POLONIUS.
The best actors in the world, either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral, scene individable, or poem unlimited. Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor Plautus too light, for the law of writ and the liberty. These are the only men.
HAMLET.
O Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a treasure hadst thou!
POLONIUS.
What treasure had he, my lord?
HAMLET.
Why—
’One fair daughter, and no more,
The which he loved passing well.’
POLONIUS.
[Aside.] Still on my daughter.
HAMLET.
Am I not i’ th’ right, old Jephthah?
POLONIUS.
If you call me Jephthah, my lord, I have a daughter that I love passing well.
HAMLET.
Nay, that follows not.
POLONIUS.
What follows then, my lord?
HAMLET.
Why,
As by lot, God wot,
and then, you know,
It came to pass, as most like it was.
The first row of the pious chanson will show you more. For look where my abridgement comes.