Ham. Hark you, Guildenstern; and you too;
at each ear a hearer: that great baby you see
there is not yet out of his swaddling-clouts. 411
Ros. Happily he's the second time come to
them; for they say an old man is twice a child.
Ham. I will prophesy he comes to tell me
of the players; mark it. You say right, sir; o'
Monday morning; 'twas so indeed. 416
Pol. My lord, I have news to tell you.
Ham. My lord, I have news to tell you. When
Roscius was an actor in Rome,—
Pol. The actors are come hither, my lord.
Ham. Buzz, buzz! 421
Pol. Upon my honour,—
Ham. Then came each actor on his ass,—
Pol. The best actors in the world, either for
tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-
comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical,
tragical-comical-historical-pastoral, scene indi-
vidable, or poem unlimited: Seneca cannot be
too heavy, nor Plautus too light. For the law
of writ and the liberty, these are the only men.
Ham. O Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a
treasure hadst thou! 432
Pol. What a treasure had he, my lord?
Ham. Why
"One fair daughter and no more,
The which he loved passing well." 436
Pol. [Aside.] Still on my daughter.
411 swaddling-clouts: bandages in which newborn children were wrapped
419 Roscius; cf. n.
421 Buzz, buzz: an exclamation of contempt
427 scene individable; cf. n.
428 poem unlimited; cf. n.
Seneca; cf. n.
429 Plautus; cf. n.
law of writ and the liberty; cf. n.
431 Jephthah: title of an old ballad; cf. n.
436 passing: surpassing
