Page:Hamlet (1917) Yale.djvu/152

140

Hor. How was this seal'd?

Ham, Why, even in that was heaven ordinant.

I had my father's signet in my purse,

Which was the model of that Danish seal;

Folded the writ up in form of the other,

Subscrib'd it, gave 't th' impression, plac'd it safely,

The changeling never known. Now, the next day

Was our sea-fight, and what to this was sequent

Thou know'st already.

Hor. So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to 't.

Ham. Why, man, they did make love to this employment;

They are not near my conscience; their defeat

Does by their own insinuation grow.

'Tis dangerous when the baser nature comes

Between the pass and fell-incensed points

Of mighty opposites.

Hor. Why, what a king is this!

Ham. Does it not, think'st thee, stand me now upon—

He that hath kill'd my king and whor'd my mother,

Popp'd in between the election and my hopes,

Thrown out his angle for my proper life,

And with such cozenage—is 't not perfect conscience

To quit him with this arm? and is 't not to be damn'd

To let this canker of our nature come

In further evil?

 48 ordinant: controlling

50 model: exact likeness

52 Subscrib'd: signed, or, addressed

impression: i.e., of the seal

53 changeling: substitute

59 insinuation: artful intrusion

61 fell-incensed: cruelly angered

62 opposites: opponents

63 stand upon: vitally concern

65 election; cf. n.

66 angle: fishing-hook

67 cozenage: cheating

