Pol. Come, go with me': I will go seek the king. This is the very ecstasy of love;

Whose violent property fordoes itself,

And leads the will to desperate undertakings,
As oft as any passion under heaven,

That does afflict our natures. I am sorry,—

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 denied

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,
And meant to wreck thee; but, beshrew my jealousy!
By heaven, it is as proper to our age
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. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A Room in the Castle.

Enter King, Queen, ROSENCRANTZ, Guildenstern, and Attendants.

King. Welcome, dear Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern :

1 COME, go with me:] The folio omits "Come," and in this part of the scene it is ill printed for instance, in the next speech of Polonius, it has speed for "heed," and fear for "fear'd."

2 I had not QUOTED him :] i. e. noted or observed him. See Vol. iv. p. 74. Vol. vi. pp. 106, 393.

3

By heaven,] The Master of the Revels seems to have been especially scrupulous, and in the folio we find "It seems" substituted for "By heaven." than hate to utter love.] After this couplet the quartos, 1604, &c. add "Come."

4

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,
Sith nor th' 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,

I cannot dream of5: I entreat you both,

That, being of so young days brought up with him,
And since so neighbour'd to his youth and humour,
That you vouchsafe your rest here in our court
Some little time; so by your companies
To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather,
So much as from occasion you may glean,
Whether 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, sure I am, two men there are not living,

To whom he more adheres. If it will please you
To show us so much gentry, and good will,

As to expend your time with us a while,
For the supply and profit of our hope,
Your visitation shall receive such thanks
As fits a king's remembrance.

Ros.

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';

5 I cannot DREAM of:] So the quartos, 1604, &c. The folio has deem for "dream." In the next line but one, the folio has "humour" for haviour of the quartos. "Humour seems preferable.

• Whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus.] This line, absolutely necessary to the sense, and found in all the quartos subsequent to that of 1603, is omitted in the folio.

7 BUT we both obey-] "But," necessary to complete the preceding hemi

And here give up ourselves, in the full bent,
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!

Queen.

Ay, amens!

[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.

stich, is only in the quartos. In the next line but one, the folio, to the injury of the metre, reads services for "service."

8 Ay, amen!] The folio omits "Ay," obviously required for the line.

9 -ONE to my gracious king:] The folio prints one for "and" of the quartos, and probably rightly.

1 AS IT HATH us'd to do,] So the quartos, 1604, &c. properly: the folio, “ As I have us'd to do."

2- the FRUIT to that great feast.] The folios, by a printer's error, " My news shall be the news to that great feast."

King. Thyself do grace to them, and bring them in. [Exit POLONIUS. 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'.

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

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,
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,

[Giving a Paper.

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.

King.

It likes us well; And, at our more consider'd time, we'll read,

4

my dear Gertrude,] The folios," my sweet queen, that."

66

our o'ERHASTY marriage.] The quartos have only our hasty marriage."

Answer, and think upon this business :

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, 'tis true: 'tis true 'tis pity,
And pity 'tis 'tis 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":

5 Therefore, SINCE brevity-] The quartos, 1604, &c., omit “since.” Thus:] "These " in the folio; but probably a misprint for "Thus" of the quartos.