Mar.

Nor I, my lord, in faith.

Ham. Upon my sword.

Mar.

We have sworn, my lord, already.

Ham. In deed, upon my sword, in deed.
Ghost. [beneath.] Swear.

Ham. Ha, ha, boy! say'st thou so? art thou
there, truepenny?

Come on, you hear this fellow in the cellar

age,

Consent to swear.

Hor.

Propose the oath, my lord.

Ham. Never to speak of this that you have

seen,

Swear by my sword.

Ghost. [beneath.] Swear.

Ham. Hic et ubique? then we'll shift our ground :

:

Come hither, gentlemen,

And lay your hands again upon my sword:
Never to speak of this that you have heard,
Swear by my sword.

Ghost. [beneath.] Swear.

Ham. Well said, old mole! can'st work i' the ground so fast?

A worthy pioneer!-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 our 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 there

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 cursèd spite !

That ever I was born to set it right!—
Nay, come, let's go together.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE I.-A Room in Polonius's House.

Enter POLONIUS and REYNALDO.

Polonius.

IVE him this money, and these notes,

G Reynaldo.

Rey. I will, my lord.

Pol. You shall do marvellous wisely, good Reynaldo,

Before you visit him, to make inquiry

Of his behaviour.

Rey.

My lord, I did intend it.

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, Rey-

naldo?

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

VOL. XI.

3

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, quarrelling,

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.

And, I believe, it is a fetch of warrant :
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 and the addition,
Of man, and country.

Tey.

Very good, my lord.

Pol. And then, sir, does he this,—he does— What was I about to say?

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 with you thus:-I know the gentle

man;

I saw him yesterday, or t'other day,

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

say,

There was he gaming; there o'ertook in his rouse ; There falling out at tennis; or, perchance,

I saw him enter such a house of sale,(Videlicit, 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 windlaces, and with essays 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!

Well, my lord.

[Exit REYNALDO.

Enter OPHELIA.

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