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 winking, 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 I did bespeak:
'Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of thy star;

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 't is this?

Queen. It may be, very likely.

140

150

Polonius. Hath there been such a time-I'd fain know

that

That I have positively said "T is so,'

When it prov'd otherwise?

King.

Not that I know.

Polonius. [Pointing to his head and shoulder] 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.

King.

How may we try it further?

Polonius. You know, sometimes he walks four hours to

gether

Here in the lobby.

160

Be

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

you and I behind an arras then ;

Mark the encounter: if he love her not,

And be not from his reason fall'n thereon,
Let me be no assistant for a state,

But keep a farm and carters.

King.

We will try it.

Queen. But, look, where sadly the poor wretch comes

reading.

Polonius. Away, I do beseech you, both away;

I'll board him presently.

[Exeunt King, Queen, and Attendants.

Enter HAMLET, reading.

O, give me leave;

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How does my good Lord Hamlet?

Hamlet. Well, God-a-mercy.

Polonius. Do you know me, my lord?

Hamlet. Excellent well; you are a fishmonger.

Polonius. Not I, my lord.

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

Polonius. Honest, my lord!

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

Polonius. That's very true, my lord.

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Hamlet. For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion,-Have you a daughter? Polonius. I have, my lord.

Hamlet. Let her not walk i' the sun: conception is a blessing; but not as your daughter may conceive.-Friend, look to 't.

Polonius. [Aside] How say you by that? 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?

Hamlet. Words, words, words.

Polonius. What is the matter, my lord?

Hamlet. Between who?

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Polonius. I mean, the matter that you read, my lord. Hamlet. 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 which, sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down; for you yourself, sir, should be old as I am, if like a crab you could go backward.

203

Polonius. [Aside] Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't.-Will you walk out of the air, my lord?

Hamlet. Into my grave?

Polonius. Indeed, that is out o' the air. -[Aside] 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.

Hamlet. You cannot, sir, take from me any thing that I will more willingly part withal; except my life, except my life, except my life.

Polonius. Fare you well, my lord.

Hamlet. These tedious old fools!

Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN.

216

Polonius. You go to seek the Lord Hamlet; there he is. Rosencrantz. [To Polonius] God save you, sir!

Guildenstern. My honoured lord!
F

220

[Exit Polonius.

Rosencrantz. My most dear lord!

Hamlet. My excellent good friends! How dost thou, Guildenstern?-Ah, Rosencrantz! Good lads, how do ye

both?

Rosencrantz. As the indifferent children of the earth. Guildenstern. Happy, in that we are not over-happy ; On Fortune's cap we are not the very button.

Hamlet. Nor the soles of her shoe?

Rosencrantz. Neither, my lord.

230

Hamlet. Then you live about her waist, or in the middle of her favours? What's the news?

Rosencrantz. None, my lord, but that the world's grown

honest.

Hamlet. Then is doomsday near; but your news is not true. Let me question more in particular; what have you, my good friends, deserved at the hands of Fortune, that she sends you to prison hither?

Guildenstern. Prison, my lord!

Hamlet. Denmark 's a prison.

Rosencrantz. Then is the world one.

240

Hamlet. A goodly one; in which there are many confines, wards, and dungeons, Denmark being one o' the worst. Rosencrantz. We think not so, my lord.

Hamlet. 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.

Rosencrantz. Why, then your ambition makes it one; 't is too narrow for your mind.

249

Hamlet. O God, I could be bounded in a nut-shell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams.

Guildenstern. Which dreams indeed are ambition, for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.

Hamlet. A dream itself is but a shadow.

Rosencrantz. Truly, and I hold ambition of so airy and light a quality that it is but a shadow's shadow.

Hamlet. Then are our beggars bodies, and our monarchs and outstretched heroes the beggars' shadows.

the court? for, by my fay, I cannot reason.

Shall we to

261

Hamlet. 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?

Rosencrantz. To visit you, my lord; no other occasion.

Hamlet. 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, deal justly with me: come, come; nay, speak.

Guildenstern. What should we say, my lord?

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Hamlet. Why, 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 conjure

Rosencrantz. To what end, my lord? Hamlet. That you must teach me. 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?

Rosencrantz. [Aside to Guildenstern] What say you? Hamlet. [Aside] Nay, then I have an eye of you. you love me, hold not off.

Guildenstern. My lord, we were sent for.

284

If

Hamlet. I will tell you why; so shall my anticipation prevent your discovery, and your secrecy to the king and queen