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Oph. My Lord, I do not know: but truly I do fear it. Pol. What faid he ?*

Oph. He took me by the wrift.

Then goes he to the length of all his Arm;
And with his other Hand, thus o'er his brow,
He falls to fuch perufal of my Face,

As he would draw it. Long ftaid he fo;
At laft, a little fhaking of my Arm,

And thrice his Head thus waving up and down,
He rais'd a Sigh, fo hideous and profound,
That it did feem to fhatter all his Bulk,
And end his Being. That done, he lets me go,
And with his Head over his Shoulders turn'd,
He feem'd to find his way without his Eyes,
For out adoors he went without their help,
And to the laft, bended their light on me.
Pol. Come, go with me, I will go feck the King,
This is the very Extafie of Love,
Whofe violent Property foredoes it felf,
And leads the Will to defperate Undertakings,
As oft as any Paffion under Heaven,

That do's affli& our Natures. I am forry;
What, have you given him any hard Words of late?
Oph. No, my good Lord; but as you did command
I did repel his Letters, and deny'd

His Accefs to me.

Pol. That hath made him mad.

I am forry that with better Speed and Judgment
I had not quoted him. I fear'd he did but trifle,
And meant to wrack thee; but befhrew my Jealoufie;
It feems it is as proper to our Age,

To caft beyond our felves 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 close, might move More Grief to hide, than hate to utter Love.

[Exeunt.

SCENE

SCENE II. The Palace.

Enter King, Queen, Rofeneraus, Guildenftern, Lords and other Attendants.

King. Welcome dear Rofeneraus and Guildenstern,
Moreover, that we much did long to fee you,
The need we have to ufe you, did provoke
Our hafty fending. Something have you heard
Of Hamlet's Transformation; fo I call it,
Since not th' exterior, nor the inward Man
Resembles that it was. What it fhould be
More than his Father's Death, that thus hath put him
So much from th' understanding of himself,
I cannot deem of. I intreat you both,

That being of fo young Days brought up with him,
And fince fo neighbour'd to his Youth, and Humour,
That you vouchfafe 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 ought, 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 please you

To fhew us fo much gentry and good will,

As to expend your time with us a while,
For the fupply and profit of our hope,
Your Vifitation fhall receive fuch Thanks,
As fits a King's remembrance.

Rof. Both your Majesties

Might by the Sovereign Power you have of us,
Put your dread Pleafures, more into Command
Than to Entreaty.

Guil. But we both obey,

And here give up our felves, in the full bent,
To lay our Service freely at your Feet,
To be commanded.

King. Thanks, Rofeneraus, and gentle Guildenstern,
Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern, and gentle Rofeneraus;
And I beseech you inftantly to vifit

VOL. V.

Y

My

My too much changed Son. Go fome of ye,
And bring the 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.

Pol. The Ambaffadors from Norway, my good Lord,
Are joyfully return'd.

King. Thou ftill 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 Soul,

Both to my God, and to my gracious King;
And I do think, or elfe this Brain of mine
Hunts not the trail of Policy, fo fure
As I have us'd to do, that I have found
The very cause of Hamlet's Lunacy.

King. O fpeak of that, that I do long to hear.
Pol. Give firft admittance to th' Ambaffadors,
My News fhall be the News to that great Feaft.
King. Thy felf do Grace to them, and bring them in. [Ex. Pol.
He tells me, my fweet Queen, that he hath found
The head and fource of all your Son's Distemper.
Queen. I doubt it is no other, but the main,
His Father's Death, and our o'er-hafty Marriage.

Enter Polonius, Voltimand, and Cornelius. King. Well, we shall fift him. Welcome, good Friends! 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 Polak: But better look'd into, he truly found It was against your Highness. Whereat grieved," That fo his Sicknefs, Age, and Impotence Was falfely born in Hand, fends out Arrests 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

L

And his Commiffion to imploy thofe Soldiers
So levied as before, against the Polak:
With an intreaty herein further fhewn,
That it might pleafe you to give quiet pafs
Through your Dominions for his Enterprize.
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,
Anfwer, and think upon this Bufinefs.

Mean time we thank you, for your well-look'd labour.
Go to your reft, at Night we'll feaft together.

Moft welcome home.

Pol. This Bufinefs is very well ended. My Liege and Madam, to expoftulate What Majesty should be, what Duty is,

[Exit Ambaf.

Why Day is Day, Night, Night, and Time is Time,
Were nothing but to wafte Night, Day, and Time.
Therefore, fince Brevity is the Soul of Wit,
And Tediousness the Limbs and outward Flourishes,
I will be brief; your noble Son is mad.
Mad call I it; for to define true Madness,
What is't, but to be nothing elfe but mad.
But let that go.

Queen. More Matter, with lefs Art.

Pol. Madam, I fwear I ufe no Art at all;
That he is mad 'tis true; 'tis true, 'tis pity,
And pity, it is 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 Caufe of this Effect,
Or rather fay, the Caufe of this Defect;
For this effect defective, comes by caufe,
Thus it remains, and the remainder thus---Perpend---
I have a Daughter; have, whilft fhe is mine,
Who in her Duty and Obedience, mark,
Hath given me this; now gather, and furmise.
He opens a Letter, and reads.

To the Celestial, and my Soul's Idol, the most beautified Ophelia.

That's an ill Phrase, a vile Phrafe, beautified is a vile

Y 2

Phrase:

Phrafe; but you fhall hear-Thefe to her excellent white Bofom, the fe

Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her?

Pol. Good Madam ftay a while, 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.

[Reading.

O dear Ophelia, I am ill at thefe Numbers; I have not Art to reckon my Groans; but that I love thee best, oh most Beft, believe it.

Adieu.

Thine evermore, most dear Lady, whilst this
Machine is to him, Hamlet.

This in Obedience hath my Daughter fhew'd me :
And more above, hath his follicitings,

As they fell out by time, by means, and place,
All given to mine Ear.

King. But how hath the receiv'd his Love?
Pol. What do you think of me?

King. As of a Man, faithful and honourable.

Pol. I would fain prove fo. But what might you think? When I had feen his hot Love on the Wing,

As I perceived it, I muft 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 given my Heart a winking, mute and dumb,
Or look'd upon this love, with idle fight,
What might you think? No, I went round to work,
And my young Miftrefs thus I did befpeak;
Lord Hamlet is a Prince out of thy Sphere,
This must not be; And then, I Precepts gave her,
That the fhould lock her felf from his Refort,
Admit no Messengers, receive no Tokens:
Which done, fhe took the fruits of my Advice,
And he repulfed, a fhort Tale to make,
Fell into a Sadness, then into a Fast,
Thence to a Watch, thence into a Weakness,
Thence to a Lighthefs, and by this declenfion
Into the Madness wherein now he raves,
And all we wail for.

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