Ham. Reft, reft, perturbed fpirit. So, gentlemen, With all my love I do commend me to you

And what fo poor a man as Hamlet is

May do t'exprefs his love and friending to you,
God willing, f

And fill your fingers on your lips I pray.
fill your hat lack; let us go in
The time is out of joint; oh curfed fpight,
That ever I was born to set it right!
Nay, come, let's go together.

Pal.

ACT II SCENE I
An Apartment in Polonius's House.
Enter Polonius and Reynoldo.

[Exeunt.

and thefe notes, Reynolds,

Rey. I will, my Lord.
GIVE him this monyx

Pol. You fhall do marvellous wifely, good Reynoldo,
Before you vifit him, to make inquiry

Of his behaviour.

Rey. My Lord, I did intend it.

Pal. Marry, well faid, very well faid. Look you, Sir, Enquire me fint what Danskers are in Paris;

And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,
What company,, at what expence, and finding
By this encompaffment and drift of question,
That they do know my fon, come you more near;
Then your particular demands will touch it ;
Take you as 'twere fome diftant knowledge of him,
As thus, I know his father, and his friends,
And in part him Do you mark this, Reynoldo?
Rey. Ay, very well, my Lord.
Pol. And in part him but you may fay
But if't be be I mean, he's very wild;
Addicted fo and fo and there put on him.

་

-not well;

What forgeries you pleafe; marry, none fo rank,
As may difhonour him; take heed of that,
But, Sir, fuch wanton, wild, and usual slips,
As are companions noted and most known
To youth and liberty, Lord!

Rey. As gaming, my

Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, fwearing, wa
VOL. IX.

K

Quarrelling, drabbing.- You may go fo far.
Rey. My Lord, that would difhonour him.
Pol. 'Faith, no, as you may feafon it in the charge;
You must not put an utter fcandal on him,

That he is open to incontinency,

That's not my meaning; but breathe his faults fo quaintly,` That they may feem the taints of liberty;

The flash and out-break of a fiery mind,

A favageness in unreclaimed blood

Of general affault.

Rey. But, my good Lord

Pol. Wherefore fhould you do this?
Rey. Ay, my Lord, I would know that.
Pol. Marry, Sir, here's my drift,
And I believe it is a fetch of wit.

You laying these flight fullies on my fon,

As 'twere a thing a little foil'd i' th' working,

Mark you your party in converfe, him you would found;
Having ever feen in the prenominate crimes
The youth you speak of guilty, be affur'd
He clofes with you in this confequence;
Good Sir, or Sir, or friend, or gentleman,
(According to the phrafe or the addition
Of man and country.)

Rey. Very good, my Lord.

Pol. And then, Sir, does he this He does

1

- what was I about to say?

I was about to fay fomething, where did I leave ?
Rey. At clofes in the confequence.

Pol. At clofes in the confequence- Ay marry,
He clofes thus. I know the gentleman,
I saw him yesterday, or t'other day,

Or then, with fuch and fuch, and, as you fay,
There was he gaming, there o'ertook in's rowfe,
There falling out at tennis; or perchance,
I faw him enter fuch a houfe of fale,
Videlicet, a brothel, or fo forth. See you now;
Your bait of falfhood takes this carp of truth;
And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
With windlaces, and with affays of byas,

By

By indirections find directions out :

So by my former lecture and advice

Shall you my fon; you have me, have you not?
Rey. My Lord, I have.

Pol. God b' w' you; fare you well.

Rey. Good my Lord

Pol. Obferve his inclination e'en your felf,

Rey. I fhall, my Lord.

Pol. And let him ply his mufick.

Rey. Well, my Lord.

SCENE II. Enter Ophelia.

[Exit.

