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Mar. Nor I, my lord.

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ubique? then we'll fhift our ground:-

Ham. How fay you then; would heart of man Come hither, gentlemen,

once think it ?

But you'll be fecret,———

Both. Ay, by heaven, my lord.

[mark,

Ham. There's ne'er a villain, dwelling in all Den

But he's an arrant knave.

Hor. There needs no ghoft, my lord, come from the grave,

To tell us this.

Ham. Why, right; you are in the right; And fo, without more circumftance at all, I hold it fit, that we shake hands, and part: You, as your bufinefs and defire, fhall point you For every man hath business and defire, Such as it is, and, for my own poor part, Look you, I will go pray.

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Ham. And therefore as a ftranger give it we There are more things in heaven and earth, Herario, ;-Than are dreamt of in your philofophy.

But come ;

Here, as before, never, so help you mercy! How ftrange or odd foe'er I bear myself,

Hor. Thefe are but wild and whirling words, As I, perchance, hereafter shall think meet

my lord.

Ham. I am forry they offend you, heartily; Yes 'faith, heartily.

Hor. There's no offence, my lord.

Ham. Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio, And much offence too. Touching this vifion here, It is an honeft ghoft, that let me tell you: For your defire to know what is between us, O'er-mafter it as you may. And now, good friends, As you are friends, scholars, and foldiers, Give me one poor request.

Her. What is 't, my lord? we will.

Ham. Never make known what you have feen to-night.

Both. My lord, we will not.

Ham. Nay, but fwear it.

Hor. In faith, my lord, not I.

Mar. Nor I, my lord, in faith.

Ham. Upon my fword.

Mar. We have fworn, my lord, already. Ham. Indeed, upon my fword, indeed. Gheft. [beneath] Swear.

To put an antick difpofition on,

That you, at fuch times feeing me, never shall,
(With arms encumber'd thus; or this head-thake;
Or by pronouncing of fome doubtful phrafe,
As, Well, well, we know ;—or, We could, an if we
would;-or, If we lift to speak;-or, There be, an
if they might;-

Or fuch ambiguous giving out) denote
That you know aught of me: This do ye fwear,
So grace and mercy at your most need help you!
Swear.

Gheft. [beneath] Swear.

Ham. Reft, reft, perturbed fpirit!—So,gentlmes, With all my love I do commend me to you: And what fo poor a man as Hamlet is May do, to exprefs his love and friending to you, God willing, fhall not lack. Let us go in together; And ftill your fingers on your lips, I pray. The time is out of joint ;-O cursed spight! That ever I was born to fet it right!Nay, come, let's go together.

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I This is the call which falconers ufe to their hawk in the air when they would have him come down to them. 2 It was common to fwear upon the fword, that is, upon the crofs which the old fwords always had upon the hilt. 3 i. e. receive it to yourfelf; take it under your own roof; a much as to fay, Keep it fecret-alluding to the laws of hofpitality. 4 Danfke is the ancient name

of Denmark.

And

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And how, and who, what means, and where they
keep,

What company, at what expence; and finding,
By this encompaffiment and drift of question,
That they do know my fon, come you more nearer;
Then your particular demands will touch it :
Take you, as 'twere, some diftant knowledge of him;
As thus,-I know his father, and his friends,
And, in part, bim,—Do you mark this, Reynaldo ?
Rey. Ay, very well, my lord.
[well:
Pol. And, in part, him;-but, you may fay,—not
But, if 't be be I mean, he's very wild ;
Addicted fo and fo;—and there put on him
What forgeries you pleafe; marry, none fo rank
As may dishonour him; take heed of that;
But, fir, fuch wanton, wild, and ufual flips,
As are companions noted and most known
To youth and liberty.

Rey. As gaming, my lord.

Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, fwearing,
Quarrelling, drabbing :-You may go fo far.
Rey. My lord, that would difhonour him.
Pol. 'Faith, no; as you may feafon it in the charge.
You must not put another scandal on him,
That he is open to incontinency; [quaintly,
That's not my meaning: but breathe his faults to
That they may feem the taints of liberty;

The flath and out-break of a fiery mind;

A favagenets in unreclaimed blood,
Of general affault 2.

Roy. But, my good lord,—

Pol. Wherefore fhould you do this?
Rey. Ay, my lord,

I would know that.

