ACT II.

SCENE I.

A room in Polonius's house.

Enter POLONIUS and REYNALDO.

Po. Give him this money, and these notes, Reynaldo.

Rey. I will, my lord.

Po. You shall do marvellous wisely, good Rey

naldo,

Before you visit him, to make inquiry

Of his behavior.

Rey.

My lord, I did intend it.

Po. Marry, well said: very well said. Look you,

sir,

Inquire me first what Danskers 1 are in Paris;

And how, and who, what means, and where they

keep,

What company, at what expense; 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 knowlege of him
As thus ;- - I know his father and his friends,
And, in part, him :'-Do you mark this, Reynaldo ?

I Danes.

Rey. Ay, very well, my lord.

Po. And, in part, him ;-but,' you may say,— ' not well :

But, if 't be he I mean, he 's very wild;

Addicted so and so:'-and there put on him
What forgeries you please; marry, none so rank
As may dishonor him; take heed of that:
But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips,
As are companions noted and most known
To youth and liberty.

Rey.

As gaming, my lord.

Po. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrel

ing,

Drabbing :-you may go so far.

Rey. My lord, that would dishonor him.

Po. Faith, no; as you may season it in the

charge.

You must not put another scandal on him,

That he is open to incontinency;

That's not my meaning: but breathe his faults so

quaintly,

That they may seem the taints of liberty;

The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind;

1

A savageness 1 in unreclaimed blood,

Of general assault.2

Rey.

But, my good lord,

Po. Wherefore should you do this?

For wildness.

2 Such as youth in general is liable to.

Ay, my lord,

Rey.

I would know that.

Po.

Marry, sir, here's my drift;
And, I believe, it is a fetch of warrant :
You laying these slight sullies on my son,
As 'twere a thing a little soil'd i' the working,
Mark you;

Your party in converse, him you would sound,
Having ever seen, in the prenominate1 crimes,
The youth you breathe of, guilty, be assured,
He closes with you in this consequence ;—
• Good sir,' or so; or
friend,' or
According to the phrase or the addition

Of man and country.

Rey.

gentleman,'

Very good, my lord.

Po. 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.

Po. At, closes in the consequence :—Ay, marry ; He closes with you thus:

- I know the gentleman:

I saw him yesterday, or t' other day,

Or then, or then, with such, or such; and, as you

say,

There was he gaming; there o'ertook in his 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 windlaces, and with assays of bias,
By indirections find directions out:
So, by my former lecture and advice,

You have me, have you not?

Shall you my son.
Rey. My lord, I have.

Po.

God be wi' you; fare you well.

Rey. Good my lord,

Po. Observe his inclination in yourself.1

Rey. I shall, my lord.

Po. And let him ply his music.

Rey.

Well, my lord.

[Exit.

Enter OPHELIA.

Po. Farewell!-How now, Ophelia ? what's the matter?

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

Po. With what, in the name of heaven? 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 ankle; Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;

In your own person, not by spies.
Hanging down like fetters.

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.
Po. Mad for thy love?

Oph.

But, truly, I do fear it.

Po.

My lord, I do not know;

What said he?

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,
He seem'd to find his way without his eyes;
For out o' doors he went without their help,
And, to the last, bended their light on me.

Po. Come, go with me; I will go seek the king. This is the very ecstasy of love;

1

Whose violent property foredoes 1 itself,

And leads the will to desperate undertakings,

As oft as any passion under heaven,

That does afflict our natures. I am sorry.

I Destroys.