Hor. How was this seal'd?
Ham, Why, even in that was heaven ordinant. 48
I had my father's signet in my purse,
Which was the model of that Danish seal;
Folded the writ up in form of the other,
Subscrib'd it, gave 't th' impression, plac'd it safely, 52
The changeling never known. Now, the next day
Was our sea-fight, and what to this was sequent
Thou know'st already.
Hor. So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to 't. 56
Ham. Why, man, they did make love to this employment;
They are not near my conscience; their defeat
Does by their own insinuation grow.
'Tis dangerous when the baser nature comes 60
Between the pass and fell-incensed points
Of mighty opposites.
Hor. Why, what a king is this!
Ham. Does it not, think'st thee, stand me now upon—
He that hath kill'd my king and whor'd my mother, 64
Popp'd in between the election and my hopes,
Thrown out his angle for my proper life,
And with such cozenage—is 't not perfect conscience
To quit him with this arm? and is 't not to be damn'd 68
To let this canker of our nature come
In further evil?
48 ordinant: controlling
50 model: exact likeness
52 Subscrib'd: signed, or, addressed
impression: i.e., of the seal
53 changeling: substitute
59 insinuation: artful intrusion
61 fell-incensed: cruelly angered
62 opposites: opponents
63 stand . . . upon: vitally concern
65 election; cf. n.
66 angle: fishing-hook
67 cozenage: cheating
