Hor.

There's no offence, my lord. Ham. Yes, by St. Patrick, but there is, Horatio, And much offence too. Touching this vision here,— It is an honest ghost, that let me tell you;

For your desire to know what is between us,

O'er-master it as you may. And now, good friends,
As you are friends, scholars, and soldiers,

Give me one poor request.

Hor.

We will.

What is't, my lord?

Ham. Never make known what you have seen to-night.
Hor. Mar. My lord, we will not.

Ham.

Hor. Propose the oath, my lord.

Nay, but swear't.

Ham. Never to speak of this that you have seen, Swear by my sword.

Ghost. [Beneath.] Swear.

Hor. O day and night, but this is wondrous strange! Ham. And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

But come;

Here, as before, never, so help you mercy!
How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself,
As I, perchance, hereafter, shall think meet
To put an antic disposition on.-

That you, at such times seeing me, never shall
With arms encumber'd thus, or this head-shake,

Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,

As, Well, well, we know ;-or, We could, and if we would ;—or,

If we list to speak ;-or, There be, an if they might ;

Or such ambiguous giving out, to note

That you know aught of me :-This do you swear,

So grace and mercy at your most need help you!

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, to 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.

The time is out of joint;-O cursed spite!
That ever I was born to set it right!
Nay, come, let's go together.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.

Hamlet has now put on his counterfeit madness. He visits Ophelia in this "antic guise," and the affrighted maiden narrates to her father the circumstances attending nis visit.

OPHELIA.-POLONIUS.

Pol. How now, Ophelia ? what's the matter?

Oph. O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!

Pol. With what, in the name of heaven.

Oph. My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,

Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd;

Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
He comes before me.

Pol. Mad for thy love?
Oph.

But, truly, I do fear it.

Pol.

My lord, I do not know;

What said he?

Oph. He took me by the wrist, and held me hard; Then goes he to the length of all his arm;

And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow,

He falls to such perusal of my face,

As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so;

At last,-A little shaking of mine arm,

And thrice his head thus waving up and down,-
He rais'd a sigh so piteous and profound,
As it did seem to shatter all his bulk,

And end his being: That done, he lets me go:
And, with his head over his shoulder turn'd,
He seem'd to find his way without his eyes;
For out o'doors he went without their helps,
And, to the last, bended their light on me.

Pol. Come, go with me; I will go seek the king.
This is the very ecstasy of love;

What, have you given him any hard words of late?
Oph. No, my good lord; but, as you did command,
I did repel his letters, and denied

His access to me.

Come, go we to the king:

This must be known; which, being kept close, might move

More grief to hide, than hate to utter love.

SCENE II-A Room in the Castle.

[Exeunt.

Enter KING, QUEEN, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and Attendants.

King. Welcome, dear Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern!

Moreover that we much did long to see you,

The need, we have to use you, did provoke
Our hasty sending. Something have you heard
Of Hamlet's transformation; so I call it,
Since not the exterior nor the inward man
Resembles that it was: What it should be,
More than his father's death, that thus hath put him
So much from the understanding of himself,

I cannot dream of: I'entreat you both,

That you vouchsafe your rest here in our court
Some little time: so by your companies

To draw him on to pleasures; and to gather,

Whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus,
That, open'd, lies within our remedy.

Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd of you;

And, sure I am, two men there are not living,

To whom he more adheres. If it will please you

So to expend your time with us a while,

Your visitation shall receive such thanks

As fits a king's remembrance.

Ros.

Both your majesties

Might, by the sovereign power you have of us,
Put your dread pleasures more into command

Than to entreaty.

Guil.

But we both obey;

King. Thanks, Rosencrantz, and gentle Guildenstern.
Queen. And I beseech you instantly to visit

My too much changed son.-Go, some of you,

And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is.

[Exeunt ROSENCrantz, GuildensTERN, and some Attendants.

Enter POLONIUS.

Pol. I now do think, (or else this brain of mine

Hunts not the trail of policy so sure

As it hath us'd to do,) that I have found

The very cause of Hamlet's lunacy.

