come of them we
cannot tell.']

[Footnote 3: 'May Day and Night lock from me sport and repose.']

[Footnote 4: 'May strife pursue me in the world and out of it.']

[Footnote 5: In all this, there is nothing to reflect on his mother
beyond what everybody knew.]

[Footnote 6: _This speech is in the margin of the Quarto._]

[Footnote 7: _Not in Q._]

[Footnote 8: 'May my trust and hope turn to despair.']

[Footnote 9: an anchoret's.]

[Page 148]

_King_. Haue you heard the Argument, is there
no Offence in't?[1]

_Ham_. No, no, they do but iest, poyson in iest,
no Offence i'th'world.[2]

_King_. What do you call the Play?

_Ham._ The Mouse-trap: Marry how? Tropically:[3]
This Play is the Image of a murder done
in _Vienna: Gonzago_ is the Dukes name, his wife
_Baptista_: you shall see anon: 'tis a knauish peece
of worke: But what o'that? Your Maiestie, and [Sidenote: of that?]
wee that haue free soules, it touches vs not: let the
gall'd iade winch: our withers are vnrung.[4]

_Enter Lucianus._[5]

This is one _Lucianus_ nephew to the King.

_Ophe_. You are a good Chorus, my Lord.
[Sidenote: are as good as a Chorus]

_Ham_. I could interpret betweene you and your
loue: if I could see the Puppets dallying.[6]

_Ophe_. You are keene my Lord, you are keene.

_Ham_. It would cost you a groaning, to take off my edge.
[Sidenote: mine]

_Ophe_. Still better and worse.

_Ham_. So you mistake Husbands.[7] [Sidenote: mistake your]
Begin Murderer. Pox, leaue thy damnable Faces,
[Sidenote: murtherer, leave]
and begin. Come, the croaking Rauen doth bellow
for Reuenge.[8]

_Lucian_. Thoughts blacke, hands apt,
Drugges fit, and Time agreeing:
Confederate season, else, no Creature seeing:[9] [Sidenote: Considerat]
Thou mixture ranke, of Midnight Weeds collected,
With Hecats Ban, thrice blasted, thrice infected, [Sidenote: invected]
Thy naturall Magicke, and dire propertie,
On wholsome life, vsurpe immediately. [Sidenote: vsurps]

_Powres the poyson in his eares_.[10]

_Ham_. He poysons him i'th Garden for's estate:
[Sidenote: A poysons | for his]

[Footnote 1: --said, perhaps, to Polonius. Is there a lapse here in the
king's self-possession? or is this speech only an outcome of its
completene