Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand,
Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch'd;
Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin, 76
Unhousel'd, disappointed, unanel'd,
No reckoning made, but sent to my account
With all my imperfections on my head:
O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible! 80
If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not;
Let not the royal bed of Denmark be
A couch for luxury and damned incest.
But, howsoever thou pursu'st this act, 84
Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive
Against thy mother aught; leave her to heaven,
And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge,
To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once!
The glow-worm shows the matin to be near, 89
And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire;
Adieu, adieu! Hamlet, remember me. Exit.
Ham. O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else? 92
And shall I couple hell? O fie! Hold, hold, my heart!
And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,
But bear me stiffly up! Remember thee!
Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat
In this distracted globe. Remember thee! 97
Yea, from the table of my memory
I'll wipe away all trivial fond records,
75 dispatch'd: bereft
77 Unhousel'd: without having received the Holy Communion
disappointed: unprepared
unanel'd: without having received extreme unction
78 reckoning: confession and absolution
80 horrible; cf. n.
83 luxury: lasciviousness
89 matin: morning
90 uneffectual: losing its effect
97 distracted globe: confused head
98 table: writing-tablet
99 fond: foolish
