’POLONIUS.
Give him this money and these two notes, Reynaldo.

’REYNALDO.
I will, my lord.

’POLONIUS.
You shall do marvelous wisely, good Reynaldo,
’Before you visit him, to make inquiry
’Of his behavior.

’REYNALDO.
My lord, I did intend it.

’POLONIUS.
Marry, well said, very well said. Look you, sir,
’Enquire 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 near;
’Then 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?

’REYNALDO.
Ay, very well, my lord.

’POLONIUS.
“And in part him, but,” you may say, “not well
’But if it 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 dishonor him—take heed of that;
’But, sir, such wanton, wild and usual slips
’As are companions noted and most known
’To youth and liberty.

’REYNALDO.
As gaming, my lord.

’POLONIUS.
Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing,
’Quarreling, drabbing. You may go so far.

’REYNALDO.
My lord, that will dishonor him.

’POLONIUS.
Faith, no, as you may season it i' th' charge.
’You must not put another scandal on him,
’That he is open in 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 unreclaimed blood,
’Of general assault.

’REYNALDO.
But, my good lord—

’POLONIUS.
Wherefore should you do this?

’REYNALDO.
Ay, my lord,
’I would know that.

’POLONIUS.
Marry, sir, here's my drift;
’And I believe it is a fetch of wit:
’You laying these slight sullies on my son,
’As 'twere a thing a little soiled with working,
’Mark you,
’Your party in converse, he you would sound,
’Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes
’The youth you breathe of guilty, be assured
’He closes with you in this consequence:
’“Good sir,” or so, a “friend,” or “gentleman”—
’According to the phrase or the addition
’Of man and country—

’REYNALDO.
Very good, my lord.

’POLONIUS.

And then, sir, does he this?—he does—What was I about to say? By the mass, I was about to say something! Where did I leave?

’REYNALDO.
At “closes in the consequence.”

POLONIUS.
At “closes in the consequence”—Ay, marry!
’He closes thus: “I know the gentleman.

’I saw him yesterday, or th' other day,
’Or then, or then, with such and such, and, as you say,
’There was he gaming; there o'ertook in's rouse;
’There falling out at tennis, or perchance,
’I saw him enter such and such a house of sale,”
’Videlicet, a brothel, or so forth. See you now,
’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 indirection find directions out.
’So, by my former lecture and advice,
’Shall you my son. You have me, have you not?

’REYNALDO.
My lord, I have.

’POLONIUS.
Good be t'ye, fare ye well.

’REYNALDO.
Good, my lord.

’POLONIUS.
Observe his inclination in yourself.

’REYNALDO.
I shall, my lord.

’POLONIUS.
And let him ply his music.

’REYNALDO.
Well, my lord. ’Exit Reynaldo.’ Enter Ophelia.

POLONIUS.
’Farewell.’ How now, Ophelia, what's the matter?

OPHELIA.
O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!

POLONIUS.
With what?

OPHELIA.
My lord, as I was reading in my closet,
Prince Hamlet, ’with his doublet,’ all unbraced,
’No hat upon his head, his stockings loose,
’Ungart'red, and down-gyved to his ankle;’
Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other,
And with a look so piteous,
As if he had been sent from hell
To speak of horrors—he comes before me.

POLONIUS.
Mad for thy love?

OPHELIA.
My lord, I do not know,
But truly I do fear it.

POLONIUS.
What said he?

OPHELIA.
He took me by the wrist and held me hard;
Then he goes 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 stayed he so.

At last, a little shaking of my arm,
And thrice his head thus waving up and down,
He raised a sigh so piteous and profound
As it did seem to shatter all his bulk
And end his being. That done, he lets me go,
And with his head over his shoulders turned
He seemed to find his way without his eyes,
For out of doors he went without their helps,
And to the last bended their light on me.

POLONIUS.
Come, go with me. I will go seek the King.
This is the very ecstasy of love,
’Whose violent property forgoes itself
’And leads the will to desperate undertakings
’As oft as any passion under heaven
’That does afflict our natures. I am sorry.
’What,’ have you given him any hard words of late?

OPHELIA.
No, my good lord; but, as you did command,
I did repel his letters and denied
His access to me.

POLONIUS.
That hath made him mad.
’I'm sorry that with better heed and judgment
’I had not quoted him. I feared he did but trifle
’And meant to wreck thee; but beshrew my jealousy!
’It seems it is as proper to our age
’To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions
’As it is common for the younger sort
’To lack discretion.’ Come, go with me to the King.
This must be known, which, being kept close, might move
More grief to hide than hate to utter love.
Come. Exeunt.

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