ote 8: He _gives_ the lie.]

[Page 234]

_Ham_. How absolute[1] the knaue is? wee must
[Sidenote: 256] speake by the Carde,[2] or equiuocation will vndoe
vs: by the Lord _Horatio_, these three yeares[3] I haue
[Sidenote: this three]
taken note of it, the Age is growne so picked,[4] [Sidenote: tooke]
that the toe of the Pesant comes so neere the
heeles of our Courtier, hee galls his Kibe.[5] How
[Sidenote: the heele of the]
long hast thou been a Graue-maker? [Sidenote: been Graue-maker?]

_Clo_. Of all the dayes i'th'yeare, I came too't
[Sidenote: Of the dayes]
that day[6] that our last King _Hamlet_ o'recame [Sidenote: ouercame]
_Fortinbras_.

_Ham_. How long is that since?

_Clo_. Cannot you tell that? euery foole can tell
[Sidenote: 143] that: It was the very day,[6] that young _Hamlet_ was
[Sidenote: was that very]
borne,[8] hee that was mad, and sent into England,
[Sidenote: that is mad]

_Ham_. I marry, why was he sent into England?

_Clo_. Why, because he was mad; hee shall recouer
[Sidenote: a was mad: a shall]
his wits there; or if he do not, it's no great
[Sidenote: if a do | tis]
matter there.

_Ham_. Why?

_Clo_. 'Twill not be scene in him, there the men
[Sidenote: him there, there]
are as mad as he.

_Ham_. How came he mad?

_Clo_. Very strangely they say.

_Ham_. How strangely?[7]

_Clo_. Faith e'ene with loosing his wits.

_Ham_. Vpon what ground?

_Clo_. Why heere in Denmarke[8]: I haue bin sixeteene [Sidenote: Sexten]
[Sidenote: 142-3] heere, man and Boy thirty yeares.[9]

_Ham_. How long will a man lie 'ith' earth ere he
rot?

_Clo_. Ifaith, if he be not rotten before he die (as
[Sidenote: Fayth if a be not | a die]
we haue many pocky Coarses now adaies, that will
[Sidenote: corses, that will]
scarce hold the laying in) he will last you some [Sidenote: a will]
eight yeare, or nine yeare. A Tanner will last you
nine yeare.

[Footnote 1: 'How the knave insists on precision!']

[Footnote 2: chart: _Skeat's Etym. Dic