Your party in converse, him you would sound,
Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes
The youth you breathe of guilty, be assur'd, 44
He closes with you in this consequence;
'Good sir,' or so; or 'friend,' or 'gentleman,'
According to the phrase or the addition
Of man and country.
Rey. Very good, my lord. 48
Pol. And then, sir, does he this,—he does,—
what was I about to say? By the mass I was
about to say something: where did I leave?
Rey. At 'closes in the consequence.' 52
At 'friend or so,' and 'gentleman.'
Pol. At 'closes in the consequence,' ay, marry;
He closes with you thus: 'I know the gentleman;
I saw him yesterday, or t' other day, 56
Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as you say,
There was a' gaming; there o'ertook in 's rouse;
There failing out at tennis;' or perchance,
'I saw him enter such a house of sale,' 60
Videlicet, a brothel, or so forth.
See you now;
Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth;
And thus do we of wisdom and of reach, 64
With windlasses, and with assays of bias,
By indirections find directions out:
So by my former lecture and advice
Shall you my son. You have me, have you not?
Rey. My lord, I have.
43 prenominate: aforesaid
45 closes: agrees
consequence: conclusion
51 leave: leave off
58 a': he
o'ertook in 's rouse: drunk
60 house of sale: house of ill fame
61 Videlicet: namely
64 reach: ability
65 windlasses: roundabout ways
assays of bias: indirect attempts
66 indirections: devious courses
directions: straight courses—i.e., the truth
67 lecture: instruction
