My too much changed son.-Go, some of you, tices, Pleasant and helpful to him! Queen. Ay, amen! [Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDEenstern, and some Attendants. Enter POLONIUS. Pol. The embassadors from Norway, my good lord, Are joyfully return'd. King. Thou still hast been the father of good news. Pol. Have I, my lord? Assure you, my good liege, I hold my duty, as I hold my soul, Both to my God, and to my gracious king: King. O, speak of that; that do I long to hear. in. Queen. I doubt, it is no other but the main; His father's death, and our o'erhasty marriage. 8 the trail of policy-] The trail is the course of an animal pursued by the scent. 9 the fruit-] The desert after the meat. Re-enter POLONIUS, with VOLTIMAND and COR NELIUS. King. Well, we shall sift him.-Welcome, my good friends! Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway? His nephew's levies; which to him appear'd It was against your highness: Whereat griev❜d,— To give the assay of arms against your majesty. Gives him three thousand crowns in annual fee; [Gives a Paper. King. It likes us well; And, at our more consider'd time, we'll read, Mean time, we thank you for your well-took labour : I borne in hand,] i. e. deceived, imposed on. 2 To give the assay-] To take the assay was a technical expression, originally applied to those who tasted wine for princes and great men, Go to your rest; at night we'll feast together: Pol. Exeunt VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS. This business is well ended. My liege, and madam, to expostulate3 Why day is day, night, night, and time is time, Queen. More matter, with less art. Pol. Madam, I swear, I use no art at all. My liege, and madam, to expostulate-] To expostulate, for to enquire or discuss. WARBURTON makes the character of Polonius, a character only of manners, discriminated by properties superficial, accidental, and acquired. The poet intended a nobler delineation of a mixed character of manners and of nature. Polonius is a man bred in courts, exercised in business, stored with observation, confident in his knowledge, proud of his eloquence, and declining into dotage. His mode of oratory is truly represented as designed to ridicule the practice of those times, of prefaces that made no introduction, and of method that embarrassed rather than explained. This part of his character is accidental, the rest is natural. Such a man is positive and confident, because he knows that his mind was once strong, and knows not that it is become weak. Such a man excels in general principles, but fails in the particular application. He is knowing in retrospect, and ignorant in foresight. While he depends upon his memory, and can draw from his repositories of knowledge, he utters weighty sentences, and gives useful counsel; but as the mind in its enfeebled state cannot be kept long busy and intent, the old man is subject to sudden dereliction of his faculties, he loses the order of his ideas, and entangles himself in his own thoughts, till he recovers the leading principle, and falls again into his former train. This idea of dotage encroaching upon wisdom, will solve all the phænomena of the character of Polonius. JOHNSON. That he is mad, 'tis true: 'tis true, 'tis pity; Mad let us grant him then: and now remains, I have a daughter; have, while she is mine; Hath given me this: Now gather, and surmise. -To the celestial, and my soul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia, That's an ill phrase, a vile phrase; beautified is a vile phrase; but you shall hear.Thus : In her excellent white bosom, these, &c.- Pol. Good madam, stay awhile; I will be faithful. Doubt thou, the stars are fire ; [Reads, Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt, I love. O dear Ophelia, I am ill at these numbers; I have not art toreckon my groans: but that I love thee best, O most best, believe it. Adieu. Thine evermore, most dear lady, whilst this machine is to him, Hamlet. This, in obedience, hath my daughter shown me : And more above, hath his solicitings, 4 As they fell out by time, by means, and place, 4 more above,] is, moreover, besides. King. But how hath she Receiv'd his love? Pol. What do you think of me? King. As of a man faithful and honourable. Pol. I would fain prove so. But what might you think, When I had seen this hot love on the wing, What might you think? no, I went round to work, 5 If I had play'd the desk, or table-book; What might you think?] i. e. If either I had conveyed intelligence between them, and been the confident of their amours [play'd the desk or table-book,] or had connived at it, only observed them in secret, without acquainting my daughter with my discovery [giving my heart a mute and dumb working ;] or lastly, been negligent in observing the intrigue, and overlooked it [looked upon this love with idle sight;] or concealed it, what would you have thought of me? Which done, she took the fruits of my advice;] She took the fruits of advice when she obeyed advice, the advice was then made fruitful. 12 |