Ile bord him presently, oh giue me leaue, Pol. Doe you know me my lord? Ham. Excellent well, you are a fishmonger. Ham. Then I would you were fo honest a man. Ham. I fir to be honest as this world goes, Is to be one man pickt out of tenne thousand. Ham. For if the funne breed maggots in a dead dogge, being a good kiffing carrion. Ilaue you a daughter? Pol. I haue my lord. Ham. Let her not walke i'th funne, conception is a blefing, But as your daughter may conceaue, friend looke to't. Pol. How fay you by that, ftill harping on my daughter, yet he knew me not at first, a fayd I was a fishmonger, a is farre gone, and truely in my youth, I fuffred much extremity for loue, very neere this. Ile fpeake to him againe. What doe you read my lord. Ham. Words, words, words. Pol. What is the matter my lord. Ham. Betweene who. Pol. I meane the matter that you read my lord. Ham. Slanders fir; for the fatericall rogue faies here, that old men haue gray beards, that their faces are wrinckled, their eyes purging thick amber, and plum-tree gum, and that they haue a plentifull lacke of wit, together with most weake hams, all which fir though I moft powerfully and potently belieue, yet I hold it,not honefty to haue it thus fet downe, for your felfe fir fhall grow old as I am; if like a crab you could goe backeward. Pol. Though this be madnesse, yet there is method in't, wil you walke out of the ayre my lord. Ham. Into my graue. Pol. Indeede that's out of the ayre; how pregnant fometimes his replies are, a happines that often madnes hits on, which reason and fanctity could not so profperously be deliuered of. I will leaue him and my daughter. My lord, I will take my leaue of you. Ham. You cannot take from me any thing that I will not more willingly part withall: except my life, except my life, except my life. Enter Guilderfterne, and Rofoncraus. Polo. Fare you well my lord. Ham. These tedious old fooles. Polo. You goe to feeke the lord Hamlet, there he is. Rof. God faue you fir. Guyl. My honor'd lord. Rof. My moft deere lord. Ham. My exelent § good friends, how doft thou Guilderfterne? A Rofencraus, good lads how doe you both? Rof. As the indifferent children of the earth. Guyl. Happy, in that we are not euer happy on fortunes lap +. We are not the very button. Ham. Nor the foles of her fhooe. Rof. Neither my lord. Ham. Then you liue about her waft, or in the middle of her fauors. Ha. In the fecret parts of fortune, oh most true, she is a ftrumpet. What newes? Rof. None my lord, but the worlds growne honeft. Ham. Then is doomes day neere, but your newes is not true; But in the beaten way of friendship, what make you at Elsonoure? Ham. Begger that I am, I am euer poore in thankes, but I thank you, and fure deare friends, my thankes are too deare a halfpeny were you not fent for? is it your owne inclining? is it a free vifitation? come, come, deale iuftly with me, come, come, nay speake. : Guy. What should we fay my lord? Ham. Any thing but to'th purpose; you were fent for, and there is a kind of confeffion in your lookes, which your modeftyes haue not craft enough to cullour, I know the good king and queene haue fent for you. Rof. To what end my lord? Ham. That you must teach me: but let me coniure you, by the rights of our fellowshippe, by the confonancy of our youth, by the obligation of our euer preferued loue; and by what more deare a better propofer can charge § you withall, bee euen and direct with mee whether you were fent for or no. Rof. What fay you? Ham. Nay then I haue an eye of you, if you loue me hold not off. Guyl. My lord wee were fent for. Ham. I will tell you why fo fhall my anticipation preuent your discouery, and your fecrecie to the king and queene moult no feather, I haue of late, but wherefore I know not, loft all my mirth, forgon all cuftome of exercises, and indeede it goes fo heauily with my difpofition, that this goodly frame the Selange. earth, M earth, feemes to mee a sterill promontorie, this most excellent canopie the ayre, looke you, this braue ore-hanged § firmament, this maiefticall roofe fretted with golden fire, why it appearth nothing to me but a foule and peftilent congrégation of va pours. What peece of worke is a man, how noble in reafon, how infinit in faculties, in forme and moouing, how expreffe and admirable in action, how like an angell in apprehenfion, how like a god: the beauty of the world; the parragon of annimales, and yet to mee, what is this quinteffence of duft? man delights not mee nor woman neither, though by your fmiling you feeme to say so. Rof. My lord there was no fuch stuffe in my thoughts. not me. Rof. To thinke my lord if you delight not in man, what lenton entertainement the players fhal receiue from you, wee coted them on the way, and hether are the coming to offer you feruice. Ham. He that playes the king fhal be welcome, his maiefty fhal haue tribute on mee, the aduenterous knight shal vse his foyle and target, the louer fhal not fing §§ gratis, the hu morous man shal end his part in peace and the lady shal fay her mind freely or the blanke verfe fhal hault for't. What players are they? : Rof. Euen thofe you were wont to take fuch delight in, the tragedians of the citty. Ham. How chances it the ++ trauaile? their refidence both in reputation and profit was better both wayes. Rof. I thinke their inhibition, comes by the meanes of the late innouation. Ham. Do the ‡‡ hold the fame eftimation they did when I was in the city? are they fo followed? Rof. No indeede are they not. Ham. It is not very strange, for my vncle is king of Denmarke and thofe that would make mouths at him while my father liued, giue twenty, forty, fifty, a hundred duckets a peece, for his picture in little: s'bloud there is fomething in this more then naturall, if philofophy could find it out. A florifb. Guyl. There are the players. Ham. Gentlemen you are welcome to Elfoncure, your hands, come then th apportenance of welcome is fashion and ceremonie; let mee comply with you in this garb : let my extent to the players, which I tell you must showe fayrely outwards, fhould more appeare like entertainement then yours? you are welcome but my vncle father, and aunt-mother, are deceaued. Guyl. In what my deare lord. Ham. I am but mad north north weft; when the wind is foutherly, I know a hauke from a hand-faw. Enter Polonius. Pol. Well be with you gentlemen. Ham. Hark you Guyldenfterne, and you to, are § each eare a hearer, that great baby as you fee is not yet out of his fwadling clouts. Rof. Happily he is the fecond time come to them, for they fay an old man is twice a child. Ham. I will prophecy that he comes to tell me of the players; marke it, you fay right fir a Monday morning t'was then indeed. Pol. My lord I haue newes to tell you. Ham. My lord I haue newes to tell you: when Roffius was an actor in Rome. Pol. The actors are come hether my lord. Sat. tas omitted. that omitted. Ham. |