No, in despite of sense, and secrecy, Let the birds fly; and, like the famous ape, And break your own neck down. Queen. Be thou assur'd, if words be made of breath, And breath of life, I have no life to breathe What thou hast said to me. 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, 3. They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way, I'll lug the guts into the neighbour room :— [Exeunt severally; HAMLET dragging in POLONIUS. ACT IV. SCENE 1.5-The same. Enter King, Queen, ROZENCRANTZ, and GUILDENSTERN. King. There's matter in these sighs; these profound heaves; You must translate: 'tis fit we understand them : [3] That is, adders with their fangs, or poisonous teeth undrawn. It has been the practice of mountebanks to boast the efficacy of their antidotes by playing with vipers, but they first disabled their fangs. JOHNSON. [4] Still alluding to a countermine. MALONE. [5] This play is printed in the old editions without any separation of the acts. The division is modern and arbitrary; and is here not very happy, for the pause is made at a time when there is more continuity of action than in almost any other of the scenes: JOHNSON. Where is your son? Queen. Bestow this place on us a little while.- Ah, my good lord, what have I seen to-night! King. O heavy deed! It had been so with us, had we been there: To you yourself, to us, to every one. Alas! how shall this bloody deed be answer'd? It will be laid to us, whose providence Should have kept short, restrain'd, and out of haunt, This mad young man: but, so much was our love, We would not understand what was most fit; But, like the owner of a foul disease, To keep it from divulging, let it feed Even on the pith of life. Where is he gone? Shows itself pure; he weeps for what is done. The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch, Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. [Exeunt Ros. and GUIL Transports his poison'd shot,-may miss our name, And hit the woundless air.-O come away! SCENE IF. [Exeunt. Another Room in the same. Enter HAMLET. 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? 6 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 thing Guil. A thing, my lord? Ham. Of nothing: bring me to him. Hide, fox, and all after.7 [Exeunt. [6] The quarto has apple, which is generally followed. The folic has ape, which Sir T. Hanmer has thus illustrated: "It is the way of monkeys in eating, to throw that part of their food, which they take up first, into a pouch theyfare provided with on each side of their jaw, and there they keep it till they have done with the rest." JOHN. Apple in the quarto is a mere typographical error. The meaning is clearly "as an ape does an apple." RITSON. [7] There is a-play among children called, "Hide, fox, and all after." HANMER! SCENE III. Another Room in the same. Enter King, attended. King. I have sent to seek him, and to find the body. Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes; Enter ROSENCRANTZ. Or not at all.-How now? what hath befallen? 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. 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 mes senger 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. 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 every thing is bent For England. Ham. For England ? King. Ay, Hamlet. Ham. Good. 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: Away; for every thing is seal'd and done That else leans on the affair: Pray you, make haste.[Exeunt Ros. and GUIL. And, England, if my love thou hold'st at aught, (As my great power thereof may give thee sense; The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England;, And thou must cure me: Till I know 'tis done, SCENE IV. [Exit. A Plain in Denmark. Enter FORTINBRAS, and Forces, marching. For. Go, captain, for me greet the Danish king; Tell him, that, by his licence, Fortinbras [8] Our poet has here, I think, used an elliptical expression: thou mayest not coldly set by our sovereign process;" thou mayest not set little by it, or estimate it lightly. See many other instances of similar ellipses in Cymbe line, act v. sc. 5. 23* MALONE. |