1

Of his behaviour.
Rey.
My lord, I did intend it.
Pol. Marry, well said: very well said.
you, sir,

Look

Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth:
And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
With windlaces, and with assays of bias,
By indirections find directions out;

Inquire me first what Danskers are in Paris;
And how, and who, what means, and where they
keep,
What company,
at what expense; and finding,
By this encompassment and drift of question,
That they do know my son, come you more nearer
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
As may dishonour him; take heed of that;
But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips,
As are companions noted and most known
To youth and liberty.

Rey.

As gaming, my lord.

Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, relling,

Drabbing:-You may go so far.

So, by former lecture and advice,

Shall you my son: You have me, have you not?
Rey. My lord, I have.

Pol.

God be wi' you; fare you well.

Rey. Good my lord,-

Pol. Observe his inclination in yourself.
Rey. I shall, my lord.

Pol. And let him ply his music.
Rey.

Well, my lord. [Exit.
Enter Ophelia.

Pol. Farewell!-How now, Ophelia? what's the

matter?

Oph. O, my lord, my lord, I have been so af-
frighted!

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;
No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,
Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look so piteous in purport,
quar-As if he had been loosed out of hell,

To speak of horrors,-he comes before me.
Pol. Mad for thy love?

Oph.

Rey. My lord, that would dishonour him.
Pol. 'Faith, no; as you may season it in the But, truly, I do fear it.

charge.

You must not put another scandal on him,
That he is open to incontinency;

Pol.

My lord, I do not know;

What said he?
Oph. He took me by the wrist, and held me
hard;

That's not my meaning: but breathe his faults so Then goes he to the length of all his arm;

Ay, my lord,
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 'twere a thing a little soil'd i'the working,
Mark you,

Your party in converse, him you would sound,
Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes,
The youth you breathe of, guilty, be assur'd,
He closes with you in this consequence;
Good sir, or so; or friend, or gentleman,-
According to the phrase, or the addition,
Of man, and country.

Very good, my lord.

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 ecstacy of love;

Rey,
Pol. And then, sir, does he this,-He does-His access to me.
What was I about to say?-By the mass, I was
about to say something:-Where did I leave?
Rey. At, closes in the consequence.

Pol. At, closes in the consequence,-Ay, marry;
He closes with you thus :-I know the gentleman;
I saw him yesterday, or l'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.-
See you now;

(1) Danes.

(5) Already named,

That hath made him mad.
I am sorry, that with better heed and judgment,
I had not quoted him; I fear'd, he did but trifle,
And meant to wreck thee; but, beshrew my jea

lousy!

It seems, it is as proper to our age
To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions,
As it is common for the younger sort
To lack discretion. 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.
Come.

[Exeunt.

(2) Wildness.

(4) That is to say,

(5) Hanging down, like fetters.
(7) Destroys. (8) Observed.

(6) Body.

SCENE II-A room in the castle. Enter King,
Queen, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Attend-

ants.

King. Welcome, dear Rosencrantz, and Guil

denstern!

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,

in.

King. Thyself do grace to them, and bring them
[Exit Polonius.
He tells me, my dear Gertrude, he hath found
The head and source of all your son's distemper.
Queen. I doubt, it is no other but the main;
His father's death, and our o'er-hasty marriage.
Re-enter Polonius, with Voltimand and Cornelius.
King. Well, we shall sift him.-Welcome, my
good friends!

Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway?
Volt. Most fair return of greetings, and desires.

More than his father's death, that thus hath put him Upon our first, he sent out to suppress

So much from the understanding of himself,
I cannot dream of: I entreat you both,
That,-being of so young days brought up with him;
And, since, so neighbour'd to his youth and hu-

mour,

Enter Polonius.

His nephew's levies; which to him appear'd
But, better look'd into, he truly found
To be a preparation 'gainst the Polack;"

It was against your highness: Whereat griev'd,—
That so his sickness, age, and impotence,
Was falsely borne in hand,"-sends out arrests
On Fortinbras; which he, in brief, obeys;
Receives rebuke from Norway; and, in fine,
Makes vow before his uncle, never more
To give the assay of arms against your majesty.
Gives him three thousand crowns in annual fee;
Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,
And his commission, to employ those soldiers,
So levied as before, against the Polack:
With an entreaty, herein further shown,

[Gives a paper.

That it might please you to give quiet pass
Through your dominions, for this enterprise;
On such regards of safety, and allowance,
As therein are set down.

King.
It likes us well:
And, at our more consider'd time, we'll read,
Answer, and think upon this business.

Mean time, we thank you for your well-took labour:
Go to your rest; at night we'll feast together:
Most welcome home!

Pol.

[Exeunt Voltimand and Cornelius,
My liege, and madam, to expostulate
This business is well ended,
Why day is day, night, night, and time is time,
What majesty should be, what duty is,
Were nothing but to waste night, day and time.
Therefore,-since brevity is the soul of wit,
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,-.
Mad call I it; for, to define true madness,
I will be brief: Your noble son is mad:
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 true, 'tis pity;
And pity 'tis, 'tis true: a foolish figure;
But farewell it, for I will use no art.

Pol. The embassadors from Norway, my good Mad let us grant him then and now remains, lord,

Are joyfully return'd.

King. Thou still hast been the father of good

news.

Pol. Have I, my lord? Assure you my good liege,

I hold my duty, as I hold my soul,

Both to my God, and to my gracious king:
And I 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. Give first admittance to the embassadors;
My news shall be the fruit to that great feast.

(1) Complaisance. (2) Utmost exertion.
(3) Scent.
(4) Dessert.

That we find out the cause of this effect;
For this effect, defective, comes by cause:
Or, rather say, the cause of this defect;
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 beau
tified 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?
(5) Poland. (6) Imposed on.
(7) Discuss.

