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

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[Exeunt.

Enter Hamlet.

Ham. Safely ftowed.

Gentlemen within Hamlet! Lord Hamlet!

Ham. What noife? who calls on Hamlet?

Oh, here they come.

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Enter Rofincrantz, and Guildenstern.

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 chapel.

Ham. Do not believe it.

Rof. Believe what?

Ham. That I can keep your counfel, and not mine own. Besides, to be demanded of a spunge, what replication should be made by the son of a King?

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

6

Ham. Ay, Sir, that fokes up the King's countenance, his rewards, his authorities. But fuch officers do the King best service in the end; he keeps them, likẹ an apple, in the corner of his jaw; firft mouth'd, to be laft fwallow'd. When he needs what you have

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glean'd, it is but squeezing you, and, fpunge, you hall 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.

Hem The body is with the King, but the King is not with the body. The King is a thingGuil. A thing, my Lord?

8

Ham. Of nothing. Bring me to him.

and all after.

Hide fox,
[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

Enter King.

King. I've fent to seek him, and to find the body.
How dang'rous is it, that this man goes loose!
Yet muft 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 fo, th' offender's fcourge is weigh'd,
But never the offence. To bear all smooth and even,
This fudden fending him away must seem
Deliberate paufe. Difeafes, defp'rate grown,
By defperate appliance are reliev'd,
Or not at all.

7 The body is with the King,] This anfwer I do not comprehend. Perhaps it fhould be, The body is not with the King, for the King is not with the body.

8 Of nothing.] Should it not be read, Or nothing? When the courtiers remark, that Hamlet

has contemptuously called the
King a thing, Hamlet defends
himself by obferving, that the
King must be a thing, or no-
thing.

9 Hide fox,] There is a play
among children called Hide fox,
and all after.
HANMER.
Enter

1

Enter Rofincrantz.

How now? what hath befall'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 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 fupper.

King. At fupper? 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 elfe to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat King and your lean beggar is but variable fervice, two dishes but to one table. That's the end.

King. Alas, alas!

Ham. A man may fish with the worm that bath 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 fhow you how a King may go a progrefs through the guts of a beggar. King. Where is Polonius?

Ham. In heav'n, fend 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 fhall nofe 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 haft down, muft fend thee hence
With fiery quickness; therefore prepare thyself;
The bark is ready, and the wind at help,
Th' affociates tend, and every thing is 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 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 haste.

[Exeunt Rof. and Guild.
And, England! if my love thou hold'st at aught,
As my great power thereof may give thee fenfe,
Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red

After the Danish fword, and thy free awe
Pays homage to us; thou may'ft not coldly fet by
Our fovereign procefs, which imports at full,

1 —the wind at help,] I fuppose it should be read,

The bark is ready, and the
wind at helm.

2

-Jet by

Our fovereign process,] So Hanmer. The others have only Jet.

By

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By letters conjuring to that effect,

The prefent death of Hamlet. Do it, England:
For like the hectick in my blood he rages,
And thou muft cure me; 'till I know 'tis done,
Howe'er my haps, my joys will ne'er begin. [Exit.

For.

SCENE

IV.,

A Camp, on the Frontiers of Denmark.

Enter Fortinbras, with an Army.

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Captain, from me greet the Danis
King,

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

Cap. I will do't, my Lord.

For. Go foftly on. [Exit Fortinbras with the Army.

Enter Hamlet, Rofincrantz, Guildenstern, &c.

Ham. Good Sir, whofe Powers are these?

Capt. They are of Norway, Sir.

Ham. How purpos'd, Sir, I pray you?

Capt. Against 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?

3 Howe'er m: hap, my joys will ne'er begin.] This being the termination of a fcene, fhould, according to our authour's cuf, 6

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