And, with a sudden vigour, it doth posset Ham. There's ne'er a villain, dwelling in mine; And a most instant tetter * bark'd about, Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand, Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin, The glow-worm shows the matin to be near, And shall I couple hell?-O fie !-Hold, hold, my heart; And you, my sinews, grow not instant old, seat In this distracted globe.** Remember thee? I'll wipe away all trivial fond records, [past, O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain ! So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word ; Hor. [Within.] My lord, my lord,- Mar. [Within.] Illo, ho, ho, my lord! Enter HORATIO and MARcellus. Mar. How is't, my noble lord? Hor. What news, my lord? Ham. O wonderful!" Mar. Nor I, my lord. Hor. There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave, | To tell us this. Ham. Why, right; you are in the right; For every man hath business, and desire, Hor. These are but wild and whirling words, my lord. Ham. I am sorry they offend you, heartily; 'Faith, heartily. [yes, Hor. There's no offence, my lord. As you are friends, scholars, and soldiers, But come ; Ham. How say you then; would heart of Here, as before, never, so help you mercy! man once think it? But you'll be secret, Hor. Mar. Ay, by heaven, my lord. 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 headshake, * Here and every where. Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase, Or such ambiguous giving out, to note swear, Ham. Rest, rest, perturbed spirit! So, gen- With all my love I do commend me to you: you, [ther; ACT II. [Exeunt. SCENE 1.-A Room in POLONIUS' House. Enter POLONIUS and REYNALDO. Pol. Give him this money, and these notes, Reynaldo. Rey. I will, my lord. Rey. But, my good lord,— Pol. Wherefore should you do this? I would know that. Pol. Marry, Sir, here's my drift; Your party in converse, him you would sound, Rey. Very good, my lord. Pol. And then, Sir, does he this,-He doesWhat 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, He closes with you thus:-I know the gentle- Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as There was he gaming; there o'ertook in his rouse; Pol. You shall do marvellous wisely, good There falling out at tennis: or, perchance, 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; What company, at what expense; and finding, 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, But, if't be he I mean, he's very wild; As may dishonour him; take heed of that; Rey. As gaming, my lord. I saw him enter such a house of sale, Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth: Pol. God be wi' you; fare you well. Pol. Observe his inclination in yourself. Pol. And let him play his music. Enter OPHELIA. [Exit. Pol. Farewell!-How now, Ophelia? what's the matter; Oph. O, my lord, my lord, I have been so af- Pol. With what, in the name of heaven? set, Lord Hamlet,—with his doublet all unbrac'd; Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, To speak of horrors, he comes before me. And thrice his head thus waving up and down, He rais'd a sigh so piteous and profound, Oph. No, my good lord; but, as you did command, I did repel his letters, and denied Pol. That hath made him mad. [ment, I am sorry, that with better heed and judgeI had not quoted‡ him; I fear'd, he did but trifle, [ jealousy! And meant to wreck thee; but, beshrew my 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. SCENE II.-A Room in the Castle. Pol. Give first admittance to the embassadors; My news shall be the fruit to that great feast. King. Thyself do grace to them, and bring them in. [Exit POLONIUS. Enter KING, QUEEN, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDEN- He tells me, my dear Gertrude, he hath found STERN, 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,-being of so young days brought up with him; [humour, And, since, so neighbour'd to his youth and That you vouchsafe your rest here in our court Some little time: so by your companies of you; And, sure I am, two men there are not living, To whom he more adheres. If it will please you To show us so much gentry, and good-will, Ros. Both your majesties Might, by the sovereign power you have of us, Put your dread pleasures more into command Than to entreaty. *Body. Destroys. 1 Observed, § Complaisance. The head and source of all your son's distem per. Queen. I doubt, it is no other but the main; His father's death, and our o'erhasty marriage. Re-enter POLONIUS, with VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS. King. Well, we shall sift him.-Welcome, my good friends! [way? Say, Voltimand, what from our brother NorVolt. Most fair return of greetings and deUpon our first, he sent out to suppress [sires. His nephew's levies; which to him appear'd To be a preparation 'gainst the Polack;§ But, better look'd into, he truly found It was against your highness: griev'd, Whereat That so his sickness, age, and impotence, [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. Meantime, we thank you for your well-took | That she should lock herself from his resort, labour: Go to your rest; at night we'll feast together: Most welcome home! [Exeunt VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS. Pol. This business is well ended. 