Page 269 - Shakespeare - Vol. 3

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.

POLONIUS
Look whe’er he has not turned his colour [515] and has tears in’s eyes.

Prithee no more.

HAMLET
’Tis well. I’ll have thee speak out the rest of this soon. − Good my lord, will
you see the players well bestowed? Do you hear, let them be well used, for
they are the abstract and brief chronicles of the [520] time. After your death

you were better have a bad epitaph than their ill report while you live.

POLONIUS
My lord, I will use them according to their desert.

HAMLET
God’s bodkin, man, much better. Use every man after his desert, and who
shall scape whipping? [525] Use them after your own honour and dignity: the
less they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty. Take them in.

POLONIUS
Come, sirs.

HAMLET
Follow him, friends. We’ll hear a play tomorrow. [530] [ To First Player] Dost
thou hear me, old friend? Can you play The Murder of Gonzago?

1ST PLAY.
Ay, my lord.

HAMLET
We’ll ha’t tomorrow night. You could for a need study a speech of some dozen
or sixteen lines, [535] which I would set down and insert in’t, could you not?