The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Part 21

Meane time we thanke you, for your well-tooke Labour.

Go to your rest, at night wee'l Feast together.[2]

Most welcome home. _Exit Amba.s.s_.

[Sidenote: Exeunt Emba.s.sadors]

_Pol_. This businesse is very well ended.[3] [Sidenote: is well]

My Liege, and Madam, to expostulate[4]

What Maiestie should be, what Dutie is,[5]

Why day is day; night, night; and time is time, Were nothing but to waste Night, Day and Time.

Therefore, since Breuitie is the Soule of Wit, [Sidenote: Therefore breuitie]

And tediousnesse, the limbes and outward flourishes,[6]

I will be breefe. Your n.o.ble Sonne is mad: Mad call I it; for to define true Madnesse, What is't, but to be nothing else but mad.[7]

But let that go.

_Qu_. More matter, with lesse Art.[8]

_Pol_. Madam, I sweare I vse no Art at all: That he is mad, 'tis true: 'Tis true 'tis pittie, [Sidenote: hee's mad]

And pittie it is true; A foolish figure,[9]

[Sidenote: pitty tis tis true,]

[Footnote 1: time given up to, or filled with consideration; _or, perhaps_, time chosen for a purpose.]

[Footnote 2: He is always feasting.]

[Footnote 3: Now for _his_ turn! He sets to work at once with his rhetoric.]

[Footnote 4: to lay down beforehand as postulates.]

[Footnote 5: We may suppose a dash and pause after '_Dutie is_'. The meaning is plain enough, though logical form is wanting.]

[Footnote 6: As there is no imagination in Polonius, we cannot look for great apt.i.tude in figure.]

[Footnote 7: The nature of madness also is a postulate.]

[Footnote 8: She is impatient, but wraps her rebuke in a compliment.

Art, so-called, in speech, was much favoured in the time of Elizabeth.

And as a compliment Polonius takes the form in which she expresses her dislike of his tediousness, and her anxiety after his news: pretending to wave it off, he yet, in his gratification, coming on the top of his excitement with the importance of his fancied discovery, plunges immediately into a very slough of _art_, and becomes absolutely silly.]

[Footnote 9: It is no figure at all. It is hardly even a play with the words.]

[Page 80]

But farewell it: for I will vse no Art.

Mad let vs grant him then: and now remaines That we finde out the cause of this effect, Or rather say, the cause of this defect; For this effect defectiue, comes by cause, Thus it remaines, and the remainder thus. Perpend, I haue a daughter: haue, whil'st she is mine, [Sidenote: while]

Who in her Dutie and Obedience, marke, Hath giuen me this: now gather, and surmise.

_The Letter_.[1]

_To the Celestiall, and my Soules Idoll, the most beautified Ophelia_.

That's an ill Phrase, a vilde Phrase, beautified is a vilde Phrase: but you shall heare these in her thus in her excellent white bosome, these.[2] [Sidenote: these, &c]

_Qu_. Came this from _Hamlet_ to her.

_Pol_. Good Madam stay awhile, I will be faithfull.

_Doubt thou, the Starres are fire_, [Sidenote: _Letter_]

_Doubt, that the Sunne doth moue; Doubt Truth to be a Lier, But neuer Doubt, I loue.[3]

O deere Ophelia, I am ill at these Numbers: I haue not Art to reckon my grones; but that I loue thee best, oh most Best beleeue it. Adieu.

Thine euermore most deere Lady, whilst this Machine is to him_, Hamlet.

This in Obedience hath my daughter shew'd me: [Sidenote: _Pol_. This showne]

And more aboue hath his soliciting, [Sidenote: more about solicitings]

As they fell out by Time, by Meanes, and Place, All giuen to mine eare.

_King_. But how hath she receiu'd his Loue?

_Pol_. What do you thinke of me?

_King_. As of a man, faithfull and Honourable.

_Pol_. I wold faine proue so. But what might you think?

[Footnote 1: _Not in Quarto._]

[Footnote 2: _Point thus_: 'but you shall heare. _These, in her excellent white bosom, these_:'

Ladies, we are informed, wore a small pocket in front of the bodice;--but to accept the fact as an explanation of this pa.s.sage, is to cast the pa.s.sage away. Hamlet _addresses_ his letter, not to Ophelia's pocket, but to Ophelia herself, at her house--that is, in the palace of her bosom, excellent in whiteness. In like manner, signing himself, he makes mention of his body as a machine of which he has the use for a time. So earnest is Hamlet that when he makes love, he is the more a philosopher. But he is more than a philosopher: he is a man of the Universe, not a man of this world only.

We must not allow the fas.h.i.+on of the time in which the play was written, to cause doubt as to the genuine heartiness of Hamlet's love-making.]

[Footnote 3: _1st Q._

Doubt that in earth is fire, Doubt that the starres doe moue, Doubt trueth to be a liar, But doe not doubt I loue.]

[Page 82]

When I had seene this hot loue on the wing, As I perceiued it, I must tell you that Before my Daughter told me, what might you Or my deere Maiestie your Queene heere, think, If I had playd the Deske or Table-booke,[1]

Or giuen my heart a winking, mute and dumbe, [Sidenote: working]

Or look'd vpon this Loue, with idle sight,[2]

What might you thinke? No, I went round to worke, And (my yong Mistris) thus I did bespeake[3]

Lord _Hamlet_ is a Prince out of thy Starre,[4]

This must not be:[5] and then, I Precepts gaue her, [Sidenote: I prescripts]

That she should locke her selfe from his Resort, [Sidenote: from her]

[Sidenote: 42[6], 43, 70] Admit no Messengers, receiue no Tokens: Which done, she tooke the Fruites of my Aduice,[7]

And he repulsed. A short Tale to make, [Sidenote: repell'd, a]

Fell into a Sadnesse, then into a Fast,[8]

Thence to a Watch, thence into a Weaknesse, [Sidenote: to a wath,]

Thence to a Lightnesse, and by this declension [Sidenote: to lightnes]

Into the Madnesse whereon now he raues, [Sidenote: wherein]

And all we waile for.[9] [Sidenote: mourne for]

_King_. Do you thinke 'tis this?[10] [Sidenote: thinke this?]