Pol.
Give him this ^note &dagger2; money, and these &dagger2; notes ^note, Reynaldo.

Rey.
I will, my lord.

Pol.
You shall do marvelous ^note wisely, good Reynaldo,
Before you visit him, to ^note make inquiry
Of his behaviour.

Rey.
My lord, I did intend it.

Pol.
Marry, well said; very well said. Look you, sir,
Inquire me first14Q1429 what Dantz'ckers are in Paris;
And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,
What company, at what expence; and finding,
By this encompassment and drift of question,
That they do know my son, come you more nearer ^note
Than ^note your particular demands will touch it:
Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him,
As thus ^note, I know his father, and his friends,
And, in part, him,—Do you mark this, Reynaldo?

Rey.
Ay, very well, my lord.

Pol.
And, in part, him; but, you may say, not well:
But, if't ^note 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.

Rey.
As gaming, my lord.

Pol.
Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling,
Drabbing; you may go so far.

Rey.
My lord, that would dishonour him.

Pol.
'Faith, no; ^note as you may season it in the charge.
You must not put14Q1430 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-break of a fiery mind;
A savageness in unreclaimed blood,
Of general assault.

Rey.
But, my good lord,—

Pol.
Wherefore should you do this?

Rey.
Ay, my good lord,
I would know that.

Pol.
Marry, sir, here's my drift;
And, I believe, it is a fetch of warrant: ^note
You laying these slight sullies ^note on my son,
As 'twere a thing a little soil'd i' the working, ^note
Mark you, Your party in converse, him you ^note would sound,
Having ever seen, in the prenominate crimes,
The youth, you breath of, guilty, be assur'd,
He closes with you in this consequence;
Good sir, or so; or, Friend, or, Gentleman,—
According to the phrase, or the ^note addition,
Of man, and country.

Rey.
Very good, my lord.

Pol.
And then, sir, does he this,—He does ^note—What was I
About to say? ^note I was about to say
Something: ^note Where did I leave?

Rey.
At, closes in the consequence. ^note

Pol.
At, closes in the consequence,—Ay, marry;
He closes with you ^note thus: I know the gentleman;
I saw him yesterday, or t' other day,
Or then, or then; with such, or such: ^note and, as you say,
There was he gaming; there o'er-took ^note in his 'rouse;
There falling ^note out at tennis: or, perchance,
I saw him enter such a ^note house of sale, ^note
(Videlicet, a brothel) or so forth.
See you now;
Your bait of falsehood takes this carp ^note of truth:
And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
With windlasses, and with assays ^note of bias,
By indirections ^note find directions out;
So, by my former lecture and advice,
Shall you my son: You have me, have you not?

Rey.
My lord, I have.

Pol.
God be wi' you; fare you well. ^note

Rey.
Good my lord,— ^note

Pol.
Observe his inclination in yourself. ^note

Rey.
I shall, my lord.

Pol.
And let him ply his musick.

Rey.
Well, my lord. [Exit Reynaldo. Enter Ophelia, hastily.

Pol.
Farewel.—How now, Ophelia? what's the matter?

Oph.
O, my lord, my lord, I ^note have been so affrighted!

Pol.
With what, i' the name of heaven? ^note

Oph.
My lord, as I was sowing in my closet, ^note
Lord Hamlet,—with his doublet all unbrac'd;
No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,14Q1431
Ungarter'd, and down-gyred ^note to his ancle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look so piteous in purport,
As if he had been loosed out of hell,
To speak of horrors,—he comes before me.

Pol.
Mad for thy love?

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

Pol.
What said he?

Oph.
He took me by the wrist, and held me hard: ^note
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 time stay'd he so:
At last,—a little shaking of mine arm, ^note
And thrice his head thus † waving up and down,—
He rais'd a figh so piteous ^note and profound,
As it ^note did seem to shatter all his bulk,
And end his being: That done, he lets me ^note go:
And, with his head over his shoulder ^note turn'd,
He seem'd to find his way without his eyes;
For out o' doors he went without their helps, ^note
And, to the last, bended their light on me.

Pol.
Come, ^note go with me; I will go seek the king.
This is the very extasy of love;
Whose violent property foredoes ^note itself,
And leads the will to desperate undertakings,
As oft as any passion ^note under heaven,
That does afflict our natures. I am sorry,—

What ^note 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 deny'd
His access to me.

Pol.
That hath made him mad.
I am sorry, that with better heed ^note, and judgment,
I had not quoted ^note him: I fear'd, he did but trifle,
And meant to wrack thee; but, beshrow ^note my jealousy!
By heaven, it ^note 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 we to the king:
This must be known; which, being kept close, might move
More grief to hide, than hate to utter love.
Come. ^note [Exeunt.

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