King. A Norman.
Laer. Upon my life, Lamond.
King. The very same.[1898]
Laer. I know him well: he is the brooch indeed
And gem of all the nation.[1899] 95
King. He made confession of you,[1900]
And gave you such a masterly report,
For art and exercise in your defence,
And for your rapier most especial,[1901]
That he cried out, 'twould be a sight indeed[1902] 100
If one could match you: the scrimers of their nation.[1903][1904]
He swore, had neither motion, guard, nor eye,[1903]
If you opposed them. Sir, this report of his[1903]
Did Hamlet so envenom with his envy[1905]
That he could nothing do but wish and beg 105
Your sudden coming o'er, to play with him.[1906]
Now, out of this—
Laer. What out of this, my lord?
King. Laertes, was your father dear to you?[1907]
Or are you like the painting of a sorrow,
A face without a heart?
Laer. Why ask you this? 110
King. Not that I think you did not love your father,
But that I know love is begun by time,[1908]
And that I see, in passages of proof,
Time qualifies the spark and fire of it.
There lives within the very flame of love[1909] 115
A kind of wick or snuff that will abate it;[1909][1910]
And nothing is at a like goodness still,[1909]
For goodness, growing to a plurisy,[1909][1911]
Dies in his own too much: that we would do[1909][1912]
We should do when we would; for this 'would' changes[1909][1913] 120
And hath abatements and delays as many[1909]
As there are tongues, are hands, are accidents,[1909][1914]
And then this 'should' is like a spendthrift sigh,[1909][1913][1915]
That hurts by easing. But, to the quick o' the ulcer:[1909]
Hamlet comes back: what would you undertake,[1916] 125
To show yourself your father's son in deed[1917]
More than in words?
Laer. To cut his throat i' the church.