فصل 17

Enter Horatio and others.

HORATIO

What are they that would speak with me?

GENTLEMAN Seafaring men, sir. They say they have letters for you.

HORATIO Let them come in.

[Exit Gentleman.]

I do not know from what part of the world I should be greeted, if not from Lord Hamlet.

Enter Sailors.

FIRST SAILOR God bless you, sir.

HORATIO Let him bless thee too.

FIRST SAILOR ‘A shall, sir, an’t please him. There’s a letter for you sir—it came from th’ambassador that was bound for England—if your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is.

[He gives a letter.] HORATIO [reads] “Horatio, when thou shalt have overlooked this, give these fellows some means to the King; they have letters for him. Ere we were two days old at sea, a pirate of very warlike appointment gave us chase. Finding ourselves too slow of sail, we put on a compelled valor, and in the grapple I boarded them.

On the instant they got clear of our ship, so I alone became their prisoner. They have dealt with me like thieves of mercy , but they knew what they did: I am to do a good turn for them. Let the King have the letters I have sent, and repair thou to me with as much speed as thou wouldest fly death. I have words to speak in thine ear will make thee dumb, yet are they much too light for the bore of the matter. These good fellows will bring thee where I am. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hold their course for England. Of them I have much to tell thee. Farewell.

He that thou knowest thine, Hamlet.” Come, I will give you way for these your letters, And do’t the speedier that you may direct me To him from whom you brought them.