I do repent: but the heavens have pleas'd it fo I will bestow him, and will answer well Thus bad begins, and worfe remains behind. Ham. Not this by no means that I bid you do. Or padling in your neck with his damn'd fingers, That I effentially am not in madness, But mad in craft. 'Twere good you let him know. Unpeg the basket on the houfe's top, Let the birds fly; and like the famous ape To try conclufions in the basket creep, 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 muft to England, you know that. Queen. Alack, I had forgot; 'tis fo concluded. Ham. There's letters feal'd, and my two fchool-fellows, (Whom I will truft as I will adders fang'd,) They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way Hoift with his own petar: and't fhall go hard 6 heav'n hath 8 concluded on. 7 me with this, and this with me, And And blow them at the moon. O'tis moft fweet I'll lug the guts into the neighbour room; [Exeunt, Hamlet tugging out Polonius. ACT IV. IV. ม SCENE I. T A Royal Apartment. Enter KING and QUEEN. KING. HERE's matter in thefe fighs; thefe profound heaves Queen. Ah, my good Lord, what have I feen to-night! Queen. Mad as the feas, and wind, when both contend King. Oh heavy deed! It had been fo with us, had we been there: To you your felf, to us, to every one. Alas, how fhall this bloody deed be anfwer'd? Should Should have kept fhort, reftrain'd, and out of haunt, To keep it from divulging, let it feed Shews it felf pure: he weeps for what is done. The fun no fooner fhall the mountains touch, Both countenance, and excufe. Ho! Guildenstern! Friends both, go join you with fome further aid: And from his mother's clofet hath he drag'd him. [Exeunt Rofincroffe and Guildenstern. [Exeunt. Ham. Safely ftowed Rof. and Guil. within. Hamlet! Lord Hamlet! Oh here they come. Enter Rofincroffe and Guildenstern. Rof. What have you done, my Lord, with the dead body? Ham. 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. Rof. Believe what? Ham. That I can keep your counsel, and not mine own. Befides, to be demanded of a fpunge, what replication should 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 fuch officers do the King best service in the end; he keeps them, like an ape, a in the corner of his jaw, firft mouth'd, to be laft fwallow'd: when he needs what you have glean'd, it is but squeezing you, and, fpunge, you fhall 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 'nothing." I Guil. Nothing, my Lord? 2 Ham. A thing or nothing bring me to him; hide fox, and all after. [Exeunt. King. I've fent to feek him, and to find the body; Who (a) It is the way of Monkeys in eating to throw that part of their food which they take up first into a pouch they are provided with on the fide of their jaw, and there they keep it 'till they have done with the reft. (b) There is a Play among children call'd Hide fox and all after. 2. Of nothing (9) a thing. 1 A thing, Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes: Enter Rofincroffe. How now? what hath befall'n? Rof. Where the dead body is beftow'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? King. At fupper? where? Ham. Not where he eats, but where he is eaten ; a certain convocation of politique worms are at him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures elfe to fat us, and we fat our felves for maggots. Your fat King and your lean beggar is but variable fervice, two dishes 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 fifh that hath fed of that worm. King. What doft 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'n, fend thither to fee. If your meffenger find him not there, feek him i'th' other place your felf. But indeed, if you find him not this month, you fhall nofe him as you go up the stairs into the lobbey. |