Pinch wanton on your cheek; call you, his mouse ;* And let him, for a pair of reechyt kisses, Make you to ravel all this matter out, For who, that's but a queen, fair, sober, wise, Queen. Be thou assur'd, if words be made of And breath of life, I have no life to breathe Ham. I must to England; you know that? I had forgot; 'tis so concluded on. Ham. There's letters seal'd: and my two school-fellows, Whom I will trust, as I will adders fang'd,¶— They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way, And marshal me to knavery: Let it work; But I will delve one yard below their mines, And blow them at the moon: O, 'tis most sweet, When in one line two crafts directly meet.This man shall set me packing. I'll lug the guts into the neighbour room :Mother, good night.-Indeed, this counsellor Is now most still, most secret, and most grave, Who was in life a foolish prating knave. Come, Sir, to draw toward an end with you:Good night, mother. [Exeunt severally; HAMLET dragging in POLONIUS. O'er whom his very madness, like some ore, Among a mineralt of metals base, Shows itself pure; he weeps for what is done. The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch, Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDenstern. Friends both, go join you with some further aid: Hamlet in madness hath Polonius slain, And from his mother's closet hath he dragg'd him: [body Go, seek him out; speak fair, and bring the Into the chapel. I pray you, haste in this. [Exeunt Ros. and GUIL. Come, Gertrude, we'll call up our wisest friends; And let them know, both what we mean to do, And what's untimely done: so, haply, slander, Whose whisper o'er the world's diameter, [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Another Room in the same. Ham.-Safely stowed,-[Ros. &c. within. Hamlet! lord Hamlet!] But soft!-what noise? who calls on Hamlet? O, here they come. Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILdenstern. Ros. What have you done, my lord, with the 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 fox, and all after. [Exeunt. SCENE III-Another Room in the same. Enter KING, attended. King. I have sent to seek him, and to find How dangerous is it, that this man goes loose? Ros. Where the dead body is bestow'd, my We cannot get from him. King. But where is he? [lord, 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 Which we do tender, as we dearly grieve With fiery quickness: Therefore, prepare thy- Ham. For England? 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 sc 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 [Exeunt Ros. and GUIL. England, if my love thou hold'st at aught, (As my great power thereof may give thee And, haste. sense; Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red set* Our sovereign process; which imports at full, [Exit. Cap. Against some part of Poland. Commands them. Sir? Cap. The nephew to old Norway, Fortinbras. Ham. Goes it against the main of Poland, [Sir Hum. Why, then the Polack never will de- Cap. Yes, 'tis already garrison'd. Will not debate the question of this straw: That inward breaks, and shows no cause with- | To my sick soul, as sin's true nature is, out Why the man dies.-I humbly thank you, Sir. Looking before, and after, gave us not 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: To all that fortune, death, and danger, dare, [Exit. .SCENE V.-Elsinore.-A Room in the Castle. Enter QUEEN and HORATIO. Queen. -I will not speak with her. Hor. She is importunate; indeed, distract; Her mood will needs be pitied. Queen. What would she have? Hor. She speaks much of her father; says, she hears, There's tricks i'the world; and hems, and beats her heart; Spurns enviously at straws; speaks things in doubt, [nothing, That carry but half sense: her speech is Yet the unshaped use of it doth move The hearers to collection; they aim at it, And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts; Which, as her winks, and nods, and gestures yield them, Indeed would make one think, there might be thought, Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily. Queen. "Twere good, she were spoken with; for she may strew Dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds: Let her come in. [Exit HORATIO. IMAL + Power of comprehension. Grow mouldy. Cowardly. Since. ¶ Guess Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss: Re-enter HORATIO, with OPHELIA. Queen. How now, Ophelia? Oph. How should I your true love know By his cockle hat and staff, [Singing. Oph. [Sings. Larded all with sweet flowers; King. How do you, pretty lady? Oph. Well, God'ields you! They say, the owl was a baker's daughter. Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be God be at your table! King. Conceit upon her father. Oph. Pray, let us have no words of this; but when they ask you what it means, say you this! Good morrow, 'tis Saint Valentine's day, All in the morning betime, And I a maid at your window, To be your Valentine: Then up he rose, and don'd his clothes, Let in the maid, that out a maid King. Pretty Ophelia ! Oph. Indeed, without an oath, I'll make an end on't: By Gis, and by Saint Charity,** Young men will do't, if they come to't; Quoth she, before you tumbled me, So would I ha' done, by yonder sun, An thou hadst not come to my bed. King. How long hath she been thus? Oph. I hope, all will be well. We must be 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 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, I pray you. [Exit HORATIC. O! this is the poison of deep grief; it springs Garnished. & Reward Do on, i. e. put on. Do up. **Saints in the Roma Catholic Calendar. * Trifle. + Shoes. All from her father's death: And now behold, O Gertrude, Gertrude, [spies, When sorrows come, they come not single But in battalions! First, her father slain; Next, your son gone; and he most violent author Of his own just remove: The people muddied, Thick and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers, For good Polonius' death; and we have done but greenly,* In hugger-muggert to inter him: Poor Ophelia Last, and as much containing as all these, lord; And, as the world were now but to begin, O, this is counter,¶ you false Danish dogs. Laer. I pray you, give me leave. [They retire without the door. Laer. I thank you :-keep the door.- thou vile king, Give me my father. Queen. Calmly, good Laertes. Laer. That drop of blood, that's calm, proclaims me bastard; Cries, cuckold, to my father; brands the harlot Even here, between the chaste unsmirched** Of my true mother. [brow King. What is the cause, Laertes, Luer. Where is my father? * Without judgement. Bounds, + Privately. Il Scent. + Guards. Hounds run counter when they trace the scent back. ** Clean, undefiled, wards. King. Good Laertes, If you desire to know the certainty [revenge, Laer. None but his enemies. And, like the kind life-rend'ring pelican, King. Why, now you speak Like a good child, and a true gentleman. Danes. [Within.] Let her come in. Enter OPHELIA, fantastically dressed with Straws and Flowers. O heat, dry up my brains! tears seven times salt, Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye!- Oph. They bore him barefuc'd on the bier; Fare you well, my dove! It could not move thus. 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. Luer. 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 me:-we may call it, herb of grace o'Sun. days:-you may wear your rue with a differ ence.-There's a daisy-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, Laer. Thought and affliction, passion, hell (Sings. itself, She turns to favour, and to prettiness. Oph. And will he not come again? His beard was as white as snow, He is gone, he is gone, 981 matter. These good fellows will bring thee where course for England: of them I have much to tell I am. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hold their thee. Farewell. He that thou knowest thine, Hamlet. [Sings. Come, I will give you way for these your And of all Christian souls! I pray God. God Or you deny me right. Go but apart, [will, Our crown, our life, and all that we call ours, Laer. Let this be so; His means of death, his obscure funeral,- No noble rite, nor formal ostentation,- King. So you shall; And where the offence is, let the great axe fall. I 37 you, go with me. [Exeunt. CENE VI.-Another Room in the same. Enter HORATIO, and a SERVANT. letters; And do't the speedier, that you may direct me To him from whom you brought them. [Exeunt. SCENE VII.-Another Room in the same. Enter KING and LAERTES. King. Now must your conscience my acquittance seal, Sith you have heard, and with a knowing ear, And you must put me in your heart for friend; That he, which hath your noble father slain, Pursu'd my life. Laer. It well appears:-But tell me, So crimeful and so capital in nature, Why you proceeded not against these feats, As by your safety, greatness, wisdom, all things else, You mainly were stirr'd up. King. O, for two special reasons; [new'd,t But yet to me they are strong. The queen his Which may to you, perhaps, seem much unsimother, Lives almost by his looks; and for myself, stone, Too slightly timber'd for so loud a wind, Laer. And so have I a noble father lost; Hor. What are they, that would speak with Whose worth, if praises may go back again, .e? Serv. Sailors, Sir; They say, they have letters for you. Hor. Let them come in.- [Exit SERVANT. I do not know from what part of the world should be greeted, if not from lord Hamlet. Enter SAILORS. you, Sir. 1 Sail. God bless 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 letters for him. Ere we were two days old at sea, a pirate of very warlike uppointment 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 pri soner. 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 * Melancholy. Stcod challenger on mount of all the age come. King. Break not your sleeps for that: you That we are made of stuff so flat and dull, Enter a MESSENGER. This to your majesty; this to the queen. not: They were given me by Claudio, he receiv'd Leave us. |