e]
him _Horatio_, a fellow of infinite Iest; of most excellent
fancy, he hath borne me on his backe a [Sidenote: bore]
thousand times: And how abhorred[1] my Imagination
[Sidenote: and now how | in my]
is, my gorge rises at it. Heere hung those [Sidenote: it is:]
lipps, that I haue kist I know not how oft. Where
be your Iibes now? Your Gambals? Your Songs?
Your flashes of Merriment that were wont to set
the Table on a Rore? No one[2] now to mock your [Sidenote: not one]
own Ieering? Quite chopfalne[3]? Now get you to
[Sidenote: owne grinning,]
my Ladies Chamber, and tell her, let her paint an
[Sidenote: Ladies table,]
inch thicke, to this fauour[4] she must come. Make
her laugh at that: prythee _Horatio_ tell me one
thing.

_Hor_. What's that my Lord?

_Ham_. Dost thou thinke _Alexander_ lookt o'this [Sidenote: a this]
fashion i'th' earth?

_Hor_. E'ene so.

_Ham_. And smelt so? Puh.

[Footnote 1: If this be the true reading, _abhorred_ must mean
_horrified_; but I incline to the _Quarto_.]

[Footnote 2: 'Not one jibe, not one flash of merriment now?']

[Footnote 3: --chop indeed quite fallen off!]

[Footnote 4: _to this look_--that of the skull.]

[Page 238]

_Hor_. E'ene so, my Lord.

_Ham_. To what base vses we may returne
_Horatio_. Why may not Imagination trace the
Noble dust of _Alexander_, till he[1] find it stopping a
[Sidenote: a find]
bunghole.

_Hor_. 'Twere to consider: to curiously to consider
[Sidenote: consider too curiously]
so.

_Ham_. No faith, not a iot. But to follow him
thether with modestie[2] enough, and likeliehood to
lead it; as thus. _Alexander_ died: _Alexander_ was
[Sidenote: lead it. _Alexander_]
buried: _Alexander_ returneth into dust; the dust is [Sidenote: to]
earth; of earth we make Lome, and why of that
Lome (whereto he was conuerted) might they not
stopp a Beere-barrell?[3]

Imperiall _Caesar_, dead and turn'd to clay, [Sidenote: Imperious]
Might stop a hole to keepe the winde away.
Oh, that that earth, which kept the world in awe,
Should patch a Wall, t'expell the winters flaw.[4]
[Sidenote: waters flaw