the marriage.]

[Page 16]

Together with remembrance of our selues.
Therefore our sometimes Sister, now our Queen,
Th'Imperiall Ioyntresse of this warlike State, [Sidenote: to this]
Haue we, as 'twere, with a defeated ioy,
With one Auspicious, and one Dropping eye,
[Sidenote: an auspitious and a]
With mirth in Funerall, and with Dirge in Marriage,
In equall Scale weighing Delight and Dole[1]
Taken to Wife; nor haue we heerein barr'd[2]
Your better Wisedomes, which haue freely gone
With this affaire along, for all our Thankes.
[Sidenote: 8] Now followes, that you know young _Fortinbras_,[3]
Holding a weake supposall of our worth;
Or thinking by our late deere Brothers death,
Our State to be disioynt, and out of Frame,
Colleagued with the dreame of his Aduantage;[4] [Sidenote: this dreame]
He hath not fayl'd to pester vs with Message,
Importing the surrender of those Lands
Lost by his Father: with all Bonds of Law [Sidenote: bands]
To our most valiant Brother. So much for him.

_Enter Voltemand and Cornelius._[5]

Now for our selfe, and for this time of meeting
Thus much the businesse is. We haue heere writ
To Norway, Vncle of young _Fortinbras_,
Who Impotent and Bedrid, scarsely heares
Of this his Nephewes purpose, to suppresse
His further gate[6] heerein. In that the Leuies,
The Lists, and full proportions are all made
Out of his subiect: and we heere dispatch
You good _Cornelius_, and you _Voltemand_,
For bearing of this greeting to old Norway, [Sidenote: bearers]
Giuing to you no further personall power
To businesse with the King, more then the scope
Of these dilated Articles allow:[7] [Sidenote: delated[8]]
Farewell and let your hast commend your duty.[9]

[Footnote 1: weighing out an equal quantity of each.]

[Footnote 2: Like _crossed_.]

[Footnote 3: 'Now follows--that (_which_) you know--young
Fortinbras:--']

[Footnote 4: _Colleagued_ agrees with _supposall_. The preceding two
lines may be regarded as somewhat parenthetical. _Dream of
advantage_--hope of gain.]

[Footnote 5: _Not in Q._]

[Footnote 6: _going; advance._ Note in Norway also, as well as in
Denmark, the succession of the brother.]

[Footnote 7: (_giving them papers_).]

[Footnote 8: Which of these is right, I cannot tell. _Dilated_ means
_expanded_, and would refer to _the scope; _delated_ means
_committed_--to them, to limit them.]

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