SCENE II.

A Room in the Castle.

Enter King, Queen, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and Attendants.

King. Welcome, dear Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern! Moreover that we much did long to see you, The need, we have to use you, did provoke Our hasty sending. Something have you heard Of Hamlet's transformation; so I 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 neighbour'd to his youth and humour,—
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, open'd, lies within our remedy.

t

Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd 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, 6
Your visitation shall receive such thanks
As fits a king's remembrance.

5 To show us so much gentry,] Gentry, for complaisance.

6 For the supply, &c.] That the hope which your arrival has be completed by the desired effect. JOHNSON.

raised

may

Ros.

Both your majesties

Might, by the sovereign power you have of us,
Put your dread pleasures more into command

Than to entreaty.

Guil.

But we both obey;

And here give up ourselves, in the full bent,"
To lay our service freely at your feet,

To be commanded.

King. Thanks, Rosencrantz, and gentle Guilden

stern.

Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern, and gentle Rosen

crantz :

And I beseech you instantly to visit

My too much changed son. Go, some of you,

And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is.

Guil. Heavens make our presence, and our practices, Pleasant and helpful to him!

Queen.

Ay, amen!

[Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN,

and some Attendants.

Enter POLONIUS.

Pol. The embassadors from Norway, my good lord, Are joyfully return'd.

King. Thou still hast been the father of good news. Pol. Have I, my lord? Assure you, my good liege, I hold my duty, as I hold my soul,

Both to my God, and to my gracious king:

And I do think, (or else this brain of mine
Hunts not the trail of policy so sure

8

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

7

in the full bent,] The full bent, is the utmost extremity of exertion. The allusion is to a bow bent as far as it will go.. the trail of policy-] The trail is the course of an animal pursued by the scent.

King. O, speak of that; that do I long to hear. Pol. Give first admittance to the embassadors; 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.

Re-enter POLONIUS, with VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS.

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

Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway?
Volt. 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 hand1, 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 the assay2 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:
With an entreaty, herein further shown,

9

the fruit-] The desert after the meat.

--

[Gives a Paper.

borne in hand,] i. e. deceived, imposed on.

2 To give the assay-] To take the assay was a technical expression, originally applied to those who tasted wine for princes and great men.

That it might please you to give quiet pass
Through your dominions for this enterprize;
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.

Mean time, 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 3
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.

3 My liege, and madam, to expostulate-] To expostulate, for to enquire or discuss.

WARBURTON makes the character of Polonius, a character only of manners, discriminated by properties superficial, accidental, and acquired. The poet intended a nobler delineation of a mixed character of manners and of nature. Polonius is a man bred in courts, exercised in business, stored with observation, confident in his knowledge, proud of his eloquence, and declining into dotage. His mode of oratory is truly represented as designed to ridicule the practice of those times, of prefaces that made no introduction, and of method that embarrassed rather than explained. This part of his character is accidental, the rest is natural. Such a man is positive and confident, because he knows that his mind was once strong, and knows not that it is become weak. Such a man excels in general principles, but fails in the particular application. He is knowing in retrospect, and ignorant in foresight. While he depends upon his memory, and can draw from his repositories of knowledge, he utters weighty sentences, and gives useful counsel; but as the mind in its enfeebled state cannot be kept long busy and intent, the old man is subject to sudden dereliction of his faculties, he loses the order of his ideas, and entangles himself in his own thoughts, till he recovers the leading principle, and falls again into his former train. This idea of dotage encroaching upon wisdom, will solve all the phænomena of the character of Polonius. JOHNSON.

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 will 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:
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; beautified is a vile phrase; but you shall hear. Thus :

In her excellent rwhite bosom, these, &c.

Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her?

Pol. Good madam, stay awhile; I will be faithful. —

Doubt thou, the stars are fire;

Doubt, that the sun doth move:

Doubt truth to be a liar;

But never doubt, I love.

[Reads.

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.