Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Hamlet (1623 First Folio Edition)
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Scene i
888: Actus Secundus.
889: [ Enter Polonius, and Reynoldo.]
890:
Polon.
Giue him his money, and these notes Reynoldo.
891:
Reynol.
I will my Lord.
892:
Polon.
You shall doe maruels wisely: good Reynoldo,
893: Before you visite him you make inquiry
894: Of his behauiour.
895:
Reynol.
My Lord, I did intend it.
896:
Polon.
Marry, well said;
897: Very well said. Looke you Sir,
898: Enquire me first what Danskers are in Paris;
899: And how, and who; what meanes; and where they keepe:
900: What company, at what expence: and finding
901: By this encompassement and drift of question,
902: That they doe know my sonne: Come you more neerer
903: Then your particular demands will touch it,
904: Take you as 'twere some distant knowledge of him,
905: And thus I know his father and his friends,
906: And in part him. Doe you marke this Reynoldo?
907:
Reynol.
I, very well my Lord.
908:
Polon.
And in part him, but you may say not well;
909: But if't be hee I meane, hees very wilde;
910: Addicted so and so; and there put on him
911: What forgeries you please; marry, none so ranke,
912: As may dishonour him; take heed of that:
913: But Sir, such wanton, wild, and vsuall slips,
914: As are Companions noted and most knowne
915: To youth and liberty.
916:
Reynol.
As gaming my Lord.
917:
Polon.
I, or drinking, fencing, swearing,
918: Quarelling, drabbing. You may goe so farre.
919:
Reynol.
My Lord that would dishonour him.
920:
Polon.
Faith no, as you may season it in the charge;
921: You must not put another scandall on him,
922: That hee is open to Incontinencie;
923: That's not my meaning: but breath his faults so quaintly,
924: That they may seeme the taints of liberty;
925: The flash and out-breake of a fiery minde,
926: A sauagenes in vnreclaim'd bloud of generall assault.
927:
Reynol.
But my good Lord.
928:
Polon.
Wherefore should you doe this?
929:
Reynol.
I my Lord, I would know that.
930:
Polon.
Marry Sir, heere's my drift,
931: And I belieue it is a fetch of warrant:
932: You laying these slight sulleyes on my Sonne,
933: As 'twere a thing a little soil'd i'th' working:
934: Marke you your party in conuerse; him you would sound,
935: Hauing euer seene. In the prenominate crimes,
936: The youth you breath of guilty, be assur'd
937: He closes with you in this consequence:
938: Good sir, or so, or friend, or Gentleman.
939: According to the Phrase and the Addition,
940: Of man and Country.
941:
Reynol.
Very good my Lord.
942:
Polon.
And then Sir does he this?
943: He does: what was I about to say?
944: I was about say somthing: where did I leaue?
945:
Reynol.
At closes in the consequence:
946: At friend, or so, and Gentleman.
947:
Polon.
At closes in the consequence, I marry,
948: He closes with you thus. I know the Gentleman,
949: I saw him yesterday, or tother day;
950: Or then or then, with such and such; and as you say,
951: There was he gaming, there o'retooke in's Rouse,
952: There falling out at Tennis; or perchance,
953: I saw him enter such a house of saile;
954: Videlicet, a Brothell, or so forth. See you now;
955: Your bait of falshood, takes this Cape of truth;
956: And thus doe we of wisedome and of reach
957: With windlesses, and with assaies of Bias,
958: By indirections finde directions out:
959: So by my former Lecture and aduice
960: Shall you my Sonne; you haue me, haue you not?
961:
Reynol.
My Lord I haue.
962:
Polon.
God buy you; fare you well.
963:
Reynol.
Good my Lord.
964:
Polon.
Obserue his inclination in your selfe.
965:
Reynol.
I shall my Lord.
966:
Polon.
And let him plye his Musicke.
967:
Reynol
Well, my Lord. [ Exit.]
968: [ Enter Ophelia.]
969:
Polon.
Farewell:
970: How now Ophelia, what's the matter?
971:
Ophe.
Alas my Lord, I haue beene so affrighted.
972:
Polon.
With what, in the name of Heauen?
973:
Ophe.
My Lord, as I was sowing in my Chamber,
974: Lord Hamlet with his doublet all vnbrac'd,
975: No hat vpon his head, his stockings foul'd,
976: Vngartred, and downe giued to his Anckle,
977: Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other,
978: And with a looke so pitious in purport,
979: As if he had been loosed out of hell,
980: To speake of horrors: he comes before me.
981:
Polon.
Mad for thy Loue?
982:
Ophe.
My Lord, I doe not know: but truly I do feare it.
983:
Polon.
What said he?
984:
Ophe.
He tooke me by the wrist, and held me hard;
985: Then goes he to the length of all his arme;
986: And with his other hand thus o're his brow,
987: He fals to such perusall of my face,
988: As he would draw it. Long staid he so,
989: At last, a little shaking of mine Arme:
990: And thrice his head thus wauing vp and downe;
991: He rais'd a sigh, so pittious and profound,
992: That it did seeme to shatter all his bulke,
993: And end his being. That done, he lets me goe,
994: And with his head ouer his shoulders turn'd,
995: He seem'd to finde his way without his eyes,
996: For out a dores he went without their helpe;
997: And to the last, bended their light on me.
998:
Polon.
Goe with me, I will goe seeke the King,
999: This is the very extasie of Loue,
1000: Whose violent property foredoes it selfe,
1001: And leads the will to desperate Vndertakings,
1002: As oft as any passion vnder Heauen,
1003: That does afflict our Natures. I am sorrie,
1004: What haue you giuen him any hard words of late?
1005:
Ophe.
No my good Lord: but as you did command,
1006: I did repell his Letters, and deny'de
1007: His accesse to me.
1008:
Pol.
That hath made him mad.
1009: I am sorrie that with better speed and iudgement
1010: I had not quoted him. I feare he did but trifle,
1011: And meant to wracke thee: but beshrew my iealousie:
1012: It seemes it is as proper to our Age,
1013: To cast beyond our selues in our Opinions,
1014: As it is common for the yonger sort
1015: To lacke discretion. Come, go we to the King,
1016: This must be knowne, being kept close might moue
1017: More greefe to hide, then hate to vtter loue. [ Exeunt.]