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SCENE I.

ACT IV.

A royal apartment.

Enter King and Queen, with Rofincrantz and Guildenftern.

King. Here's
Here's matter in thefe fighs; thefe profound

heaves

You must tranflate; 'tis fit we understand them.
Where is your fon?

Queen. Bestow this place on us a little while..

[To Rofincrantz and Guildenstern, who go out. Ah, my good Lord, what have I feen to-night? King. What, Gertrude? How does Hamlet? Queen, Mad as the feas and wind, when both con- ` Which is the mightier; in his lawless fit, Behind the arras hearing fomething stir, He whips his rapier out, and cries, A rat! And in this brainith apprehenfion, kilis The unfeen good old man.

King. O heavy deed!

It had been fo with us, had we been there:

His liberty is full of threats to all,

To you yourself, to us, to every one.

Alas! how fhall this bloody deed be answer'd ?.

It will be laid to us, whofe providence

[tend.

Should have kept short, restrain'd, and out of haunt;、

This mad young man.

But fo much was our love,

We would not understand what was most fit;

But, like the owner of a foul disease,

To keep it from divulging, let it feed

Ev'n on the pith of life. Where is he gone?

Queen. To draw apart the body he hath kill'd,.
O'er whom his very madness, like fome ore
Among a mineral of metals base,

Shews itself pure. He weeps for what is done.

King O Gertrude, come away:

The fun no fooner fhall the mountains touch,
But we will ship him hence; and this vile deed:
We mult, with all our majelly and skill,

Both countenance and excufe. Ho! Guillenstern!

Enter Rofincrantz and Guildenstern.

Friends both, go join you with fome further aid:
Hamlet in madnefs hath Polonius flain,

And from his mother's closet hath he dragg'd him.
Go seek him out, fpeak fair, and bring the body
Into the chappel. Pray you, hatte in this

[Ex. Rofincrantz and Guildenfern. Come, Gertrude, we'll call up our wifeft friends, And let them know both what we mean to do," And what's untimely done. [For, haply, Slander *] (Whofe whifper o'er the world's diameter,

As level as the cannon to his blank,

Transports its pʊifon'd fhot) may miss our name,
And hit the woundle's air.O, come away;
My foul is full of discord and dismay.

SCENE II. Enter Hamlet.

Ham. Safely ftowed.

Gentlemen within. Hamlet! Lord Hamlet!
Ham. What noife? who calls on Hamlet?

Oh, here they come.

Enter Rofincrantz and Guildenstern,

[Exeunt.

Rof. What have you done, my Lord, with the dead body?

Ham. Compounded it with duft, whereto 'tis kin.

Rof. Tell us where 'tis, that we may take it thence, And bear it to the chappel.

Ham. Do not believe it.

Ref. Believe what?

Ham. That I can keep your counsel, and not mine own. Befides, to be demanded of a punge, what replication fhould be made by the fon of a King?

Rof. Take you me for a fpunge, my Lord?

Ham. Ay, Sir, that fokes up the King's countenance, his rewards, his authorities; but tuch officers do the King beft fervice in the end; he keeps them, like an ape, in the corner of his jaw; first mouth'd, to be last fwallow d: when he needs what you have glean'd, it is, but fqueezing you, and, fpunge, you fhall be dry again. * These are conjectural words of Mr Theobald.

Ref I understand you not, my Lord.

Ham. I am glad of it; a knavish speech fleeps in a foolish ear

Ref My Lord, you must tell us where the body is, and go with us to the King

Ham The body is with the King, but the King is not with the body The King is a thingGuild. A thing, my Lord?

Ham. Of nothing: bring me to him; hide fox, and all after *.

SCENE

[Exeunt.

III. Enter King.

King I've fent to feek him, and to find the body; How ang'rous is it, that this man goes

loofe ! Yet must not we put the ftrong law on him;

He's lov'd of the diftracted multitude,

Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes:
And where 'tis fo, the offender's fcourge is weigh'd,
But never the offence To bear all fmooth,
This fudden fending him away must feem
Deliberate paufe: difeafes, defp'rate grown,
By defperate appliance are reliev'd,

Or not at all.

