_Ham._ Hark you, Guildenstern; and you too: at each[859] ear a hearer: that great baby you see there is not yet out[860] of his swaddling clouts.[861] 365 _Ros._ Happily he's the second time come to them; for[862] they say an old man is twice a child. _Ham._ I will prophesy he comes to tell me of the[863] players; mark it. You say right, sir: o'Monday morning;[864] 'twas so, indeed.[865] 370 _Pol._ My lord, I have news to tell you. _Ham._ My lord, I have news to tell you. When Roscius[866] was an actor in Rome,--[867] _Pol._ The actors are come hither, my lord. _Ham._ Buz, buz! 375 _Pol._ Upon my honour,--[868] _Ham._ Then came each actor on his ass,--[869] _Pol._ The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral,[870] tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral,[870][871] 380 scene individable, or poem unlimited: Seneca cannot be too[872] heavy, nor Plautus too light. For the law of writ and the[873][874][875] liberty these are the only men.[873][875] _Ham._ O Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a treasure[876][877] hadst thou! 385 _Pol._ What a treasure had he, my lord?[878] _Ham._ Why,[879] 'One fair daughter, and no more,[879] The which he loved passing well.'[879] _Pol._ [_Aside_] Still on my daughter.[880] 390 _Ham._ Am I not i' the right, old Jephthah? _Pol._ If you call me Jephthah, my lord, I have a daughter[881][882] that I love passing well.[881] _Ham._ Nay, that follows not.[881] _Pol._ What follows, then, my lord? 395 _Ham._ Why,[883] 'As by lot, God wot,'[883] and then, you know,[884] 'It came to pass, as most like it was,'--[884] the first row of the pious chanson will show you more;[885] 400 for look, where my abridgement comes.[886] _Enter four or five_ Players. You are welcome, masters; welcome, all. I am glad to see[887] thee well. Welcome, good friends. O, my old friend! Why[888][889] thy face is valanced since I saw thee last; comest thou to[889][890] beard me in Denmark? What, my young lady and mistress! 405 By'r lady, your ladyship is nearer to heaven than[891] when I saw you last, by the altitude of a chopine. Pray[892] God, your voice, like a piece of uncurrent gold, be not cracked within the ring. Masters, you are all welcome. We'll e'en to 't like French falconers, fly at any thing we[893] 410 see: we'll have a speech straight: come, give us a taste of your quality; come, a passionate speech.