Ham. How say you, then; would heart of man once think it?

But you'll be secret,

Hor. Mar.

Ay, by Heaven, my lord.

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

mark,

But he's an arrant knave.

Hor. There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the

grave,

To tell us this.

Ham.

Why, right you are in the right; And so, without more circumstance at all,

I hold it fit, that we shake hands, and part;

You, as your business, and desire, shall point you ;— For every man hath business, and desire,

Such as it is, and, for my own poor part,

Look I will go pray.

you,

Hor. These are but wild and whirling words, my

lord.

Ham. I am sorry 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 vision here, It is an honest ghost, that let me tell you.

For your desire to know what is between us, O'ermaster it as you may. And now, good friends, As you are friends, scholars, and soldiers,

Give me one poor request.

Hor.

We will.

What is't, my lord?

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

Hor. Mar. My lord, we will not.

Ham.

Nay, but swear't.

1 Warburton has ingeniously defended Shakspeare for making the Danish prince swear by St. Patrick, by observing, that the whole northern world had their learning from Ireland. It is, however, more probable that the Poet seized the first popular imprecation that came to his mind, without regarding whether it suited the country or character of the person to whom he gave it.

Hor.

In faith,

My lord, not I.

Mar.

Nor I, my lord, in faith.

Ham. Upon my sword.

Mar.

We have sworn, my lord, already.

Ham. Indeed, upon my sword, indeed.

Ghost. [Beneath.] Swear.

Ham. Ha, ha, boy! say'st thou so? art thou there, true-penny?

Come on,-you hear this fellow in the cellarage,—
Consent to swear.

Hor.

Propose the oath, my lord.

Ham. Never to speak of this that you have seen, Swear by my sword.1

Ghost. [Beneath.] Swear.

Ham. Hic et ubique! then we'll shift our ground.— Come hither, gentlemen,

And lay your hands again upon my sword.

Swear by my sword,

Never to speak of this that you have heard.

Ghost. [Beneath.] Swear by his sword.

Ham. Well said, old mole! Canst work i' the earth so fast?

A worthy pioneer!-Once more remove, good friends. Hor. O day and night, but this is wondrous strange!

Ham. And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

But come ;

Here, as before, never, so help you mercy!
How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself,
As I, perchance, hereafter shall think meet
To put an antic disposition on,-

That you, at such times seeing me, never shall,
With arms encumbered thus, or this head-shake,
Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,

1 The custom of swearing by the sword, or rather by the cross at the upper end of it, is very ancient. The name of Jesus was not unfrequently inscribed on the handle.

As, Well, well, we know ;—or, We could, an if we would;-or, If we list to speak ;-or, There be, an if they might ;

Or such ambiguous giving out, to note

That you know aught of me.—This not to do, swear;1 So grace and mercy at your most need help you! Ghost. [Beneath.] Swear.

Ham. Rest, rest, perturbed spirit! So, gentlemen, With all my love I do commend me to you; And what so poor a man as Hamlet is

May do, to express his love and friending to you,
God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together;
And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.

The time is out of joint ;-O cursed spite!
That ever I was born to set it right!
Nay, come, let's go together.

[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 Reynaldo, Before you visit him, to make inquiry

Of his behavior.

Rey.

My lord, I did intend it.

Pol. Marry, well said; very well said. Look you,

sir,

Inquire me first what Danskers 2 are in Paris;

1 The quarto 1604 reads, "this do swear.' The sense is sufficiently obvious without explanation.

2 i. e. Danes. Warner, in his Albion's England, calls Denmark Danske.

And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,
What company, at what expense; and finding,
By this encompassment, and drift of question,
That they do know my son, come you more nearer
Than your particular demands will touch it.

Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him;
As thus, I know his father, and his friends,

And, in part, him.-Do you mark this, Reynaldo?
Rey. Ay, very well, my lord.

Pol. And, in part, him;—but, you may say, not well;

But, if't be he I mean, he's very wild;

Addicted so and so;-and there put on him
What forgeries you please; marry, none so rank
As may dishonor him; take heed of that;
But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips,
As are companions noted and most known
To youth and liberty.

Rey.

As gaming, my lord.

Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing,' swearing, quarrelling,

Drabbing;—you may go so far.

Rey. My lord, that would dishonor him.

Pol. 'Faith, no; as you may season it in the charge. You must not put another scandal on him,

That he is open to incontinency;

That's not my meaning. But breathe his faults so quaintly,

That they may seem the taints of liberty;

The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind;

A savageness in unreclaimed blood,

Of general assault.

Rey.

But, my good lord,

Pol. Wherefore should you do this?
Rey.

I would know that.

Ay, my lord,

1 "The cunning of fencers is now applied to quarrelling; they thinke themselves no men, if for stirring of a straw, they prove not their valure uppon some bodies fleshe."-Gosson's Schole of Abuse, 1579.

2 "A wildness of untamed blood, such as youth is generally assailed by."

Pol.

Marry, sir, here's my drift;

And, I believe, it is a fetch of warrant.
You laying these slight sullies on my son,
As 'twere a thing a little soiled i' the working,
Mark you,

Your party in converse, him you would sound,
Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes,
The youth you breathe of, guilty, be assured,
He closes with you in this consequence;
Good sir, or so;1 or friend, or gentleman,—
According to the phrase, or the addition,
Of man and country.

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 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 ; There falling out at tennis; or, perchance,

I saw him enter such a house of sale,

(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 my former lecture and advice,

2

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

Pol.

God be wi' you; fare

Rey. Good my lord,

Pol. Observe his inclination in yourself.3

you well.

1 So, for so forth, as in the last act :-"Six French rapiers and poniards, with their assigns, as girdle, hanger, and so."

2 i. e. by tortuous devices and side essays.

3 i. e. in your own person; personally add your own observations of his conduct to these inquiries respecting him.