SCENE III.

i The Palace,

m

1 Enter King, Queen, Rofencraus, Guildenftern, Lords, and

other Attendants.

King. Welcome, dear Rofencraus, 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 P not th' exterior, nor the inward man
Refembles that it was; what it should be

More than his father's death, that thus hath put him
So much from th' understanding of himself,

I cannot dream of. I entreat you both

That being of fo young days brought up with him,
And fith so neighbour'd to his youth and haviour,
That you vouchsafe your reft here in our court
Some little time; fo by your companies

To draw him on to pleafures, and to gather
So much as from occafion you may glean,

t

Whether aught to us unknown afflicts him thus, That open'd lies within our remedy.

Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd of you;

W

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,

x

As to expend your time with us a while,

For the fupply and profit of our hope,

Your vifitation y fhall receive fuch thanks,
As fits a king's remembrance.

Ref. Both your majesties

Might, by the fovereign power you have of us,
Put your dread pleafures more into command
Than to entreaty.

Guil. But we both obey,

And here give up ourselves, in the full bent,
To lay our fervice freely at your feet,

To be commanded,

King. Thanks, Rofencraus and gentle Guildenflern. Queen. Thanks, Guildenflern and gentle Rofeneraus. And I beseech you, instantly to vifit

My too much changed fon. Go, fome of ye,

And bring thefe gentlemen where Hamlet is.

Guil. Heavens make our prefence and our practices Pleafant and helpful to him!

[Exeunt.

Pol. Th' 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? I affure 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 it hath us'd to do) that I have found
The very caufe of Hamlet's lunacy.

k

King. O speak of that, that I do long to hear.
Pol. Give firft admittance to th' ambaffadors;

* My news shall be the fruit to that great feast,
King. Thyfelf do grace to them, and bring them in,
"Exit Polonius

He tells me, my dear Gertrude, he hath found The head and source of all your

fon's diftemper.

• The ift and 2d qu's read, I Amen. All the other editions, except C, read Amen only.

f So the qu's. The fo's and the reft read, Affure you, my good liege.

The fo's read, Bath to my God, one

to my gracious king.

editions after, read, As I bave us’d to de, k The fo's and R. read, My news fball be the news, &c.

17. of for to.

m This direction firft inferted by R. n So the 1st and 3d qu's and C. The 2d q. reads, He tells me my decree: Ger

h The 3d and 4th fo's read, fo be fure, trade, &c. The fo's, and all the other

&c.

editions, read, He tells me, my sweet

i So the qu's and C. The fo's, and all queen, that be bath found, &c.

Queen.

Queen. I doubt it is no other but the main, His father's death, and our hafty marriage.

SCENE IV.

P Enter Polonius, Voltimand, and Cornelius.

King. Well, we fhall fift him. --- Welcome, 9 my good

friends!

Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway?

Volt, Moft fair return of greetings and defires.
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
It was against your highness; whereat griev'd,
That fo his fickness, age, and impotence
Was falfely borne in hand, fends out arrefts
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 majesty.
Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,
Gives him threefcore thousand crowns in annual fee,
And his commiffion to employ those soldiers,
So levied (as before) against the Polack;
With an entreaty, herein further shown,
That it might pleafe you to give quiet pafs

• The fo's, and all after, read, and our o'er-hafty marriage.

? Qu's, Enter Embassadors.

The fo's and R, omit my.

The fo's, R. P. H. W. and C. read three thousand crowns.

• Firk and 2d qu's, fhone.

Through

Through your dominions for this enterprize,
On fuch regards of fafety and allowance,
As therein are fet down.

King. It likes us well;

And at our more confider'd time we'll read,

W

Anfwer, and think upon this bufinefs.

Mean time, we thank you for your * well-took labour.
Go to your reft; at night we'll feaft together.

Moft welcome home!

Pol. This bufinefs is well ended,

My liege and madam, to expoftulate
What majesty should be, what duty is,

[Ex. Vol. and Cor.

Why day is day, night night, and time is time,
Were nothing but to wafte night, day, and time,
Therefore, fince brevity is the foul of wit,

And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief: your noble fon is mad;
Mad call I it; for, to define true madness,
What is 't, but to be nothing else 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 'tis, 'tis true. A foolish figure,

But farewel it; for I will ufe no art.

Mad let us grant him then; and now remains