Page:Hamlet (1917) Yale.djvu/63

Prince of Denmark, II. ii

not craft enough to colour: I know the good

king and queen have sent for you.

Ros. To what end, my lord?

Ham. That you must teach me. But let me

conjure you, by the rights of our fellowship,

by the consonancy of our youth, by the obli-

gation of our ever-preserved love, and by what

more dear a better proposer could charge you

withal, be even and direct with me, whether

you were sent for or no!

Ros. [Aside to Guildenstern.] What say

you?

Ham. Nay, then, I have an eye of you. If

you love me, hold not off.

Guil. My lord, we were sent for.

Ham. I will tell you why; so shall my antici-

pation prevent your discovery, and your secrecy

to the king and queen moult no feather. I have

of late,—but wherefore I know not,—lost all my

mirth, forgone all custom of exercises; and

indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition

that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a

sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy,

the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firma-

ment, this majestical roof fretted with golden

fire, why, it appears no other thing to me but

a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours.

What a piece of work is a man! How noble in

reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and

 296 colour: disguise

300 conjure: adjure

301 consonancy of youth: being of the same age

303 better proposer: more skillful exhorter

304 even: straightforward

308 have an eye of you: have an eye upon you

312 prevent: precede

discovery: disclosure

319 brave: splendid

320 fretted: adorned

324 faculty: capacity

