ood my Lord.

_Ham_. An earnest Coniuration from the King,
As England was his faithfull Tributary,
As loue betweene them, as the Palme should flourish,
[Sidenote: them like the | might florish,]
As Peace should still her wheaten Garland weare,
And stand a Comma 'tweene their amities,[7]
And many such like Assis[8] of great charge,
[Sidenote: like, as sir of]
That on the view and know of these Contents, [Sidenote: knowing]
Without debatement further, more or lesse,
He should the bearers put to sodaine death, [Sidenote: those bearers]
Not shriuing time allowed.

_Hor_. How was this seal'd?

_Ham_. Why, euen in that was Heauen ordinate; [Sidenote: ordinant,]
I had my fathers Signet in my Purse,
Which was the Modell of that Danish Seale:
Folded the Writ vp in forme of the other,
[Sidenote: in the forme of th']
Subscrib'd it, gau't th'impression, plac't it safely,
[Sidenote: Subscribe it,]
The changeling neuer knowne: Now, the next day
Was our Sea Fight, and what to this was sement, [Sidenote: was sequent]
Thou know'st already.[9]

_Hor_. So _Guildensterne_ and _Rosincrance_, go too't.

[Footnote 1: --the nearest, Rosincrance and Guildensterne: Hamlet was
quite satisfied of their villainy.]

[Footnote 2: 'I had no need to think: the thing came to me at once.']

[Footnote 3: Note Hamlet's rapid practicality--not merely in devising,
but in carrying out.]

[Footnote 4: statesmen.]

[Footnote 5: '_Yeomen of the guard of the king's body_ were anciently
two hundred and fifty men, of the best rank under gentry, and of larger
stature than ordinary; every one being required to be six feet
high.'--_E. Chambers' Cyclopaedia_. Hence '_yeoman's_ service' must mean
the very best of service.]

[Footnote 6: Note our common phrase: 'I wrote to this effect.']

[Footnote 7: 'as he would have Peace stand between their friendships
like a comma between two words.' Every point has in it a conjunctive, as
well as a disjunctive element: the former seems the one regarded
here--only that some amities require more than a comma to separate them.
The _comma_ does not make much of a figure--is good enough for its
position, however; if indeed the fact be not, that, instead of standing
for _Peace_, it does not even stand for itself, but for some other word.
I do