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: Queen. More matter, with less art. Pol. Madam, I swear I use no art at all. I have a daughter; have, while she is mine; That's an ill phrase, a vile phrase; beautified is [me: This, in obedience, hath my daughter shown King. But how hath she Receiv'd his love? Pol. What do you think of me? King. As of a man faithful and honourable. 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, you, Before my daughter told me,) what might 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; Admit no messengers, receive no tokens. King. Do you think, 'tis this? Pol. Hath there been such a time, (I'd fain know that,) That I have positively said, 'Tis so, King. Not that I know. Pol. Take this from this, if this be otherwise: [Pointing to his Head and Shoulder. 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. Pol. At such a time I'll loose my daughter to him: Be you and I behind an arras* then; 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:-Ŏ, 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. Excellent well; you are a fishmonger. Pol. Not I, my lord. Ham. Then I would you were so honest a 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 fered much extremity for love; very near this. gone, far gone: and, truly in my youth I sufI'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: All of which, Sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down; for yourself, Sir, shall 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 honourable lord, I will most humbly take my leave of you. Ham. You cannot, Sir, take from me any thing 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. Pol. You go to seek the lord Hamlet; there he is. [TO POLONIUS. [Exit POLONIUS. Ros. God save you, Sir! Guil. My honour'd lord!Ros. My most dear lord!Ham. My excellent good friends! How dost thou, Guildenstern? Ah, Rosencrantz! Good lads, how do ye both? Ros. As the indifferent children of the earth. Guil. Happy, in that we are not overhappy; On fortune's cap we are not the very button. Ham. Nor the soles of her shoe? Ros. Neither, my lord. Ham. Then are our beggars, bodies; and our monarchs, and outstretch'd heroes, the beggars' shadows: Shall we to the court? fer, by my fay, I cannot reason Ros. Guil. We'll wait upon you. Ham. No such matter: I will not sort you with the rest of my servants; for, to speak to you like an honest man, I am most dreadfully attended. But, in the beaten way of friendship, what make you at Elsinore? Ros. To visit you, my lord; no other occa sion. Ham. Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks; but I thank you: and sure, dear friends, my thanks are too dear, a halfpenny. Were you not sent for? Is it your own inclining? is it a free visitation? Come, come; deal justly with me: come, come; nay, speak. Guil. What should we say, my lord? Ham. Any thing-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 colour: I know, the good king and queen have sent for you. But let me Ros. To what end, my lord? Ros. What say you? [To GUILDENSTERN. cipation prevent your discovery, and your Ham. Then you live about her waist, or in cises: and, indeed, it goes so heavily with my the middle of her favours? Guil. 'Faith, her privates we. Ham. In the secret parts of fortune? O, most true; she is a strumpet. What news? Ros. None, my lord; but that the world is grown honest. disposition, that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a steril promontory; this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof other thing to me, than a foul and pestilent fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no Ham. Then is doomsday near: But your work is man! How noble in reason! "how incongregation of vapours. What a piece of news is not true. Let me question more infinite in faculties! in form, and moving, how particular: What have you, my good friends, deserved at the hands of fortune, that she sends you to prison hither? Guil. Prison, my lord! Ham. Denmark's a prison. Ros. Then is the world one. Ham. A goodly one; in which there are many confines, wards, and dungeons; Denmark being one of the worst. Ros. We think not so, my lord. Ham. Why, then 'tis 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; 'tis too narrow for your mind. express and admirable! in action, how like an angel! in apprehension, how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? man delights not me, nor woman neither; though, by your smiling, you seem to say so. Ros. My lord, there is no such stuff in my thoughts. Man delights not me? man, Ros. To think, my lord, if you delight not in shall receive from you: we coted them on the what lenten entertainment the players Ham. O God! I could be bounded in a nut-way; and hither are they coming, to offer you shell, 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. service. Ham. He that plays the king, shall be wel the adventurous knight shall use his foil, and come; his majesty shall have tribute of me: target; the lover shall not sigh gratis; the humorous man shall end his part in peace; the tickled o'the sere; and the lady shall say her clown shall make those laugh, whose lungs are mind freely, or the blank verse shall halt-for't. -What players are they? |