Ham. Hic & ubique? then we'll fhift our ground. Come hither, gentlemen,

And lay your hands again upon my fword,

Never to speak of this which you have heard,
Swear by my fword.

Gheft. Swear by his fword.

Ham. Well faid, old mole, can't work i' th' ground fo faft?

A worthy pioneer! Once more remove, good friends.
Hor. Oh day and night! but this is wondrous ftrange.
Ham. And therefore as a (tranger give it welcome.
There are more things in heav'n and earth, Horatio,
Than are dream'd of in your philofophy.
But come,
Here, as before, never, (fo help you mercy!),
How ftrange or odd foe'er I bear myself,
(AS I, perchance, hereafter fhall think meet
To put an antic difpofition on),

That you, at fuch time feeing me, never fhall,
With arms incumbred thus, or this head-fhake,
Or by pronouncing of fome doubtful phrase,
As, Well- we know;

would;

Or, If we lift to speak ;

might

-or, We could, and if we

-or, There be, and if there

(Or fuch ambiguous givings out), denote

That you know aught of me; this do ye fwear,
So grace and mercy at your most need help you!
Swear.

Ghoft. Swear,

Ham. Reft, reft, perturbed fpirit. So, Gentlemen, With all my love do I commend me to you;

And what fo poor a man as Hamlet is

May do t' exprefs his love and friending to you,
God willing, fhall not lack; let us go in together,
And ftill your fingers on your lips, I pray :
The time is out of joint; oh, cursed spight!
hat ever I was born to fet it right.

Nay, come let us go together.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

S CEN E

I.

Pol. G

An apartment in Polonius's houfe.

Enter Polonius and Reynoldo.

Ive him this money, and thefe notes, Reynoldo. I Rey. I will, my Lord.

Pol. You fhall do marvellous wifely, good Reynoldo, Before you vifit him, to make inquiry

Of his behaviour.

Rey. My Lord, I did intend it.

Pol. Marry, well faid; very well faid. Look you,
Inquire me firft what Danskers are in Paris; [sir,
And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,
What company, at what expence; and finding,
By this encompaffment and drift of question,
That they do know my fon, come you more near;
Then your particular demands will touch it;
Take you as 'twere some distant knowledge of him,
As thus-I know his father and his friends,

And, in part, him-Do you mark this, Reynolde?
Rey, Ay, very well, my Lord.

Pol. And in part him-but you may fay-not well; But if't be he I mean, he's very wild;

Addicted fo and fo

and there put on him
What forgeries you pleafe; marry, none fo rank,
As may difhonour him; take heed of that;
Bot, Sir, fuch wanton, wild, and usual flips,
As are companions noted and most known
To youth and liberty.

Rey. As gaming, my Lord

Pol. By, or drinking. [fencing *], fwearing, Quarrelling, drabbing

You may go fo far,

Rey. My Lord, that would dishonour him.

Pol. 'Faith, no, as you may feafon it in the charge;

You must not put an utter fcandal on him,

That he is open to incontinency,

That's not my meaning; but breathe his faults fo

quaintly,

That they may feem the taints of liberty;
The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind,

fencing, an interpolation.

A favagene

in unreclaimed blood

Of general affault.

Rey. But, my good Lord

Pol. Wherefore fhould you do this?

Rey. Ay, my Lord, I would know that.
Pol. Marry, Sir, here's my drift;
And I belieye it is a fetch of wit.

You laying these flight fullies on my fon,
As 'twere a thing a little foil'd i' th' working,
Mark you, your party in converfe, he you would found,
Having ever feen, in the prenominate crimes,
The youth you breathe of, guilty, be affur'd,
He closes with you in this confequence +;
Good Str, or Sire, or Friend, or Gentleman,
(According to the phrafe or the addition
Of man and country).

Rey. Very good, my Lord.

Pol. And then, Sir, does he this; He does--what was I about to say?

I was about to say something-where did I leave?—
Rey. At, clofes in the consequence.

Pol. At, clofes in the confequence-Ay marry.
He clofes thus I know the gentleman;
I saw him yesterday, or t' other day,

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 house of fale,
Videlicet, a brothel, or so forfooth.-

-See you now;

Your bait of falfehood takes this carp of truth;

And thus do we of wifdom and of reach,
With windlaces, and with aff.ys of bias,
By indirections find directions out :
So by my former lecture and advice
Shall you, my fon. You have me, have
Rey. My Lord, I have.

Rey. Good my Lord

you

well.

you not?

Pol. Obferve his inclination ev`n yourself.

Rey. I fhall, my Lord.

favageness, for wildness. + confequence, for fequel.

Pol. Farewel. How now, Ophelia, what's the matter?

Oph. Alas, my Lord, I have been so affrighted!
Pol. With what, in the name of heav'n?

Oph. My Lord, as I was fewing in my closet,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd,
No hat upon his head, his stockings loose,
Ungarter'd, and down gyred to his ancle;
Pale as his thirt, 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; thus 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?

Oph. He took me by the wrift, 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 fuch perusal of my face,

As he would draw it. Long time ftaid he fo;
At laft, a little shaking of mine arm,

And thrice his head thus waving up and down,
He rais'd a figh, fo piteous and profound,
That it did feem to fhatter all his buik,

And end his being Then he lets me go,
And, with his head over his shoulder turn'd,
He feem'd to find his way without his eyes;
For out o' doors he went without their help,
And, to the last, bended their light on me.

Pol Come, go with me, I will go leek the King,

- This is the very ecftafy of love;

Whofe violent property foregoes itself.

And leads the will to defp'rate undertakings.
As oft as any paffion under heav'n,

That does afflict our natures. i am forry;

What, have you giv'n him any hard words of late? Oph. No, my good Lord; but, as you did command,

I did repel his letters, and denyid

His accels to me.

Pol That hath made him mad.

I'm forry, that with better speed and judgment
I had not noted him. I fear'd he trifled,

And meant to wreck thee; but belhrew my jealoufy;
It feems it is as proper to our age

To caft beyond ourselves 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. [Exeunt.

S C E NE III. Changes to the palace, Enter King, Queen, Rofincrantz, Guildenftern, Lords, and other Attendants.

King. Welcome, dear Rofincrantz and Guildenstern ! Moreover that we did much long to fee you, The need, we have to use you, did provoke Our hafty fending. Something you have heard Of Hamlet's transformation; fo 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 dream of. I intreat you both,

That being of fo young days brought up with him,
And fince fo neighbour'd to his youth and 'haviour,
That you vouchiafe 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 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 fure I am, two men there are not living
To whom he more adheres. If it will pleafe you
To fhew us fo much gentry* and good-will,.
As to extend your time with us a while,

gentry, for complaisance.