For your desire to know what is between us,

O'ermaster 't as you may.

friends,

And now, good 140

As you are friends, scholars, and soldiers,
Give me one poor request.

Hor. What is't, my lord? We will.

Ham. Never make known what you have seen

Ham. Indeed, upon my sword, indeed.

Ghost. [Beneath.] Swear

Ham. Ah, ha, boy! say'st thou so? Art thou 150 there, truepenny?

Hor.

Come on; you hear this fellow in the cellarage.
Consent to swear.

Propose the oath, my lord.

Ham. Never to speak of this that you have seen.

Swear by my sword.

Ghost. [Beneath.] Swear.

Ham. Hic et ubique? Then we'll shift our ground.
Come hither, gentlemen,

And lay your hands again upon my sword.
Never to speak of this that you have heard,

155

Ham. Well said, old mole! Canst work i' the earth so fast?

A worthy pioner! Once more remove, good friends.

Hor. O day and night, but this is wondrous strange!

165 Ham. And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,

170

175

180

Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
But come;

Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,
How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself,
As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
To put an antic disposition on,

That you, at such times seeing me, never shall,
With arms encumbered thus, or this head-
shake,

Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase, As "Well, well, we know," or "We could, an if we would,"

Or "If we list to speak," or "There be, an if they might,"

Or such ambiguous giving out, to note

That you know aught of me,-this not to do, So grace and mercy at your most need help you,

Swear.

Ghost. [Beneath.] Swear.

Ham. Rest, rest, perturbed spirit! [They swear.]
So, gentlemen,

With all my love I do commend me to you.
And what so poor a man as Hamlet is

May do, to express his love and friending to 185

you,

God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in
together;

And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.
The time is out of joint;-O cursed spite,
That ever I was born to set it right!
Nay, come, let's go together.

[Exeunt. 190

5

10

ACT II.

SCENE I.

A room in Polonius's house.

Enter Polonius and Reynaldo.

Pol. Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo.

Rey. I will, my lord.

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 'twere, some distant knowledge

of him,

As thus, "I know his father and his friends,

And in part him."

Reynaldo?

Rey. Ay, very well, my lord.

Do you mark this, 15

Pol. "And in part him; but," you may say, "not well.

Rey.

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 20
rank

As may dishonor him,―take heed of that;
But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips
As are companions noted and most known.
To youth and liberty.

As gaming, my lord.

Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrel- 25

ling,

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 outbreak of a fiery mind,

A savageness in unreclaimed blood,

Of general assault.

30

Rey.

But, my good lord,—

35