For the fupply and profit of our hope*,
Your vifitation fhall receive fuch thanks,
As fits a King's remembrance,

Ref. Both your Majefties

Might, by the fov'reign power you have of us,
Put your dread pleafures more into command
Than to intreaty.

Guil. But we both obey,

And here give up ourselves, in the full bent,
To lay our fervice freely at your feet.

King. Thanks, Rofincrantz and gentle Guildenstern, Queen. Thanks, Guilderftern and gentle Rofincrantz. And I beseech you, inftantly to vifit

My too much changed fon.

Go fome of ye,

And bring thefe gentlemen where Hamlet is,

Guil. Heav'ns make our prefence and our practices Pleafant and helpful to him!

Queen. Amen.

[Exeunt Rof. and Guil.

Enter Polonius.

Pel. Th' ambaffadors from Norway, my good Lord,. Are joyfully return'd.

King Thou till haft been the father of good news. Pol. Have I, my Lord? affure you, my good Liege, I hold my duty, as I hold my foul,

Both to my God, and to my gracious King;

And I do think, (or else this brain of mine

Hunts not the trail of policy so sure

As I have us'd to do), that I have found

The very caufe of Hamlet's lunacy.

King. Oh, fpeak of that, that do I long to hear.
Pol. Give fit admittance to th' ambaffadors:

My news fhall be the fruit to that great feast.

King. Thyfelf do grace to them, and bring them in. [Exit Pol. He tells me, my fweet Queen, that he hath found The head and fource of all your fon's diftemper. Queen. I doubt, it is no other but the main, His father's death, and our o'er-hafty marriage. hope, for purpose.

tbeut, for endeavour, application.

Re-enter Polonius, with Voltimand, and Cornelius.

King. Well, we fhall: fift him.

good friends!

Welcome, my.

Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway?
Volt: Moft fair return of greetings and defires,
Upon our first, he fent out to fupprefs

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 Highnefs: whereat griev'd,.
That fo his fickness, age, and impotence
Was falfely borne in hand, fends out arrefts
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 Majefty.
Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,
Gives him three thoufand crowns in annual fee';;
And his commiffion to employ thofe foldiers,
So levied as before, against the Polack:
With an intreaty, herein further shewn,
That it might pleate you to give quiet pafs
Through your dominions for this enterprife,,
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,
Answer, and think upon this business.

Mean time, we thank you for your well-took labour.

Go to your rell; at night we'll feast together.

Moft welcome home!

Pot. This bufinefs is well ended.

[Exit Amba

"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 waste night, day and time. "Therefore fince brevity's the foul of wit,

"And tedioufnels the limbs and outward flourishes,,, to expoftulate, for to inquire or discuss,

"I will be brief: your noble fon 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 fwear I ufe no art at all : "That he is mad, 'tis true; 'tis true, 'tis pity; "And pity 'tis, 'tis true; a foolish figure; "But farewel it; for I will ufe no art. "Mad let us grant him then; and now remains "That we find out the cause 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

pend.

"I have a daughter; have, whilst she is mine;
"Who in her duty, and obedience mark,
"Hath giv'n me this; now gather, and furmife.

He opens a letter, and reads,

Per

To the celeftial, and my foul's idol, the most beatified Ophelia. That's an ill phrafe, a vile phrase: beatified is a vile phrafe; but you fhall hear-Thefe to her excellent white bofom, thefe.

Queen, Came this from Hamlet to her ?

Pol. Good Madam, ftay a while, I will be faithful;

Doubt thou the ftars are fire,

Doubt that the fun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a lyar,

But never doubt I love.

Reading.

Oh, dear Ophelia. I am ill at these numbers; I have not art to reckon my groans; but that I love thee beft, oh most. beft, believe it.

Adieu.

Thine evermore, moft dear Lady, whilft
this machine is to him, HAMLET.

This in obedience hath my daughter fhewn me:
And, more above, hath his folicitings,
As they fell out. by time, by means, and place,
All given to mine ear.

King. But how hath fhe receiv'd his love?

Pol. What do you think of me ?
King. As of a man faithful and honourable.
Pol. I would fain prove so

But what might you

When I had seen this hot love on the wing,

(As I perceiv'd it, I must tell you that,
Before my daughter told me), what might you,
Or my dear Majefty your Queen here, think?
If I had play'd the desk or table-book,

Or giv'n my heart a working mute and dumb,
Or look'd upon this love with idle fight;

[think?

"What might you think? No, I went round to work, "And my young mistress thus I did befpeak; "Lord Hamlet is a Prince out of thy sphere, "This must not be; and then I precepts gave her, "That she should lock herself from his refort, "Admit no meffengers, receive no tokens: "Which done, fee too the fruits of my advice; "For, he repulsed, a fhort tale to make, "Fell to a fadnefs, then into a fast,

"Thence to a watching, thence into a weakness, "Thence to a lightness; and, by this declenfion, "Into the madness wherein now he raves,

"And all we wail for.

King. Do you think this?

Queen. It may be very likely.

Pol. "Hath there been fuch a time, I'd fain know

"That I have pofitively faid, 'Tis fo,

"When it prov'd otherwife?

King. Not that I know.

Pol. Take this from this, if this be otherwife.

[that,

[Pointing to his head and fhoulder.

"If circumftances lead me, I will find

“Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed

Within the centre.

King. How may we try it further?

Pol You know, fometimes he walks for hours toge

Here in the lobby

Queen So he does indeed.

[ther,

Pol. At fuch a time I'll loofe my daughter to him;

Be you and i behind an arras then,

Mark the encounter: if he love her not,

And be not from his reason fall'n thereon,

Let me be no affiftant for a state,
But keep a farm and carters.

King. We will try it.

SCENE

V.

Enter Hamlet reading.

Queen. But look where, fadly, the poor wretch come

reading.

Pol. Away, I do beseech you, both away.

I'll board him presently.

Oh, give me leave.

Hamlet?

S

[Exeunt King and Queen.

How does my good Lord.

Ham. Well, God o' mercy.

·Pol. Do you know me, my Lord?

Ham. Excellent well; you are a fishmonger.

Pol. Not I, my

Lord?

Ham. Then I would you were fo honeft a man.

Pol. Honeft, my Lord?

Ham. Ay, Sir; to be honeft as this world goes, is to be one man pick'd out of ten thousand,

Pol. That's very true, my Lord.

Ham. For if the fun breed maggots in a dead dog, Being a god, kiffing carrion

Have you a daughter?

Pol. I have, my Lord.

Ham. Let her not walk i' th' fun; conception is a bleffing, but not as your daughter may conceive. Friend, look to t.

Pol."How fay you by that? ftill harping on my daughter!

"Yet he knew me not at firft; he faid I was a fish

monger.

"He is far gone; and, truly, in my youth,

"I fuffer'd much extremity for love;

"Very near this.- -I'll fpeak to him again.

What do you read, my Lord?

Ham. Words, words, words.

Pol What is the matter, my Lord?

Ham. Between whom?

[Afide

Pol. I mean the matter that you read, my Lord. Ham. Slanders, Sir: for the latyrical flave * fays here, that old men have grey beards; that their faces

Ey the fatyrical flave he means Juvenal in his tenth fatyr.