Act II, scene i (Polonius, Reynaldo, Ophelia)

ff
∵ Act II. →



Scene I. A room in Polonius's house.



[Enter Polonius and Reynaldo.] →

FW192.14 "by the by, Reynaldo"


Polonius: Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo. →



Reynaldo: I will, my lord. →



Polonius: You shall do marvellous wisely, good Reynaldo, →
Before you visit him, to make inquiry →
Of his behaviour. →



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 nearer →
Than your particular demands will touch it: →
Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him; →
As thus, 'I know his father and his friends, →
ff And in part him;—do you mark this, Reynaldo? →

"Danskers" either Danes or Gdansk/Danziggers

Reynaldo: Ay, very well, my lord. →



Polonius: 'And in part 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. →



∵ Reynaldo: As gaming, my lord. →



Polonius: Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling, →
Drabbing:—you may go so far. →



Reynaldo: My lord, that would dishonour him. →



Polonius: 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 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 warrant: →
You laying these slight sullies on my son →
As 'twere a thing a little soil'd i' the working, →
Mark you, →
Your party in converse, him you would sound, →
Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes →
The youth you breathe of guilty, be assur'd →
ff He closes with you in this consequence; →
'Good sir,' or so; or '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,' →
at 'friend or so,' and 'gentleman.' →



Polonius: At—closes in the consequence'—ay, marry! →
He closes with you thus:—'I know the gentleman; →
I saw him yesterday, or t'other day, →
Or then, or then; with such, or 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 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 windlaces, 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? →



Reynaldo: My lord, I have. →



Polonius: God b' wi' you, fare you well. →



∵ Reynaldo: Good my lord! →



Polonius: Observe his inclination in yourself. →



ff Reynaldo: I shall, my lord. →



Polonius: And let him ply his music. →



Reynaldo: Well, my lord. →



Polonius: Farewell! →



[Exit Reynaldo.] →



[Enter Ophelia.] →



How now, Ophelia! what's the matter? →



Ophelia: Alas, my lord, I have been so affrighted! →



∵ Polonius: With what, i' the name of God? →



Ophelia: My lord, as I was sewing in my chamber, →
Lord Hamlet,—with his doublet all unbrac'd; →
No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd, →
Ungart'red, and down-gyved to his ankle; →
∵ 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. →



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 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,— →
He rais'd 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: →
ff And, with his head over his shoulder turn'd →
He seem'd to find his way without his eyes; →
For out o' doors he went without their help, →
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 fordoes 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 am sorry that with better heed and judgment →
I had not quoted him: I fear'd he did but trifle, →
And meant to wreck thee; but beshrew my jealousy! →
It seems it 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. →



[Exeunt.] →