Pol. Give, first, admittance to th' ambassadors; My news shall be the fruit to that great feast.

King. Thyself do grace to them, and bring them in. [Exit POLONIUS. He tells me, my dear Gertrude, he hath found The head and source of all your son's distemper.

Queen. I doubt, it is no other but the main ; His father's death, and our o'erhasty marriage.

5

Re-enter POLONIUS, with VOLTIMAND and COR

NELIUS.

King. Well, we shall sift him.- Welcome, my good friends!

Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway?
Vol. Most fair return of greetings and desires
Upon our first, he sent out to suppress

His nephew's levies; which to him appear'd
To be a preparation 'gainst the Polack;
But, better look'd into, he truly found

It was against your highness: whereat griev'd, -
That so his sickness, age, and impotence,

Was falsely borne in hand,® — sends out arrests
On Fortinbras; which he in brief obeys,
Receives rebuke from Norway, and, in fine,
Makes vow before his uncle never more

To give th' assay of arms against your majesty.
Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,
Gives him three thousand crowns in annual fee;
And his commission, to employ those soldiers,
So levied as before, against the Polack :

So the folio; the quartos have hasty instead of o’erhasty.

H.

• To bear in hand is to lead along by assurances or expecta tions. See Measure for Measure, Act i. se 5, note 6.

H.

7 That is, the king gave his nephew a feud or fee in land of that annual value.

With an intreaty, herein further shown,

[Giving a Paper That it might please you to give quiet pass Through your dominions for this enterprise; On such regards of safety and allowance, As therein are set down.

King.

It likes us well;

And, at our more consider'd time, we'll read,

Answer, and think upon this business:

Meantime, we thank you for your well-took labour. Go to your rest; at night we'll feast together: Most welcome home!

Pol.

[Exeunt VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS.

This business is well ended.

My liege, and madam, to expostulate

8

What majesty should be, what duty is,

Why day is day, night, night, and time is time,
Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time.
Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,

And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief. Your noble son is mad:
Mad call I it; for, to define true madness,
What is't, but to be nothing else but mad:
But let that go.

Queen.

More matter, with less art.
Pol. Madam, I swear I use no art at all.
That he is mad, 'tis true: 'tis true 'tis pity,
And pity 'tis, 'tis true: a foolish figure;
But farewell it, for I wili use no art.

Mad let us grant him, then; and now remains,
That we find out the cause of this effect;
Or rather say, the cause of this defect;
For this effect defective comes by cause:

8 That is, to inquire; another Latinism.

Thus it remains, and the remainder thus.
Perpend:

I have a daughter; have, while she is mine ;
Who, in her duty and obedience, mark,

Hath given me this: Now gather and surmise.

"To the celestial, and my soul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia,"

That's an ill phrase, a vile phrase;

10

"beautified" is a vile phrase; but you shall hear. -Thus : "In her excellent white bosom, these," &c." Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her? Pol. Good madam, stay awhile; I will be faithful.

[Reads.] Doubt thou the stars are fire,

Doubt that the sun doth move;

Doubt truth to be a liar;

But never doubt I love.

O, dear Ophelia, I am ill at these numbers: I have not art to reckon my groans; but that I love thee best, O most best! believe it. Adieu.

Thine evermore, most dear lady, whilst

this machine is to him, HAMlet. This in obedience hath my daughter shown me; And, more above, hath his solicitings,

As they fell out by time, by means, and place,
All given to mine ear.

King.

Receiv'd his love?

Pol.

But how hath she

What do you think of me?

King. As of a man faithful and honourable.

9 Beautified is not uncommon in dedications and encomiastic verses of the Poet's age.

10 The word these was usually added at the end of the super See The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act iii

scription of letters.

sc. 1, note 10.

Pol. I would fain prove so.

you think,

But what might

When I had seen this hot love on the wing,
(As I perceiv'd it, I must tell you that,

Before my daughter told me,) what might you,
Or my dear majesty your queen here, think,
If I had play'd the desk, or table-book ;

13

11

Or given my heart a winking, mute and dumb;
Or look'd upon this love with idle sight;
What might you think? no, I went round 12 to work,
And my young mistress thus did I bespeak :
“Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of thy star;
This must not be:" and then I precepts gave her,
That she should lock herself from his resort,
Admit no messengers, receive no tokens.
Which done, she took the fruits of my advice ;
And he, repulsed, (a short tale to make,)
Fell into a sadness; then into a fast;
Thence to a watch; thence into a weakness;
Thence to a lightness; and, by this declension,
Into the madness wherein now he raves,

And all we wail for.14

King.

Do you

think 'tis this?

Queen. It may be, very likely.

Pol. Hath there been such a time (I'd fain

know that)

That I have positively said, ""Tis so,"

When it prov'd otherwise?

King.

Not that I know.

"That is, if I had given my heart a hint to be mute abcut their passion. "Conniventia, a winking at ; a sufferance; a feign ing not to see or know." The quartos have working instead of winking.

12 Plainly, roundly, without reserve.

13 That is, not within thy destiny; alluding to the supposed in fluence of the stars on the fortune of life.

So the folio; the quartos have mourn instead of wail

H

Pol. Take this from this, if this be otherwise :

[Pointing to his Head and Shoulder

If circumstances lead me, I will find

Where truth is hid, though it were hid 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,
Let me be no assistant for a state,

But keep a farm, and carters.

King.

We will try it.

Enter HAMLET, reading.

Queen. But, look, where sadly the poor wretch

comes reading.

Pol. Away! I do beseech you, both away.

I'll board 15 him presently:

-O! give me leave. [Exeunt King, Queen, and Attendants.

How does my good lord Hamlet ?

Ham. Well, god-'a-mercy.

Pol. Do you know me, my lord?

Ham. Excellent well; you're a fishmonger.1

Pol. Not I, my lord.

Ham. Then, I would you were so honest a man Pol. Honest, my lord?

18 That is, accost, address him. So in Twelfth Night, Act i. sc. 3: "Accost is, front her, board her, woo her, assail her."

H.

16 That is," says Coleridge, "you are sent to fish out this This is Hamlet's own meaning."

secret.

H.