Page:Hamlet (1917) Yale.djvu/110

98

That aptly is put on.] Refrain to-night;

And that shall lend a kind of easiness

To the next abstinence: [the next more easy;

For use almost can change the stamp of nature,

And master ev'n the devil or throw him out

With wondrous potency.] Once more, good-night:

And when you are desirous to be bless'd,

I'll blessing beg of you. For this same lord,

I do repent: but heaven hath pleas'd it so,

To punish me with this, and this with me,

That I must be their scourge and minister.

I will bestow him, and will answer well

The death I gave him. So, again, good-night.

I must be cruel only to be kind:

Thus bad begins and worse remains behind.

[One word more, good lady.]

Queen. What shall I do?

Ham. Not this, by no means, that I bid you do:

Let the bloat king tempt you again to bed;

Pinch wanton on your cheek; call you his mouse;

And let him, for a pair of reechy kisses,

Or paddling in your neck with his damn'd fingers,

Make you to ravel all this matter out,

That I essentially am not in madness,

But mad in craft. 'Twere good you let him know;

For who that's but a queen, fair, sober, wise,

Would from a paddock, from a bat, a gib,

Such dear concernings hide? who would do so?

 169 master; cf. n.

171 be bless'd: to become blessed

176 answer: account for

182 bloat: bloated

183 wanton: wantonly

184 reechy: greasy

185 paddling: playing fondly

187 essentially: in my essential nature

190 paddock: toad

gib: tom-cat

191 dear concernings: affairs dearly concerning one

