Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him; And, in part, him ;-Do you mark this, Reynaldo? 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 As may What forgeries you please; marry, none so rank Rey. As gaming, my lord. Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling, Drabbing:-You may go so far. Rey. My lord, that would dishonour him. Pol. 'Faith, no; as you may season it in the charge. You must not put another scandal on him,d 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 out-break of a fiery mind; A savageness in unreclaimed blood, Of general assault.s Pol. Marry, sir, here's my drift; And, I believe, it is a fetch of warrant: You laying these slight sullies on my son, Your party in converse, him you would sound, d another scandal-] i. e. A very different and more scandalous failing, namely, habitual incontinency.-MALONE. e That's not my meaning:] That is not what I mean when I permit you to accuse him of drabbing.-M. MASON. f savageness-] i. e. Wildness. Of general assault.] i. e. Such as youth in general is liable to.-WAR BURTON. Having ever seen, in the prenominate crimes, Rey. Very good, my lord. Pol. And then, sir, does he this,-He does What 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; Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as you say, I saw him enter such a house of sale, (Videlicet, a brothel,) or so forth, Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth: And thus do we of wisdom and of reach, Shall you my son: You have me, have you not? Rey. My lord, I have. Pol. Rey. Good my lord, God be wi' you; fare you well. Pol. Observe his inclination in yourself.' Rey. I shall, my lord. Pol. And let him ply his musick. Rey. Well, my lord. [Exit. prenominate-] i. e. Already named. wind laces,] Metaphorically used for contrivances, subtleties; a windlace is a machine for winding up great weights.-NARES. k 1 assays of bias,] i. e. Experiments of his inclination; from essayer, Fr. in yourself.] In your own person, not by spies.-JOHNSON. Enter OPHELIA. Pol. Farewell!-How now, Ophelia? what's the matter? Oph. O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted! Oph. My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, As if he had been loosed out of hell, To speak of horrors,-he comes before me. 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; Then goes he to the length of all his arm; And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow, He falls to such perusal of my face, As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so ; At last,—a little shaking of mine arm, And thrice his head thus waving up and down,- As it did seem to shatter all his bulk," And end his being: That done, he lets me go: Pol. Come, go with me; I will go seek the king. Whose violent property foredoes itself, m Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle ;] Down-gyved means, hanging down like the loose cincture which confines the fetters round the ancles.STEEVENS. - bulk,] i. e. Body. foredoes-] Destroys. And leads the will to desperate undertakings, That does afflict our natures. I am sorry,- 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, To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions, As it is common for the younger sort To lack discretion. 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." Come. [Exeunt. SCENE II. A Room in the Castle. Enter King, Queen, ROSEN CRANTZ, GUILDENStern, and Attendants. King. Welcome, dear Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern! Moreover that we much did long to see you, The need, we have to use you, did provoke Our hasty sending. Something have you heard Of Hamlet's transformation; so I call it, Since not the exterior nor the inward man Resembles that it was: What it should be, More than his father's death, that thus hath put him So much from the understanding of himself, quoted him.] i. e. Observed him, to quote is invariably used in Shakspeare in the sense of to mark, or observe.-M. MASON. This must be known; which, being kept close, might move More grief to hide, than hate to utter love.] i. e. This must be made known to the king, for (being kept secret) the hiding Hamlet's love might occasion more mischief to us from him and the queen, than the uttering or revealing of it will occasion hate and resentment from Hamlet.-JOHNSON. I cannot dream of: I entreat you both, That,-being of so young days brought up with him; To draw him on to pleasures; and to gather, Whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus, Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd of you; And, sure I am, two men there are not living, To whom he more adheres. If it will please you Ros. Guil. But we both obey; And here give up ourselves, in the full bent,t To lay our service freely at your feet, To be commanded. King. Thanks, Rosencrantz, and gentle Guildenstern. Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern, and gentle Rosencrantz: And I beseech you instantly to visit My too much changed son.-Go, some of you, And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is. Guil. Heavens make our presence, and our practices, Pleasant and helpful to him! r Queen. Ay, amen! [Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and some Attendants. gentry,] i. e. Complaisance. For the supply, &c.] That the hope which your arrival has raised may be completed by the desired effect.--JOHNSON. in the full bent,] i. e. In the utmost extremity of exertion. The allusion is to a bow bent as far as it will go.-MALONE. |