ere you go to bed.

_Ham._ We shall obey, were she ten times our
Mother. Haue you any further Trade with vs?

_Rosin._ My Lord, you once did loue me.

_Ham._ So I do still, by these pickers and [Sidenote: And doe still]
stealers.[2]

_Rosin._ Good my Lord, what is your cause of
distemper? You do freely barre the doore of your
[Sidenote: surely barre the door vpon your]
owne Libertie, if you deny your greefes to your your
Friend.

_Ham._ Sir I lacke Aduancement.

_Rosin._ How can that be, when you haue the
[Sidenote: 136] voyce of the King himselfe, for your Succession in
Denmarke?

[3]

_Ham._ I, but while the grasse growes,[4] the [Sidenote: I sir,]
Prouerbe is something musty.

_Enter one with a Recorder._[5]

O the Recorder. Let me see, to withdraw with,
[Sidenote: o the Recorders, let mee see one, to]
you,[6] why do you go about to recouer the winde of
mee,[7] as if you would driue me into a toyle?[8]

_Guild._ O my Lord, if my Dutie be too bold,
my loue is too vnmannerly.[9]

_Ham._ I do not well vnderstand that.[10] Will you,
play vpon this Pipe?

_Guild._ My Lord, I cannot.

_Ham._ I pray you.

_Guild._ Beleeue me, I cannot.

_Ham._ I do beseech you.

[Footnote 1: wonder, astonishment.]

[Footnote 2: He swears an oath that will not hold, being by the hand of
a thief.

In the Catechism: 'Keep my hands from picking and stealing.']

[Footnote 3: Here in Quarto, _Enter the Players with Recorders._]

[Footnote 4: '... the colt starves.']

[Footnote 5: _Not in Q._ The stage-direction of the _Folio_ seems
doubtful. Hamlet has called for the orchestra: we may either suppose one
to precede the others, or that the rest are already scattered; but the
_Quarto_ direction and reading seem better.]

[Footnote 6: _--taking Guildensterne aside_.]

[Footnote 7: 'to get to windward of me.']

[Footnote 8: 'Why do you seek to get the advantage of me, as if you
would drive me to betray myself?'--Hunters, by sending on the wind their
scent to the game, drive it into their toils.]

[Footnote 9: Guildensterne tries euphuism, but hardly succeeds. He
intends to plead that any fault in his approach must be laid to the
charge of his love. _Duty_ here means _homage_--so used still by the
common people.]

[Footnote 10: --said with a smile of gentle contempt.]

[Page 156]

_Guild_. I know no touch of it, my Lord.

_Ham_. Tis as easie a