Imatges de pàgina
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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 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 musick.

Rey. Well, my Lord.

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[Exit.

II.

Pol. Farewel. How now, Ophelia, what's the matter?
Oph. Alas, my Lord, I have been fo affrighted!
Pol. With what, in the name of heav'n?
Oph. 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,
Uungarter'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 fpeak 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?

Oph. 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

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 eat o' doors he went without their help,
And to the laft, bended their light on me.

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

Whofe violent property foredoes itself,
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 access 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 seems 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,

More grief to hide

which being kept clofe, might move hate, than to utter love. [Exeunt,

5 than hate, to utter, love.

SCENE

SCENE III.

The Palace.

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

King. Welcome, dear Rofineroffe and Guildenfiern!
WE
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. I entreat you both,

That being of so 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 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 supply and profit of our hope,
Your vifitation 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.

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.
Pleasant and helpful to him!

Queen. Amen.

[Exeunt Rof, and Guil.

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 Kings

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 feast.

King. Thy felf do grace to them, and bring them in. [Exit Polonius. He tells me, my fweet Queen, that he hath found The head and fource of all your fon's distemper.

Queen. I doubt it is no other but the main, His father's death, and our o'er-hafty marriage.

S CE NE IV.

Re-enter Polonius, with Voltimand and Cornelius.

King. Well, we fhall fift him. Welcome, my good

friends!

Say,

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 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' affay of arms against your Majefty.
Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,
Gives him three thoufand crowns in annual fee,
And his commiffion to employ thofe foldiers,
So levied as before, against the Polack:
With an entreaty, herein further fhewn,
That it might pleafe 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 feaft together.

Moft welcome home!

Pol. This bufinefs is well ended.

[Exeunt Ambaf.

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,

6 Anfwer, and think upon this bufinefs.

What

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