Page:Hamlet (1917) Yale.djvu/42

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Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand,

Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch'd;

Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin,

Unhousel'd, disappointed, unanel'd,

No reckoning made, but sent to my account

With all my imperfections on my head:

O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible!

If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not;

Let not the royal bed of Denmark be

A couch for luxury and damned incest.

But, howsoever thou pursu'st this act,

Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive

Against thy mother aught; leave her to heaven,

And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge,

To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once!

The glow-worm shows the matin to be near,

And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire;

Adieu, adieu! Hamlet, remember me.

Ham. O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else?

And shall I couple hell? O fie! Hold, hold, my heart!

And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,

But bear me stiffly up! Remember thee!

Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat

In this distracted globe. Remember thee!

Yea, from the table of my memory

I'll wipe away all trivial fond records,

 75 dispatch'd: bereft

77 Unhousel'd: without having received the Holy Communion

disappointed: unprepared

unanel'd: without having received extreme unction

78 reckoning: confession and absolution

80 horrible; cf. n.

83 luxury: lasciviousness

89 matin: morning

90 uneffectual: losing its effect

97 distracted globe: confused head

98 table: writing-tablet

99 fond: foolish

