on the
ground of the relief it is to his mind to be now at length quite certain
of his duty.]

[Page 212]

_make thee dumbe, yet are they much too light for the
bore of the Matter.[1] These good Fellowes will bring_
[Sidenote: the bord of]
_thee where I am. Rosincrance and Guildensterne,
hold their course for England. Of them I haue
much to tell thee, Farewell.
He that thou knowest thine._
[Sidenote: _So that thou knowest thine Hamlet._]
Hamlet.

Come, I will giue you way for these your Letters,
[Sidenote: _Hor_. Come I will you way]
And do't the speedier, that you may direct me
To him from whom you brought them. _Exit_. [Sidenote: _Exeunt._]

_Enter King and Laertes._[2]

_King_. Now must your conscience my acquittance seal,
And you must put me in your heart for Friend,
Sith you haue heard, and with a knowing eare,[3]
That he which hath your Noble Father slaine,
Pursued my life.[4]

_Laer_. It well appeares. But tell me,
Why you proceeded not against these feates,[5] [Sidenote: proceede]
So crimefull, and so Capitall in Nature,[6] [Sidenote: criminall]
As by your Safety, Wisedome, all things else,
[Sidenote: safetie, greatnes, wisdome,]
You mainly[7] were stirr'd vp?

_King_. O for two speciall Reasons,
Which may to you (perhaps) seeme much vnsinnowed,[8]
And yet to me they are strong. The Queen his Mother,
[Sidenote: But yet | tha'r strong]
Liues almost by his lookes: and for my selfe,
My Vertue or my Plague, be it either which,[9]
She's so coniunctiue to my life and soule;
[Sidenote: she is so concliue]
That as the Starre moues not but in his Sphere,[10]
I could not but by her. The other Motiue,
Why to a publike count I might not go,
[Sidenote: 186] Is the great loue the generall gender[11] beare him,
Who dipping all his Faults in their affection,

[Footnote 1: Note here also Hamlet's feeling of the importance of what
has passed since he parted with his friend. 'The bullet of my words,
though it will strike thee dumb, is much too small for the bore of the
reality (the facts) whence it will issue.']

[Footnote 2: While we have been present at the interview between Horatio
and the sailors, the king has been