ACT II
SCENE I.—A Room in Polonius's House.
Enter Polonius and Reynaldo.[a 1]
Pol. Give him this[a 2] money and these notes, Reynaldo.
Rey. I will, my lord.
Pol. You shall do marvellous[a 3] wisely, good Reynaldo,
Before you visit him, to make inquire[a 4][b 1]
Of his behaviour.
Rey. My lord, I did intend it. 5
Pol. Marry, well said, very well said. Look you, sir.
Inquire me first what Danskers[b 2] are in Paris;
And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,
What company, at what expense; and finding
By this encompassment and drift of question 10
That they do know my son, come you more nearer[a 5][b 3]
Than your particular demands will touch it;
Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him,
As[a 6] thus, "I know his father and his friends.
And in part him." Do you mark this, Reynaldo? 15
- ↑ Enter Polonius and Reynaldo] Enter old Polonius with his man or two Q.
- ↑ 1. this] Q, his F; these Q, these two Qq 4–6, those Ff 2–4.
- ↑ 3. marvellous] Qq 4–6, meruiles Qq 2, 3, marvels F.
- ↑ 4. to make inquire] Q, you make inquiry F.
- ↑ 11, 12. nearer Than] Q, F (spelling Then); neere Than F 2 near Then F 3; near, Then F 4.
- ↑ 14. As] Q, And F.
- ↑ 4. inquire] so "strange inquire": Pericles, III. Prologue 22.
- ↑ 7. Danskers] Danes.
- ↑ 9, 10.] The opposition is not between particular (which perhaps means personal) demands and any other inquiries, but between demands or questions and the profession of acquaintance: leave questioning, and come nearer by throwing out a bait of imperfect knowledge. Jennens and Keightley read "nearer; Then"; but in what follows there are no "particular demands."
