Look thou character. Give thy thoughts
no tongue,
Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg'd comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in,
Bear't that th'opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice:
Take each man's censure, but reserve
thy judgement.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy:
For the apparel oft proclaims the man;
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be:
For loan oft loses both itself and friend;
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine own self be true;
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell: my blessing season this in thee.
Laertes
Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord.
Polonius
The time invites you; go, your servants tend.
Laertes
Farewell, Ophelia, and remember well
What I have said to you.
Ophelia
'Tis in my memory lock'd,
And you yourself shall keep the key of it.
Laertes
Farewell.
[Exit]
Polonius
What is't, Ophelia, he hath said to you?
Ophelia
So please you, something touching
the Lord Hamlet.
Polonius
Marry, well bethought:
'Tis told me he hath very oft of late
Given private time to you; and you yourself
Have of your audience been most free
and bounteous.
If it be so, – as so 'tis put on me,