Act V

It will be short: the interim is mine;

And a man’s life’s no more than to say “One.”

But I am very sorry, good Horatio,

That to Laertes I forgot myself;

For, by the image of my cause, I see

The portraiture of his: I’ll court his favours:

But, sure, the bravery of his grief did put me

Into a towering passion.

Peace! who comes here?

Your lordship is right welcome back to Denmark.

I humbly thank you, sir. Dost know this water-fly?

No, my good lord.

Thy state is the more gracious; for ’tis a vice to know him. He hath much land, and fertile: let a beast be lord of beasts, and his crib shall stand at the king’s mess: ’tis a chough; but, as I say, spacious in the possession of dirt.

Sweet lord, if your lordship were at leisure, I should impart a thing to you from his majesty.