Tragedy of King Hamlet, Prince Claudius, and Queen Gertrude by Laurence Robert Cohen - HTML preview

Act 1.6

Polonius:

Good Claudius.  How well met did you find our king?

Claudius: 

Good Polonius, he was not found at all.

Polonius:

It must be of great moment then when veiled in secrecy.

Claudius: 

There is no moment; there is no veil; he did not meet with me.

Polonius: 

And in this meeting that did not occur, did you hear what I must know?

Claudius: 

In that I guess I will concur if in nothing you make it so.

Polonius: 

And you may still find in me a friend in time who will serve your purposes well.

Claudius: 

When I have a purpose, you may do me service, but now there's scarce to tell.

Polonius: 

In your not telling, you speak loud of things that are of pith and purpose.

Claudius:

Imagination has its wings, but here it gives no service.

Polonius: 

Would you leave to rumor then what must I know in fact?

Claudius: 

I do nothing more then tell the score of what no one did enact.

Polonius: 

I take this lack of action, then, and file it in deep places.  In the silence you offer me, I hear a pledge quite graceless.

Claudius: 

We are great friends, and to make amends, you will leave me to my bed.

Polonius: 

Then I say good morrow.  We will speak in sorrow for what is here unsaid.