persuading Laertes.]

[Footnote 3: an ear of judgment.]

[Footnote 4: 'thought then to have killed me.']

[Footnote 5: _faits_, deeds.]

[Footnote 6: 'deeds so deserving of death, not merely in the eye of the
law, but in their own nature.']

[Footnote 7: powerfully.]

[Footnote 8: 'unsinewed.']

[Footnote 9: 'either-which.']

[Footnote 10: 'moves not but in the moving of his sphere,'--The stars
were popularly supposed to be fixed in a solid crystalline sphere, and
moved in its motion only. The queen, Claudius implies, is his sphere; he
could not move but by her.]

[Footnote 11: Here used in the sense of the Fr. _'genre'--sort_. It is
not the only instance of the word so used by Shakspere.

The king would rouse in Laertes jealousy of Hamlet.]

[Page 214]

Would like the Spring that turneth Wood to Stone, [Sidenote: Worke like]
Conuert his Gyues to Graces.[1] So that my Arrowes
Too slightly timbred for so loud a Winde,
[Sidenote: for so loued Arm'd[2]]
Would haue reuerted to my Bow againe,
And not where I had arm'd them.[2]
[Sidenote: But not | have aym'd them.]

_Laer_. And so haue I a Noble Father lost,
A Sister driuen into desperate tearmes,[3]
Who was (if praises may go backe againe) [Sidenote: whose worth, if]
Stood Challenger on mount of all the Age
For her perfections. But my reuenge will come.

_King_. Breake not your sleepes for that,
You must not thinke
That we are made of stuffe, so flat, and dull,
That we can let our Beard be shooke with danger,[4]
And thinke it pastime. You shortly shall heare more,[5]
I lou'd your Father, and we loue our Selfe,
And that I hope will teach you to imagine----[6]

_Enter a Messenger_. [Sidenote: _with letters._]

How now? What Newes?

_Mes._ Letters my Lord from _Hamlet_.[7] This to
[Sidenote: _Messen_. These to]
your Maiesty: this to the Queene.

_King_. From _Hamlet_? Who brought them?

_Mes_. Saylors my Lord they say, I saw them not:
They were giuen me by _Claudio_, he recciu'd them.[8]
[Sidenote: them Of him that brought them.]

_King. Laertes_ you shall heare them:[9]
Leaue vs. _Exit Messenger_[10]

_High and Mighty, you shall know I am set
naked on your Kingdome. To morrow shall I begge
leaue to see your Kingly Eyes[11] When I shall (first
asking your P