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Hor. These are but wild and whirling 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,
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'ermaster't as you may. And now, good friends,
As you are friends, scholars, and soldiers,

Give me one poor request.

Hor. What is't, my lord? we will.

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

Ham.

Hor.

My lord, not I.

Mar.

Nay, but swear't.

In faith,

Nor I, my lord, in faith.

Ham. Upon my sword.

Mar.

We have sworn, my lord, already.

Ham. Indeed, upon my sword, indeed.

Ghost. [beneath.] Swear.

Ham. Ha, 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.

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' the earth so

fast?

A worthy pioneer!-Once more remove, good friends.
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, an 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 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, 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.

АСТ II.

SCENE I.-A Room in POLONIUS'S House.

Enter POLONIUS and REYNALDO.

Pol. Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo.
Rey. I will, my lord.

Pol. You shall do marvellous 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, 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, quarrelling,
Drabbing:--you may go so far.

Rey. My lord, that would dishonour him.

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.

Rey.

Pol. Wherefore should you do this?

Rey.

I would know that.

Pol.

But, my good lord,

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,
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.

Rey.

Very good, my lord.
Pol. And then, sir, does he this, he does,-
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,

At friend or so, and gentleman.

Pol. At-closes in the consequence,-ay, 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 's 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;

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:

So, by my former lecture and advice,
Shall you my son.

You have me, have you not?

Rey. My lord, I have.

Pol.

Rey. Good my lord!

God b' wi' you; fare you well.

Pol. Observe his inclination in yourself.

Rey. I shall, my lord.

Pol. And let him ply his music.

Rey.

Pol. Farewell!

Well, my lord.

[Exit REYNALDO.

Enter OPHELIA.

How now, Ophelia! what's the matter?

Oph. Alas, my lord, I have been so affrighted!
Pol. With what, i' the name of God?

Oph. My lord, as I was sewing in my chamber,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd;
No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,
Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ankle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look so piteous in purport

As if he had been loosed out of hell

To speak of horrors, 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
That 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 help,
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;

Whose violent property fordoes itself,

And leads the will to desperate undertakings,
As oft as any passion under heaven

That does afflict our natures. I am sorry,

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.

Pol.

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 jealousy!

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.

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 nor 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 being of so young days brought up with him,
And since so neighbour'd to his youth and humour,
That you vouchsafe your rest here in our court
Some little time: so by your companies

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