Guil. Heavens make our presence, and our practices, Pleasant and helpful to him!

Queen.

Ay,

amen!

[Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and some Attendants.

Enter POLONIUS.

Pol. Th' ambassadors 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, one 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 th' ambassadors;

My news shall be the fruit to that great feast.
King. Thyself do grace to them, and bring them in.

He tells me, my dear Gertrude, he hath found
The head and source of all your son's distemper.
Queen. I doubt, it is no other but the main;
His father's death, and our o'erhasty marriage.

[Exit POLONIUS.

Re-enter POLONIUS, with VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS.
King. Well, we shall sift him.

friends.

Welcome, my good

Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway?

Volt. Most fair return of greetings, and desires.

Upon our first, he sent out to suppress

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 so his sickness, age, and impotence,

VI.

333

Was falsely borne in hand,

sends out arrests

On Fortinbras; which he in brief obeys,
Receives rebuke from Norway, and, in fine,
Makes vow before his uncle, never more

To give th' assay of arms against your majesty.
Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,
Gives him three thousand crowns in annual fee;
And his commission to employ those soldiers,
So levied as before, against the Polack:
With an entreaty, herein farther shown,
That it might please you to give quiet pass
Through your dominions for this enterprize;
On such regards of safety, and allowance,
As therein are set down.

And, at our more consider'd time, we'll read,
Answer, and think upon this business:

[Giving a Paper.

Mean time, we thank you for your well-took labour.

Go to your rest; at night we 'll feast together:

Most welcome home.

Pol.

[Exeunt VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS. This business is well ended.

My liege, and madam; to expostulate

What majesty should be, what duty is,

Why day is day, night, night, and time is time,
Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time.
Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,

And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief. Your noble son 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 less art. Pol. Madam, I swear, I use no art at all. That he is mad, 't is true: 't is true 't is pity, And pity 't is 't is true: a foolish figure;

But farewell 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 say, the cause of this defect.
For this effect defective comes by cause:
Thus it remains, and the remainder thus.
Perpend.

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

Hath given me this. Now gather, and surmise.

"To the celestial, and my soul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia,"

That's an ill phrase, a vile phrase; "beautified" is a vile phrase; but you shall hear. Thus:

"In her excellent white bosom, these," &c.

Pol. Good Madam, stay awhile; I will be faithful.

"Doubt thou the stars are fire,

[Reads.

"O dear Ophelia! I am ill at these numbers: I have not art to reckon my groans; but that I love thee best, O most best! believe it. Adieu.

Thine evermore, most dear lady, whilst this machine is to him, Hamlet."

This in obedience hath my daughter shown me;

And more above, hath his solicitings,

As they fell out by time, by means, and place,
All given to mine ear.

King.

Receiv'd his love?

Pol.

But how hath she

What do you think of me?

King. As of a man faithful, and honourable.

Pol. I would fain prove so, But what might you think,

When I had seen this hot love on the wing,

(As I perceiv'd it, I must tell you that,

Before my daughter told me) what might you,

Or my dear majesty, your queen here, think,
If I had play'd the desk, or table-book;

Or given my heart a winking, mute and dumb;
Or look'd upon this love with idle sight;

What might you think? no, I went round to work,
And my young mistress thus I did bespeak:
"Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of thy star;
This must not be:" and then I precepts gave her,
That she should lock herself from his resort,
Admit no messengers, receive no tokens.
Which done, she took the fruits of my advice;
And he, repulsed, a short tale to make,
Fell into a sadness; then into a fast;
Thence to a watch; thence into a weakness;
Thence to a lightness; and by this declension,
Into the madness wherein now he raves,

And all we wail for.

King.

Do you think 't is this?

Queen. It may be, very likely.

Pol. Hath there been such a time, I'd fain know that, That I have positively said,

When it prov'd otherwise?

King.

66

'Tis so,"

Not that I know.

[Pointing to his Head and Shoulder.

Pol. Take this from this, if this be otherwise.

If circumstances lead me, I will find

Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed

Within the centre.

King.

How may we try it farther?

Pol. You know, sometimes he walks four hours together, Here in the lobby.

Queen.

So he does, indeed.

Pol. At such a time I'll loose my daughter to him :

Be you and I behind an arras, then:

Mark the encounter; if he love her not,

And be not from his reason fallen thereon,

Let me be no assistant for a state,

But keep a farm, and carters. king.

We will try it.

Enter HAMLET, reading.

Queen. But, look, where sadly the poor wretch comes reading. Pol. Away! I do beseech you, both away. I'll board him presently:-O! give me leave.

[Exeunt King, Queen, and Attendants.

How does my good lord Hamlet?

Ham. Well, god-'a-mercy.

Pol. Do you know me, my lord?

Ham. Excellent well; you are a fishmonger.

Pol. Not I, my lord.

Ham. Then, I would you were so honest a man.

Pol. Honest, my lord?

Ham. Ay, Sir: to be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand.

Pol. That's very true, my lord.

Ham. For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion, — Have you a daughter?

Pol. I have, my lord.

Ham. Let her not walk i' the sun: conception is a blessing; but not as your daughter may conceive: - friend, look to 't. Pol. [Aside.] How say you by that? Still harping on my daughter: yet he knew me not at first; he said, I was a fishmonger. He is far gone, far gone: and truly in my youth I suffered 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 whom?

Pol. I mean, the matter that you read, my lord.

Ham. Slanders, Sir: for the satirical rogue says 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 most weak hams: all of which,