Rey.

'Good sir,' or so, or 'friend,' or 'gentleman,'
According to the phrase or the addition

Of man and country.

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,

50

Or then, or then, with such, or such; and, as you say,
There was a' 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 windlasses 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 be wi' you; fare you well.

Pol. Observe his inclination in yourself.

Rey. I shall, my lord.

Pol. And let him ply his music.

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70

Rey.

Pol. Farewell!

[Exit Reynaldo.

Well, my lord.

Enter OPHELIA.

How now, Ophelia! what's the matter?

Oph. O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!

Pol. With what, i' the name of God?

Oph. My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,

Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced,

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.

Pol.

My lord, I do not know,

What said he?

But truly I do fear it.

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 raised a sigh so piteous and profound
As 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,

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90

He seem'd to find his way without his eyes;
For out o' doors he went without their helps,
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.

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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

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!

By heaven, 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.

Flourish. 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 call it,
Sith 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 sith so neighbor'd to his youth and havior.
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

To whom he more adheres. If it will please you
To show us so much gentry and good will
As to expend your time with us a while

IO

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Ros.

Guil.

For the supply and profit of our hope,
Your visitation shall receive such thanks
As fits a king's remembrance.

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

But we both obey,

And here give up ourselves, in the full bent
To lay our service freely at your feet,

To be commanded.

King. Thanks, Rosencrantz and gentle Guildenstern. Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern and gentle Rosencrantz: And I beseech you instantly to visit

My too much changed son. Go, some of you, And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is. Guil. Heavens make our presence and our practices Pleasant and helpful to him!

Queen.

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[Exeunt Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and some Attendants.

Ay, amen!

Enter POLONIUS.

Pol. The ambassadors from Norway, my good lord, 40

Are joyfully return'd.

King. Thou still hast been the father of good news.
Pol. Have I, my lord? I assure my good liege,

I hold my duty as I hold my soul,

Both to my God and to my gracious king:
And I do think, or else this brain of mine
Hunts not the trail of policy so sure