[Footnote II.1: _Polonius_,] Doctor Johnson describes Polonius as "a man bred in courts, exercised in business, stored with observation, confident in his knowledge, proud of his eloquence, and declining into dotage. A man positive and confident, because he knows his mind was once strong, and knows not that it is become weak." The idea of dotage encroaching upon wisdom will solve all the phenomena of the character of Polonius.]
[Footnote II.3: _Ecstacy of love_;] _i.e._, madness of love. In this sense the word is now obsolete.]
_This must be known; which being kept close, might move More grief to hide than hate to utter love._]
_i.e._, this must be made known to the king, for (being kept secret) the hiding Hamlet's love might occasion more mischief to us from him and the queen, than the uttering or revealing of it will occasion hate and resentment from Hamlet.
It was the custom of Shakespeare's age, to conclude acts and scenes with a couplet, a custom which was continued for nearly a century afterwards.]
[Footnote II.5: _The understanding of himself_,] _i.e._, the just estimate of himself.]
[Footnote II.6: _Vouchsafe your rest_] Please to reside.]
[Footnote II.7: _Of us_,] _i.e._, over us.]
[Footnote II.8: _In the full bent_,] To the full stretch and range--a term derived from archery.]
[Footnote II.9: _The trail of policy_] The _trail_ is the _course_ of an animal pursued by the scent.]
[Footnote II.10: _Expostulate_] To _expostulate_ is to discuss, to put the pros and cons, to answer demands upon the question. _Expose_ is an old term of similar import.]
[Footnote II.11: _Perpend._] _i.e._, reflect, consider attentively.]
[Footnote II.12: _Most beautified Ophelia_,] Heywood, in his History of Edward VI., says "Katharine Parre, Queen Dowager to King Henry VIII., was a woman _beautified_ with many excellent virtues." The same expression is frequently used by other old authors.]
[Footnote II.13: _In her excellent white bosom_,] The ladies, in Shakespeare's time, wore pockets in the front of their stays.]
[Footnote II.14: _These, &c._] In our poet's time, the word _these_ was usually added at the end of the superscription of letters.]
[Footnote II.15: _I am ill at these numbers_;] No talent for these rhymes.]