? I vnderstand you now.

Gent. Mary sir, that yong Leartes in twelue venies

At Rapier and Dagger do not get three oddes of you,

And on your side the King hath laide,

And desires you to be in readinesse.

Ham. Very well, if the King dare venture his wager,

I dare venture my skull: when must this be?

Gent. My Lord, presently, the king, and her maiesty,

With the rest of the best iudgement in the Court,

Are comming downe into the outward pallace.

Ham. Goe tell his maiestie, I wil attend him.

Gent. I shall deliuer your most sweet answer. exit.

Ham. You may sir, none better, for y'are spiced,

Else he had a bad nose could not smell a foole.

Hor. He will disclose himselfe without inquirie.

Ham. Beleeue me Horatio, my hart is on the sodaine

Very sore, all here about.

Hor. My lord, forbeare the challenge then.

Ham. No Horatio, not I, if danger be now,

Why then it is not to come, theres a predestinate prouidence

in

___ in the fall of a sparrow: heere comes the King.

Enter King, Queene, Leartes, Lordes. King Now sonne Hamlet, we haue laid vpon your head,

And make no question but to haue the best.

Ham. Your maiestie hath laide a the weaker side.

King We doubt it not, deliuer them the foiles.

Ham. First Leartes, heere's my hand and loue,

Protesting that I neuer wrongd Leartes.

If Hamlet in his madnesse did amisse,

That was not Hamlet, but his madnes did it,

And all the wrong I e're did to Leartes,

I here proclaime was madnes, therefore lets be at peace,

And thinke I haue shot mine arrow o're the house,

And hurt my brother.

Lear. Sir I am satisfied in nature,

But in termes of honor I'le stand aloofe,

And will no reconcilement,

Till by some elder maisters of our time

I may be satisfied.

King Giue them the foyles.

Ham. I'le be your foyle Leartes, these foyles,

Haue all a laught, come on sir: a hit.

Lear. No none. Heere they play_

Ham. Iudgement.

Gent. A hit, a most palpable hit.

Lear. Well, come againe. They play againe.

Ham. Another. Iudgement.

Lear. I, I grant, a tuch, a tuch.

King Here Hamlet, the king doth drinke a health to the_

Queene Here Hamlet, take my napkin, wipe thy face.

King Giue him the wine.

Ham. Set it by, I'le haue another bowt first,

I'le drinke anone.

Queene Here Hamlet, thy mother drinkes to thee.

Shee drinkes. King Do not drinke Gertred: O t'is the poysned cup!58

I3 Ham.