Page:Hamlet (1917) Yale.djvu/67

Prince of Denmark, II. ii

Ham. Hark you, Guildenstern; and you too;

at each ear a hearer: that great baby you see

there is not yet out of his swaddling-clouts.

Ros. Happily he's the second time come to

them; for they say an old man is twice a child.

Ham. I will prophesy he comes to tell me

of the players; mark it. You say right, sir; o'

Monday morning; 'twas so indeed.

Pol. My lord, I have news to tell you.

Ham. My lord, I have news to tell you. When

Roscius was an actor in Rome,—

Pol. The actors are come hither, my lord.

Ham. Buzz, buzz!

Pol. Upon my honour,—

Ham. Then came each actor on his ass,—

Pol. The best actors in the world, either for

tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-

comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical,

tragical-comical-historical-pastoral, scene indi-

vidable, or poem unlimited: Seneca cannot be

too heavy, nor Plautus too light. For the law

of writ and the liberty, these are the only men.

Ham. O Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a

treasure hadst thou!

Pol. What a treasure had he, my lord?

Ham. Why

One fair daughter and no more,

The which he loved passing well."

Pol. [Aside.] Still on my daughter.

 411 swaddling-clouts: bandages in which newborn children were wrapped

419 Roscius; cf. n.

421 Buzz, buzz: an exclamation of contempt

427 scene individable; cf. n.

428 poem unlimited; cf. n.

Seneca; cf. n.

429 Plautus; cf. n.

law of writ and the liberty; cf. n.

431 Jephthah: title of an old ballad; cf. n.

436 passing: surpassing

