Page:Hamlet - The Arden Shakespeare - 1899.djvu/96

Guil. Heavens make our presence and our practices
Pleasant and helpful to him!

Queen. Ay,^{[a 1]} amen!

[Exeunt Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and

some Attendants.

Enter Polonius.

Pol. The ambassadors from Norway, my good lord, 40
Are joyfully return'd.

King. Thou still^{[b 1]} hast been the father of good news.

Pol. Have I, my lord? Assure you,^{[a 2]} my good liege,
I hold my duty as I hold my soul,
Both to my God and^{[a 3]} to my gracious king; 45
And I do think, or else this brain of mine
Hunts not the trail of policy so sure^{[a 4]}
As it hath^{[a 5]} used to do, that I have found
The very cause of Hamlet's lunacy.

King. Oh, speak of that; that do I^{[a 6]} long to hear, 50

Pol. Give first admittance to the ambassadors;
My news shall be the fruit^{[a 7][b 2]} to that great feast.

King. Thyself do grace to them, and bring them in.
[Exit Polonius.^{[a 8]}
He tells me, my dear Gertrude,^{[a 9]} he hath found
The head and source of all your son's distemper. 55

Queen. I doubt it is no other but the main,^{[b 3]}—

1. 39. Ay] Q, omitted F.
2. 43, Assure you] F, I assure Q.
3. 45. and] Q, one F, Caldecott, Knight, Collier.
4. 47. sure] be sure Ff 2, 3.
5. 48. it hath] Q, I have F.
6. 50. do I] Q, I do F.
7. 52. fruit] Q, newes F.
8. Exit Polonius] omitted Q, F.
9. 54. my dear Gertrude] Q, my sweet Queen, that F and many editors.

1. 42. still] constantly; see I. i. 122.
2. 52. fruit] dessert.
3. 56. the main] the main cause, as in 2 Henry VI, I. i. 208; "look unto the main."