Pol. And let him ply his music. Rey. Well, my lord. [Exit. Enter OPHELIA. Pol. Farewell!- How now, Ophelia? what's the matter? Oph. Alas, my lord! I have been so affrighted! Oph. My lord, as I was sewing in my chamber, Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other; As if he had been loosed out of hell, To speak of horrors, he comes before me. Pol. Mad for thy love? Oph. But, truly, I do fear it. Pol. My lord, I do not know; What said he? 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,- 10 Alas, my lord!] The quartos, "O my lord, my lord," and in the next line but one, closet for "chamber:" the quarto, 1603, has not the passage, but begins "O, my dear father! such a change in nature." Pol. Come, go with me': I will go seek the king. This is the very ecstasy of love; Whose violent property fordoes itself, And leads the will to desperate undertakings, That does afflict our natures. I am sorry, What! have you given him any hard words of late? Oph. No, my good lord; but, as you did command, I did repel his letters, and denied His access to me. Pol. That hath made him mad. I am sorry that with better heed and judgment To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions, To lack discretion. Come, go we to the king: This must be known; which, being kept close, might move More grief to hide, than hate to utter love. [Exeunt. SCENE II. A Room in the Castle. Enter King, Queen, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and Attendants. King. Welcome, dear Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern: 1 COME, go with me:] The folio omits "Come," and in this part of the scene it is ill printed: for instance, in the next speech of Polonius, it has speed for "heed," and fear for " fear'd." 2 I had not QUOTED him :] i. e. noted or observed him. See Vol. iv. p. 74. Vol. vi. pp. 106, 393. 3 By heaven,] The Master of the Revels seems to have been especially scrupulous, and in the folio we find "It seems" substituted for " By heaven." 4 than hate to utter love.] After this couplet the quartos, 1604, &c. add "Come." Moreover, that we much did long to see you, Sith nor th' exterior nor the inward man I cannot dream of: I entreat you both, That, being of so young days brought up with him, Some little time; so by your companies To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather, Whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus, Queen. Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd of you; And, sure I am, two men there are not living, To whom he more adheres. If it will please you As to expend your time with us a while, Ros. Put Both your majesties Might, by the sovereign power you have of us, your dread pleasures more into command Than to entreaty. Guil. But we both obey'; 'I cannot DREAM of:] So the quartos, 1604, &c. The folio has deem for "dream." In the next line but one, the folio has "humour" for haviour of the quartos. "Humour seems preferable. " • Whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus.] This line, absolutely necessary to the sense, and found in all the quartos subsequent to that of 1603, is omitted in the folio. 7 BUT we both obey-] "But," necessary to complete the preceding hemi And here give up ourselves, in the full bent, To be commanded. King. Thanks, Rosencrantz, and gentle Guildenstern. Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern, and gentle Rosen crantz : And I beseech you instantly to visit My too much changed son.-Go, some of you, And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is. Guil. Heavens make our presence, and our practices, Pleasant and helpful to him! Queen. Ay, amens! [Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and some Attendants. Enter POLONIUS. Pol. Th' ambassadors from Norway, my good lord, Are joyfully return'd. King. Thou still hast been the father of good news. Pol. Have I, my lord? Assure you, my good liege, I hold my duty, as I hold my soul, Both to my God, one to my gracious king": And I do think, (or else this brain of mine Hunts not the trail of policy so sure As it hath us'd to do) that I have found King. O! speak of that; that do I long to hear. My news shall be the fruit to that great feast'. stich, is only in the quartos. In the next line but one, the folio, to the injury of the metre, reads serrices for "service." 8 Ay, amen!] The folio omits " Ay," obviously required for the line. 9 ONE to my gracious king:] The folio prints one for "and" of the quartos, and probably rightly. 1 AS IT HATH Us'd to do,] So the quartos, 1604, &c. properly: the folio, “ As I have us'd to do." 2- the FRUIT to that great feast.] The folios, by a printer's error, "My news shall be the news to that great feast." King. Thyself 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 son's distemper. Queen. I doubt, it is no other but the main ; His father's death, and our o'erhasty marriage'. Re-enter POLONIUS, with VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS. King. Well, we shall sift him.-Welcome, my good friends. Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway? It was against your highness: whereat griev'd,- [Giving a Paper. That it might please you to give quiet pass King. 3 my dear Gertrude,] The folios, "my sweet queen, that." 4 — our O'ERHASTY marriage.] The quartos have only "our hasty marriage.” |