jointress

Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death
The memory be green , and that it us befitted
To bear our hearts in grief , and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe ,
Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature
That we with wisest sorrow think on him
Together with remembrance of ourselves .
Therefore our sometime sister , now our queen ,
Th’ imperial jointress to this warlike state ,
Have we ( as ’twere with a defeated joy ,
With an auspicious and a dropping eye ,
With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage ,
In equal scale weighing delight and dole )
Taken to wife . Nor have we herein barred
Your better wisdoms , which have freely gone
With this affair along . For all , our thanks .
Now follows that you know . Young Fortinbras ,
Holding a weak supposal of our worth
Or thinking by our late dear brother’s death
Our state to be disjoint and out of frame ,
Colleaguèd with this dream of his advantage ,
He hath not failed to pester us with message
Importing the surrender of those lands
Lost by his father , with all bonds of law ,
To our most valiant brother — so much for him .
Now for ourself and for this time of meeting .
Thus much the business is : we have here writ
To Norway , uncle of young Fortinbras ,
Who , impotent and bedrid , scarcely hears
Of this his nephew’s purpose , to suppress
His further gait herein , in that the levies ,
The lists , and full proportions are all made
Out of his subject ; and we here dispatch
You , good Cornelius , and you , Voltemand ,
For bearers of this greeting to old Norway ,
Giving to you no further personal power
To business with the King more than the scope
Of these dilated articles allow .

Farewell , and let your haste commend your duty .