Page:Hamlet (1917) Yale.djvu/107

Prince of Denmark, III. iv

Ham. Nay, but to live

In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed,

Stew'd in corruption, honeying and making love

Over the nasty sty,—

Queen. O! speak to me no more;

These words like daggers enter in mine ears;

No more, sweet Hamlet!

Ham. A murderer, and a villain;

A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe

Of your precedent lord; a vice of kings;

A cut-purse of the empire and the rule,

That from a shelf the precious diadem stole,

And put it in his pocket!

Queen. No more!

Ham. A king of shreds and patches,—

Save me, and hover o'er me with your wings,

You heavenly guards! What would your gracious figure?

Queen. Alas! he's mad!

Ham. Do you not come your tardy son to chide,

That, laps'd in time and passion, lets go by

The important acting of your dread command?

O! say.

Ghost. Do not forget: this visitation

Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose.

But, look! amazement on thy mother sits;

O! step between her and her fighting soul;

 92 enseamed: greasy

97 tithe: tenth part

98 precedent: former

vice: buffoon; cf. n.

99 cut-purse: pickpocket

102 shreds and patches: rabble and fools (?); cf. n.

107 laps'd in time and passion: "having suffered time to go by and passion to cool" (?)

108 important: urgent

