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Prince of Denmark, V. ii

Larded with many several sorts of reasons

Importing Denmark's health, and England's too,

With, ho! such bugs and goblins in my life,

That, on the supervise, no leisure bated,

No, not to stay the grinding of the axe,

My head should be struck off.

Hor. Is 't possible?

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

But wilt thou hear me how I did proceed?

Hor. I beseech you.

Ham. Being thus be-netted round with villainies,—

Ere I could make a prologue to my brains

They had begun the play,—I sat me down,

Devis'd a new commission, wrote it fair;

I once did hold it, as our statists do,

A baseness to write fair, and labour'd much

How to forget that learning; but, sir, now

It did me yeoman's service. Wilt thou know

The effect of what I wrote?

Hor. Ay, good my lord.

Ham. An earnest conjuration from the king,

As England was his faithful tributary,

As love between them like the palm should flourish,

As peace should still her wheaten garland wear,

And stand a comma 'tween their amities,

And many such-like 'As'es of great charge,

That, on the view and knowing of these contents,

Without debatement further, more or less,

He should the bearers put to sudden death,

Not shriving-time allow'd.

 22 bugs life; cf. n.

23 supervise: perusal

bated: deducted

29 be-netted: ensnared

30 prologue play; cf. n.

33 statists: statesmen

36 yeoman's service: good and faithful service

41 wheaten garland: emblem of peace

42 comma: bond of connection; cf. n.

43 'As'es; cf. n.

47 shriving-time: time for absolution