Pol. Marry, fir, here's my drift;
And, I believe, it is a fetch of warrant :
You laying thefe flight fullies on my fon,
As 'twere a thing a little foil'd i' the working,
Mark you, Your party in converfe, him you would
found,

(Videlicet, a brothel) or so forth.-See you now ;
Your bat of faithood takes this carp of truth:
And thus do we of wifdom and of reach,
With windlaces, and with affays of bias,
By indirections find directions out;
So, by my former lecture and advice,
Shall you my fon: You have me, have you not ?
Rey. My lord, I have.

Pol. God be wi' you; fare you well.
Rey. Good my lord,-

Pol. Obferve his inclination in yourself 5.
Rey. I fhall, my lord.

Pol. And let him ply his mufick.
Rey. Well, my lord.

Enter Ophelia.

[Exit.

Pol. Farewel. How now, Ophelia ? what's the

matter?

[frighted!

Oph. O, my lord, my lord, I have been fo af
Pol. With what, in the name of heaven?
Oph. My lord, as I was fewing in my closet,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd;
No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,
Ungarter'd, and down-gy ved to his ancle;
Pale as his fhirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look fo piteous in purport,
As if he had been loofed out of hell,

To fpeak of horrors, he comes before me.
Pol. Mad for thy love?

Opb. My lord, I do not know;

But, truly, I do fear it.

Pol. What faid he?

Opb. He took me by the wrift, 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 fuch perufal of my face,

As he would draw it. Long itaid he fo
At laft, a little thaking of mine arm,
And thrice his head thus waving up and down,→
He rais'd a figh to piteous and profound,
As it did feem to fhatter all his bulk,
And end his being: That done, he lets me go:
And, with his head over his thoulder turn'd,
He feem'd to find his way without his eyes;
For out o' doors he went without their helps,
And, to the laft, bended their light on me.
Pl. Come, go with me; I will go feek the king.
[was I This is the very ecftaly of love;

Having ever feen, in the prenominate 3 crimes,
The youth, you breathe of, guilty, be aflur'd,
He clofes with you in this confequence;
Good fir, or to; or friend, or gentleman,-
According to the phrafe, or the addition,
Of man, and country.

Rey. Very good, my lord.

Pol. And then, fir, does he this,--He does-What | Whofe violent property foredoes 7 itself,

About to fay? I was about to fay
Something: Where did I leave ?

Rey. At, clofes in the confequence.

Pol. At, clofes in the confequence,-Ay, marry;
He clofes with you thas :-I know the gentleman;
I faw him yesterday, or other day,

Or then, or then; with fuch, or fuch; and, as you fay,
There was be gaming; there q'ertook in his roufe;
There falling out at tennis: or, perchance,
Ijaw him enter fuch a boufe of fale,

1 Savageness, for wildness.
ready named.

tion of more of the
not by fpies.

round the ancles.

account of.

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4 It is a common mode of colloquial language to use, or fo, as a flight intima. fame, or a like kind, that might be mentioned. 5 i. e. in your own perfon, Down-gyved means hanging down like the loofe cin&ture which confines the fetters 7 To foredo is to deftrey. To quote here means to reckon, to take an And

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And meant to wreck thee; but, befhrewmy jealoufy! Pleafant and helpful to him!

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Pol. Have 1, my lord? Affure you, my good
I hold my duty, as I hold my foul,
Both to my God, and to my gracious king:

Enter King, Queen, Rofencrantz, Guildenstern, and And I do think (or elfe this brain of mine

Attendants.

Hunts not the trail 4 of policy fo fure

King. Welcome, dear Rofencrantz, and Guilden-As it hath us'd to do) that I have found

ftern!

Moreover that we much did long to fee you,
The need, we have to ufe you, did provoke
Our hafty fending. Something have you heard
Of Hamlet's transformation; fo I call it,
Since nor the exterior nor the inward man
Refembles that it was: What it should be,
More than his father's death, that thus hath put him
So much from the understanding of himtelf,
I cannot dream of: I entreat you both,
That,-being of fo young days brought up with him,
And, fince, fo neighbour'd to his youth and hu-

mour,

That you vouchsafe your rest here in our court
Some little time: fo by your companies
To draw him on to pleasures; and to gather,
So much as from occafion you may glean,

The very caufe of Hamlet's lunacy.

King. O, fpeak of that; that I do long to hear. Pol. Give firft admittance to the embaladors; My news fhall be the fruit 5 to that great feat. King. Thyfelf do grace to them, and bring them

in.

