all this
shew imported, but stood on one side, not inclining to interrupt the
ceremony. He saw the flowers strewed upon her grave, as the custom was
in maiden burials, which the queen herself threw in; and as she threw
them, she said, "Sweets to the sweet! I thought to have decked thy
bride-bed, sweet maid, not to have strewed thy grave. Thou shouldst
have been my Hamlet's wife." And he heard her brother wish that
violets might spring from her grave: and he saw him leap into the
grave all frantic with grief, and bid the attendants pile mountains
of earth upon him, that he might be buried with her. And Hamlet's love
for this fair maid came back to him, and he could not bear that a
brother should shew so much transport of grief, for he thought that he
loved Ophelia better than forty thousand brothers. Then discovering
himself, he leaped into the grave where Laertes was, all as frantic or
more frantic than he, and Laertes knowing him to be Hamlet, who had
been the cause of his father's and his sister's death, grappled him by
the throat as an enemy, till the attendants parted them: and Hamlet,
after the funeral, excused his hasty act in throwing himself into
the grave as if to brave Laertes; but he said he could not bear that
any one should seem to outgo him in grief for the death of the fair
Ophelia. And for the time these two noble youths seemed reconciled.

But out of the grief and anger of Laertes for the death of his
father and Ophelia, the king, Hamlet's wicked uncle, contrived
destruction for Hamlet. He set on Laertes, under cover of peace and
reconciliation, to challenge Hamlet to a friendly trial of skill at
fencing, which Hamlet accepting, a day was appointed to try the match.
At this match all the court was present, and Laertes, by direction of
the king, prepared a poisoned weapon. Upon this match great wagers
were laid by the courtiers, as both Hamlet and Laertes were known to
excel at this sword-play; and Hamlet taking up the foils chose one,
not at all suspecting the treachery of Laertes, or being careful to
examine Laertes' weapon, who, instead of a foil or blunted sword,
which the laws of fencing require, made use of one with a point, and
poisoned. At first Laertes did but play with Hamlet, and suffered him
to gain some advantages, which the dissembling king magnified and
extolled beyond measure, drinking to Hamlet's success, and wagering
rich bets upon the issue: but after a few passes, Laertes growing
war