POLONIUS

He hath my Lord: I do beseech you give him leave to go. That hath made him mad. I am sorry that with better speed and judgement I had not quoted him. I fear he did but trifle, And meant to wrack thee: but beshrew my jealousy: It seems it is as proper to our Age, To cast beyond our selves in our Opinions, As it is common for the younger sort To lack discretion. Come, go we to the King, This must be known, w c being kept close might move More grief to hide, then hate to utter love. the Ambassadors from Norwey, my good Lord, Are joyfully returned. 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 Hunt's not the trail of Policy, so sure As I have used to do: that I have found The very cause of Hamlets Lunacy. Give first admittance to the Ambassadors, My News shall be the News to that great Feast. This business is very well ended. My Liege, and Madam, to expostulate What Majesty should be, what Duty is, Why day is day; night, night; and time is time, Were nothing but to waste Night, Day and Time. Therefore, since Brevity is the Soul of Wit, And tediousness, the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief. Your Noble Son 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. Madam I swear I use no Art at all: That he is mad, it's true: It's true it's pity, And pity it is true: A foolish figure, But farewell it: for I will use no Art. Mad let us grant him then: and now remains That we find out the cause of this effect, Or rather say, the cause of this defect; For this effect defective, comes by cause, Thus it remains, and the remainder thus. Perpend, I have a daughter: have, whilst she is mine, Who in her Duty and Obedience, mark, Hath given me this: now gather, and surmise. That's and ill Phrase, a vild Phrase, beautified is a vild Phrase: but you shall hear these in her excellent white bosom, these. Good Madam stay awhile, I will be faithful. Doubt thou, the Stars are fire, Doubt, that the Sun does move: Doubt Truth to be a Liar, But never Doubt, I love. Oh deer Ophelia, I am ill at these Numbers: I have not Art to reckon my groans; but that I love thee best, o most Best be leave it. Adieu. Thine evermore most deer Lady, while this Machine is to him, Hamlet. Doubt thou, the Stars are fire, Doubt, that the Sun does move: Doubt Truth to be a Liar, But never Doubt, I love. Oh deer Ophelia, I am ill at these Numbers: I have not Art to reckon my groans; but that I love thee best, o most Best be leave it. Adieu. This in Obedience hath my daughter showed me: And more above hath his soliciting, As they fell out by Time, by Means, and Place, All given to mine ear. What do you think of me? I would feign prove so. But what might you think? When I had seen this hight love on the wing, As I perceived it, I must tell you that Before my Daughter told me, what might you Or my deer Majesty your Queen here, think, If I had played the Desk or Table-book, Or given my heart a winking, mute and dumb, Or looked upon this Love, with idle sighed, What might you think? No, I went round to work, And (my young Mistress) thus I did bespeak Lord Hamlet is a Prince out of thy Star, This must not be: and then, I Precepts gave her, That she should lock her self from his Resort, Admit no Messengers, receive no Tokens: Which done, she took the Fruits of my Advice, And he repulsed. A short Tale to make, Fell into a Sadness, then into a Fast, Thence to a Watch, thence into a Weakness, Thence to a Lightness, and by this declension Into the Madness whereon now he raves, And all we wail for. Hath there be such a time, I'de fain know that, That I have positively said, it's so, When it proved otherwise? Take this from this; if this be otherwise, If Circumstances lead me, I will find Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed Within the Centre. You know sometime He walks four hours together, here In the Lobby. At such a time I'll lose my Daughter to him, Be you and I behind and Arras then, Mark the encounter: If he love her not, And be not from his reason fallen thereon; Let me be no Assistant for a State, And keep a Farm and Carters. Away I do beseech you, both away, I'll board him presently. O give me leave. How does my good Lord Hamlet? Do you know me, my Lord? Not I my Lord. Honest, my Lord? That's very true, my Lord. I have my Lord. How say you by that? Still harping on my daugh ter: yet he knew me not at first; he said I was a Fishmon her: he is far gone, far gone: and truly in my youth, I suffered much extremity for love: very near this. I'll speak to him again. What do you read my Lord? What is the matter, my Lord? I mean the matter you mean, my Lord. Indeed that is out of the Air: How pregnant (sometime) his Replies are? A happiness, That often Madness hits on, Which Reason and Sanity could not So prosperously be delivered of. I will leave him, And suddenly contrive the means of meeting Between him, and my daughter. My Honourable Lord, I will most humbly Take my leave of you. Well be with you Gentlemen. My Lord, I have News to tell you. The Actors are come hither my Lord. Upon mine Honour. What a Treasure had he, my Lord? Still on my Daughter. Before God, my Lord, well spoken, with good ac cent and good discretion. This is too long. That's good: Inobled Queen is good. Look where he ha not turned his colour, and ha tears in's eyes. Pray you no more. My Lord, I will use them according to their de sart. Come sirs. It's most true: And he beseeched me to entreat your Majesties To hear, and see the matter. Ophelia, walk you here. Gracious so please you We will bestow our selves: Read on this book, That show of such and exercise may colour Your loneliness. We are oft too blame in this, It's too much proved, that with Devotions visage, And pious Actium, we do surge over The devil himself. I hear him coming, let's withdraw my Lord. It shall do well. But yet do I believe The Origin and Commencement of this grief Sprung from neglected love. How now Ophelia? You need not tell us, what Lord Hamlet said, We herd it all. My Lord, do as you please, But if you hold it fit after the Play, Let his Queen Mother all alone entreat him To show his Griefs: let her be round with him, And I'll be placed so, please you in the ear Of all their Conference. If she find him not, To England send him: Or confine him where Your wisdom best shall think. And the Queen too, and that presently. I did enact Julius Caesar, I was killed in the Capitol: Brutus killed me. O ho, do you mark that? Give over the Play. My Lord, he's going to his Mother's Closet: Behind the Arras I'll convey my self To hear the Process. I'll warrant shee'l tax him home, And as you said, and wisely was it