Pol. Farewel. How now, Ophelia, what's the matter? Opb. Alas, my Lord, I have been fo affrighted! Pol. With what, in the name of heav'n? Opb. My Lord, as I was fowing in my closet, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd, No hat upon his head, his ftockings loose, Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle, Pale as his fhirt, his knees knocking each other, And with a look fo piteous in purport,

As if he had been loofed out of hell,

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

Oph. My Lord, I do not know:

But truly I do fear it.

Pol. What faid he?

1

Opb. He took me by the wrift, 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 fuch perufal of my face,

As he would draw it. Long time ftaid he fo;
At laft, a little fhaking of my arm,
And thrice his head thus waving up and down,
He rais'd a figh, fo piteous and profound,
That it did feem to fhatter all his bulk,
And end his being. Then he lets me go,
And with his head over his fhoulder turn'd,
He feem'd to find his way without his eyes,
For out o' doors he went without their help,
And to the laft, bended their light on me,
K 2

1

Pol,

Pol. Come, go with me, I will go feek the King. This is the very ecftafie of love;

Whofe violent property foredoes it felf,

And leads the will to defp'rate undertakings,
As oft as any paffion under heav'n,
That does afflict our natures.

I am forry;

What, have you giv'n him any hard words of late?
Oph. No, my good Lord; but as you did command,
I did repel his letters, and deny'd

His accefs to me.

Pol. That hath made him mad.

I'm forry that with better heed and judgment

I had not quoted him. I fear'd he trifled

And meant to wreck thee; but befhrew my jealoufie!
It feems it is as proper to our age

To caft beyond our felves in our opinions,

As it is common for the younger fort

To lack difcretion. Come, go we to the King.

This must be known, which being kept clofe, might move More grief to hide hate, than to utter love.

SCENE III. The Palace.

[Exeunt.

Enter King, Queen, Rofincroffe, Guildenftern, Lords and other Attendants.

King. Welcome, dear Rofincroffe and Guildenstern!
Moreover that we much did long to fee you,
The need we have to use you did provoke
Our hafty sending. Something have you heard
Of Hamlet's transformation; fo I call it,
Since not th' exterior, nor the inward man
Resembles that it was. What it fhould be
More than his father's death, that thus hath put him
So much from th' understanding of himself,
I cannot dream of. entreat you both,

That being of fo young days brought up with him,
And fince fo neighbour'd to his youth and humour,
That you vouchfafe your reft here in our Court
Some little time, fo by your companies
To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather
So much as from occafions you may glean,
If aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus,

That

That open'd lyes within our remedy.

Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd of you: And fure I am, two men there are not living,

To whom he more adheres. If it will please you
To fhew us fo much gentry and good will,
As to extend your time with us a while,
For the fupply and profit of our hope,
Your visitation fhall receive fuch thanks
As fits a King's remembrance.
Rof. Both your Majesties

Might by the fovereign power you have of us,
Put your dread pleasures more into command
Than to entreaty.

Guil, But we both obey,

And here give up our felves in the full bent,
To lay our fervice freely at your feet.

King. Thanks, Rofincroffe and gentle Guildenstern.
Queen. Thanks, Guildenftern and gentle Rofincroffe;
And I beseech you inftantly to vifit

My too much changed fon. Go fome of ye,

And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is.

Guil. Heav'ns make our prefence and our practices Pleafant and helpful to him! [Exeunt Rof. and Guil, Queen. Amen.

Enter Polonius.

Pol. Th' ambaffadors from Norway, my good Lord, Are joyfully return'd.

King. Thou ftill haft been the father of good news. Pol. Have I my Lord? affure you, my good Liege, I hold my duty, as I hold my foul,

Both to my God, and to my gracious King;

And I do think (or elfe this brain of mine

Hunts not the trail of policy fo fure

As I have us'd to do) that I have found

The very cause of Hamlet's lunacy.

King. Oh fpeak of that, that I do long to hear,
Pol. Give firft admittance to th' ambaffadors.

My news fhall be the fruit to that great feaft.

King. Thy felf do grace to them, and bring them in.

[Exit Polonius.