Rey. Very good, my Lord.
Pol. And then, Sir, does he this? He do's
-what was I about to fay?
I was about to fay nothing; where did I leave?-
Rey. At clofes in the Confequence:
At Friend, or so, and Gentleman.
Pol. At clofes in the Confequence-Ay marry, He clofes with you thus. I know the Gentleman, 1 faw him yesterday, or t'other day,
Or then, or then, with fuch and fuch, and as you fay,
There was he gaming, there o'ertook in's Rowfe,
There falling out at Tennis; or perchance,
I faw him enter fuch a Houfe of Sale,
Videlicet, a Brothel, or fo forth-See you now;
Your bait of Falfhood, takes this Carp of Truth;
And thus do we of Wisdom and of Reach,
With Windlaces, and with affays of Byas,
By Indirections find Directions out:
So by my former Lecture and Advice
Shall you my Son; you have me, have you not?
Rey. My Lord, I have.
Pol. Obferve his Inclination in
How now, Ophelia, what's the matter?
Oph. Alas, my Lord, I have been fo affrighted.
Pol. With what, in the Name of Heav'n?
Oph. My Lord, as I was fowing in my Chamber,
Lord Hamlet, with his Doublet all unbrac'd,
No Hat upon his Head, his Stockings foul'd,
Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his Ancle,
Pale as his Shirt, 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?
Oph. My Lord, I do not know: but truly I do fear it. Pol. What faid he?
Opb. He took me by the wrift.
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 ftaid he fo;
At laft, a little shaking of my Arm,
And thrice his Head thus waving up and down,
He rais'd a Sigh, fo hideous and profound,
That it did feem to shatter all his Bulk,
And end his Being. That done, he lets me go,
And with his Head over his Shoulders turn'd,
He feem'd to find his way without his Eyes,
For out adoors he went without their help,
And to the laft, bended their light on me.
Pol. Come, go with me, I will go seek the King,
This is the very Extafie of Love,
Whofe violent Property foredoes it self,
And leads the Will to defperate Undertakings,
As oft as any Paffion under Heav'n,
That do's afflict our Natures. I am forry;
What, have you given him any hard Words of late?
Oph. No, my good Lord; but as you did command
I did repel his Letters, and deny'd
His Accefs to me.
Pol. That hath made him mad.
I am forry that with better Speed and Judgment
I had not quoted him. I fear'd he did but trifle,
And meant to wrack thee; but befhrew my Jealoufie;
It seems it is as proper to our Age,
To caft beyond our felves 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 clofe, might move More Grief to hide, than hate to utter Love.
Enter King, Queen, Rofeneraus, Guildenstern, Lords and
other Attendants.
King. Welcome dear Rofeneraus and Guildenstern,
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 not th'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 th'understanding of himself,
I cannot deem of. I intreat you both,
That being of fo young Days brought up with him,
And fince fo neighbour'd to his Youth, and Humour,
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 ought, 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 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 Sovereign Power you have of us,
Put your dread Pleasures, more into Command
Than to Entreaty.
Guil. But we both obey,
And here give up our felves, in the full bent,
To lay our Service freely at your Feet,
King. Thanks, Rofeneraus, and gentle Guildenstern,
Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern and gentle Rofeneraus;
And I beseech you inftantly to vifit
Y
My too much changed Son. Go fome of ye,
And bring the Gentlemen where Hamlet is.
Guil. Heav'ns make our Prefence and our Practices
Pleasant and helpful to him.
Pol. The Ambaffadors from Norway, my good Lord, Are joyfully return'd.
King. Thou ftill haft beer the Father of good News.
Pol. Have I, my Lord? Affure you, my good Liege,
I hold my Duty, as I hold my Soul,
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. O fpeak of that, that I do long to hear.
Pol. Give firft Admitance to th'Ambassadors.
My News fhall be the News to that great Feaft.
King. Thy felf do grace to them, and bring them in.[Ex.Pol.
He tells me, my fweet Queen, that he hath found
The head and fource of all your Son's Diftemper.
Queen. I doubt it is no other, but the main,
His Father's Death, and our o'er hafty Marriage.
Enter Polonius, Voltimard, and Cornelius. King. Well, we fhall fift him. Welcome, 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
His Nephew's Levies, which to him appear'd
To be a Preparation 'gainst the Polak:
But better lok'd into, he truly found
It was against your Highnefs. Whereat grieved,
That fo his Sicknefs, Age, and Impotence
Was falfely born in Hand, fends 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'affay of Arms against your Majesty.
Whereon old Norway, overcome with Joy,
Gives him three thousand Crowns in annual Fee,
And his Commiffion to imploy thofe Soldiers
So levied as before, against the Polak:
With an intreaty herein further fhewn,
That it might please you to give quiet pafs
Through your Dominions for his Enterprize,
On fuch regards of Safety and Allowance,
As therein are fet 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-look'd labour.
Go to your reft, at Night we'll feast together.
Moft welcome home.
Pol. This Bufinefs is very well ended.
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 wafte Night, Day, and Time.
Therefore, fince Brevity is the Soul of Wit,
And Tedioufnefs 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 lefs Art.
Pol. Madam, I fwear I ufe no Art at all:
That he is mad 'tis true; 'tis true, 'tis pity,
And pity, it is 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 Caufe of this Effect,
Or rather fay, 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, whilft she is mine,
Who in her Duty and Obedience, mark,
Hath given me this; now gather, and furmife.
He opens a Letter, and reads.
To the Celestial, and my Soul's Idol, the most beautified Ophelia.
That's an ill Phrase, a vile Phrase, beautified is a vile
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