With all my love I do commend me to you: May do, to express his love and friending to you, The time is out of joint;-O cursed spite! [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I. A Room in Polonius's House. Enter POLONIUS and REYNALDO. Pol. Give him this money, and these notes, Reynaldo. Rey. I will, my lord. Pol. You shall do marvellous wisely, good Rey naldo, Before you visit him, to make inquiry Of his behaviour. Rey. My lord, I did intend it. has the royal semblance appeared, but till now has been withheld from speaking. For this event we have waited with impatient curiosity, unaccompanied by lassitude, or remitted attention. The Ghost in this tragedy, is allowed to be the genuine product of Shakspeare's strong imagination. When he afterwards avails himself of traditional phantoms, as in Julius Cæsar, and King Richard III. they are but inefficacious pageants; nay, the apparition of Banquo is a mute exhibitor. Perhaps our poet despaired to equal the vigour of his early conceptions on the subject of preternatural beings, and therefore allotted them no further eminence in his dramas; or was unwilling to diminish the power of his principal shade, by an injudicious repetition of congenial images. STEEVENS. Pol. Marry, well said: very well said. Look you, sir, Inquire me first what Danskers' are in Paris; And how, and who, what means, and where they keep, What company, at what expence; and finding, Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him; Pol. And, in part, him ;—but, you may say, not well: But, if't be he I mean, he's very wild; Rey. As gaming, my lord. Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quar relling, Drabbing:-You may go so far Rey. My lord, that would dishonour him. You must not put another scandal on him,2 That's not my meaning:3 but breathe his faults so quaintly, 1 2 Danskers-] Danske is the ancient name of Denmark. another scandal-] i. e. a very different and more scandalous failing, namely habitual incontinency. That's not my meaning:] That is not what I mean when I permit you to accuse him of drabbing. That they may seem the taints of liberty: my drift; Pol. Your party in converse, him you would sound, Rey. Very good, my lord. Pol. And then, sir, does he this,-He doesWhat was I about to say?-By the mass, I was about to say some something:-Where did I leave? Rey. At, closes in the consequence. Pol. At, closes in the consequence,-Ay, marry; He closes with you thus:-I know the gentleman; I saw him yesterday, or t'other day, Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as you say, There was he gaming; there o'ertook in his rouse; I saw him enter such a house of sale, A savageness-] Savageness, for wildness. Of general assault.] i. e. such as youth in general is liable to. prenominate crimes,] i. e. crimes already named. (Videlicet, a brothel,) or so forth. See you now; Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth: With windlaces, and with assays of bias, By indirections find directions out; Shall you my son: You have me, have you not? Pol. God be wi' you; fare you well. Rey. Good my lord, Pol. Observe his inclination in yourself." Pol. Farewell!-How now, Ophelia? what's the matter? Oph. O, my lord, my lord, I have been so af frighted! Pol. With what, in the name of heaven? As if he had been loosed out of hell, 7 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; As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so; Pol. Come, go with me; I will go seek the king. This is the very ecstasy of love; Whose violent property foredoes itself,1 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: 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 all his bulk,] i. e. all his body. foredoes itself,] To foredo is to destroy. 1 I had not quoted him:] i. e. observed him. |