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(Videlicet, a brothel,) or so forth.

See you now;

Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth:
And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
With windlaces, and with assays of bias,

By indirections find directions out;
So, by former lecture and advice,

Shall you my son: You have me, have you not?
Rey. My lord, I have.

Pol.

God be wi' you; fare you well.

Rey. Good my lord,

Pol. Observe his inclination in yourself."

Rey. I shall, my lord.

Pol. And let him ply his musick.

Rey.

[blocks in formation]

Enter OPHELIA.

Pol. Farewell!-How now, Ophelia? what's the matter?

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

Pol. With what, in the name of heaven?
Oph. My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
Lord Hamlet,with his doublet all unbrac'd;
No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,
Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle;s
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each 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?

in yourself.] In your own person, not by spies.

• Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle;] Down-gyved means, hanging down like the loose cincture which confines the fetters round the ancles.

Oph.

But, truly, I do fear it.

Pol.

My lord, I do not know;

What said he?

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 stay'd he so;

At last, a little shaking of mine arm,

And thrice his head thus waving up and down,—
He rais'd 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 turn'd,
He seem'd to find his way without his eyes;
For out o'doors he went without their helps,
And, to the last, bended their light on me.
Pol. Come, go with me; I will go seek the king.
This is the very ecstasy of love;

Whose violent property foredoes itself,1
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 com

mand,

I did repel his letters, and denied

His access to me.

Pol. That hath made him mad. I am sorry, that with better heed and judgment, I had not quoted him:2 I fear'd, he did but trifle, And meant to wreck thee; but, beshrew my jealousy! It seems, it is as proper to our age

1

9 all his bulk,] i. e. all his body.

foredoes itself,] To foredo is to destroy.

2 I had not quoted him:] i, e. observed him.

To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions,
As it is common for the

younger sort To lack discretion.3 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.*

Come.

SCENE II.

[Exeunt.

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,

3

it is as proper to our age, &c.] This is not the remark of a weak man. The vice of age is too much suspicion. Men long accustomed to the wiles of life cast commonly beyond themselves, let their cunning go farther than reason can attend it. This is always the fault of a little mind, made artful by long commerce with the world. JOHNSON.

4 This must be known, which, being kept close, might move

More grief to hide, than hate to utter love.] i. e. this must be made known to the King, for (being kept secret) the hiding Hamlet's love might occasion more mischief to us from him and the Queen, than the uttering or revealing of it will occasion hate and resentment from Hamlet.

That,-being of so young days brought up with

him:

And, since, so neighbour'd to his youth and hu

mour,

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.

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,

5

For the supply and profit of our hope,
Your visitation shall receive such thanks
As fits a king's remembrance.

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 Guildenstern.

Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern, and gentle Ro

sencrantz :

And I beseech you instantly to visit

To show us so much gentry,] Gentry, for complaisance. For the supply, &c.] That the hope which your arrival has raised may be completed by the desired effect.

7

JOHNSON.

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.

My too much changed son.-Go, some of you,
And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is.
Guil. Heavens make our presence, and our prac-

tices,

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

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
[Exit POLONIUS.
He tells me, my dear Gertrude, he hath found
The head and source of all your son's distemper.

in.

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

8

the trail of policy-] The trail is the course of an animal pursued by the scent.

9

the fruit-] The desert after the meat.

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