Edward Pudsey's commonplace book with extracts from Shakespeare's plays (fragment at Shakespeare Birthplace Trust)

                                           Playes: Hamlet . Shakespeare .

Not let beleef take hold of him. Once again assaie your ears that are so fortifyed &c
A moth yt is to trouble the mindes eye. Against that tyme wherin our sauiors
birth is Celebrated the cock singeth al night long; then no spirits / dare stir
abroad, the night bee wholesome; no planetes ffayries or witches hurt
holding a weak supposall of your worth. Let your hast Comend your duetie
To perseuere in obstinat sorrow ys impious stubbornes, unmanly greef, yt
showes a will most in correct to heauen a hart vnfortifyed or mind impatient.
She wold hange on him as if increase of appetite had grown by what it
fed on . &c. wee think it writ down in our duetie to let yow know of it.
yf yow haue hitherto conceald this let it bee tenable in your sylence still.
Giue thy thoughts no tongh nor any vnproportien’d thought his act, familiar
but not vulgar, thos frendes then hast & their adoption tryed grapple them
vnto thy soule with hoopes of steele, But do not dull thy palme with entertainment
Beware of entrance into a quarrel but beeing in beare it so that the opposed
may beware of thee giue euery man thy eare but few thy voice take each
mans Censure but reserue thy iudgment. M^ds must not take tenders for true paye
when the blood burnes the soule ys prodigall to lend the louing vowes
yt is a Custome more honered in the breach then in the observance.
vnhand mee. not saye hee is incontinent but breath his his faultes soe
quentlye that the may seeme the taintes of libertye the flash & out break of a fyery  minde.
men of a wisedome & of reach doe with windlesses with assayes of bias by indirec=
tions find directions out: wee giue vp ourselues in the ful bent to your service
The sunne breedes mag Beautifyed Ladye gotes in a dead dog beeing ^good akissing carrion ergo &c.
A plentiful lacke of witt.  powerfully & potently beleeve. Ile take my leaue. Response
yow cannot take from me any thing that I wil not more willingly part with all except my lyfe.
Theere is a kind of Confession in your lookes which your modesties haue not craft inough to
cullour. let me Coniure yow by etc. by &c & by what more deare a better proposer can chardg:
yow withall. so shall your secresie to the k[ing] moult no feather. no such stuffe in my thoughtes.
yf it liue in your memorye. Il vse them according to their desert. response
much better vse euery man after his desert & who shall escape whipping vse
them after your own honor & dignitye, the les the deserue the more merit is in your bountye.
with devotions visage & pious action we do sugar ore the deuill himself.
To the noble mind rich gyftes may poore when the giuer proues vnkind.
God hath giuen yow one face & yow make yourself another yow gig & amble, & yow list
yow nickname godes creatures, & make your wantonnes ignorance.
I will weare him in my harts Core in my hart of hart.
If his occulted guilt do not vnkennill it self in one speech or &c.
I will riuet my eys to his face to obserue. &c. promiscram’d yow cannot feed cap^{ons so.}
Tis breef as a womans loue. Each opposit that blanks the face of ioye meet
what I wold haue well. &c.