That we find out the cause of this effect, I have a daughter, have while she is mine; Hath given me this: now, gather, and surmise. 105 To the celestial, and my soul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia.- In her excellent white bosom, these, &c.— Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her ? Polonius. Good madam, stay awhile; I will be faithful. Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar ; But never doubt I love. 115 O dear Ophelia ! I am ill at these numbers: I have not art to reckon my groans; but that I love thee best, O most 120 best! believe it. Adieu. Thine evermore, most dear lady, whilst this machine This in obedience hath my daughter shown me; As they fell out by time, by means, and place, King. Receiv'd his love? Polonius. But how hath she What do you think of me? HAMLET. 125 130 But what might you King. As of a man faithful and honourable. Before my daughter told me,-what might you, 135 Or given my heart a winking, mute and dumb, Or look'd upon this love with idle sight; What might you think? No, I went round to work, And my young mistress thus I did bespeak : 'Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of thy star; 140 This must not be and then I precepts gave her, And all we wail for. King. Do you think 'tis this? Queen. It may be, very likely. 145 150 Polonius. Hath there been such a time,-I'd fain know that, That I have positively said, ''Tis so,' When it prov'd otherwise? King. Not that I know. Polonius. Take this from this, if this be otherwise : 155 [Pointing to his head and shoulder. If circumstances lead me, I will find Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed Queen. So he does indeed. 160 Polonius. At such a time I'll loose my daughter to him ; Be you and I behind an arras then; Mark the encounter; if he love her not, But keep a farm, and carters. King. We will try it. 165 Queen. But look, where sadly the poor wretch comes reading. Polonius. Away! I do beseech you, both away. I'll board him presently. [Exeunt KING, QUEEN, and Attendants. Enter HAMLET, reading. O! give me leave. How does my good Lord Hamlet ? 170 Polonius. Do you know me, my lord? Hamlet. Excellent well; you are a fishmonger. 175 Hamlet. Then I would you were so honest a man. Hamlet. Ay, sir; to be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand. Polonius. That's very true, my lord. Hamlet. For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion,-Have you a daughter? Polonius. I have, my lord. Hamlet. Let her not walk i' the sun conception is a blessing; but not as your daughter may conceive. Friend, look to't. 180 185 Polonius. [Aside.] How say you by that? Still harping 190 on my daughter: yet he knew me not at first; he said I was a fishmonger he is far gone, far gone: and truly in my youth I suffered much extremity for love; very near this. I'll speak to him again. What do you read, my 195 lord ? Hamlet. Words, words, words. Polonius. What is the matter, my lord? Hamlet. Between who ? Polonius. I mean the matter that you read, my lord. 200 Hamlet. Slanders, sir: for the satirical rogue says here that old men have grey beards, that their faces are wrinkled, their eyes purging thick amber and plum-tree gum, and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with 205 most weak hams: all which, sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down; for you yourself, sir, should be old as I am, if, like a crab, you could go backward. Polonius. [Aside.] Though this be madness, yet there is method in't. Will you walk out of the air, my lord? Hamlet. Into my grave? 210 Polonius. Indeed, that is out o' the air. [Aside.] How 215 pregnant sometimes his replies are! a happiness that often madness hits on, which reason and sanity could not so prosperously be delivered of. I will leave him, and suddenly contrive the means of meeting between him and 220 my daughter. My honourable lord, I will most humbly take my leave of you. Hamlet. You cannot, sir, take from me any thing that I will more willingly part withal; except my life, except 225 my life, except my life. Polonius. Fare you well, my lord. [Going. Hamlet. These tedious old fools! Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Polonius. You go to seek the Lord Hamlet; there he is. Rosencrantz. [To POLONIUS.] God save you, sir! Guildenstern. Mine honoured lord! Rosencrantz. My most dear lord! [Exit POLONIUS. 230 Hamlet. My excellent good friends! How dost thou, Guildenstern? Ah, Rosencrantz! Good lads, how do ye both? Rosencrantz. As the indifferent children of the earth. 235 Guildenstern. Happy in that we are not over happy; On Fortune's cap we are not the very button. Hamlet. Nor the soles of her shoe? Rosencrantz. Neither, my lord Hamlet. What news? Rosencrantz. None, my lord, but that the world's 245 grown honest. Hamlet. Then is doomsday near; but your news is not true. Let me question more in particular: what have you, my good friends, deserved at the hands of Fortune, that she sends you to prison hither ? Guildenstern. Prison, my lord! Hamlet. Denmark's a prison. Rosencrantz. Then is the world one. Hamlet. A goodly one; in which there are many confines, wards, and dungeons, Denmark being one o' the worst. Rosencrantz. We think not so, my lord. 250 255 Hamlet. Why, then, 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so to 260 me it is a prison. Rosencrantz. Why, then your ambition makes it one; 'tis too narrow for your mind. Hamlet. O God! I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that 265 I have bad dreams. Guildenstern. Which dreams, indeed, are ambition, for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream. Hamlet. A dream itself is but a shadow. Rosencrantz. Truly, and I hold ambition of so airy and light a quality that it is but a shadow's shadow. 270 Hamlet. Then are our beggars bodies, and our monarchs and outstretched heroes the beggars' shadows. 275 Shall we to the court? for, by my fay, I cannot reason. Rosencrantz. Guildenste. We'll wait upon you. Hamlet. No such matter; I will not sort you with the 280 rest of my servants, for, to speak to you like an honest man, I am most dreadfully attended. But, in the beaten way of friendship, what make you at Elsinore ? Rosencrantz. To visit you, my lord d; no other occasion. 285 Hamlet. Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks ; but I thank you and sure, dear friends, my thanks are too dear a halfpenny. Were you not sent for? Is it your own inclining? Is it a free visitation? Come, come, deal 290 justly with me: come, come; nay, speak. Guildenstern. What should we say, my lord? Hamlet. Why anything, but to the purpose. You were sent for; and there is a kind of confession in your looks 295 which your modesties have not craft enough to colour : I know the good king and queen have sent for you. Rosencrantz. To what end, my lord? Hamlet. That you must teach me. But let me conjure 300 you, by the rights of our fellowship, by the consonancy of our youth, by the obligation of our ever-preserved love, and by what more dear a better proposer could charge you withal, be even and direct with me, whether you were sent 305 for or no! Rosencrantz. [Aside to GUILDENSTERN.] What say you? Hamlet. [Aside.] Nay, then, I have an eye of you. If you love me, hold not off. 310 Guildenstern. My lord, we were sent for. Hamlet. I will tell you why; so shall my anticipation prevent your discovery, and your secrecy to the king and queen moult no feather. I have of late, but wherefore I know not,-lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of 315 exercises; and indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical 320 |