Page:Hamlet (1917) Yale.djvu/107
Ham. Nay, but to live
In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, 92
Stew'd in corruption, honeying and making love
Over the nasty sty,—
Queen. O! speak to me no more;
These words like daggers enter in mine ears;
No more, sweet Hamlet!
Ham. A murderer, and a villain;
A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe 97
Of your precedent lord; a vice of kings;
A cut-purse of the empire and the rule,
That from a shelf the precious diadem stole, 100
And put it in his pocket!
Queen. No more!
Ham. A king of shreds and patches,—
Enter Ghost.
Save me, and hover o'er me with your wings,
You heavenly guards! What would your gracious figure? 104
Queen. Alas! he's mad!
Ham. Do you not come your tardy son to chide,
That, laps'd in time and passion, lets go by
The important acting of your dread command?
O! say.
Ghost. Do not forget: this visitation 109
Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose.
But, look! amazement on thy mother sits;
O! step between her and her fighting soul; 112
92 enseamed: greasy
97 tithe: tenth part
98 precedent: former
vice: buffoon; cf. n.
99 cut-purse: pickpocket
102 shreds and patches: rabble and fools (?); cf. n.
107 laps'd in time and passion: "having suffered time to go by and passion to cool" (?)
108 important: urgent