Page:Hamlet (1917) Yale.djvu/68

56

Ham. Am I not i' the right, old Jephthah?

Pol. If you call me Jephthah, my lord, I have

a daughter that I love passing well.

Ham. Nay, that follows not.

Pol. What follows, then, my lord?

Ham. Why,

"As by lot, God wot."

And then, you know,

"It came to pass, as most like it was.—"

The first row of the pious chanson will show you

more; for look where my abridgments come.

You are welcome, masters; welcome, all. I am

glad to see thee well: welcome, good friends.

O, my old friend! Thy face is valanced since I

saw thee last: comest thou to beard me in

Denmark? What! my young lady and mistress!

By 'r lady, your ladyship is nearer heaven than

when I saw you last, by the altitude of a chopine.

Pray God, your voice, like a piece of uncurrent

gold, be not cracked within the ring. Masters,

you are welcome. We'll e'en to 't like French

falconers, fly at anything we see: we'll have a

speech straight. Come, give us a taste of your

quality; come, a passionate speech.

First Play. What speech, my lord?

Ham. I heard thee speak me a speech once,

I but it was never acted; or, if it was, not above

 446 'as most like it was': as was most probable

447 row: stanza, verse, column of print (?)

chanson: song

448 abridgments: means of whiling away the time

451 valanced: 'curtained,' with a beard

454 By 'r lady: By our Lady (The Virgin)

455 chopine: a Venetian raised shoe often worn by actors

456 uncurrent: not passable as lawful coinage

457 cracked ring; cf. n.

460 straight: immediately

