As are companions noted and most known To youth and liberty. Rey. As gaming, my lord. See you now; Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth: Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quar- With windlasses, and with assays of bias, Pol. Marry, sir, here's my drift; And I believe it is a fetch of warrant: You laying these slight sullies on my son, As 't were a thing a little soiled i', the working, Your party in convérse, him you would sound, Pol. With what, in the name of heaven? To speak of horrors, - he comes before me. My lord, I do not know; Then As he would draw it. Rey. At "closes in the consequence." marry; He closes with you thus: "I know the gentleman; I saw him yesterday, or t' other day, Or then, or then; with such, or such; and as you say, There was he gaming; there o'ertook in his rouse; There falling out at tennis;" or perchance, "I saw him enter such a house of sale" (Videlicet, a brothel); or so forth. And thrice his head thus waving up and down,— For out o' doors he went without their help, Pol. Come, go with me; I will go seek the So much as from occasion you may glean, Pol. That hath made him mad. I am sorry that with better heed and judgment It seems it is as proper to our age To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions, As it is common for the younger sort More grief to hide, than hate to utter love. [Exeunt. SCENE II.- · A Room in the Castle. And I beseech you instantly to visit Enter KING, QUEEN, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDEN- Pleasant and helpful to him! STERN, and Attendants. King. Welcome, dear Rosencrantz and Guil- Moreover that we much did long to see you, More than his father's death, that thus hath put So much from the understanding of himself, King. O, speak of that; that do I long to hear. Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time. Queen. More matter, with less art. Pol. Madam, I swear I use no art at all. That he is mad, 't is true: 't is true, 't is pity; Re-enter POLONIUS, with VOLTIMAND and COR- And pity 't is, 't is true: a foolish figure; NELIUS. good friends! But farewell it, for I will use no art. King. Well, we shall sift him.—Welcome, my Mad let us grant him, then and now remains Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway? [Gives a paper. I have a daughter; have, while she is mine; Reads. "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: Reads. "In her excellent white bosom, these." Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her? Pol. Good madam, stay awhile; I will be faithful. Reads. "Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love. "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 King. Pol. What do you think of me? King. We will try it. But what might King. As of a man faithful and honorable. Pol. I would fain prove so. When I had seen this hot love on the wing And all we mourn for. King. Do you think 't is 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 proved otherwise? King. Not that I know of. Pol. Take this from this, if this be otherwise If circumstances lead me, I will find King. How may we try it further? Pol. You know, sometimes he walks for hours together, Here in the lobby. Queen. So he does, indeed. 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. Well, god-'a-mercy. Pol. Do you know me, my lord? Ham. Then I would you were so honest a man. Ham. Ay, sir; to be honest, as this world goes, Ham. For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a god, kissing carrion-Have you a daughter? Pol. I have, my lord. Ham. Let her not walk i' the sun conception is a blessing; but as your daughter may conceive,friend, look to 't. Pol. How say you by that? [Aside.] Still harping on my daughter: yet he knew me not at first; he said I was a fishmonger: he is far gone, far gone and truly in my youth I suffered much extremity for love; very near this. I'll speak to him again. - What do you read, my lord? Ham. Words, words, words! Pol. I mean, the matter that you read, my lord. Ham. Slanders, sir: for the satirical rogue says. here, that old men have grey beards; that their faces are wrinkled; their eyes purging thick amber and plum-tree gum; and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams. Pol. At such a time I'll loose my daughter to All of which, sir, though I most powerfully and him : Be you and I behind an arras then; potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down; for you yourself, sir, should be as old as I am, if, like a crab, you could go backward. Pol. Though this be madness, yet there's method in it [Aside]. Will you walk out of the air, my lord? Ham. Into my grave. Pol. Indeed, that is out o' the air.- How pregnant sometimes his replies are!—a happiness that often madness hits on, which reason and sanity could not so prosperously be delivered of. I will leave him, and suddenly contrive the means of meeting between him and my daughter. — My honorable lord, I will most humbly take my leave of you. Ham. You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will more willingly part withal; except my life, except my life, except my life. Pol. Fare you well, my lord. Ham. These tedious old fools! Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Ros. We think not so, my lord. Ham. Why, then 't is none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so: to me it is a prison. Ros. Why, then your ambition makes it one; 't is too narrow for your mind. Ham. O God! I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams. Guil. Which dreams, indeed, are ambition; for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream. Ham. A dream itself is but a shadow. Ros. Truly; and I hold ambition of so airy and light a quality, that it is but a shadow's shadow. Ham. Then are our beggars bodies; and our Pol. You go to seek the lord Hamlet; there monarchs and outstretched heroes the beggar's Ham. Then you live about her waist, or in the not sent for? Is it your own inclining? Is it a middle of her favors? free visitation? Come, come; deal justly with me: come, come; nay, speak. Guil. What should we say, my lord? Ham. Anything-but to the purpose. You were sent for; and there is a kind of confession in your looks, which your modesties have not craft enough to color. I know the good king and queen have sent for you. Ros. To what end, my lord? Ham. That you must teach me. But let me conjure you, by the rights of our fellowship, by the consonancy of our youth, by the obligation of our ever-preserved love, and by what more dear a better proposer could charge you withal, be even and direct with me, whether you were sent for or no? Ros. What say you? [To GUILDENSTERN. |