Page:Hamlet (1917) Yale.djvu/141

Prince of Denmark, V. i 

In youth, when I did love, did love,

Methought it was very sweet,

To contract, O! the time, for-a my behove,

O! methought there was nothing meet."

Ham. Has this fellow no feeling of his busi-

ness, that he sings at grave-making?

Hor. Custom hath made it in him a property

of easiness.

Ham. 'Tis e'en so; the hand of little employ-

ment hath the daintier sense.

But age, with his stealing steps,

Hath claw'd me in his clutch,

And hath shipped me intil the land,

As if I had never been such."

[Throws up a skull.]

Ham. That skull had a tongue in it, and

could sing once; how the knave jowls it to the

ground, as if it were Cain's jaw-bone, that did

the first murder! This might be the pate of a

politician, which this ass now o'er-offices, one

that would circumvent God, might it not?

Hor. It might, my lord.

Ham. Or of a courtier, which could say,

'Good morrow, sweet lord! How dost thou,

good lord?' This might be my Lord Such-a-

one, that praised my Lord Such-a-one's horse,

when he meant to beg it, might it not?

Hor. Ay, my lord.

 69 In love; cf. n.

71 behove: benefit

75 property of easiness; cf. n.

81 intil: into

84 jowls: dashes

87 o'er-offices: exercises his office over

