Page:Hamlet (1917) Yale.djvu/77

Prince of Denmark, III. i

If 't be the affliction of his love or no

That thus he suffers for.

Queen. I shall obey you.

And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish

That your good beauties be the happy cause

Of Hamlet's wildness; so shall I hope your virtues

Will bring him to his wonted way again,

To both your honours.

Oph. Madam, I wish it may.

[Exit Queen.]

Pol. Ophelia, walk you here. Gracious, so please you,

We will bestow ourselves. [To Ophelia.] Read on this book;

That show of such an exercise may colour

Your loneliness. We are oft to blame in this,

'Tis too much prov'd, that with devotion's visage

And pious action we do sugar o'er

The devil himself.

King. [Aside.] O! 'tis too true;

How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience!

The harlot's cheek, beautied with plastering art,

Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it

Than is my deed to my most painted word:

O heavy burden!

Pol. I hear him coming; let's withdraw, my lord.

Exeunt [King and Polonius.]

 40 wildness: madness

43 Gracious: a courteous epithet, here used without a substantive

45 exercise: employment

47 too much proved: found by too frequent experience

48 pious action: i.e., implies that Ophelia's book was a book of devotions

52 to: in comparison with

