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Pol.

Ham.

Pol. Ham.

Pol.

Ham.
Pol.

Ham.

Pol.

Ham.

What is the matter, my lord?

Between who?

I mean the matter that you read, my lord.

Slanders, sir; for the satirical rogue says here, that old men have grey beards, that their faces are wrinkled, their eyes purging thick amber, and plum-tree gum, and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams, and gouty legs; all which, sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down; for yourself, sir, shall grow old as I am : if like a crab you could go backward. [Aside] Though this be madness, yet there is method in't. -Will you walk out of the air, my lord?

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Indeed, that is out of the air. [Aside] How pregnant
sometimes his replies are! a happiness that often madness
hits on, which reason and sanctity could not so prosper-
ously 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.

You cannot take from me any thing that I will not more
willingly part withal: except my life, my life—except
my life!

Fare you well, my lord.

[Aside] These tedious, doting old fools!

Enter ROSENCRantz and Guildenstern

You go to seek the Lord Hamlet; there he is.

[To Polonius] God save you, sir.

Pol.

Ros.

Guil.

My honour'd lord.

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[Exit Polonius]

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Ros.

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How dost thou, Guilden

Good lads, how do you

As the indifferent children of the earth.

Happy, in that we are not ever happy on Fortune's lap : we are not the very button.

Nor the soles of her shoe?

Neither, my lord.

Then you live about her waist, or in the middle of her favours?

Faith, in her privates we.

In the secret parts of Fortune? Oh, most true; she is a strumpet. What news?

None, my lord, but that the world's grown honest.

Let

Then is doomsday near; but your news is not true.
me question more in particular : what have you, my good
friends, deserved at the hands of Fortune, that she sends
you to prison hither ?

Prison, my lord ?

Denmark's a prison.

Then is the world one.

A goodly one; in which there are many confines, wards, and dungeons; Denmark being one o' the worst.

We think not so, my lord.

Why, then 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so; to me it is a prison.

Why, then your ambition makes it one; 'tis too narrow for your mind.

O God, I could be bounded in a nut-shell, and count myself a king of infinite space; were it not that I have bad dreams.

Guil.

Ham.

Ros.

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Which dreams indeed are ambition: for the very substance of the ambitious, is merely the shadow of a dream. A dream itself is but a shadow.

Truly, and I hold ambition of so airy and light a quality, that it is but a shadow's shadow.

Then are our beggars bodies; and our monarchs and outstretched heroes the beggars' shadows: shall we to the court for, by my fay, I cannot reason.

We'll wait upon you.

No such matter: I will not sort you with the rest of my servants for to speak to you like an honest man: I am most dreadfully attended; but, in the beaten way of friendship. What make you at Elsinore ?

To visit you, my lord; no other occasion.

Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks; but I thank you; and sure, dear friends, my thanks are too dear a halfpenny. Were you not sent for? Is it your own inclining? Is it a free visitation? Come, come, deal justly with me; come, come; nay, speak.

What should we say, my lord?

Any thing but to th' purpose: you were sent for; and there is a kind of confession in your looks, which your modesties have not craft enough to colour: I know the good king and queen have sent for you.

To what end, my lord?

That you must teach me but let me conjure you, by the rights of our fellowship, by the consonancy of our youth, by the obligation of our ever-preserved love; and by what more dear a better proposer can charge you withal; be even and direct with me, whether you were sent for,

or no.

[Aside to Guildenstern] What say you?

Ham.

Guil.

Ham.

Ros.

Ham.

Ros.

Ham.

Ros.

[Aside] Nay then, I have an eye of you! [Aloud] If
you love me,
hold not off.

My lord, we were sent for.

I will tell you why; so shall my anticipation prevent
your discovery, and your secrecy to the king and queen
moult no feather. I have of late, (but wherefore I know
not) lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises :
and indeed it goes so heavily with my disposition, that
this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile
promontory; this most excellent canopy, the air, (look
you) this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical
roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appeareth nothing
to me but a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours.
What piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how
infinite in faculties, in form and moving, how express and
admirable in action, how like an angel in apprehension,
how like a god: the beauty of the world; the paragon
of animals; and yet to me, what is this quintessence of
dust man delights not me, nor woman neither, though
by your smiling, you seem to say so.

My lord, there was no such stuff in my thoughts.
Why did
me"?

ye laugh then, when I said "man delights not

To think, my lord, if you delight not in man, what
lenten entertainment the players shall receive from
you :
we coted them on the way; and hither they are coming,
to offer
you service.

He that plays the king shall be welcome; his majesty
shall have tribute on me; the adventurous knight shall
use his foil and target; the lover shall not sigh gratis;
the humorous man shall end his part in peace; and the
lady shall say her mind freely or the blank verse shall
halt for't. What players are they?

Even those you were wont to take such delight in; the tragedians of the city.

Ham.

Ros.

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Guil.

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How chances it they travel? their residence, both in reputation, and profit, was better both ways.

I think their inhibition comes by the means of the late innovation.

Do they hold the same estimation they did when I was in the city; are they so followed ?

No, indeed, are they not.

How comes it? do they grow rusty?

Nay, their endeavour keeps in the wonted pace; but there is, sir, an eyrie of children, little eyases, that cry out on the top of question; and are most tyrannically clapped for't these are now the fashion, and so berattle the common stages (so they call them) that many wearing rapiers, are afraid of goose-quills, and dare scarce come thither.

What, are they children? who maintains 'em? how are
they escoted? Will they pursue the quality no longer
than they can sing? Will they not say afterwards, if
they should grow themselves to common players, (as it is
most like, if their means are no better) their writers do
them wrong, to make them exclaim against their own
succession ?

'Faith, there has been much to-do on both sides and
the nation holds it no sin, to tarre them to controversy.
There was for a while, no money bid for argument, unless
the poet and the player went to cuffs in the question.
Is't possible?

Oh, there has been much throwing about of brains.
Do the boys carry it away?

Ay, that they do, my lord; Hercules and his load too.

It is not very strange, for my uncle is King of Denmark, and those, that would make mouths at him while my father lived, give twenty, forty, fifty, a hundred ducats

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