Ham. Then you live about her waist, or in the forgone all custom of exercises: and, indeed, it middle of her favours?

1 Play. What speech, my lord?

forty, fifty, a hundred ducats a-piece, for his picture | straight: Come, give us a taste of your quality; in little. 'Sblood, there is something in this more come, a passionate speech. than natural, if philosophy could find it out. [Flourish of trumpets within. Guil. There are the players. Ham. Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore. Your hands. Come then: the appurtenance of welcome is fashion and ceremony: let me comply2 with you in this garb; lest my extent to the players, which, I tell you, must show fairly outward, should more appear like entertainment than yours. You are welcome; but my uncle-father, and auntmother, are deceived.

Guil. In what, my dear lord?

Ham. I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a hand-saw. Enter Polonius.

Ham. I heard thee speak me a speech once,but it was never acted; or, if it was, not above once: for the play, I remember, pleased not the million; 'twas caviare to the general:1 but it was (as I received it, and others, whose judgments, in such matters, cried in the top of mine,) an excellent play; well digested in the scenes, set down with as much modesty as cunning. I remember, one said, there were no sallads in the lines, to make the matter savoury; nor no matter in the phrase, that might indite1 the author of affection:" but called it, an honest method, as wholesome as sweet, and by very much more handsome than fine. One speech in it I chiefly loved: 'twas Eneas' tale to Dido; and thereabout of it especially, where he speaks of Priam's slaughter: If it live in your me

Pol. Well be with you, gentlemen! Ham. Hark you, Guildenstern;-and you too;mory, begin at this line; let me see, let me see;— at each ear a hearer: that great baby, you see

there, is not yet out of his swaddling-clouts.
Ros. Happily, he's the second time come to
them; for, they say, an old man is twice a child.
Ham. I will prophesy, he comes to tell me of the
players; mark it.-You say right, sir: o'Monday
morning 'twas then, indeed.

Pol. My lord, I have news to tell you.
Ham. My lord, I have news to tell you; When
Roscius was an actor in Rome,

Pol. The actors are come hither, my lord.
Ham. Buzz, buzz!

Pol. Upon mine honour,-

Ham. Then came each actor on his ass,Pol. The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral [tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral,] scene individable, or poem unlimited: Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus too light. For the law of writ, and the liberty, these are the only men.

Ham. O Jephthah, judge of Israel,—what a treasure hadst thou!

[Aside.

Pol. What a treasure had he, my lord?
Ham. Why-One fair daughter and no more,
The which he loved passing well.
Pol. Still on my daughter.
Ham. Am I not i'the right, old Jephthah?
Pol. If you call me Jephthah, my lord, I have a
daughter, that I love passing well.
Hum. Nav, that follows not.

Pol. What follows then, my lord?

Ham. Why, As by lot, God wot, and then, you know, It came to pass, As most like it was,-The first row of the pious chanson will show you more; for look, my abridgment comes.

Enter four or five Players.

The rugged Pyrrhus, like the Hyrcanian beast,—.
'tis not so; it begins with Pyrrhus.

Black as his purpose, did the night resemble
The rugged Pyrrhus,-he, whose sable arms,
When he lay couched in the ominous horse,-
Hath now this dread and black complexion smear'd
Now is he total gules; horridly trick'd's
With heraldry more dismal; head to foot
With blood of fathers, mothers, daughters, sons,
Bak'd and impasted with the parching streets,
That lend a tyrannous and a damned light

To their lord's murder: Roasted in wrath, and
And thus o'er-sized with coagulate gore,
fire,
with eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Purrhus
Old grandsire Priam seeks ;-So proceed you.

Pol. 'Fore God, my lord, well spoken; with good accent, and good discretion.

1 Play. Anon he finds him
Striking too short at Greeks; his antique sword,
Rebellious to his arm, lies where it falls,
Repugnant to command: Unequal match'd,
Pyrrhus at Priam drives; in rage, strikes wide;
But with the whiff and wind of his fell sword
The unnerved father falls. Then senseless Ilium,
Seeming to feel this blow, with flaming top
Stoops to his base; and with a hideous crash
Takes prisoner Pyrrhus' ear: for, lo! his sword,
Which was declining on the milky head
Of reverend Priam, seem'd i'the air to stick:
So, as a painted tyrant, Pyrrhus stood;
And, like a neutral to his will and matter,
Did nothing.

But, as we often see, against some storm, A silence in the heavens, the rack stand still, The bold winds speechless, and the orb below You are welcome, masters; Welcome, all:-I am Is hush as death; anon the dreadful thunder glad to see thee well:-welcome, good friends.- Doth rend the region: So, after Pyrrhus' pause, O, old friend! Why, thy face is valenced since IA roused vengeance sets him new a-work; saw thee last; Com'st thou to beard me in Den-And never did the Cyclops' hammers fall mark?-What! my young lady and mistress! By'r-On Mars's armour, forg'd for proof eterne," lady, your ladyship nearer to heaven, than when With less remorse than Pyrrhus' bleeding sword I saw you last, by the altitude of a chopine. Pray Now falls on Priam.God, your voice, like a piece of uncurrent gold, be Out, out, thou strumpet, Fortune! All you gods, not cracked with the ring.-Masters, you are all In general synod, take away her power; welcome. We'll e'en to't like French falconers, Break all the spokes and fellies from her wheel, fly at any thing we see: We'll have a speech And bowl the round nave down the hill of heaven, As low as to the fiends!

(1) Miniature. (2) Compliment. (3) Writing.
(4) Christmas carols. (5) Fringed.
(6) Defy. (7) Clog, (8) Profession.

(9) An Italian dish, made of the roes of fishes.