Page:Hamlet (1917) Yale.djvu/72

60

The instant burst of clamour that she made—

Unless things mortal move them not at all—

Would have made milch the burning eyes of heaven,

And passion in the gods."

Pol. Look! wh'er he has not turned his colour

and has tears in 's eyes. Prithee, no more.

Ham. 'Tis well; I'll have thee speak out the

rest soon. Good my lord, will you see the players

well bestowed? Do you hear, let them be well

used; for they are the abstracts and brief chroni-

cles of the time: after your death you were bet-

ter have a bad epitaph than their ill report while

you live.

Pol. My lord, I will use them according to

their desert.

Ham. God's bodikins, man, much better; use

every man after his desert, and who should 'scape

whipping? Use them after your own honour and

dignity: the less they deserve, the more merit is

in your bounty. Take them in.

Pol. Come, sirs.

Ham. Follow him, friends: we'll hear a play

to-morrow. Exit Polonius, [with all the Players

but the First.] Dost thou hear me, old friend;

can you play the Murder of Gonzago?

First Play. Ay, my lord.

Ham. We'll ha 't to-morrow night. You could,

for a need, study a speech of some dozen or six-

teen lines, which I would set down and insert

in 't, could you not?

 548 made milch: made weep

550 turned colour: grown pale

554 bestowed: lodged

555 abstracts: summary accounts

561 God's bodikins; cf. n.

573 for a need: in case of necessity

dozen or sixteen lines; cf. n.

