Who was in Life a foolish prating Knave.
Come, Sir, to draw toward an end with you.

Good Night, Mother. [Exeunt Hamlet tugging in Polonius.

ACT IV. SCENE I..
SCENE A Royal Apartment.

King.T

Enter King and Queen.

Here's matters in thefe fighs, thefe profound heaves; You must tranflate, 'tis fit we understand them. Where is your Son?

Queen. Ah, my good Lord, what have I seen to Night? King. What, Gertrude? How does Hamlet?

Queen. Mad as the Seas, and Wind, when both contend Which is the mightier; in his lawless fit

Behird the Arras, hearing fomething ftir,

He whips his Rapier out, and cries a Rat, a Rat,
And in his brainifh apprehenfion, kills

The unfeen good old Man.

King. Oh heavy deed!

It had been fo with us, had we been there:
His Liberty is full of threats to all,

To you your felf, to us, to every one.

Alas, how fhall this bloody deed be anfwer'd?
It will be laid to us, whofe providence

Should have kept fhort, reftrain'd, and out of haunt,
This mad young Man. But fo much was our love,
We would not understand what was moft fit,
But like the Owner of a foul Disease,
To keep it from divulging, lets it feed
Even on the pith of Life. Where is he gone?
Queen. To draw apart the Body he hath kill'd,
O'er whom his very Madness, like fome Ore
Among a Mineral of Metals bafe,

Shews it felf pure. He weeps for what is done,
King. Oh Gertrude, come away:

The Sun no fooner fhall the Mountains touch,
But we will ship him hence, and this vile deed,
We muft, with all our Majefty and Skill,
Both countenance, and excufe. Ho! Guildenstern!

A 2 4

Enter

Enter Rofeneraus and Guildenstern.
Friends both, go join you with fome further aid:
Hamlet in madness hath Polonius flain,

And from his Mother's Closet hath he dragg'd him:
Go feek him out, fpeak fair, and bring the body

Into the Chappel. I pray you hafte in this. [Ex. Rof.and Guild.
Come, Gertrude, we'll call up our wifeft Friends,
To let them know both what we mean to do,
And what's untimely done. Oh come away,
My Soul is full of difcord and difmay.
Enter Hamlet.

Ham. Safely ftowed.

Gentlemen within. Hamlet! Lord Hamlet! Ham, What noife? who calls on Hamlet? Oh here they come.

Enter Rofeneraus and Guildenftern.

[Exeunt.

Rof. What have you done, my Lord, with the dead Body? 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 Counfel, and not mine own. Befides, to be demanded of a Spunge, what replication should be made by the Son of a King.

Rof. Take you me for a Spunge, my Lord?

Ham. Ay, Sir, that fokes up the King's Countenance, his Rewards, his Authorities; but fuch Officers do the King beft fervice in the end; he keeps them like an Ape in the corner of his Jaw, firft mouth'd to be last swallowed, when he needs what you have glean'd, it is but fqueezing you, and Spunge 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. Raf. 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

Guild. A thing, my Lord?

Ham. Of nothing? bring me to him, hide Fox, and all after.

Exeunt.

Enter

Enter King.

King. I have fent to feek him, and to find the Body;
How dangerous is it that this Man goes loofe!
Yet muft not we put the ftrong Law on him;
He's lov'd of the diftra&ted Multitude,

Who like not in their Judgment, but their Eyes:
And where 'tis fo, th' Offender's fcourge is weigh'd,
But never the Offence. To bear all fmooth, and even,
This fudden fending him away, must seem
Deliberate pawfe: Difeafes defperate grown,
By defperate Appliance are relieved,

Or not at all.

Enter Rofeneraus.

How now? what hath befal'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 Plea fure.

King. Bring him before us.

Rof. Ho, Guildenstern! bring in my Lord.

Enter Hamlet, and Guildenftern.

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 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 our felves for Maggots. You fat King and your lean Beggar is but variable Service, two Dishes, but to one Table, that's the end.

King. What doft thou mean by this?

Ham. Nothing but to fhew you how a King may go a Progrefs through the Gut of a Beggar.

King. Where is Polonius?

Ham. In Heav'n, fend thither to fee. If your Messenger 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.

King. Go feek him there.

Ham. He will ftay 'till ye come.

King. Hamlet, this Deed of thine, for thine efpecial fafety Which we do tender, as we dearly grieve

For that which thou haft done, muft fend thee hence
With fiery Quickness; therefore prepare thy felf,
The Bark is ready, and the Wind at help,
Th'Affociates tend, and every thing at bent

For England.

Ham. For England?
King. Ay, Hamlet.
Ham. Good.

King. So is it, if thou knew'ft our Purposes. Ham. I fee a Cherub that fees them; but come, for England. Farewel, dear Mother.

King. Thy loving Father, Hamlet.

Ham. My Mother: Father and Mother is Man and Wife; Man and Wife is one Flefh, and fo my Mother. Come, for England.

[Exit.

King. Follow him at foot, tempt him with fpeed aboard: Delay it not, I'll have him hence to Night.

Away, for every thing is feal'd and done

That elfe leans on th' Affair; pray you make hafte.
And England, if my Love thou hold'ft at ought,
As my great Power thereof may give thee fenfe,
Since yet thy Cicatrice looks raw and red
After the Danish Sword, and thy free awe
Pays homage to us; thou may'ft not coldly fet
Our Sovereign Procefs, which imports at full,
By Letters conjuring to that effect,

The prefent Death of Hamlet. Do it England,
For like the He&ick in my Blood he rages,
And thou must cure me; 'till I know 'tis done,
How e'er my Haps, my Joys were ne'er begun.

SCENE II. A Camp.

Enter Fortinbras with an Army.

For. Go, Captain, from me to the Danish King,
Tell him that by his Licenfe, Fortinbras
Claims the Conveyance of a promis'd March

[Exit.

Over

Over this Kingdom. You know the Rendevouz;
If that his Majefty would ought with us,
We shall exprefs our Duty in his Eye,

And let him know fo.

Capt. I will do't, my Lord.

For. Go foftly on,

[Exit Fortinbras.

Enter Hamlet, Rofeneraus, c.

Ham. Good Sir, whofe Powers are thefe ?
Capt. They are of Norway, Sir.

Ham. How propos'd, Sir, I pray you?
Capt. Againft fome part of Poland.
Ham. Who commands them, Sir?

Capt. The Nephew of old Norway, Fortinbras.
Ham. Goes it against the main of Poland, Sir,
Or for fome Frontier?

Capt. 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 Duckets, five I would not farm it,
Nor will it yield to Norway or the Pole

A ranker rate, fhould it be fo in Fee.

Ham. Why then the Pollock never will defend it.
Capt. Nay, 'tis already garrifon'd.

Ham. Two thoufand Souls, and twenty thousand Ducke

Will not debate the Queftion of this Straw;

This is th' impofthume of much Wealth and Peace,

That inward breaks, and fhews no caufe without

Why the Man dies. I humbly thank you, Sir.
Cap. God b'w'ye, Sir.

Rof. Wil't please you go, my Lord?

Ham. I'll be with you ftraight, go a little before. [Exe.
Manet Hamlet.

How all occafions do inform against me,

And fpur my dull Revenge? What is a Man,

If his chief good and market of his time

Be but to fleep and feed? a Beast, no more.
Sure he that made us with fuch large Difcourfe,
Looking before and after, gave us not
That capability and God-like reafon
To Ruft in us unus'd; now whether it be
Beftial Oblivion, or fome craven Scruple

Of