A Room in Polonius' House.
 Enter POLONIUS and 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 inquire
	Of his behaviour.

Reynaldo						My lord, I did intend it.

Polonius	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 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,
	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'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 unreclaimd 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 soiled i'th' 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 assured
	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 a' this - a' 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 a' 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 windlasses 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-buy-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.

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'th' name of God?

Ophelia	My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
	Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced,
	No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled,
	Ungartered and down-gyvd 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 loosd 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 a' would draw it. Long stayed he so.
	At last, a little shaking of mine 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 shoulder turned,
	He seemed 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 judgement
	I had not quoted him. I feared he did but trifle
	And meant to wreck thee; but beshrew my jealousy!
	By heaven, 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 we to the king.
	This must be known, which, being kept close, might move
	More grief to hide than hate to utter love.
	Come.
												[Exeunt.
