And hit the woundless air -O, come away;
My foul is full of difcord and dismay.

:

SCENE II.

Enter Hamlet,

Ham. Safely stowed..

Gentlemen within. Hamlet! Lord Hamlet!

Ham. What noife? who calls on Hamlet ?

Oh, here they come.

Enter Rofincrantz, and Guildenstern.

:

[Exeunt.

Rof. What have you done, my Lord, with the

dead body?

Ham. Compounded it with dust, whereto 'tis kin, Rof. Tell us where 'tis, that we may take it thence,

And bear it to the chapel.

:

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 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 such officers do the King best service in the end; he keeps them, 6 likę an apple, in the corner of his jaw; first mouth'd, to be last swallow'd. When he needs what you have

glean'd, it is but squeezing you, and, spunge, you shall 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.

Hom

7 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.

1

King. I've fent to seek him, and to find the body.
How dang'rous is it, that this man goes loose!
Yet must not we put the strong law on him;
He's lov'd of the distracted multitude,

Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes:
And where 'tis so, th' offender's scourge is weigh'd,
But never the offence. To bear all smooth and even,
This fudden sending him away must seem
Deliberate pause. Diseases, desp'rate grown,
By defperate appliance are reliev'd,
Or not at all.

1

Enter Rofincrantz.

How now? what hath befall'n?

Rof. Where the dead body is bestow'd, my Lord,

We cannot get from him.

King. But where is he?

Rof. Without my Lord, guarded, to know your

pleafure.

King. Bring him before us.

Rof. 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 politique 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, eat of the fish that had fed of that worm. King. What doth thou mean by this?

Ham. Nothing, but to show you how a King may go a progrefs through the guts of a beggar. King. Where is Polonius ?

Ham. In heav'n, send thither to fee. If your meffenger find him not there, feek him i' th' 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 feek him there.
Ham. He will stay 'till ye come.

King. Hamlet, this deed, for thine especial safety,

Which we do tender, as we dearly grieve
For that which thou hast down, must send thee hence
With fiery quickness; therefore prepare thyself;
The bark is ready, and the wind at help,
Th' 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 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 flesh, and, fo, 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 feal'd and done

That else leans on th' affair. Pray you, make hafte.

[Exeunt Rof. and Guild.

And, England! if my love thou hold'st at aught,
As my great power thereof may give thee sense,
Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red
After the Danish sword, and thy free awe

Pays homage to us, thou may'st not coldly set by
Our fovereign process, which imports at full,

-the wind at help,] I sup

Set by

pose it should be read,

Our fovereign process,] So

The bark is ready, and the Hanmer. The others have only

wind at helm.

Jet.

By

By letters conjuring to that effect,
The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England:
For like the hectick in my blood he rages,

And thou must cure me; 'till I know 'tis done,

Howe'er my haps, my joys will ne'er begin. [Exit.

SCENE IV.

A Camp, on the Frontiers of Denmark.

Enter Fortinbras, with an Army.

For. Co, Captain, from me greet the Daniss

King,

Tell him, that, by his license, Fortinbras
Claims the conveyance of a promis'd March
Over his Realm. You know the rendezvous.
If that his Majesty would aught with us,
We shall express our duty in his eye,
And let him know fo.

Cap. I will do't, my Lord.

For. Go softly on. (Exit Fortinbras with the Army.

Enter Hamlet, Rosincrantz, Guildenstern, &c.

Ham. Good Sir, whose Powers are these?

Capt. They are of Norway, Sir.
Ham. How purpos'd, Sir, I pray you ?
Capt. Against some 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 Some frontier?

3 Howe'er my bap, my joys will ne'er begin.] This being the termination of a scene, should, according to our authour's cuf,

6

tom, be rhymed. Perhaps he wrote,

Howe'er my hopes, my joys are not begun.

Capt.