Rankly abus'd: but know, thou noble youth, The serpent, that did sting thy father's life, Now wears his crown. Ham. O, my prophetick soul! my uncle! Ghost. Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts, But virtue, as it never will be mov'd, And prey on garbage. But, soft! methinks I scent the morning air; Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust, Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand, [Exit. Yea, from the table of my memory O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain! At least, I am sure, it may be so in Denmark: Hor. [Within. My lord, my lord,— Hor. Within. Ham. So be it! Mar. Within. Illo, ho, ho, my lord! Ham. Hillo, ho, ho, boy! come, bird, come. Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS. Mar. How is't, my noble lord? Hor. Good my lord, tell it. You will reveal it. Hor. Not I, my lord, by heaven. Ham. How say you then; would heart of man once think it? But you'll be secret,— Hor. Mar. Ay, by heaven, my lord. But he's an arrant knave. Hor. There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave, To tell us this. O'ermaster it as you may. And now, good | A worthy pioneer !-Once more remove, good friends. Ham. Never make known what you have seen There are more things in heaven and earth, Ho to-night. Hor. Mar. My lord, we will not. Ham. Nay, but swear't. Hor. In faith, My lord, not I. Mar. Nor I, my lord, in faith. Ham. Upon my sword. Mar. We have sworn, my lord, already. Ham. Ha, ha, boy! say'st thou so? art thou Come on, you hear this fellow in the cellarage, Consent to swear. Hor. Propose the oath, my lord. ratio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Here, as before, never, so help you mercy! That you, at such times seeing me, never shall, Or such ambiguous giving out, to note swear, Ham. Never to speak of this that you have So grace and mercy at your most need help you! seen, Swear by my sword. Ghost. [Beneath.] Swear. Ham. Hic & ubique? then we will shift our ground: Come hither, gentlemen, And lay your hands again upon my sword: Never to speak of this that you have heard. Ghost. Beneath.] Swear by his sword. Ham. Well said, old mole! can'st work i'the earth so fast? Ghost. [Beneath.] Swear. Ham. Rest, rest, perturbed spirit! So, gen tlemen, With all my love I do commend me to you; May do, to express his love and friending to you, [Exeunt. ACT 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 Before you visit him, to make inquiry 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 expence; 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; Rey. As gaming, my lord. Drabbing :-You may go so far. Pol. Marry, sir, here's my drift; And, I believe, it is a fetch of warrant : 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, you say, There was he gaming; there o'ertook in his rouse ; Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth; Shall you my son: You have me, have you not? 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. J Enter OPHELIA. [Exit. Pol. Farewell!-How now, Ophelia? what's the matter? Oph. O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted! 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, As if he had been loosed out of hell, To speak of horrors, he comes before me. Pol. Mad for thy love? Oph. My lord, I do not know; But, truly, I do fear it. Pol. What said he? Oph. He took me by the wrist, and held me hard; Then goes he to the length of all his arm; As he would draw it. Long staid he so ; Pol. Come, go with me; I will go seek the king. I did repel his letters, and denied 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 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. ༣ 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, 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 To draw him on to pleasures; and to gather, So much as from occasion you may glean, Whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus, That, open'd, lies within our remedy. Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd of you; And, sure I am, two men there are not living, Ros. Both your majesties Might, by the sovereign power you have of us, Put your dread pleasures more into command Than to entreaty. Guil. But we both obey; And here give up ourselves, in the full bent, King. Thanks, Rosencrantz, and gentle Guildenstern. Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern, and gentle Ro sencrantz : And I beseech you instantly to visit Pleasant and helpful to him! Queen. Ay, amen! King. Thyself do grace to them, and bring them in. [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? [Gives a paper. That it might please you to give quiet pass King. It likes us well; And, at our more consider'd time, we'll read, Go to your rest; at night we'll feast together: [Exeunt Voltimand and CorneliusPol. This business is well ended. [Exeunt Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and My liege, and madam, to expostulate some Attendants. Enter POLONIUS. What majesty should be, what duty is, Pol. The ambassadors from Norway, my good Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, lord, Pol. Have I, my lord? Assure you, my good liege, I hold my duty, as I hold my soul, King. O, speak of that; that do I long to hear. Pol. Give first admittance to the ambassadors; My news shall be the fruit to that great feast. And tediousness the limbs and outward flou rishes, 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. 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. Mad let us grant him then and now remains, That we find out the cause of this effect; Or, rather say, the cause of this defect; For this effect, defective, comes by cause: Thus it remains, and the remainder thus. Perpend. I have a daughter; have, while she is mine; 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. Doubt thou, the stars are fire; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt, I love. [Reads. 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 machine is to him, Hamlet. This, in obedience, hath my daughter shown me: And more above, hath his solicitings, As they fell out by time, by means, and place, All given to mine ear. 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, Before my daughter told me,) what might you, And my young mistress thus did I bespeak; King. Do you think, 'tis this? Queen. It may be, very likely. Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed Within the centre. King. How may we try it further? Pol. You know, sometimes he walks four 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; 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, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand. Pol. That's very true, my lord. 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 suf fered much extremity for love; very near this. I'll speak to him again.—What do you read, my lord? Ham. Words, words, words! Pol. What is the matter, my lord? 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 Pol. Hath there been such a time, (I'd fain most weak hams: All of which, sir, though I know that,) That I have positively said, 'Tis so, When it prov'd otherwise? 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 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? |