1 But mad in craft. 'Twere good you let him know: Unpeg the basket on the house's top, Let the birds fly; and, like the famous ape, And break your own neck down. Queen. Be thou affur'd, if words be made of breath, And breath of life, I have no life to breathe What thou haft faid to me. Ham. I must to England; you know that? I had forgot: 'tis fo concluded on. Ham. There's letters feal'd: and my two schoolfellowsWhom I will truft, as I will adders fang'd They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way, For 'tis the fport, to have the engineer But I will delve one yard below their mines, And blow them at the moon: O, 'tis moft fweet, I'll lug the guts into the neighbour room: [Exeunt feverally, HAMLET dragging in POLONIUS. ACT ACT IV. SCENE I. The fame. Enter KING, QUEEN, ROSENCRANTZ, and GUILDENSTERN. King. There's matter in these 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 ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN, who go out. Behind the arras hearing fomething stir, 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 shall this bloody deed be answer'd? Should have kept short, restrain'd, and out of haunt, To keep it from divulging, let it feed Queen. To draw apart the body he hath kill'd: Shows itself pure: he weeps for what is done. The fun no fooner fhall the mountains touch, Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Friends both, go join you with some further aid; And from his mother's closet hath he dragg'd him: [Exeunt Ros. and GUIL. Transports his poifon'd fhot-may mifs our name, SCENE II. Another Room in the fame. Enter HAMLET. [Exeunt. Ham.Safely ftow'd-[Ros. &c. within. Hamlet! lord Hamlet!] But foft!-what noife? Who calls on Hamlet? O, here they come. Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Rof. What have you done, my lord, with the dead body? Ham.. Compounded it to dust, whereto 'tis kin. Rof. Tell us where 'tis; that we may take it thence, And bear it to the chapel. Ham. Do not believe it. Rof. Believe what? Ham. That I can keep your counsel, and not mine own. Befides, to be demanded of a spunge!-what replication fhould be made by the fon of a king? Rof. Take you me for a spunge, my lord? Ham. Ay, fir; that foaks up the king's countenance, his rewards, his authorities. But fuch officers do the king best service in the end: He keeps them, like an ape, in the corner of his jaw; first mouth'd, to be laft fwallow'd: When he needs what you have glean'd, it is but squeezing you; and, fpunge, you shall be dry again.. Rof. I understand you not, my lord. Ham. I am glad of it: A knavish speech fleeps in a foolish ear. Rof. 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.. SCENE III. [Exeunt; Another Room in the fame. Enter KING, attended. King. I have fent to seek him, and to find the body. How dangerous is it, that this man goes loofe? Yet must not we put the ftrong law on him: Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes; Or not at all. Enter ROSENCRANTZ. How now? what hath befallen? Rof. Where the dead body is bestow'd, my lord, We cannot get from him. King. But where is he? Rof. Without, my lord; guarded, to know your pleasure. King. Bring him before us. Rof. 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 politick worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet: we fat all creatures elfe, to fat us; and we fat ourselves for maggots: Your fat king, and your lean beggar, is but variable fervice; 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 fhow you how a king may go a progrefs through the guts of a beggar. |