Let the bloat king tempt you again to bed; Pinch wanton on your cheek; call you his mouse; And let him, for a pair of reechy kisses, Or paddling in your neck with his damn'd fingers, Make you to ravel all this matter out, That I essentially am not in madness, But mad in craft. 'Twere good you let him know : For who, that's but a queen, fair, sober, wise, Unpeg the basket on the house's top, And break your own neck down. Queen. Be thou assured, if words be made of breath, 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. Alack, Ham. There's letters seal'd: and my two schoolfellows, 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, Hoist with his own petar: and 't shall go hard, 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 the body of POLONIUS. ACT IV. SCENE I.-A Room in the Castle. Enter KING and QUEEN. HERE'S matter in these sighs, these You must translate: '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, King. 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, ? Shows itself pure; he weeps for what is done. King. O, Gertrude, come away! The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch, But we will ship him hence: and this vile deed We must, with all our majesty and skill, Both countenance and excuse.-Ho! Guildenstern! Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Friends both, go join you with some further aid: him: Go, seek him out; speak fair, and bring the body Transports his poison'd shot,-may miss our name, And hit the woundless air. O come away! SCENE II.-Another Room in the same. Enter HAMlet. Ham. Safely stowed, [Ros., &c. within. Hamlet! lord Hamlet!] Ham. 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 doth nuts, 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 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. fox, and all after. Hide [Exeunt. SCENE III.-Another Room in the same. Enter KING, attended. King. I have sent to seek him, and to find the body. How dangerous is it that this man goes loose; Yet must not we put the strong law on him: He's loved of the distracted multitude, Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes; And, where 'tis so, the offender's scourge is weigh'd, But never the offence. To bear all smooth and even, This sudden sending him away must seem Or not at all.— Enter ROSENCRANTZ. How now? what hath befallen? Ros. Where the dead body is bestow'd, my lord, We cannot get from him. |