SCENE II. ANOTHER ROOM IN THE HOUSE. Enter Hamlet. Ham. Safely stowed,-[Ros. &c. within. Hamlet! lord Hamlet!] But soft,-what noise? who cails on Hamlet? O, here they come. Enter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. King. Alas, alas! Ham. A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king; and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm. King. What dost thou mean by this? Ros. What have you done, my lord, with the may go a progress through the guts of a beggar. dead body? Ham. Compounded it with dust, whereto 'tis kin. Ros. Tell us where 'tis; that we may take it thence, and bear it to the chapel. Ham. Do not believe it. Ros. Believe what? Ham. That I can keep your counsel, and not mine own. Besides, to be demanded of a sponge! -what replication should be made by the son of a king? Ros. Take you me for a sponge, my lord? Ham. Ay, sir; that soaks up the king's countenance, his rewards, his authorities. But such officers do the king best service in the end: He keeps them, like an ape, in the corner of his jaw; first mouthed, to be last swallowed: when he needs what you have gleaned, it is but squeezing you, and, sponge, you shall be dry again. Ros. I understand you not, my lord? Ham. I am glad of it: a knavish speech sleeps in a foolish ear. Ros. 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 thingGuil. A thing, my lord? Ham. Of nothing: bring me to him. Hide fex, and all after. [exeunt. SCENE III. ANOTHER ROOM IN THE SAME. Enter King, attended. [body. King. I have sent to seek him, and to find the How dangerous is it, that this man goes loose! Yet must not we put the strong law on him: He's lov'd of the distracted multitude, Who like not in their judgement, but their eyes; And, where 'tis so, the offender's scourge is weigh'd But never the offence. To bear all smooth and even, This sudden sending him away must seem Deliberate pause. Diseases, desperate grown, By desperate appliance are reliev'd, Enter Rosencrantz. Or not at all.-How now? what hath befallen? Ros. Where the dead body is bestow'd, my lord, We cannot get from him. King. But where is he? [pleasure. Ros. Without, my lord; guarded, to know your Ros. Ho, Guildenstern! bring in my lord. King. At supper? 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 all creatures else, to fat us; and we fat ourselves for maggots: your fat king, and your lean beggar, is but variable service; two dishes, but to one table, that's the end. King. Where is Polonius? Ham. In heaven; send thither to see; if your messenger find him not there, seek him i' the other place yourself. But, indeed, if you find him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up the stairs into the lobby. King. Go seek him there. [to some Attendants. Ham. He will stay till you come. [exeunt Attendants. King. So is it, if thou knew'st our purposes. Ham. I see a cherub, that sees them. But, come; for England!-Farewell, dear mother. King. Thy loving father, Hamlet. Ham. My mother: Father and mother is man and wife; man and wife is one flesh; and so, my mother. Come, for England. [exit. King. Follow him at foot; tempt him with speed aboard; Delay it not, I'll have him hence to night: The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England; SCENE IV. A PLAIN IN DENMARK. Enter Fortinbras and forces, marching. For. Go, captain, from me greet the Danish king; Tell him, that by his licence, Fortinbras Cap. I will do't, my lord. For. Go softly on. [exeunt Fortinbras and forces Cap. The nephew to old Norway, Fortinbras. Ham, Goes it against the main of Poland, sir, Or for some frontier? Cap. Truly to speak, sir, 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, should it be sold in fee. Ham. Why, then, the Polack never will defend Will not debate the question of this straw : How all occasions do inform against me, To fust in us unus'd. Now, whether it be And, ever, three parts coward,-I do not know means, To do't. Examples, gross as earth, exhort me. SCENE V. ELSINORE. A ROOM IN THE CASTLE. Enter Queen and Horatio. Queen. I will not speak with her. Spurns enviously at straws; speaks things in doubt, Dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds: To my sick soul, as sin's true nature is, Oph. How should I your true-love know By his cockle hat and staff, And his sandal shoon. [mark? [singing. patient: but I cannot choose but weep, to think, they should lay him i'the cold ground; my brother shall know of it, and so I thank you for your good counsel. Come, my coach! Good night, ladies; good night, sweet ladies; good night, good night. [exit. King. Follow her close; give her good watch, When sorrows come, they come not single spies, [greenly, King. Attend. Where are my Switzers? let them guard the door: What is the matter? Gent. Save yourself, my lord; Eats not the flats with more impetuous haste, The ratifiers and props of every word, [without. King. What is the cause, Laertes, That thy rebellion looks so giant-like?— Let him go, Gertrude; do not fear our person; There's such divinity doth hedge a king, That reason can but peep to what it would, Laer. Where is my father? Queen. But not by him. [trude ; [with: Laer. How came he dead? I'll not be juggled To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience, and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation: to this point I stand,That both the worlds I give to negligence, Let come what comes; only be reveng'd Most throughly for my father. King. Who shall stay you? Laer. My will, not all the world's: And, for my means, I'll husband them so well, They shall go far with little. King. Good Laertes, If you desire to know the certainty [venge, Of your Laer. None but his enemies. [foe, King. Will you know them then? [my arms; King. Why, now you speak Danes. [within] Let her come in. Laer. How now! what noise is that? Enter Ophelia, fantastically dressed with straws and flowers. O heat, dry up my brains! tears, seven times salt, Oph. They bore him barefac'd on the bier; Oph. You must sing, 'down a-down, an you call him a-down-a.' O, how the wheel becomes it! It is the false steward, that stole his master's daughter. Laer. This nothing's more than matter. Oph. There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray you, love, remember: and there is pansies, that's for thoughts. Laer. A document in madness; thoughts and remembrance fitted. Oph. There's fennel for you, and columbines : -there's rue for you; and here's some for ine:— SCENE VII. ANOTHER ROOM IN THE SAME. we may call it, herb of grace o'Sundays:-you may | And do't the speedier, that you may direct me wear your rue with a difference.