Imatges de pàgina
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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 otherwise.

[Pointing to his Head and Shoulder.

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?

[ther,

Pol. You know, fometimes he walks four hours toge

Here in the lobby.

Queen. So he does, indeed.

Pol. At fuch a time I'll loofe my daughter to him;

Be you and I behind an arras then,

Mark the encounter: If he love her not,

And be not from his reafon fall'n thereon,
Let me be no affiftant for a ftate,

But keep a farm and carters.

King. We will try it.

Enter Hamlet reading.

Queen. But, look, where, fadly the poor wretch comes

reading.

Pol. Away, I do befeech you, both away.

I'll board him presently.

[Exe. King and Queen

Oh, give me leave.-How does my good Lord Hamlet?

Ham. Well, God o' mercy.

Pol. Do you know me, my Lord?

Ham. Excellent well; you are a fishmonger.

Pol. Not I, my Lord.

Ham. Then I would you were fo honest a man.

Pol. Honeft, my Lord?

Ham. Ay, Sir; to be honeft, as this world goes, is

to be one man pick'd out of ten thousand.

Pol. That's very true, my Lord.

Ham. For if the fun breed maggots in a dead dog, Being a good kiffing carrion

Have you a daughter?

Fol. I have, my Lord.

Ham. Let her not walk i'th' fun; conception is a bleffing, but not as your daughter may conceive. Friend, look to't. [daughter!

Pol. How fay you by that? ftill harping on my Yet he knew me not at firft; he faid, I was a fifhmonger. He is far gone; and, truly, in my youth, [Afide.. I suffer'd much extremity for love;

Very near this.—I'll fpeak to him again.
What do you read, my Lord?

Ham. Words, words, words.

Pol. What is the matter, my Lord?
Ham. Between whom?

Po. I mean the matter that you read, my Lord, Ham. Slanders, Sir: for the fatirical flave fays here, that old men have grey beards; that their faces are wrinkled; their eyes purging thick amber, and plumtree gum and that they have a plentiful lack of wit; together with moit weak hams. All which, Sir, tho' I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honefly to have it thus fet down; for yourself, Sir, fhall be as old as I am, if, like a crab you could go backward.

Pol. Though this be madness, yet there's method in't: Will you walk out of the air, my Lord?

Ham. Into my grave.

Pol. Indeed, that is out o' th' air:-
How pregnant (fometimes) his replies are?
A happinefs that often madness hits on,
Which fanity and reafon could not be
So profp'roufly deliver'd of. I'll leave him,
And fuddenly contrive the means of mecting
Eetween him and my daughter.

My honourable Lord, I will moft humbly

Take my leave of you.

Ham. You cannot, Sir, take from me any thing that I will more willingly part withal, except my life. Pol. Fare you well, my Lord.

Ham. Thefe tedious old fools!

Fo'. You go to feck Lord Hamlet; there he is. [Exit.

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Enter Rofincrantz and Guildenstern.

Fof. God fave you, Sir.

Gai. Mine honour'd Lord!

Rof. My most dear Lord!

[Gilder ftern?

Ham. My excellent good friends! How doft thos Oh, Rofincrantz, good lads! how do ye both?

Rof. As the indifferent children of the earth.

Gl. Happy, in that we are not over-happy; on fortune's cap, we are not the very button.

Ham. Nor the foles of her shoe?

R. Neither, my Lord.

Ham. Then you live about her waift, or in the middle of her favours?

Gail. 'Faith, in her privates we.

Im. In the fecret parts of fortune? oh, most true; fhe is a frumpet. What news?

R None, my Lord, but that the world's grown honest.

Ian. Then is dooms-day near; but your news is not true. Let me queftion more in particular; what have you, my good friends, deferved at the hands of fortune, that fhe fends you to prifon hither?

Gail. Prifon, my Lord!

Ham. Denmark's a prifon.

R. Then is the world one.

Har. A goodly one, in which there are many confines, wards, and dungeons; Denmark being one o'th' work,

Ref. We think not so, my Lord.

Hm. Why, then, 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it fo: to me, it is a prifon.

Ro. Why, then your ambition makes it one: 'tis tco narrow for your mind.

Hm. Ch God, I could be bounded in a nut-fhell, and count myself a King of infinite space; were it not, that I have bad dreams.

G. . Which dreams, indeed, are ambition; for the

very fubftance of the ambitious is merely the fhadow of a dream.

Ham. A dream itfelf is but a fhadow.

Ref. Truly, and I hold ambition of so airy and light a quality, that it is but a fhadow's fhadow.

Ham. Then are our beggars, bodies; and our monarchs and out-ftretch'd heroes, the beggars' fhadows; Shall we to th' Court? for, by my fay, I cannot reason. Pork. We'll wait upon you.

Ham. No fuch matter. I will not fort you with the reft of my fervants; for, to fpeak to you like an honest man, I am most dreadfully attended but in the beaten way of friendship, what make you at Elfinor?

R. To vist you, my Lord; no other occafion.

Ham. Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks; but I thank you; and fure, dear friends, my thanks are too dear of a half-penny. Were you not fent for? is it your own inclining? is it a free vifitation? come, deal juftly with me; come, come; nay, speak.

Guil. What fhould we fay, my Lord?

:

Ham. Any thing, but to the purpofe. You were fent for and there is a kind of confeffion in your looks, which your modesties have not craft enough to colour. I know, the good King and Queen have fent for you.

Rof. To what end, my Lord?

Ham. That you must teach me; but let me conjure you by the rights of our fellowship, by the confonancy of our youth, by the obligation of our ever-preserved love, and by what more dear, a better propofer could charge you withal; be even and direct with me, whether you were fent for or no?

R. What fay you?

Ham. Nay, then I have an eye of you :

me, hold not off.

[To Guilden.

if

you love

Guil. My Lord, we were fent for. Ham. I will tell you why; fo fhall my anticipation prevent your discovery, and your fecrecy to the King and Queen moult no feather. I have of late, but wherefore

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I know not, loft all my mirth, foregone all custom of
exercife; and, indeed, it goes fo heavily with my dif-
pofition, that this goodly frame, the earth, feems to
me a feril promontory; this moft excellent canopy the
air, look you, this brave o'er-hanging firmament, this
majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears
no other thing to me, than a foul and peftilent congre-
gation of vapours. What a piece of work is a man!
how noble in reafon! how infinite in faculties in form
and moving how exprefs and admirable! in action how
like an angel! in apprehenfion how like a God! the
beauty of the world, the paragon of animals! and yet
to me, what is this quinteffence of duft? man delights
not me, nor woman neither; though by your smiling
you feem to fay fo.

Rf. My Lord, there was no fuch ftaff in my thoughts.
Ham. Why did you laugh, when I faid, man delights

not me?

Rof. To think, my Lord, if you delight not in man, what lenten entertainment the players fhall receive from you; we accofted them on the way, and hither are they coming to offer you fervice.

tar. He that plays the King fhall be welcome; his Majefty fhall have tribute of me; the adventurous Knight fhail ufe his foyle and target; the lover fhall not figh gratis; the humorous man fhall end his part in peace; and the lady fhall fay her mind freely, or the blank verse fhall halt for't. What players are they?

Rof. Even thofe you were wont to take delight in, the tragedians of the city.

Hom. How chances it, they travel? their refidence both in reputation and profit was better, both ways. R. I think, their inhibition comes by the means of the late innovation.

Ham. Do they hold the fame eflimation they did, when I was in the city? are they fo follow'd ? Ref. No, indeed, they are not.

Ham, How comes it? do they grow rufty?

K. Nay, their endeavour keeps in the wonted pace;

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