For the fupply and profit of our hope *,
Your vifitation fhall receive fuch thanks,
As fits a King's remembrance.

Ref. Both your Majefties

Might, by the fov'reign power you have of us,
Put your dread pleafures more into command
Than to intreaty.

Guil. But we both obey,

And here give up ourselves, in the full bent †,
To lay our fervice freely at your feet.

King. Thanks, Rofincrantz and gentle Guildenstern: Queen. Thanks, Guildenftern and gentle Rofincrantz. And I befeech you, inftantly to vifit

My too much changed fon. Go fome of ye,
And bring thefe gentlemen where Hamlet is.

Guil. Heav'ns make our prefence and our practices Pleafant and helpful to him! [Exeunt Rof, and Guil. Queen. Amen.

Enter Polonius.

Pol. Th' ambaffadors from Norway, my good Lord, Are joyfully return'd.

King Thou ftill haft been the father of good news. Pol. Have I, my Lord? affure you, my good Liege, I hold my duty, as I hold my foul,

Both to my God, and to my gracious King;

And do think, (or elfe this brain of mine

Hunts not the trail of policy fo sure

As I have us'd to do), that I have found
The very caufe of Hamlet's lunacy.

King. Oh, fpeak of that, that do I long to hear.
Pol. Give firft admittance to th' ambaffadors:
My news fhall be the fruit to that great feat.
King. Thyfelf do grace to them, and bring them in.
[Exit Pol.
He tells me, my fweet Queen, that he hath found
The head and fource of all your fon's diftemper.

Queen. I doubt, it is no other but the main, His father's death, and our o'er-hafty marriage. hope, for purpose.

tbent, for endeavour, application,

SCENE

Re-enter Polonius, with Voltimand, and Cornelius. King. Well, we shall fift him.-Welcome, my good friends!

Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway?
Volt. Moft fair return of greetings and defires.
Upon our first, he sent out to fupprefs

His nephew's levies, which to him appear'di
To be a preparation 'gainft the Polack:
But, better look'd into, he truly found
It was against your Higlinefs: whereat griev'd,
That fo his ficknefs, age, and impotence
Was falfely borne in hand, fends 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' affay of arms against your Majesty.-
Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,
Gives him three thousand crowns in annual fee;
And his commiffion to employ thofe foldiers,
So levied as before, against the Polack:
With an intreaty, herein further fhewn,
That it might please you to give quiet pafs
Through your dominions for this enterprife,
On fuch regards of safety and allowance,
As therein are fet down..

King. It likes us well;

And at our more confider'd time we'll read,
Answer, and think upon this business.

Mean time, we thank you for your well-took labour.

Go to your reft; at night we'll feast together.

Most welcome home!

Pol. This bufinefs is well ended.

[Exit Ambaf.

"My Liege, and Madam, to expoftulate *

"What majesty should be, what duty is,

Why day is day, night night, and time is time, "Were nothing but to wafte night, day, and time. "Therefore, fince brevity's the foul of wit,

"And tedioufnefs the limbs and outward flourishes,

to expoftulate, for to inquire or difcufs...

"I will be brief: your noble fon 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, 1 fwear I ufe no art at all: "That he is mad, 'tis true; 'tis true, 'tis pity; "And pity 'tis, 'tis true; a foolish figure; "But farewel it; for I will ufe no art.

"Mad let us grant him then; and now remains
"That we find out the caufe of this effect,
"Or rather fay, the caufe of this defect,
"For this effect, defective, comes by caufe;
"Thus it remains, and the remainder thus.-

pend..

"I have a daughter; have, whilft fhe is mine
"Who in her duty and obedience, mark,
"Hath giv'n me this; now gather, and furmise.

He opens a letter, and reads.

-Per

To the celestial, and my foul's idol, the most beatified Ophelia. That's an ill phrafe, a vile phrafe: beatified is a vile phrafe, but you shall hear―These to her excellent white bofom, thefe.

Quen. Came this from Hamlet to her?

Pol. Good Madam, ftay a while, I will be faithful.

Doubt thou the ftars are fire,

Doubt that the fun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a lyar,

But never doubt I love.

[Reading.

Oh, dear Ophelia, I am ill at thefe numbers; I have not art to reckon my groans; but that I love thee beft, oh moft beft, believe it. Adieu.

Thine evermore, moft dear Lady, whilft

this machine is to him, HAMLET.

This in obedience hath my daughter shewn me:
And, more above, hath his folicitings,
As they fell out by time, by means, and place,
All given to mine ear.

King. But how hath fhe receiv'd his love?

Pol. What do you think of me?

King. As of a man faithful and honourable.

Pol. I would fain prove fo. But what might you When I had feen this hot love on the wing, [think? (As I perceiv'd it, I must tell you that,

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

Or giv'n my heart a-working mute and dumb,
Or look'd upon this love with idle fight;

"What might you think? No, I went round to work,
And my young mistress thus I did befpeak;
"Lord Hamlet is a Prince out of thy fphere,
"This must not be; and then I precepts gave her,
"That fhe fhould lock herfelf from his refort,
"Admit no meffengers, receive no tokens:
"Which done, fee too the fruits of my advice;
"For, he repulfed, a fhort tale to make,
"Fell to a fadnefs, then into a fast,

"Thence to a watching, thence into a weakness,
"Thence to a lightnefs; and, by this declenfion,
"Into the madnefs wherein now he raves,
"And all we wail for.

King. Do you think this?

Queen. It may be very likely.

Pol. "Hath there been fuch a time, I'd fain know "That I have pofitively faid, 'Tis fo,

"When it prov'd otherwife?

King. Not that I know.

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

[that,

[Pointing to his head and fhoulder.

"If circumftances lead me, I will find

"Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed

"Within the centre.

King. How may we try it further?

Pol. You know, fometimes he walks for hours toge

Here in the lobby.

Queen. So he does indeed.

[ther,

Pol. At fuch a time I'll loofe 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 reafon fall'n thereon,

Let

Let me be no affistant for a state,
But keep a farm and carters.

King. We will try it.

SCENE

V.

Enter Hamlet reading.

Queen. But look where, fadly, the poor wretch comes

reading.

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

I'll board him presently.

Oh, give me leave.

Hamlet?

[Exeunt King and Queen.

How does my good Lord

Ham. Well, God o' mercy.

Pol. Do you know me, my Lord?

Ham. Excellent well: you are a fishmonger.

Pol. Not I, my Lord?

Ham. Then I would you were so honest a man.

Pol. Honeft, my Lord?

Ham. Ay, Sir; to be honest as this world goes, is to be one man pick'd out of ten thousand.

Pol. That's very true, my Lord.

Ham. For if the fun breed maggots in a dead dog, Being a god, kiffing carrion

Have you a daughter?

Pol. I have, my Lord.

Ham. Let her not walk i' th' fun; conception is a bleffing, but not as your daughter may conceive. Eriend, look to't.

Pol." How fay you by that? ftill harping on my daughter!

"Yet he knew me not at firft; he faid I was a fifhmonger

"He is far gone; and, truly, in my youth, [Afide. "I fuffer'd much extremity for love;

"

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?

Ham. Between whom?

Pol. I mean the matter that you read, my Lord. Ham. Slanders, Sir: for the fatyrical flave * fays here, that old men have grey beards; that their faces By the fatyrical flave he means Juvenal in his tenth fatyr.

are