GHOST. [Beneath] Swear.

HAM. Well said, old mole! canst work i' the

earth so fast?

A worthy pioner! Once more remove, good friends. HOR. O day and night, but this is wondrous strange!

HAM. And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,

Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

But come;

Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,
How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself,
As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
To put an antic disposition on,

That you, at such times seeing me, never shall,
With arms encumber'd thus, or this head-shake,
Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,

As Well, well, we know, or We could, an if we would,
Or If we list to speak, or There be, an if they might,
Or such ambiguous giving out, to note

That you know aught of me: this not to do,
So grace and mercy at your most need help you,

Swear.

GHOST. [Beneath] Swear.

HAM. Rest, rest, perturbed spirit! [They swear.]

So, gentlemen,

With all my love I do commend me to you:

And what so poor a man as Hamlet is

May do, to express his love and friending to you,
God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together;
And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.
The time is out of joint: O cursed spite,
That ever I was born to set it right!
Nay, come, let's go together.

[Exeunt.

ACT THE SECOND.

SCENE I.

A room in POLONIUS' house.

Enter POLONIUS and REYNALDO.

POL. Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo.

POL. Marry, well said; very well said. Look

you, sir,

Inquire me first what Danskers are in Paris;

And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,

What company, at what expense; and finding
By this encompassment and drift of question
That they do know my son, come you more nearer
Than 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, Reynaldo?
REY. Ay, very well, my lord.

POL. And in part him; but, you may say, not well: But, if't be he I mean, he's very wild;

Addicted so and so and there put on him
What forgeries you please; marry, none so rank
As may dishonour him; take heed of that;
But, sir, such wanton, wild and usual slips
As are companions noted and most known
To youth and liberty.

REY.

As gaming, my lord.

POL. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quar

relling,

Drabbing: you may go so far.

REY. My lord, that would dishonour him.

POL. 'Faith, no; as you may season it in the charge.

You must not put another scandal on him,

That he is open to incontinency;

That's not my meaning: but breathe his faults so

quaintly

That they may seem the taints of liberty,

The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind,

A savageness in unreclaimed blood,

Of general assault.

REY.

But, my good lord,—

POL. Wherefore should you do this?

REY.

I would know that.

POL.

Ay, my lord,

Marry, sir, here's my drift;

And, I believe, it is a fetch of wit:

You laying these slight sullies on my son,
As 'twere a thing a little soil'd i' the working,

Mark you,

Your party in converse, him you would sound,
Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes
The youth you breathe of guilty, be assured
He closes with you in this consequence;
Good sir, or so, or friend, or gentleman,
According, to the phrase or the addition
Of man and country.

REY.

Very good, my lord.

POL. And then, sir, does he this-he doeswhat was I about to say? By the mass, I was about to say something: where did I leave?

REY. At closes in the consequence, at friend or so, and gentleman.

POL. At closes in the consequence, ay, marry;

He closes thus: I know the gentleman;

I

saw him yesterday, or ť other day,

Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as you say,

There was a' gaming; there o'ertook in's rouse ;
There falling out at tennis: or perchance,

I

saw him enter such a house of sale,

Videlicet, a brothel, or so forth.

See you now;

Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth:

And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
With windlasses and with assays of bias,
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.

God be wi' you; fare you well.

REY. Good my lord!

POL. Observe his inclination in yourself.

REY. I shall, my lord.

POL. And let him ply his music.

REY.

POL. Farewell!

Enter OPHELIA.

Well, my lord.

[Exit REYNALDO.

How now, Ophelia ! what's the matter? ОDн. О, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!

POL. With what, i' the name of God?

OPн. My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced; 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 so piteous in purport

As if he had been loosed out of hell

To speak of horrors, he comes before me.
POL. Mad for thy love?

ОРН.

But truly, I do fear it.

POL.

My lord, I do not know;

What said he?