40

45

50

55

Pol. Wherefore should you do this?

Rey.

Pol.

Rey.

I would know that.

Ay, my lord,

Marry, sir, here's my drift,

And, I believe, it is a fetch of wit:
You laying these slight sullies on my son,
As 't were a thing a little soiled 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 assured
He closes with you in this consequence;
"Good sir," or so, or "friend," or "gentle-
man,"

According to the phrase or the addition
Of man and country.

Very good, my lord. Pol. And then, sir, does he this-he does-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," [at "friend or so," and "gentleman."]

Pol. At "closes in the consequence," ay, marry. He closes thus: "I know the gentleman.

I saw him yesterday, or th' other day,

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 take this carp of truth;
And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
With windlasses and with assays of bias,
By indirections find directions out.
So by my former lecture and advice,
Shall you my son.

not?

Rey. My lord, I have.

You have me, have you

60

65

How now, Ophelia! what's the matter?

Oph. O, my lord, my lord, I have been so

affrighted!

Pol. With what, i' the name of God?

Oph. My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,

70

75

Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced,
No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled,
Ungartered, and down-gyved to his ancle,
Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each 80
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.

My lord, I do not know,

What said he?

85 But truly, I do fear it.

90

95

Pol.

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 stayed he so.
At last, a little shaking of mine arm,

And thrice his head thus waving up and
down,

He raised a sigh so piteous and profound

As 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 turned,
He seemed 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. 100 Pol. Come, go with me, I will go seek the King. This is the very ecstasy of love,

105

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

Pol.

His access to me.

That hath made him mad.
I am sorry that with better heed and judgement 110
I had not quoted him. I feared he did but
trifle

And meant to wrack 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.

115

Come.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

A room in the castle.

Flourish. Enter King, Queen, Rosencrantz,
Guildenstern, and Attendants.

King. Welcome, dear Rosencrantz and Guildenstern!

Moreover that we much did long to see you,

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10

15

20

25

The need we have to use you did provoke Our hasty sending. Something have you heard

Of Hamlet's transformation; so call it,

Since not the 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 neighboured to his youth and
haviour,

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, opened, lies within our remedy.

Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talked 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