-There's a daisy: To him from whom you brought them. -I would give you some violets; but they withered all, when my father died-they say, he made a good end,— For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy. [sings. Oph. And will he not come again? No, no, he is dead. Go to thy death-bed, He never will come again. His beard was as white as snow, All flaxen was his poll: He is gone, he is gone, And we cast away inoan; And of all Christian souls! I pray God. wi' you! [sings. God be [exit Ophelia. They find us touch'd, we will our kingdom give, Be you content to lend your patience to us, Laer. Let this be so; His means of death, his obscure funeral,- Cry to be heard, as 'twere from heaven to earth, King. So you shall; And, where the offence is, let the great axe fall. [exeunt. SCENE VI. ANOTHER ROOM IN THE SAME. Enter Horatio, and a Servant. | Enter King and Laertes. King. Now must your conscience my acquittance Laer. It well appears.-But tell me, As by your safety, greatness, wisdom, all things else, King. O, for two special reasons; Which may to you, perhaps, seem much unsinew'd, Is, the great love the general gender bear him; Laer. And so have I a noble father lost; That we are made of stuff så flat and dull, Hor. What are they, that would speak with me? I loved your father, and we love ourself; They say, they have letters for you. Hor. Let them come in.— [exit Servant. I do not know from what part of the world 1 Sail. God bless you, sir. 1 Sail. He shall, sir, an't please him. There's a letter for you, sir; it comes from the ambassador, that was bound for England; if your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is. Hor. (reads) Horatio, when thou shalt have overlooked this, give these fellows some means to the king; they have etters for him. Ere we were two days old at sea, a pirate of very warlike appointment gave us chase: finding ourselves too slow of sail, we put on a compelled valour; and in the grapple I boarded them: on the instant they got clear of our ship; so I alone became their prisoner. They have dealt with me, like thieves of mercy; but they knew what they did; I am to do a good turn for them. Let the king have the letters I have sent; and repair thou to me with as much haste as thou wouldst fly death. I have words to speak in thine ear, will make thee dumb; yet are they much too light for the bore of the matter. These good fellows will bring you where I am. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern bold their course for England; of them I have much to tell thee. Farewell. He that thou knowest thine, HAMLET. Come, I will give you way for these your letters; And that, I hope, will teach you to imagine,— King. If it be so, Laertes, As how should it be so?-how otherwise?— Will you be rul'd by me? Laer. Ay, my lord; So you will not o'er-rule me to a peace. King. To thine own peace. If he be now return'd,--| As checking at his voyage, and that he means No more to undertake it,-I will work him To an exploit, now ripe in my device, Under the which he shall not choose but fall: And for his death no wind of blame shall breathe; But even his mother shall uncharge the practice And call it, accident. Laer. My lord, I will be rul'd; The rather, if you could devise it so, King. It falls right. You have been talk'd of since your travel much, Laer. What part is that, my lord? Laer. A Norman, was't? King. A Norman. Laer. Upon my life, Lamord. King. The very same. A kind of wick, or snuff, that will abate it Laer. To cut his throat i'the church. [rize. Laer. I will do't: And, for the purpose, I'll anoint my sword. King. Let's further think of this; Laer. I know him well: he is the brooch, indeed, If this should blast in proof. Soft;—let me see :— And gem of all the nation. King. He made confession of you; And gave you such a masterly report, For art and exercise in your defence, And for your rapier most especial, Laer. What out of this, my lord? King. Laertes, was your father dear to you? Or are you like the painting of a sorrow, A face without a heart? Laer. Why ask you this? King. Not that I think, you did not love your But that I know, love is begun by time; [father; And that I see, in passages of proof, Time qualifies the spark and fire of it. There lives within the very flame of love We'll make a solemn wager on your cunnings,- When in your motion you are hot and dry, How now, sweet queen? Queen. One woe doth tread upon another's heel, So fast they follow: --your sister's drown'd, Laertes. Laer. Drown'd! O, where? [brook, Queen. There is a willow grows ascaunt the That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream; Therewith fantastic garlands did she make Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples, That liberal shepherds give a grosser name, But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them: There on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds Clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke; When down her weedy trophies, and herself, Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide, |