Enter Rofincrantz.

How now? what hath befall'n?

Ref. Where the dead body is beftow'd, my Lord, We cannot get from him,

King But where is he?

Raf. Without, my Lord, guarded to know your pleasure.

King. Bring him before us.

Ref. Ho, Guildenstern! bring in my Lord,

Enter Hamlet and Guildenstern.

King. Now Hamlet, where's Polonius!

Ham At fupper.

King, At fupper? where?

Ham. Not where he eats, but where he is eaten; a certain convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your only Emperor for diet. We fat alk

A diverfi n amongst children.

creatures elfe to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat King and your lean beggar is but variaable fervice, two dishes but to one table; that's the end. King. Alas, alas!

Ham. A man may fish with a worm that hath eat of a King, eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm. King. What doit thou mean by this?

Ham. Nothing, but to fhew you how a King may go a progrefs through the guts of a beggar.

King. Where is Polonius?

Ham. in heav'u, fend thither to fee. If your mesfenger find him not there, feek him i' th' other place yourfelf. But, indeed, if you find him not within this month, you shall nofe him as you go up the tairs into the lobby

King. Go feek him there.

Ham. He will stay till ye come.

King Hamlet, this deed, for thine especial safety, (Which we do tender, as we dearly grieve

For that which thou hast done), mult send thee hence With fiery quickness; therefore prepare thyself;

The bark is ready, and the wind at help,

Th' affociates tend, and every thing is bent

For England.

Ham For England?

King Ay, Hamlet.

Ham. Good.

King. So it is, if thou knew'ft our purposes.

Ham. I fee a cherub that fees them but come, for England! Farewel, dear mother.

King. Thy loving father, Hamlet.

Ham. My mother: Father and mother is man and wife; man and wife is one flesh, and to my mother. Come, for England,

[Exit. King Follow him at foot; tempt him with ipeed Delay it not, I'll have him hence to night. Away, for every thing is teal'd and done

[aboard;

That elfe leans on th' affair: pray you make hafte.

[Exeunt Rofincrantz and Guildenstern. And, England! if my love thou holdst at aught, As my great power thereof may give thee fenfe, Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red

After the Danish fword, and thy free awe

Pays homage to us; thou may't not coldly fet
Our fovereign procefs, which imports at full,
By letters congruing to that effect,
The prefent death of Hamlet.

Do it, England:
For like the hectic in my blood he rages,
And thou must cure me; till I know 'tis done,
Howe'er my haps, my joys will ne'er begin.

[Exit.

SCENE IV. A camp on the frontiers of Denmark. Enter Fortinbras with an army.

For. Go, Captain, from me, greet the Danish King; Tell him, that, by his licence, Fortinbras Claims the conveyance of a promis'd march Over his realm. You know the rendezvous. If that his Majefty would aught with us, We fhall exprefs our duty in his eye,

And let him know fo.

Capt. I will do't, my Lord.

For Go foftly on.

[Exit Fortinbras with the army.

Enter Hamlet, Rofincrantz, Guildenstern, &c.

Ham. Good Sir, whofe powers are these?

Capt. They are of Norway, Sir.

Ham. How purpos'd, Sir, I pray you?
Capt. Against fome part of Poland,

Ham. Who commands them, Sir?

Capt. The nephew of old Norway, Fortinbras. Ham. Goes it against the main of Poland, Sir, Or for fome frontier ?

Capr. Truly to speak it, and with no addition, We go to gain a little patch of ground,

That hath in it no profit but the name.

To pay five ducats-five, I would not farm it; Nor will it yield to Norway, or the Pole,

A ranker rate, fhould it be fold in fee.

Ham. Why, then the Polack never will defend it. Capt. Yes, 'tis already garrifon'd.

Ham. Two thousand fouls, and twenty thousand duWill not debate the queftion of this straw;

[cats, This is th' imposthume of much wealth and peace,

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