[Footnote 12: As many of Polonius' aphorismic utterances as are given in the 1st Quarto have there inverted commas; but whether intended as gleanings from books or as fruits of experience, the light they throw on the character of him who speaks them is the same: they show it altogether selfish.

We have learned also Hamlet's relation to Ophelia, the daughter of the selfish, prating, busy Polonius, who, with his son Laertes, is destined to work out the earthly fate of Hamlet.

Enter Polonius, and Reynoldo.

[Sidenote: Enter old Polonius, with his man, or two.] Polon.

In the agony of a doubt upon which seemed to hang the bliss or bale of his being, yet not altogether unintimidated by a sense of his intrusion, he walks into the house of Polonius, and into the chamber of Ophelia.

7.] [Footnote 2: Polonius is a man of faculty.

Enter Polonius.

[Sidenote: our hastie] Enter Polonius, Voltumand, and Cornelius.

[Footnote 2: I cannot tell which is the right reading; if the Q.'s, it means, 'I hold my duty precious as my soul, whether to my God or my king'; if the F.'s, it is a little confused by the attempt of Polonius to make a fine euphuistic speech:'I hold my duty as I hold my soul,both at the command of my God, one at the command of my king.']

[Footnote 6: As there is no imagination in Polonius, we cannot look for great aptitude in figure.

And as a compliment Polonius takes the form in which she expresses her dislike of his tediousness, and her anxiety after his news: pretending to wave it off, he yet, in his gratification, coming on the top of his excitement with the importance of his fancied discovery, plunges immediately into a very slough of art, and becomes absolutely silly.]

But as to Hamlet, and how matters were with him, what Polonius says is worth nothing.]

Each is given to moralizingbut compare their reflections: those of Polonius reveal a lover of himself, those of Hamlet a lover of his kind; Polonius is interested in success; Hamlet in humanity.]

Each is given to moralizingbut compare their reflections: those of Polonius reveal a lover of himself, those of Hamlet a lover of his kind; Polonius is interested in success; Hamlet in humanity.]

[Footnote 2: It is well here to recall the modes of the word leave: 'Give me leave,' Polonius says with proper politeness to the king and queen when he wants them to gothat is, 'Grant me your departure'; but he would, going himself, take his leave, his departure, of or from themby their permission to go.

His apology has no reference to the fate of his father or his sister; Hamlet is not aware that Laertes associates him with either, and plainly the public did not know Hamlet killed Polonius; while Laertes could have no intention of alluding to the fact, seeing it would frustrate his scheme of treachery.]

[Footnote 15: those of the queen, Polonius, and Ophelia.]

[Footnote 17: those of the king and Polonius.]

To the amusement of all, and to my increased consternation, he drew forth a volume of the "Wild Irish Girl," (which he had brought to return to Lady Ck) and, reading, with his deep, emphatic voice, one of the most high-flown of its passages, he paused, and patting the page with his forefinger, with the look of Hamlet addressing Polonius, he said, "Little girl, why did you write such nonsense?

GULLIVER'S TRAVELS Jonathan Swift THE BALLAD OF AGINCOURT Michael Drayton SOME CHILDREN'S BOOKS OF THE PAST Grace E Sellon LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT Cardinal Veuman LET SOMETHING GOOD BE SAID James Whitcomb Riley POLONIUS' ADVICE Shakespeare KING ARTHUR BALIN AND BALAN GERAINT AND ENID Alfred Tennyson

I remember Hamlet takes Lord Polonius by the hand shows him a cloud, and then asks him if he does not think it is like a whale.

OPHELIA, the daughter of Polonius in "Hamlet" and in love with the lord, but whose heart, from the succession of shocks it receives, is shattered and broken.

Hamlet says to Polonius, "My lord, you played once in the university, you say."

To which Polonius replies, "That I did, my lord, and was accounted a good actor.

Do not suppose, Fastidiosus, that the playing of Polonius was any such light affair as you and I used to be concerned in up in the fourth story of "Stoughton," when we were members of the Hasty Pudding.