"For out o' doors he went without their help, 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;

Whofe violent property forgoes itself,

And leads the will to defp'rate undertakings,
As oft as any paffion under heav'n,

That does afflict our natures. I am forry;

What, have you giv'n him any hard words of late? Oph. No, my good lord; but, as you did com· mand,

I did repel his letters, and deny'd

His access to me.

Pol. That hath made him mad.

I'm forry, that with better speed and judgment
* I had not noted him. I fear'd, he triff'd,
And meant to wreck thee; but befhrew my jealoufy;
It feems, it is as proper to our age

To caft beyond ourselves in our opinions,

As it is common for the younger fort

To lack difcretion. 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. [Exeunt.

Enter King, Queen, Rofincrantz, Guildenftern, Lords,

King⋅ WE

and other Attendants.

ELCOME, dear Rofincrantz, and Guil-
denftern!

Moreover that we much did long to fee you,
The need, we have to use you, did provoke

Our hafty fending. Something you have heard

Of Hamlet's transformation; fo I call it,

Since not th' exterior, nor the inward man
Refembles That it was. What it fhould be
More than his Father's death, that thus hath put him
So much from th' underflanding of himself,

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 'havour,
That you vouchfafe your Reft here in our Court
Some little time; fo by your companies

To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather,
So much as from occafions you may glean,
If 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, fure I am, two men there are not living,
To whom he more adheres. If it will please you
To fhew us fo much gentry and good will,
As to extend 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 fov'reign power you have of us, dread pleasures more into command

Put your

Than to entreaty.

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 Guildenftern. Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern, and gentle Rosincrantz. And, I beseech you, inftantly to visit

ye,

My too much changed fon. Go fome of
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

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 I do think, (or elfe this brain of mine
Hunts not the trail of policy fo fure

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

King. Oh, speak of that, that do I long to hear.
Pol. Give firft admittance to th' ambassadors:
My news fhall be the fruit to that great feast.
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.

Re-enter Polonius, with Voltimand, and Cornelius 7ELL, we fhall fift him.-Welcome, my good friends!

King. WELL,

Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway?
Vol. Moft fair return of Greetings, and Defires.
Upon our first, he fent out to fupprefs
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 fo his ficknefs, age, and impotence
Was falfely borne in hand, fends out Arrefts
On Fortinbras; which he, in brief, obeys;

M 2

Receives

Receives rebuke from Norway; and, in fine,
Makes vow before his uncle, never more
To give th' affay of arms against your Majefty.
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 entreaty, herein further fhewn,
That it might pleafe you to give quiet Pass
Through your Dominions for this enterprize,
On fuch regards of fafety and allowance,
As therein are set down.

King. It likes us well;

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

Mean time, we thank you for your well-took labour.
Go to your Reft; at night we'll feaft together.

Moft welcome home!

Pol. This bufinefs is well ended.

My Liege, and Madam, to expoftulate

What Majefty fhould be, what duty is,

[Exit Embal

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 tediousness 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 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 farewel 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 fay, the caufe of this defect,
For this effect, defective, comes by caufe;

Thus

Thus it remains, and the remainder thus.-Per

pend.

I have a daughter; have, whilst she is mine;
Who in her duty and obedience, mark,

Hath giv'n me this; now gather, and surmise.

[He opens a letter, and reads.]

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 fhall hear- -Thefe to her excellent white bofom, thefe.-

Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her?

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

Doubt thou, the ftars are fire,

Doubt, that the Sun doth move;.
Doubt truth to be a liar,

But never doubt, I love.

[Reading.

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

Thine evermore, moft dear Lady, whilst

this Machine is to him, Hamlets

This in obedience hath my daughter fhewn 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

think?

When I had feen this hot love on the wing,

(As I perceiv'd it, I muft 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,

M 13.

Or