King. O, speak of that; that do I long to hear.
Pol. My liege, and madam, to expostulate

What majesty should be, what duty is,
Why day is day, night, night, and time is time,
Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time.
Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,

And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,-
I will be brief: Your noble son is mad:
Mad call I it for, to define true madness,
What is't, but to be nothing else but mad:
But let that go.

Queen.

More matter, with less art.
Pol. Madam, I swear, I use no art at all.
That he is mad, 'tis true, 'tis pity;
And pity tis, 'tis true: a foolish figure ;
But farewell it, for I will use no art.

Mad let us grant him then: and now remains,
That we find out the cause of this effect;
Or, rather say, the cause of this defect;
For this effect, defective, comes by cause;
Thus it remains, and the remainder thus.
Perpend.

I have a daughter; have, while she is mine;
Who, in her duty and obedience, mark,

Hath given me this: Now gather, and surmise.

-To the celestial, and my soul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia,— That's an ill phrase, a vile phrase; beautified is a vile phrase; but you shall hear.--Thus :

In her excellent white bosom, these, &c.Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her?

Pol. Good madam, stay awhile; I will be faithful.—

Doubt thou, the stars are fire;

Doubt, that the sun doth move;

Doubt truth to be a liar;

But never doubt, I love.

[Reads.

O dear Ophelia, I am ill at these numbers; I have not art to reckon my groans: but that I love thee best, O most best, believe it. Adieu.

Thine evermore, most dear lady, whilst

this machine is to him, Hamlet.

This, in obedience, hath my daughter shown me :
And more above, hath his solicitings,

As they fell out by time, by means, and place,
All given to mine ear.

King.

Receiv'd his love?

Pol.

But how hath she

What do you think of me?

King. As of a man faithful and honorable.

Pol. I would fain prove so. But what might you think, When I had seen this hot love on the wing,

(As I perceiv'd it, I must tell you that,

Before my daughter told me,) what might you,

Or my dear majesty your queen here, think,

If I had play'd the desk, or table-book;

Or given my heart a working, mute and dumb,

Or look'd upon this love with idle sight;

What might you think? no, I went round to work,
And my young mistress thus did I bespeak ;
Lord Hamlet is a prince out of thy sphere;

This must not be: and then I precepts gave her,

That she should lock herself from his resort,
Admit no messengers, receive no tokens.
Which done, she took the fruits of my advice,
And he, repulsed, (a short tale to make,)
Fell into a sadness; then into a fast;

Thence to a watch; thence into a weakness;
Thence to a lightness: and, by this declension,
Into the madness wherein now he raves,

And all we mourn for.

King.

Do you think, 'tis this? Queen. It may be, very likely.

Pol. Hath there been such a time, (I'd fain know that,) That I have positively said, 'Tis so,

When it prov'd otherwise?

King.

Not that I know.

[Pointing to his head and shoulder.

Pol. Take this from this, if this be otherwise :

If circumstances lead me, I will find,

Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed

Within the centre.

Queen.

How may we try it further?

sometimes he walks for hours together,

So he does, indeed.

Pol. At such a time I'll loose my daughter to him:

Be you and I behind an arras then ;

Mark the encounter; if he love her not,

And be not from his reason fallen thereon,

Let me be no assistant for a state,

But keep a farm, and carters.

King.

We will try it.

Enter HAMLET, reading.

Queen. But, look, where sadly the poor wretch comes reading. Pol. Away, I do beseech you, both away;

I'll board him presently :-O, give me leave.—

[Exeunt KING, QUEEN, and Attendants.

How does my good lord Hamlet?

Ham. Excellent well.

Pol. Do you know me, my lord?

Ham. Excellent well; you are a fishmonger.

Pol. Not I, my lord.

Ham. Then I would you were so honest a man.

Pol. Honest, my lord?

Ham. Ay, sir; to be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand.

Pol. That's very true, my lord.

Ham. For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a god, kissing carrion,-Have you a daughter?