That you, at such times[a 1] seeing me, never shall,
With arms encumber'd[b 1] thus, or this head-shake,[a 2]
Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase, 175
As "Well, well,[a 3] we know," or "We could, an if[a 4] we would,"
Or "If we list to speak," or "There be, an if they[a 5] might,"
Or such ambiguous giving out,[b 2] to note[b 3]
That you know aught of me: this not to do,[a 6]
So grace and mercy at your most need help you, 180
Swear.
Ghost. [Beneath.] Swear.
Ham. Rest, rest, perturbed spirit!
[They swear.
So, gentlemen,
With all my love I do[a 7] commend me to you;
And what so poor a man as Hamlet is 185
May do, to express his love and friending to you,
God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together;
And still your fingers op your lips, I pray.
The time is out of joint;—O cursed spite.
That ever I was born to set it right!— 190
Nay, come, let 's go together. [Exeunt.
- ↑ 173. times] Q 1, Q; time F.
- ↑ 174. this head-shake] Q 1, Q, (without hyphen), thus, head shake F.
- ↑ 176. Well, well,] Q, well F,
- ↑ 176, 177. an if . . an if] Hanmer; and if . . . and if] Q, F.
- ↑ 177. they] Q 1, Q; there F.
- ↑ 179–181. this . . . Swear] Knight's punctuation of F text, this doe sweare, So . . . you. Q.
- ↑ 184. I do] omitted Ff 2–4.
- ↑ 174. encumbered] commonly explained as "folded." Perhaps intertwined, Hamlet taking the arm of Horatio or Marcellus as he speaks. In Fenton's Monophylo, B. ii. 12, I find "encumbred laborinth."
- ↑ 178. giving out] intimation, as in Measure for Measure, I. iv. 54, Othello, IV. i. 131.
- ↑ 178. to note] Theobald and other editors correct the grammatical irregularity by reading denote.
