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interested, nevertheless, she forgot all disdain and wrath which thereby she might as then have had, hearing herself so sharply chidden and reproved, for the joy she then conceived to behold the gallant spirit of her son, and to think what she might hope and the easier expect of his great policy and wisdom. But, on the one side, she durst not lift up her eyes to behold him, remembering her offence, and on the other side, she would gladly have embraced her son, in regard of the wise admonitions by him given unto her, which as then quenched the flames of unbridled desire that before had moved her to affect King Fengon, to engraff in her heart the virtuous actions of her lawful spouse, whom inwardly she much lamented, when she beheld the lively image and portraiture of his virtue and great wisdom in her child, representing his father's haughty and valiant heart; and so, overcome and vanquished with this honest passion, and weeping most bitterly, having long time fixed her eyes upon Hamblet, as being ravished into some great and deep contemplation, and as it were wholly amazed,* at the last embracing him in her arms, she spake unto him in this

manner:

'I know well, my son, that I have done thee great wrong in marrying with Fengon; but when thou shalt consider the small means of resistance, and the treason of the palace, with the little cause of confidence we are to expect or hope for of the courtiers, all wrought to his will, as also the power he made ready, if I should have refused to like of him, thou wouldst rather excuse, than accuse me of lasciviousness or inconstancy, much less offer me that wrong to suspect that ever thy mother Geruth once consented to the death and murther of her husband; swearing unto thee by the majesty of the gods, that if it had lain in my power to have resisted the tyrant, although it had been with the loss of my blood, yea, and my life, I would surely have saved the life of my lord and husband, with as good a will and desire as since that time I have often been a means to hinder and impeach the shortening of thy life,† which

* But look, amazement on thy mother sits.' Act iii. sc. 6.

† And that your grace hath screened and stood between
Much heat and him.' Act iii. sc. 4.

being taken away, I will no longer live here upon earth. For seeing that thy senses are whole and sound, I am in hope to see an easy means invented for the revenging of thy father's death. Nevertheless, mine own sweet son, if thou hast pity of thyself, or care of the memory of thy father, although thou wilt do nothing for her that deserveth not the name of a mother in this respect, I pray thee carry thine affairs wisely; be not hasty nor over-furious in thy enterprises, neither yet advance thyself more than reason shall move thee to effect thy purpose. Thou seest there is not almost any man wherein thou mayest put thy trust, nor any woman to whom I dare utter the least part of my secrets, that would not presently report it to thine adversary. So that if thou chance to do anything that seemeth to proceed of wisdom or policy, he will presently be informed thereof, and I am greatly afraid that the devils have showed him what hath passed at this present between us, or that this murther, that now thou hast committed, be not the cause of both our destructions, which I by no means will seem to know, but will keep secret both thy wisdom and hardy enterprise; beseeching the gods, that they guiding thy heart, directing thy counsels, and prospering thy enterprise, I may see thee possess and enjoy that which is thy right, and wear the crown of Denmark, by the tyrant taken from thee.'

'Madam,' said Hamlet, I will put my trust in you, and from henceforth mean not to meddle farther with your affairs; beseeching you, as you love your own flesh and blood, that you will from henceforth no more esteem of the adulterer mine enemy, whom I will surely kill, or cause to be put to death, in despite of all the devils in hell.'

After this Fengon came to the court again, and asked for him that had received the charge to play the intelligencer; was abashed to hear neither news nor tidings of him, and for that cause asked Hamblet what was become of him. The princewho, in all the answers that ever he made during his counterfeit madness, never strayed from the truth, as a generous mind is a mortal enemy to untruth-answered that the counsellor he sought for was gone down through the vault, where, being choked, the hogs meeting him had filled their bellies.

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CHAPTER IV.-A man would have judged anything, rather than that Hamlet had committed that murther; nevertheless, Fengon could not content himself, but still his mind gave him that the fool would play him some trick, and willingly would have killed him: but he feared King Roderick his grandfather, and further durst not offend the queen, mother to the fool, whom she loved and much cherished. And in that conceit, seeking to be rid of him, determined to do it by the aid of a stranger, making the King of England minister of his massacreing resolution, to whom he purposed to send him, and by letters desire him to put him to death.

Hamblet, understanding that he should be sent into England, presently doubted the occasion of his voyage; and for that cause, speaking to the queen, desired her not to make any show of grief for his departure; desiring her further that she should hang the hall with tapestry, and keep the brands for him which he had sharpened at the points. Lastly, he counselled her that, the year after his departure being accomplished, she should celebrate his funeral, assuring her that at the same instant she should see him return unto her.

Now, to bear him company, were assigned two of Fengon's faithful ministers,* bearing letters engraved in wood, that contained Hamblet's death, in such sort as he had advertised the King of England. But the subtile Danish prince, being at sea, whilst his companions slept, having read the letters, and known his uncle's great treason, with the wicked and villainous minds of the two courtiers that led him to the slaughter, rased out the letters that concerned his death, and instead thereof graved others, with commission to the King of England to hang his two companions; and, not content to turn the death they had devised against him upon their own necks, wrote further, that King Fengon willed him to give his daughter to Hamblet in marriage.

*Comp. with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

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NOTE. The sequel of the Historie of Hamblet is quite different from the play, as will appear from the following analysis:-On Hamblet's arrival in England, his companions are put to death, and he is promised the king's daughter in marriage after staying there a year he returns to Denmark, and arrives on the very day on which his funeral is solemnized. His return causes great astonishment. At a banquet in the palace the nobles become intoxicated, and fall asleep in the banquet-room; whereupon Hamblet gathers round them the chamber-hangings, fastened with the wooden skewers he had prepared, and, while they are thus benetted and unable to extricate themselves, sets fire to the palace. He then rushes into Fengon's chamber and stabs him to death. The people, variously affected by the destruction of the king and nobles, are harangued at great length by Hamblet, who vindicates his conduct so much to their satisfaction that they elect him king. After his coronation, he proceeds to England, and marries both the king's daughter and a Scottish princess. His death being secretly purposed by the King of England, Hamblet kills him, and goes to Denmark with his two wives, one of whom betrays him, and he is slain by Wiglerus, the successor of Roderick.

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