You, as your business and desire shall point you,
For every man hath business and desire,

Such as it is; and for mine own poor part,

Look you,

I'll

go pray.

Hor. These are but wild and whirling words, my
Ham. I'm sorry they offend you, heartily;
Yes, faith, heartily.

Hor.

There's no offence, my lord.

lord.

Ham. Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio,
And much offence too. Touching this vision here,
It is an honest ghost, that let me tell you:

For your desire to know what is between us,
O'ermaster 't as you may. And now, good friends,
As you are friends, scholars, and soldiers,

Give me one poor request.

Hor. What is't, my lord? we will.

Ham. Never make known what you have seen to-night.
Hor. Mar. My lord, we will not.

Ham.

Hor.

My lord, not I.

Mar.

Nay, but swear 't.

In faith,

Nor I, my lord, in faith.

We've sworn, my lord, already.

Ham. Upon my sword.

Mar.

Ham. Indeed, upon my sword, indeed.

Ghost. [beneath] Swear.

Ham. Ah, ha, boy! say'st thou so? art thou there, true

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! canst work i' th' 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 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 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! So, gentlemen,

With all my love I do commend me to you:

And what so poor a man as Hamlet is

May do t' 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 II.

SCENE I. Elsinore. A room in POLONIUS' house.

Enter POLONIUS and REYNALDO.

Pol. Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo. Rey. I will, my lord.

Pol. You shall do marvell's wisely, good Reynaldo, Before you visit him, to make inquiry

Of his behaviour.

Pol. Marry, well said; very well said. Look 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, 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 unreclaimèd blood,

Of general assault.

Pol.

Marry, sir, here's my drift;
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 convérse, him you would sound,
Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes
The youth you breathe of guilty, be assur'd
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.

he does

Pol. And then, sir, does he this,
What 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 with you thus; "I know the gentleman;

I saw him yesterday, or t'other day,

Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as you say, There was he gaming; there o'vertook in's rouse;

There falling out at tennis:" or perchance,

"I saw him enter such a house of sale,"

Videlicet, a brothel,

See you now;

or so forth.

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.

Rey. Good my lord!

God b' wi' you! fare you

well.

Pol. Observe his inclination in yourself.

Rey. I shall, my lord.

Pol. And let him ply his music.

Rey.

Well, my lord.

Pol. Farewell!

[Exit Reynaldo.

Enter OPHELIA.

How now,

Ophelia! what's the matter?

Oph. Alas, my lord, I have been so affrighted!"
Pol. With what, i' the name of God?

Oph. My lord, as I was sewing in my chamber,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd;

No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,

Ungarter'd, and down-gyvèd to his ancle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look so piteous in purpórt

As if he had been loosed out of hell

To speak of horrors,

he comes before me.

Oph. He took me by the wrist, and held me hard; Then goes he to the length of all his arm;

And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow,

He falls to such perusal of my face

As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so;
At last, a little shaking of mine arm,

And thrice his head thus waving up and down,
He rais'd a sigh so piteous and profound,
That it did seem to shatter all his bulk,