Pol. Come, go with me, I will go seek 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.
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
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 close, might move More grief to hide hate, than to utter love.
SCENE III. The Palace.
Enter King, Queen, Rofincroffe, Guildenstern, Lords and other Attendants.
King. Welcome, dear Rofincroffe and Guildenstern! Moreover that we much did long to see you,
The need we have to use you did provoke
Our hafty fending. Something have
you heard
Of Hamlet's transformation; fo I call it,
Since not th' exterior, nor the inward man
Refembles 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. I 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 vouchsafe your reft here in our Court
Some little time, fo by your companies
To draw him on to pleafures, and to gather
So much as from occafions you may glean,
If aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus,
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 Majefties
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!
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 first 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.
He tells me, my fweet Queen, that he hath found
The head and fource of all your fon's diftemper.
Queen. I doubt it is no other but the main,
His father's death, and our o'er-hafty marriage.
SCENE IV.
Re-enter Polonius, with Voltimand and Cornelius.
King. Well, we fhall fift him. Welcome, my good friends!
Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway?
Volt. Moft fair return of greetings, and defires.
Upon our first, he fent out to fupprefs
His nephew's levies, which to him appear'd
To be a preparation 'gainst the Polack:
But better lookt into, he truly found
It was against your Highnefs. Whereat griev'd,
That fo his ficknefs, age, and impotence
Was falfely born in hand, fends out arrefts
On Fortinbras; which he, in brief, obeys,
Receives rebuke from Norway; and in fine,
Makes vow before his uncle, never more
To give th' affay of arms against your Majefty.
Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,
Gives him three thousand crowns in annual fee,
And his commiffion to employ thofe foldiers,
So levied as before, against the Polack:
With an entreaty, herein further fshewn,
That it might please you to give quiet pafs
Through your dominions for this enterprize
On fuch regards of fafety and allowance,
As therein are fet down.
King. It likes us well;
And at our more confider'd time we'll read,
And think upon an answer to this business.
Mean time we thank you for your well-took labour.
Go to your reft, at night we'll feast together.
Moft welcome home!
Pol. This bufinefs is well ended.
My Liege, and Madam, to expoftulate
What Majefty fhould be, what duty is,
Why day is day, night night, and time is time,
Were nothing but to wafte night, day, and time.
Therefore, fince brevity's the foul of wit,
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief; your noble fon is mad.
Mad call I it; for to define true madness,
What is't, but to be nothing else but mad?
But let that go.
Queen. More matter, with lefs art.
Pol. Madam, I swear I use no art at all:
That he is mad 'tis true; 'tis true, 'tis pity;
And pity it is, 'tis true; a foolish figure,
But farewel it; for I will ufe 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 caufe;
Thus it remains, and the remainder thus,
Perpend
I have a daughter; have, whilft she is mine,
Who in her duty and obedience, mark,
Hath giv'n me this; now gather, and furmife.
[He opens a letter, and reads.]
To the celeftial, and my foul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia. That's an ill phrafe, a vile phrafe, beautified is Thefe to ber excellent
a vile phrafe; but you fhall hear
Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her?
Pol, Good Madam, stay a while, I will be faithful.
Doubt thou, the ftars are fire,
Doubt, that the fun doth move ;
Doubt truth to be a liar,
But never doubt, I love.
Oh dear Ophelia, I am ill at thefe numbers; I have not art to reckon my groans; but that I love thee beft, ob most beft, believe it. Adieu.
Thine evermore, most dear Lady, whilft this
Machine is to him, Hamlet.
This in obedience hath my daughter fhewn me:
And, more above, hath his follicitings
As they fell out by time, by means, and place,
All given to mine ear.
King. But how hath the receiv'd his love?
Pol. What do you think of me?
King. As of a man, faithful and honourable.
Pol. I would fain prove fo. But what might you think?
When I had feen his hot love on the wing,
(As I perceiv'd it, I must tell you that,
Before my daughter told me,) what might you,
Or my dear Majefty your Queen here, think?
If I had play'd the defk or table-book,
Or given my heart a working, mute and dumb,
Or look'd upon this love with idle fight,
What might you think? no, I went round to work,
And my young miftrefs thus I did befpeak;
Lord Hamlet is a Prince out of thy fphere,
This must not be ; and then I precepts gave her,
That fhe fhould lock herself from his refort,
Admit no meffengers, receive no tokens:
Which done, fhe took the fruits of my advice,
And he repulfed, a fhort tale to make,
Fell to a fadnefs, then into a faft,
Thence to a watching, thence into a weakness,
Thence to a lightness, and by this declenfion
Into the madness wherein now he raves,
And all we wail for.
King. Do you think this?
Queen. It may be very likely.
Pol. Hath there been fuch a time, I'd fain know that,
That I have pofitively faid, 'tis fo,
When it prov'd otherwife?
King. Not that I know.
Pol. Take this from this, if this be otherwife;
[Pointing to bis bead and body.
If circumftances lead me, I will find
Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed
Within the center.
King. How may we try it further?
Pol. You know fometimes he walks for hours together,
Here in the lobby.
Queen. So he does indeed.
Pol. At fuch a time I'll loofe my daughter to him ;
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