All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain !(43) That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain; Mar. [within] So be it !(44) [Writing. Lord Hamlet, Heaven secure him! Hor. [within] Illo, ho, ho, my lord! Ham. Hillo, ho, ho, boy! come, bird, come. Nor I, my lord. Ham. No; you'll reveal it. Hor. Not I, my lord, by heaven. Mar. Ham. How say you, then; would heart of man once think it ? But you'll be secret? Hor. Mar. Ay, by heaven, my lord. Ham. There's ne'er a villain dwelling in all Denmark But he's an arrant knave. Hor. There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave To tell us this. Ham. Why, right; you're i' the right; And so, without more circumstance at all, I hold it fit that we shake hands and part: You, as your business and desire shall point you, For every man hath business and desire, Such as it is;-and for mine own poor part, Look you, I'll go pray. Hor. These are but wild and whirling(45) words, my lord. Ham. I'm sorry they offend you, heartily; Yes, faith, heartily. Hor. There's no offence, my lord. Ham. Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio, For your desire to know what is between us, Give me one poor request. Hor. What is't, my lord? we will. Ham. Never make known what you have seen to-night. Ham. Nay, but swear 't. Hor. In faith, Ham. Indeed, upon my sword, indeed. Ghost. [beneath] Swear. Ham. Ah, ha, boy! say'st thou so? art thou there, true penny?— Come on, you hear this fellow in the cellarage, Consent to swear. Hor. Propose the oath, my lord. Ham. Never to speak of this that you have seen, Swear by my sword. (46) Ghost. [beneath] Swear. Ham. Hic et ubique? then we'll shift our ground.— Come hither, gentlemen, And lay your hands again upon my sword: Never to speak of this that you have heard, Swear by my sword. Ghost. [beneath] Swear. Ham. Well said, old mole! canst work i' th' earth so fast? A worthy pioner!-Once more remove, good friends. But conne; Here, as before, never, so help you mercy, That you, at such times seeing me, never shall, Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase, As "Well, well, we know," or "We could, an if we would,” That you know aught of me :-this not to do, So grace and mercy at your most need help you, Swear. Ghost. [beneath] Swear. Ham. Rest, rest, perturbed spirit!—So, gentlemen, With all my love I do commend me to you: And what so poor a man as Hamlet is May do t' express his love and friending to you, God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together; And still your fingers on your lips, I pray. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I. Elsinore. A room in POLONIUS' house. Enter POLONIUS and REYNALDO. Pol. Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo. Pol. You shall do marvell's(49) wisely, good Reynaldo, Before you visit him, to make inquiry Of his behaviour. Rey. My lord, I did intend it. Pol. Marry, well said; very well said. Look you, sir, Inquire me first what Danskers are in Paris; And how, and who, what means, and where they keep, By this encompassment and drift of question, Than your particular demands will touch it: Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him ; As thus, "I know his father and his friends, And in part him ;”—do you mark this, Reynaldo? Rey. Ay, very well, my lord. Pol. "And in part him ;-but," you may say, "not well : But, if't be he I mean, he's very wild; Addicted so and so ;"-and there put on him What forgeries you please; marry, none so rank Rey. Pol. Faith, no; as you may season it in the charge. You must not put another scandal on him, That he is open to incontinency; That's not my meaning: but breathe his faults so quaintly, That they may seem the taints of liberty; The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind; A savageness in unreclaimed blood, Of general assault. Pol. Ay, my lord, Marry, sir, here's my drift; And, I believe, it is a fetch of warrant: You laying these slight sullies on my son, Mark you, Your party in convérse, him you would sound, Of man and country. Rey. "gentleman,' Very good, my lord. Pol. And then, sir, does he this, he does I was What was I about to say?-By the mass, At "friend or so," and "gentleman." Pol. At "closes in the consequence,”—ay, marry; He closes with thus ; you I know the gentleman; I saw him yesterday, or t'other day, Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as you say, "I saw him enter such a house of sale," See you now; Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth: VOL. VII. K |