[Exit Poli He tells me, my dear Gertrude, 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. Re-enter Polonius, with Voltimand, and Cernchat. King. Well, we fhall fift him.-Welcome, my

good friends!

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

Whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus, His nephew's levies; which to him appear'd That, open'd, lies within our remedy.

To be a preparation 'gainst the Polack;

Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd But, better look'd into, he truly found

of you;

And, fure I am, two men there are not living,
To whom he more adheres. If it will pleafe you
To fhew us fo much gentry 2, and good will,
As to expend your time with us a while,
For the fupply and profit of our hope,
Your vifitation fhall receive fuch thanks
As fits a king's remembrance.

Rof. Both your majesties

Might, by the fovereign 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 3,
To lay our fervice freely at your feet,
To be commanded.

It was against your highnefs: Whereat griev'd,-
That fo his fickness, age, and impotence,
Was falfely borne in hand 6,-fends out arrefts
On Fortinbras; which he, in brief, obeys;
Receives rebuke from Norway; and, in fine,
Makes vow before his uncle, never more
To give the affay of arms against your majefty.
Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,
Gives him threefcore thousand crowns in annual
fee 7;

And his commiflion, to employ thofe foldiers,
So levied as before, againtt the Polack:
With an entreaty, herein further fhewn,
That it might pleafe you to give quiet pafs
Through your dominions for this enterprize;
On fuch regards of fafety, and allowance,

King. Thanks, Rofencrantz, and gentle Guilden-As therein are fet down.

ftern.

[crantz :

Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern, and gentle Rofen-
And I befeech you inftantly to vifit
My too much changed fon.-Go, fome of you,
And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is.
Guil. Heavens make our prefence, and our
practices,

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1 i. e. This must be made known to the king, for (being kept fecret) the hiding Hamlet's love might occafion more mifchief to us from him and the queen, than the uttering or revealing of it will occafion hate and refentment from Hamlet. 2 Gentry, for complaifance

application.

maeat.

4 The trail is the courfe of an i. c. deceived, imposed on.

animal purfued by the feent.

3 Bent, for endeavour, 5 The defert alter the

7 F in this place fignifics reward, recumpente, My

My liege, and madam, to expoftulate What majefty fhould be, what duty is, Why day is day, night night, and time is time, Were nothing but to waite night, day, and time. Therefore,-fince brevity is the foul of wit, And tedioufnefs the limbs and outward flourishes, 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 lefs art.

Pol. Madam, I 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 perpend.
1 have a daughter; have, whilft the is mine;
Who, in her duty and obedience, mark,
Hath given me this: Now gather, and furmife.
To the celestial, and my foul's idol, the most beau-
tified Ophelia-

That's an ill phrase, a vile phrase; beautify'd
Is a vile phrafe; but you fhall hear :

Thefe in her excellent white bojom, these, &c.—
Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her?

Pol. Good madam, stay a while; I will be
faithful.-

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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 Sphere;
This must not be and then I precepts gave her,
That the fhould lock herfelf from his refort,
Admit no messengers, receive no tokens.
Which done, fhe took the fruits of my advice:
And he, repulfed, ‘(a short tale to make)
Fell into a fadnefs; then into a faft;
Thence to a watch; thence into a weaknefs;
Thence to a lightnefs; and, by this declenfion,
Into the madnefs wherein now he raves,
And all we mourn for.

King. Do you think, 'tis this?
Queen. It may be, very likely.

Pol. Hath there been fuch a time, (I'd fain know that)

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 otherwife: [Pointing to his head and foulder.

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 four hours together,

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2 i. e. moreover, befides.

3 i. e. if either I had

To expoftulate, for to enquire or difcufs. conveyed intelligence between them, and been the confident of their amours, [play'd the defor table-book] or had connived at it, only obferved them in fecret, without acquainting my daughter with my discovery [given my heart a mute and dumb working; or, laftly, had been negligent in obferv ing the intrigue, and overlooked it [looked upon this love with idle fight]; what would you have thought of me?

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Being a god, kiffing carrion 1,-Have you a daugh- }

ter?

Pol. I have, my lord.

Ham. Let her not walk i' the fun: conception is a bleffing; but not as your daughter may conceive 2 friend, look to't.

Pol. How fay you by that? [Afide.] ftill harping on my daughter :-yet he knew me not at firft; he faid, I was a fifhmonger: He is far gone, far gone: and, truly, in my youth 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 who?

Ham. Thefe tedious old fools!

Enter Refencrantz, and Guilderfen.

