Oph. My Lord, I do not know: but truly I do fear it. Pol. What faid he ?
Oph. He took me by the wrift.
Then goes he to the length of all his Arm;
And with his other Hand, thus o'er his brow,
He falls to fuch perusal of my Face,
As he would draw it. Long staid he so ;
At last, a little shaking of my Arm,
And thrice his Head thus waving up and down,
He rais'd a Sigh, so hideous and profound,
That it did seem to shatter all his Bulk,
And end his Being. That done, he lets me go,
And with his Head over his Shoulders turn'd,
He feem'd to find his way without his Eyes,
For out adoors he went without their help,
And to the last, bended their light on me.
Pol. Come, go with me, I will go seekthe King,
This is the very Extafie of Love,
Whose violent Property foredoes it felf,
And leads the Will to defperate Undertakings,
As oft as any Passion under Heaven,
That do's afflict our Natures. I am forry;
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 deny'd
His Access to me.
Pol. That hath made him mad.
I am forry that with better Speed and Judgment
I had not quoted him. I fear'd he did but trifle,
And meant to wrack thee; but beshrew my Jealoufie;
It seems it is as proper to our Age,
To caft beyond our selves 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, than hate to utter Love.
SCENE II. The Palace.
Enter King, Queen, Roseneraus, Guildenstern, Lords and other Attendants.
King. Welcome dear Roseneraus and Guildenstern,
Moreover, that we much did long to fee you,
The need we have to use you, did provoke
Our hasty 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 should be
More than his Father's Death, that thus hath put him
So much from th' understanding of himself,
I cannot deem of. I intreat you both,
That being of so young Days brought up with him,
And fince 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 Occafions you may glean,
If ought, to us unknown, afflicts him thus,
That open'd lies 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 shew us so much gentry and good will,
As to expend your time with us a while,
For the supply and profit of our hope,
Your Visitation shall receive such Thanks,
As fits a King's remembrance.
Rof. 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 our selves, in the full bent,
To lay our Service freely at your Feet,
To be commanded.
King. Thanks, Roseneraus, and gentle Guildenstern,
Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern, and gentle Roseneraus;
And I beseech you instantly to visit
My too much changed Son. Go some of ye,
And bring the Gentlemen where Hamlet is.
Guil. Heav'ns make our Presence and our Practices
Pleasant and helpful to him.
Queen. Amen.
Pol. The Ambassadors from Norway, my good Lord, Are joyfully return'd.
King. Thou still haft been the Father of good News.
Pol. Have I, my Lord? Assure you, 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
As I have us'd to do, that I have found
The very cause of Hamlet's Lunacy.
King. O fpeak of that, that I do long to hear.
Pol. Give first admittance to th' Ambassadors,
My News shall be the News to that great Feast.
King. Thy felf do Grace to them, and bring them in. [Ex. Pol.
He tells me, my sweet Queen, that 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-hafty Marriage.
Enter Polonius, Voltimand, and Cornelius.
King. Well, we shall fift him. Welcome, good Friends!
Say Voltimand, what from our Brother Norway?
Volt. Most fair return of Greetings, and Defires.
Upon our first, he sent out to suppress
His Nephew's Levies, which to him appear'd
To be a Preparation 'gainst the Polak:
But better look'd into, he truly found
It was against your Highness. Whereat grieved,
That so his Sickness, Age, and Impotence
Was falsely born in Hand, sends out Arrests
On Fortinbras, which he, in brief, obeys,
Receives rebuke from Norway; and in fine,
Makes Vow before his Uncle, never more
To give th'assay of Arms against your Majesty.
Whereon old Norway, overcome with Joy,
Gives him three thousand Crowns in annual Fee,
And his Commission to imploy those Soldiers
So levied as before, against the Polak:
With an intreaty herein further shewn,
That it might please you to give quiet pass
Through your Dominions for his Enterprize.
On such regards of Safety and Allowance,
As therein are set down.
And at our more confider'd time we'll read,
Answer, and think upon this Business.
Mean time we thank you, for your well-look'd labour.
Go to your reft, at Night we'll feast together.
Most welcome home.
Pol. This Business is very well ended.
My Liege and Madam, to expoftulate
What Majesty should be, what Duty is,
Why Day is Day, Night, Night, and Time is Time,
Were nothing but to waste Night, Day, and Time.
Therefore, fince Brevity is the Soul of Wit,
And Tediousness the Limbs and outward Flourishes,
I will be brief; your noble Son 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 less 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 true; a foolish Figure,
But farewel 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 fay, 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, whilst she is mine,
Who in her Duty and Obedience, mark,
Hath given me this; now gather, and furmise.
He opens a Letter, and reads.
To the Celestial, and my Soul's Idol, the most beautified Ophelia.
That's an ill Phrafe, a vile Phrafe, beautified is a vile Phrafe:
Phrase; but you shall hear-These to her excellent white Bosom, these
Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her?
Pol. Good Madam stay a while, I will be faithful.
Doubt thou, the Stars are Fire,
Doubt, that the Sun doth move;
Doubt Truth to be a Liar,
O dear Ophelia, I am ill at these Numbers; I have not Art to reskon my Groans; but that I love thee best, oh most Best, believe it.
Thine evermore, most dear Lady, whilst this
Machine is to him, Hamlet.
This in Obedience hath my Daughter shew'd 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 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 fo. But what might you think?
When I had feen his hot Love on the Wing,
As I perceived it, I must tell you that
Before my Daughter told me, what might you
Or my dear Majesty your Queen here, think,
If I had play'd the Desk or Table-book,
Or given my Heart a winking, 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 Mistress thus I did bespeak;
Lord Hamlet is a Prince out of thy Sphere,
This must not be; And then, I Precepts gave her,
That she should lock her felf from his Refort,
Admit no Messengers, receive no Tokens:
Which done, she took the fruits of my Advice,
And he repulfed, a short Tale to make,
Fell into a Sadness, then into a Fast,
Thence to a Watch, thence into a Weakness,
Thence to a Lightness, and by this declension
Into the Madness wherein now he raves,
And all we wail for.
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