That ever I was born to set it right.

Nay, come; let's go together.

ACT II. SCENE I.

A Room in POLONIUS'S House.

Enter POLONIUS and REYNALDO.

[Exeunt.

Pol. Give him this money, and these notes, Reynaldo.
Rey. I will, my lord.

Pol. You shall do marvellous wisely, good Reynaldo,
Before you visit him, to make inquiry

Of his behaviour.

Rey.

My lord, I did intend it.

Pol. Marry, well said: very well said. Look you, Sir, Inquire me first what Danskers 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 't were, some distant knowledge of him;
As thus,
"I know his father, and his friends,

And, in part, him:"

Rey. Ay, very well, my lord.

Pol. "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 dishonour 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.

Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling, Drabbing: - you may go so far.

Rey. My lord, that would dishonour him.

Pol. '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 out-break of a fiery mind;
A savageness in unreclaimed blood,

Of general assault.

Pol.

Ay, my lord,

Marry, Sir, here's my drift;

And, I believe, it is a fetch of warrant.
You laying these slight sullies on my son,

As 't were a thing a little soil'd i' the working,
Mark you,

Your party in converse, him you would sound,
Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes
The youth you breathe of guilty, be assur'd,
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.

66

'gentleman,"

he does

Very good, my lord.
Pol. And then, Sir, does he this,
What was I about to say? - By the mass, I was

About to say something:

:- where did I leave?

Rey. At closes in the consequence,

As "friend or so," and " gentleman."
Pol. At, closes in the consequence,
He closes thus: "I know the gentleman;

I saw him yesterday, or t'other day,

ay, marry;

Or then, or then: with such, or such; and, as you say, There was he gaming; there o'ertook in 's 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.
Pol.

Rey. Good my lord.

God be wi' you; fare you well.

Pol. Observe his inclination in yourself.

Rey. I shall, my lord.

Pol. And let him ply his music.

Rey.

Well, my lord.

[Exit.

Enter OPHELIA.

Pol. Farewell! - How now, Ophelia? what's the matter? Oph. Alas, my lord! I have been so affrighted!

Pol. With what, in the name of God?

Oph. My lord, as I was sewing in my chamber, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd;

No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,

Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
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.
Pol. Mad for thy love?

Oph.

But, truly, I do fear it.

Pol.

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 rais'd a sigh so piteous 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 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.

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

Whose violent property fordoes itself,

And leads the will to desperate undertakings,
As oft as any passion under heaven,

That does afflict our natures.

I am sorry,

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 denied

His access to me.

Pol.

That hath made him mad.

I am sorry that with better heed and judgment

I had not quoted him: I fear'd, he did but trifle,

And meant to wreck thee; but, beshrew my jealousy!
By heaven, it is as proper to our age

To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions,

As it is common for the younger sort

To lack discretion. 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.

A Room in the Castle.

[Exeunt.

Enter King, Queen, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and

Attendants.

King. Welcome, dear Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern: Moreover, that we much did long to see you,

The need we have to use you, did provoke
Our hasty sending. Something have you heard
Of Hamlet's transformation; so I call it,
Sith nor 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 the understanding of himself,
I cannot dream of: I entreat you both,

That, being of so young days brought up with him,
And since 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 occasion you may glean,

Whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus,
That, open'd, lies within our remedy.

Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd of you;

And, sure I am, two men there are not living,

To whom he more adheres. If it will please you

To show 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.

Ros.

Both your majesties

Might, by the sovereign power you have of us,
Put your dread pleasures more into command
Than to entreaty.

And here give up ourselves, in the full bent,

To lay our service freely at your feet,

To be commanded.

King. Thanks, Rosencrantz, and gentle Guildenstern.

Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern, and gentle Rosencrantz:

And I beseech you instantly to visit

My too much changed son. Go, some of you,

And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is.