the river-head

'The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood'

_Macbeth,_ act ii. sc. 3.]

[Footnote 4: She goes a step farther than the king in accounting for
Hamlet's misery--knows there is more cause of it yet, but hopes he does
not know so much cause for misery as he might know.]

[Footnote 5: Either 'first' stands for _first desire_, or it is a noun,
and the meaning of the phrase is, 'The instant we mentioned the
matter'.]

[Footnote 6: 'borne in hand'--played with, taken advantage of.

'How you were borne in hand, how cross'd,'

_Macbeth,_ act iii. sc. 1.]

[Footnote 7: The nominative pronoun was not _quite_ indispensable to the
verb in Shakspere's time.]

[Page 78]

Receiues rebuke from Norwey: and in fine,
Makes Vow before his Vnkle, neuer more
To giue th'assay of Armes against your Maiestie.
Whereon old Norwey, ouercome with ioy,
Giues him three thousand Crownes in Annuall Fee,
[Sidenote: threescore thousand]
And his Commission to imploy those Soldiers
So leuied as before, against the Poleak: [Sidenote: Pollacke,]
With an intreaty heerein further shewne,
[Sidenote: 190] That it might please you to giue quiet passe
Through your Dominions, for his Enterprize, [Sidenote: for this]
On such regards of safety and allowance,
As therein are set downe.

_King_. It likes vs well:
And at our more consider'd[1] time wee'l read,
Answer, and thinke vpon this Businesse.
Meane time we thanke you, for your well-tooke Labour.
Go to your rest, at night wee'l Feast together.[2]
Most welcome home. _Exit Ambass_.
[Sidenote: Exeunt Embassadors]

_Pol_. This businesse is very well ended.[3] [Sidenote: is well]
My Liege, and Madam, to expostulate[4]
What Maiestie should be, what Dutie is,[5]
Why day is day; night, night; and time is time,
Were nothing but to waste Night, Day and Time.
Therefore, since Breuitie is the Soule of Wit,
[Sidenote: Therefore breuitie]
And tediousnesse, the limbes and outward flourishes,[6]
I will be breefe. Your Noble Sonne is mad:
Mad call I it; for to define true Madnesse,
What is't, but to be nothing else but mad.[7]
But let that go.

_Qu_. More matter, with lesse Art.[8]

_Pol_. Madam, I sweare I vse no Art at all:
That he is mad, 'tis true: 'Tis true 'tis pittie, [Sidenote: hee's mad]
And pittie it is