Laer. For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favour, Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood; A violet in the youth of prime nature, No more. Oph. No more but so? Laer. Think it no more: For nature crescent, does not go alone In thews and bulk; but as this temple waxes, As he in his peculiar act and place May give his saying deed; which is no further Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal. Then weigh what loss your honour may sustain, If with too credent ear you list his songs; Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open To his unmastered importunity. Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister; And keep within the rear of Oph. I shall th' effects of this good lesson keep, As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother, Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, Shew me the steep and thorny way to heav'n; Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads, Laer. Oh, fear me not. Enter POLONIUS. father comes : I stay too long;-but here my Pol. Yet here, Laertes! aboard, aboard for shame; The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, (28) My blessing with you; [Laying his hand on Laertes' head. And these few precepts in thy memory See thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, (28) The wind sits, &c. To conceive this rightly, the map of the moon must be placed with the north downwards, when the entire shadowed part of it will be seen to exhibit the appearance of a ship, and the central part of the moon, in light, its sails. This resemblance shall be particularly pointed out by a figure hereafter, when Hamlet goes on board, bound for England, with Rosincrantz and Guildenstern. (29) In reading the precepts of Polonius to Laertes, if the prototype of the figure of the latter in the moon be observed with attention, the peculiar application of those precepts to his character will be evident: the same indeed may be said, in regard to Ophelia, upon Polonius's remonstrance presently with her: the map is to be constantly examined, in proof of the propriety of the poet's images ; for the reader will lose much of his entertainment, if he content himself with merely referring to the figures. But do not dull thy palm with entertainment But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy: And they in France of the best rank and station For loan oft loses both itself and friend; Laer. Farewel, Ophelia, and remember well Oph. 'Tis in my memory lock'd, And you yourself shall keep the key of it. Laer. Farewel. [Exit Laer. Pol. What is't, Ophelia, he hath said to you? Oph. So please you, something touching the Pol. Marry, well bethought! [Lord Hamlet. 'Tis told me, he hath very oft of late Given private time to you; and you yourself Have of your audience been most free and bounIf it be so, (as so 'tis put on me, [leous. And that in way of caution,) I must tell you, You do not understand yourself so clearly, As it behoves my daughter, and your honour. What is between you? give me up the truth. Oph. He hath, my Lord, of late, made many Of his affection to me. [tenders Pol. Affection! puh! you speak like a green Unsifted in such perilous circumstance. [girl, Do you believe his tenders, as you call them? Oph. I do not know, my Lord, what I should think. [baby, Pol. Marry, I'll teach you; think yourself a That have ta'en his tenders for true pay, you Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly; Or (not to crack the wind of the poor phrase, Oph. My Lord, he hath importuned me with In honourable fashion. [love, Pol. Ay, fashion you may call't go to, go to. Oph. And hath given countenance to his speech, my Lord, |