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 fashion 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?]