them, like an ape, in the corner of his jaw;
first mouthed, to be last swallowed: when he 20
needs what you have gleaned, it is but squeez-

ing 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 thing—

Guil. A thing, my lord?

Ham. Of nothing: bring me to him. Hide fox, and all after.

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[Exeunt.

Scene III.

Another room in the castle.

Enter King, attended.

King. I have sent to seek him, and to find the body.
How dangerous is it that this man goes loose!
Yet must not we put the strong law on him:
He's loved 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 relieved,

Or not at all.

Enter Rosencrantz.

How now! what hath befall'n?

IO

Ros. Where the dead body is bestow'd, my lord,
We cannot get from him.

King.

But where is he?

Ros. Without, my lord; guarded, to know your pleasure. King. Bring him before us.

Ros. Ho, Guildenstern! bring in my lord.

Enter Hamlet and Guildenstern.

King. Now, Hamlet, where 's Polonius?

Ham. At supper.

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. 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?

Ham. Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar.

King. Where is Polonius?

Ham. In heaven; send thither to see: if your
messenger find him not there, seek him i̇' 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.

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30

[To some Attendants. 40

Ham. He will stay till you come.

[Exeunt Attendants.

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

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

The bark is ready and the wind at help,

The associates tend, and everything is bent

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

Ham. I see a cherub that sees them. But, come; for 50 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:

Away! for every thing is seal'd and done

That else leans on the affair: pray you, make haste.

[Exeunt Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

And, England, if my love thou hold'st at aught—
As my great power thereof may give thee sense, 61
Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red
After the Danish sword, and thy free awe
Pays homage to us-thou mayst not coldly set
Our sovereign process; which imports at full,
By letters congruing to that effect,

The present 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 were ne'er begun.

Scene IV.

A plain in Denmark.

70

[Exit.

Enter Fortinbras, a Captain and Soldiers, marching.

For. Go, captain, from me greet the Danish king;
Tell him that by his license Fortinbras

Cap.

Craves the conveyance of a promised march
Over his kingdom. You know the rendezvous.
If that his majesty would aught with us,
We shall express our duty in his eye;

And let him know so.

I will do 't, my lord.

For. Go softly on.

[Exeunt Fortinbras and Soldiers.

Enter Hamlet, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and others.

Ham. Good sir, whose powers are these?

Cap. They are of Norway, sir.

Ham. How purposed, sir, I pray you?
Cap. Against some part of Poland.

Ham. Who commands them, sir?

Cap. The nephew to old Norway, Fortinbras.
Ham. Goes it against the main of Poland, sir,
Or for some frontier?

Cap. Truly to speak, 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;

ΙΟ

20

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 it.
Cap. Yes, it is already garrison'd.

Ham. Two thousand souls and twenty thousand ducats
Will not debate the question of this straw:

This is the imposthume of much wealth and peace,
That inward breaks, and shows no cause without
Why the man dies. I humbly thank you, sir.

Cap. God be wi' you, sir.

[Exit.

Ros.
Will 't please you go, my lord?
Ham. I'll be with you straight. Go a little before.

31

[Exeunt all but Hamlet.

33

How all occasions do inform against me,
And spur my dull revenge! What is a man, 3
If his chief good and market of his time
Be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more.
Sure, he that made us with such large discourse,
Looking before and after, gave us not
That capability and god-like reason

To fust in us unused. Now, whether it be
Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple

Of thinking too precisely on the event,—

40

A thought which, quarter'd, hath but one part wis-
dom

And ever three parts coward,—I do not know
Why yet I live to say 'this thing 's to do,'

Sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means,
To do 't. Examples gross as earth exhort me:
Witness this army, of such mass and charge,
Led by a delicate and tender prince,
Whose spirit with divine ambition puff'd
Makes mouths at the invisible event,

50