said, It's meet that some more audience then a Mother, Since Nature makes them partial, should o're-heare The speech of vantage. Ear you well my Liege, I'll call upon you ere you go to bed, And tell you what I know. He will come straight: Look you lay home to him, Tell him his pranks have been too broad to bear with, And that your Grace hath scree'nd, and stood between Much heat, and him. I'll silence me e'ene here: Pray you be round with him. What hoa, help, help, help. O I am slain. Yet here Laertes ? Aboard, aboard for shame, The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, And you are stayed for there: my blessing with you; And these few Precepts in thy memory, See thou Character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportioned thought his Act: Be thou familiar; but by no means vulgar: The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy Soul, with hoops of Steel: But do not dull thy palm, with entertainment Of each vnhatch't, unfledged Comrade. Beware Of entrance to a quarrel: but being in Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee. Give every man thine ear; but few thy voice: Take each men censure; but reserve thy judgement: Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy; But not expressed in fancy; rich, not gawdies For the Apparel oft proclaims the man. And they in France of the best rank and station, Are of a most select and generous cheff in that. Neither a borrower, nor a lender be; For lone, oft loses both it self and friend: And borrowing duls the edge of Husbandry. This above all; to thine own self be true: And it must follow, as the Night the Day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell: my Blessing season this in thee. The time invites you, go, your servants tend. What is't Ophelia he hath said to you? Marry, well bethought: 'Tis told me he hath very oft of late Given private time to you; and you your self Have of your audience been most free and bounteous. If it be so, as so 'tis put on me; And that in way of caution: I must tell you, You do not understand your self so clearly, As it behooves my Daughter, and your Honour. What is between you, give me up the truth? Affection, puh. You speak Like a green Girl, Unsifted in such perilous Circumstance. Do you believe his tenders, as you call them? Marry I'll teach you; think your self a Baby, That you have taken his tenders for true pay, Which are not starling. Tender your self more dearly; Or not to crack the wind of the poor Phrase, Roaming it thus, you'll tender me a fool. I, fashion you may call it, go too, go too. I, Springs to catch Woodcocks. I do know When the Blood burns, how Prodigal the Soul Gives the tongue vows: these blazes, Daughter, Giving more light then heat; extinct in both, Even in their promise, as it is a making; You must not take for fire. For this time Daughter, Be somewhat scanter of your Maiden presence; Set your entreatments at a higher rate, Then a command to parley. For Lord Hamlet, Believe so much in him, that he is young, And with a larger tether may he walk, Then may be given you. In few, Ophelia, Do not believe his vows; for they are Brokers, Not of the eye, which their Investments show: But mere implorators of unholy Suits, Breathing Like sanctified and pious bonds, The better to beguile. This is for all: I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth, Have you so slander any moment leisure, As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet : Look too't, I charge you; come your ways. Give him his money, and these notes Reynoldo. You shall do marvels wisely: good Reynoldo, Before you visit him you make inquiry Of his behaviour. 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 encompassement and drift of question, That they do know my son: Come you more nearer Then your particular demands will touch it, Take you as 'twere some distant knowledge of him, And thus I know his father and his friends, And in partly him. Do you mark this Reynoldo? And in partly 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. I, or drinking, fencing, swearing, Quarrelling, drabbing. You may go so far. 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 breath his faults so quaintly, That they may seem the taints of liberty; The flash and out-breake of a fiery mind, A savageness in unreclaimed blood of general assault. Wherefore should you do this? Marry Sir, here's my drift, And I believe it is a fetch of warrant: You laying these slight sulleyes on my Son, As 'twere a thing a little soiled in the working: Mark you your party in converse; him you would found, Having ever seen. In the prenominate crimes, The youth you breath 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. And then Sir does he this? He does: what was I about to say? I was about to say something: where did I leave? At closes in the consequence, I marry, He closes with you thus. I know the Gentleman, I saw him yesterday, or tother day; Or then or then, with such and such; and as you say, There was he gaming, there over took in's Rouse, There falling out at Tennis; or perchance, I saw him enter such a house of sail; Videlicet, a Brothel, or so forth. See you now; Your bait of falsehood, takes this Cape of truth; And thus do we of wisdom and of reach With windlesses, 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? God buy you; fare you well. Observe his inclination in your self. And let him ply his Music. Farewell: How now Ophelia, what's the matter? With what, in the name of Heaven? Mad for thy Love? What said he? Go with me, I will go seek the King, This is the very ecstasy of Love, Whose violent property foredoes it self, And leads the will to desperate Undertakings, As oft as any passion under Heaven, That does afflict our Nature's. I am sorry, What have you given him any hard words of late? Fare you well my Lord. You go to seek my Lord Hamlet ; there he is. The best Actors in the world, either for Trage die, Comedy, History, Pastoral: Pastoricall-Comicall-Historicall-Pastorall: Tragicall-Historicall: Tragicall-Comicall-Historicall-Pastorall: Scene indiuible, or Po em unlimited. Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus too light, for the law of Writ, and the Liberty. These are the only men. If you call me Iephta my Lord, I have a daugh ter that I love passing well. What follows then, my Lord? That I did my Lord, and was accounted a good Actor. My Lord; the Queen would speak with you, and presently. By' the Miss, and it's Like a Camel indeed. It is backed Like a Weasel. Very Like a Whale. I will say so. Though this be madness, Yet there is Method in't: will you walk Out of the air my Lord?