145 150 And my young mistress thus I did bespeak: That she should lock herself from his resort, King. Do you think 'tis this? Queen. It may be, very likely. Pol. Hath there been such a time-I'd fain know that 155 That I have positively said "Tis so,” 160 When it proved otherwise? King. Not that I know. Pol. [Pointing to his head and shoulder.] Take this from this, if this be otherwise. If circumstances lead me, I will find Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed King. How may we try it further? Pol. You know, sometimes he walks four hours together Here in the lobby. Queen. So he does, indeed. Pol. At such a time I'll loose 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 reason fallen thereon, King. But keep a farm and carters. We will try it. Queen. But look where sadly the poor wretch comes reading. Pol. Away, I do beseech you, both away. I'll board him presently. [Exeunt King, Queen, and Attendants. O, give me leave, how does my good Lord Ham. Well, God-a-mercy. Pol. Do you know me, my lord? Ham. Excellent well; you are a fishmonger. Ham. Then I would you were so honest a man. 165 170 175 Ham. Ay, sir. To be honest, as this world goes, 180 is to be one man pick'd out of ten thousand. Pol. That's very true, my lord. Ham. For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion,-Have you a daughter? Pol. I have, my lord. Ham. Let her not walk i' the sun. Conception 185 is a blessing, but not as your daughter may conceive. Friend, look to 't. 190 Pol. [Aside.] How say you by that? Still harping on my daughter. Yet he knew me not at first; he said I was a fishmonger. He is far gone, far gone. And truly in my youth I suffered much extremity for love; 195 very near this. I'll speak to him again.What do you read, my lord? Ham. Words, words, words. Pol. What is the matter, my lord? 200 Pol. I mean, the matter that you read, my lord. Ham. Slanders, sir; for the satirical rogue says 205 210 here that old men have grey beards, that their faces are wrinkled, their eyes purging thick amber and plum-tree gum and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams; all which, sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down; for yourself, sir, shall grow old as I am, if like a crab you could go backward. Pol. [Aside.] Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.-Will you walk out of the air, my lord? Ham. Into my grave? 215 Pol. Indeed, that is out o' th' air. [Aside.] How pregnant sometimes his replies are! a happiness that often madness hits on, which reason and sanity could not so prosperously Ham. You can not, sir, take from me any thing Pol. Fare you well, my lord. Ham. These tedious old fools! Enter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. 225 Pol. You go to seek the Lord Hamlet? There 230 he is. Ros. [To Polonius.] God save you, sir! Guil. My honoured lord! Ros. My most dear lord! [Exit Polonius. Ham. My excellent good friends! How dost 235 thou, Guildenstern? Ah, Rosencrantz! Good lads, how do you both? Ros. As the indifferent children of the earth. On Fortune's cap we are not the very button. 240 Ham. Nor the soles of her shoe? Ros. Neither, my lord. Ham. Then you live about her waist, or in the middle of her favours? news? What's the 245 250 Ros. None, my lord, but that the world's grown honest. Ham. Then is doomsday near. But your news is not true. Let me question more in particular. What have you, my good friends, deserved at the hands of Fortune, that she sends you to prison hither? Guil. Prison, my lord? Ham. Denmark's a prison. 255 Ros. Then is the world one. Ham. A goodly one, in which there are many confines, wards, and dungeons, Denmark being one o' the worst. Ros. We think not so, my lord. 260 Ham. Why, then, 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. To me it is a prison. Ros. Why, then, your ambition makes it one. 'Tis too narrow for your mind. 265 Ham. O God, I could be bounded in a nut-shell and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams. 270 275 Guil. Which dreams indeed are ambition, for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream. Ham. A dream itself is but a shadow. Ros. Truly, and I hold ambition of so airy and light a quality that it is but a shadow's shadow. Ham. Then are our beggars bodies, and our monarchs and outstretched heroes the beg |