Pol. And then, sir, does he this,—he does[a 1]—what
was I about to say? By the mass,[a 2] I was 50
about to say something;[a 3] where did I leave?[b 1]
Rey. At "closes in the consequence," at "friend or
so," and "gentleman."[a 4][b 2]
Pol. At "closes in the consequence," ay, marry;
He closes with you thus:[a 5] "I know the gentleman; 55
I saw him yesterday, or t' other day.
Or then, or then, with such, or such,[a 6] and, as you say,
There was he[a 7] gaming, there o'ertook[b 3] in 's rouse,
There falling out at tennis; "or perchance,
"I saw him enter such[a 8] a house of sale," 60
Videlicet, a brothel, or so forth.
See you now;
Your bait of falsehood takes[a 9] this carp of truth;
And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,[b 4]
With windlasses[b 5] and with assays of bias,[b 6] 65
- ↑ 49. does he this,—he does,—] does he this? He does: F, doos a this, a doos Q.
- ↑ 50. By the mass] Q, omitted in F.
- ↑ 51. something] nothing Ff 2–4.
- ↑ 52, 53. at "friend . . . gentleman"] omitted Q.
- ↑ 55. closes with you thus] F, closes thus Q, closeth with him thus Q 1.
- ↑ 57. or such] Q, and such F.
- ↑ 58. he,] F, a Q.
- ↑ 60. such] Q, F; such or such Qq 4, 5; such and such Q 6.
- ↑ 63. takes] F, take Q.
- ↑ 49–51.] And then . . . leave?] Prose first by Malone. The attempts to justify Q and F by constructing verse miss the point that Polonius's wits have failed him, and he topples from verse to incoherency in prose. Three lines, ending say? . . . something . . . leave? Q; ending this? . . . say? . . . leave? F.
- ↑ 52, 53.] Prose first in Globe Shakespeare, Reynaldo steps down from verse to enable Polonius to recover his train of ideas. Two lines ending consequence" . . . "gentleman" F.
- ↑ 58. o'ertook] Clar. Press: a "euphemism for drink"; perhaps it means only surprised, caught. For rouse, see i. ii. 127.
- ↑ 64. of reach] Clar. Press: we who are far-sighted; compare "we of taste and feeling," Lovers Labour's Lost, IV. ii. 30. Q 1 has "being men of reach."
- ↑ 65. windlasses] winding turns. So in Golding's Ovid, B. vii.:
"like a wily fox he
runs not forth directly out,
Nor makes a windlasse over all the
champion fields about";
- ↑ 65.
