Queen. I doubt it is no other but the main;

His father's death and our o'erhasty marriage. King. Well, we shall sift him.

Re-enter Polonius, with Voltimand and Cornelius.

Welcome, my good friends!

Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Nor

way?

Volt. Most fair return of greetings and desires. 60
Upon our first, he sent out to suppress
His nephew's levies, which to him appear'd
To be a preparation 'gainst the Polack,
But better look'd into, he truly found

70

It was against your highness: whereat grieved,
That so his sickness, age and impotence
Was falsely borne in hand, sends 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 the assay of arms against your majesty.
Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,
Gives him three thousand crowns in annual fee
And his commission to employ those soldiers,
So levied as before, against the Polack:
With an entreaty, herein further shown,

[Giving a paper.
That it might please you to give quiet pass
Through your dominions for this enterprise,
On such regards of safety and allowance
As therein are set down.

61. “Upon our first”; on our first application.-C. H. H.
73. “three”; so Q. 1 and Ff.; Qq. read "threescore.”—I. G.

www

King.

Pol.

And at our more consider'd time we 'll read,
Answer, and think upon this business.
'Meantime we thank you for your well-took
labor:

Go to your rest; at night we'll feast together:
Most welcome home!

[Exeunt Voltimand and Cornelius.

This business is well ended.

My liege, and madam, to expostulate
What majesty should be, what duty is,
Why day is day, night night, and time is time,
Were nothing but to waste night, day and time.
Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit
And tediousness the limbs and outward flour-
ishes,

I will be brief. Your noble son is mad:
Mad call I it; for, to define true madness,
What is 't but to be nothin g else but mad?
But let that go.

Queen.

More matter, with less art.

Pol. Madam, I swear I use no art at all.
That he is mad, 'tis true: 'tis true 'tis pity,
And pity 'tis 'tis true: a foolish figure;
But farewell it, for I will use no art.

plain

90

Mad let us grant him then: and now remains 100
That we find out the cause of this effect,
Or rather say, the cause of this defect,
For this effect defective cones by cause:
Thus it remains and the ren ainder thus.
Perpend.

I have a daughter, have while she is mine,

Who in her duty and obedience, mark,
Hath given me this: now gather and surmise.

[Reads. The letter

"To the celestial, and my soul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia,'

That's an ill phrase, a vile phrase; 'beautified' is a vile phrase; but you shall hear. Thus:

'In her excellent white bosom, these,' &c. Queen. Came this from Hamlet to her?

110

[Reads.

Pol. Good madam, stay awhile; I will be faith

ful.

'Doubt thou the stars are fire;

Doubt that the sun doth move;

Doubt truth to be a liar;

But never doubt I love.

[Reads.

120

'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 best, believe it. Adieu. "Thine evermore, most dear lady, whilst this machine is to him, HAMLET.' This in obedience hath my daughter shown me; 108. "Hath given me this." We must suppose Hamlet's letter to have been one of those received by Ophelia before she was required to "repel" them (i. 3. 122); written, therefore, before the opening of the play, and unaffected by Hamlet's feigned eccentricity. -C. H. H.

110. "beautified" is not uncommon in dedications and encomiastic verses of the Poet's age.-H. N. H.

113. The word "these" was usually added at the end of the superscription of letters.-H. N. H.

114. Elizabethan ladies wore a pocket in the fore-part of their stays, to which they consigned their more confidential correspondence. -C. H. H.

And more above, hath his solicitings,

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

King.

But how hath she

Received his love?

Pol.

What do you think of me?

130

King. As of a man faithful and honorable.
Pol. I would fain prove so.

think,

But what might you

When I had seen this hot love on the wing,—
As I perceived it, I must tell you that,
Before my daughter told me,-what might you,
Or my dear majesty 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 sight;
What might you think? No, I went round to
work,

140

And my young mistress thus I did bespeak:
'Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of thy star;
This must not be:' and then I prescripts gave
her,

That she should lock herself from his resort,
Admit no messengers, receive no tokens.
Which done, she took the fruits of my advice;
And he repulsed, a short tale to make,
Fell into a sadness, then into a fast,

Thence to a watch, thence into a weakness,

Thence to a lightness, and by this declension
Into the madness wherein now he raves
And all we mourn for.
King. Do you think this?

62

150

Queen.

It may be, very like.

Pol. Hath there been such a time, I'ld fain know

that,

That I have positively said "tis so,'

When it proved otherwise?

King.

Not that I know.

Pol. [Pointing to his head and shoulder] Take this from this, if this be otherwise:

If circumstances lead me, I will find

Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed 1.60
Within the center.

King.

How may we try it further?

Pol. You know, sometimes he walks four hours to

gether

Here in the lobby.

Queen.

So he does, indeed.

Pol. 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,

And be not from his reason fall'n thereon,
Let me be no assistant for a state,

But keep a farın and carters.

King.

We will try it.

Queen. But look where sadly the poor wretch

comes reading.

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

I'll board him presently.

170

[Exeunt King, Queen, and Attendants.

Enter Hamlet, reading.

O, give me leave: how does my good Lord

Hamlet?