Pol. You go to feek lord Hamlet; there be it [PXL

Rof. God fave you, fir!

Gail. Mine honour'd lord!
Raj. My moft dear lord !——

Ham. My excellent good friends! How & A thou, Guildenstern? Ah, Rofencrantz! Good lads, how do ye both ?

Raf. As the indifferent children of the earth. Gail. Happy, in that we are not over-happy; On fortune's cap we are not the very button. Ham. Nor the foals of her thoe?

Kof. Neither, my lord.

Ham. Then you live about her waift, or in the middle of her favours?

Guil. 'Faith, her privates we.

Ham. In the fecret parts of fortune? 0, most true; fhe is a ftrumpet. What news?

Rof. None, my lord; but that the world',

Pol. I mean, the matter that you read, my lord. Ham. Slanders, fir: for the fatirical rogue 3 fays here, that old men have grey beards; that their faces are wrinkled; their eyes purging thick amber, and plum-tree gum; and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with moft weak hams: All which, fir, though I most powerfully grown honeft. and potently believe, yet I hold it not honefty to Ham. "'Then is doom's-day near: But your news have it thus fet down; for yourfelf, fir, fhall be is not true. Let me queftion more in particular: as old as I am, if, like a crab, you could go back-What have you, my good friends, deferved at the ward. hands of fortune, that the fends you to prica hither?

Pol. Though this be madnefs, yet there's method in 't.

Will you walk out of the air, my lord?

Ham. Into my grave?

[elfide.

Guil. Prifon, my lord!

Ham. Denmark's a prifon.
Ref. Then is the world one.

Ham. A goodly one; in which there are many confine, wards, and dungeons; Denmark being one of the worst.

Rj. We think not fo, my lord.

Pol. Indeed, that is out o' the air.-How pregnant fometimes his replies are! a happiness that often madnefs hits on, which reafon and fanity could not fo profperoufly be deliver'd of. I will leave him, and fuddenly contrive the means of meeting between him and my daughter.-My is honourable lord, I will mot humbly take my it fo; to me it is a prifon. leave of you.

Ham. You cannot, fir, take from me any thing that I will more willingly part withal; except my life, except my life, except my life.

Pol. Fare you well, my lord.

Ham. Why, then 'tis none to you; for there nothing either good or bad, but thinking maxes

Ref. Why, then your ambition makes it one, 'tis too narrow for your mind.

Ham. O God! I could be bounded in a nut-shell. and count myfelf a king of infinite space; was lit not that I have bad dreams.

Dr. Warburton's comment (which Dr. Johnson, fays almoft fets the critic on a level with the author) on this paffage is as follows: "The illative particle [for] fhews the fpeaker to be realon.ng from fomething he had faid before: what that was we learn in thefe words, To be honeft, as this werd goes, is to be one picked out of ten thousand. Baving faid this, the chain of ideas led him to reflect up^a the argument which libertines bring againft Providence from the circumitance of abounding all In the next fpeech therefore he endeavours to answer that objection, and vindicate Providence, evea on a fuppofition of the fact, that almoft all men were wicked. His argument in the two lines in queftion is to this purpose, But why need we wonder at this abounding of evil? For if the fun breed moggots in a dead dog, which though a god, yet fhedding its heat and influence upon carrica—- Here he ilups fhort, left talking too conf quentially the hearer thould fufpect his madnefs to be feigned; and fo turns him off from the fubject, by enquiring of his daughter. But the inference which he intended to make, was a very noble one, and to this purpofe: If this (fays he) be the cafe, that the eflett follows the thing operated upon [carrion] and not the thing operating [a goa], why need we wonder, that, the fupreme caufe of all things diffufing its bleflings on mankind, who is, at it were, a dead carrion, dead in original fin, man, inttead of a proper return of duty, thould breed only corruption and vices? This is the argument at length; and is as noble a one in behalf of Providence as could come from the fchools of divinity. But this wonderful man had an art not only of acquainting the audience whith what his actors fay, but with what they think. The fentiment too is altogether in character; for Hamlet is perpetually moralizing, and his circumftances make this reflection very natural." 2 The meaning, fays Mr. Steevens, feems to be. Conception (i. e, understanding) is a bleffing; but as your daughter may conceive, (i. e. be pregnant) friend, look to`t, 1. e. have a care of 3 By the fatirical rogue he means Juvenal in his tenth fatire. 4 Pregnant is ready, dex

that. terous, apt.

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