This bodiless creation ecstasy! Is very cunning in. Ham. Ecstasy! My pulse, as yours, doth temperately keep time, Ham. O, throw away the worser part of it, That monster, custom, who all sense doth eat To the next abstinence: the next more easy: Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.— Queen. I had forgot; 'tis so concluded on. Whom I will trust, as I will adders fang'd,9— I'll lug the guts into the neighbour room:- [Exeunt severally; Hamlet dragging in ACT IV. SCENE I-The same. Enter King, Queen, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern. King. There's matter in these sighs; these profound heaves; You must translate: 'tis fit we understand them: Where is your son? Queen. Bestow this place on us a little while.[To Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who, go out. Ah, my good lord, what have I seen to-night! King. What, Gertrude? how does Hamlet? Queen. Mad as the sea, and wind, when both contend Which is the mightier: In his lawless fit, King. O heavy deed! It had been so with us, had we been there : His liberty is full of threats to all; 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? Queen. To draw apart the body he hath kill'd: O'er whom his very madness, like some ore, Among a mineral12 of metals base, Shows itself pure; he weeps for what is done. King. O, Gertrude, come away! The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch, Queen. Be thou assur'd, if words be made of Both countenance and excuse.-Ho! Guildenstern! Into the chapel. I pray you, haste in this. 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, 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 thingGuil. A thing, my lord? Ham. Of nothing: bring me to him. Hide fox, and all after.2 [Exeunt. En the SCENE III.-Another room in the same. ter King, attended. King. I have sent to seek him, and to find How dangerous is it, that this man goes loose! Enter Rosencrantz. Or not at all.-How now? what hath befallen? 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 messenger 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 hence The bark is ready, and the wind at help,3 for Ham. King. Ham. For England? King. So is it, if thou knew'st our purposes. Ham. I see a cherub, that sees them.-But, come; 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: Ros. Where the dead body is bestow'd, my lord, SCENE IV-A plain in Denmark. Enter ForWe cannot get from him. King. But where is he? tinbras, and Forces, marching. For. Go, captain, from me greet the Danish king; Tell him, that, by his license, Fortinbras Craves the conveyance of a promis'd march And let him know so. For. Go softly on. Ham. I will do't, my lord. Enter Hamlet, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, &c. I pray you? Cap. Ham. How purpos'd, sir, Commands them, sir? Who Cap. The nephew to old Norway, Fortinbras. Cap Truly to speak, sir, and with no addition, pay five ducats, five, I would not farm it; Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause, Queen. -I will not speak with her. Queen. There's tricks i'the world; and hems, and beats Spurns enviously at straws; speaks things in doubt, The hearers to collection; they aim9 at it, Indeed would make one think, there might be Ham. Why, then the Polack3 never will defend it. Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily. Cap. Yes, 'tis already garrison'd. Ham. Two thousand souls, and twenty thousand Will not debate the question of this straw: Ros. That inward breaks, and shows no cause without To fust in us unus'd. Now, whether it be A thought, which, quarter'd, hath but one part And, ever, three parts coward,-I do not know means, To do't. Examples, gross as earth, exhort me: Whose spirit, with divine ambition puff'd, To all that fortune, death, and danger, dare, (2) Forces. (3) Polander. (1) Presence. Queen. "Twere good she were spoken with; for she may strew Let her come in. Dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds: Re-enter Horatio, with Ophelia. Oph. Where is the beauteous majesty of Denmark? Queen. How now, Ophelia ? Oph. How should I your true-love know From another one? By his cockle hat and staff, And his sandal shoon.11 [Singing King. How long hath she been thus? Oph. I hope, all will be well. We must be patient: but I cannot choose but weep, to think, they should lay him 'the cold ground, My brother shall know of it, and so I thank you for your good counsel. Come, my coach! Good night, ladies; good night, sweet ladies: good night, good night. [Ex. King. Follow her close; give her good watch, I pray you. [Exit Horatio. O! this is the poison of deep grief; it springs All from her father's death: And now behold, O Gertrude, Gertrude, When sorrows come, they come not single spies, For good Polonius' death; and we have done but greenly,4 In hugger-muggers to inter him: Poor Ophelia King. Attend. Where are my Switzers?6 Let them guard the door: Gent. O'erbears your officers! The rabble call him, lord; (1) Do on, i. e. put on. (2) Do up. (6) Guards. (7) Bounds. VOL. II. (8) Scent. Give me my father. Queen. Calmly, good Laertes. Laer. That drop of blood, that's calm, proclaims me bastard; Cries, cuckold, to my father; brands the harlot Laer. Where is my father? Dead. But not by him. To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil! If King. King Good Laertes, you desire to know the certainty Of your dear father's death, is't writ in your revenge, That, sweepstake, you will draw both friend and foe, Winner and loser? Laer. None but his enemies. Will you know them then? Laer. To his good friends thus wide I'll ope my Enter Ophelia, fantastically dressed with straws || That I must call't in question. and flowers. O heat, dry up my brains! tears seven times salt, O heavens! is't possible, a young maid's wits Oph. They bore him barefac'd on the bier; Hey no nonny, nonny hey nonny: And in his grave rain'd many a tearFare you well, my dove! Laer. Hadst thou thy wits, and didst persuade revenge, It could not move thus. Oph. You must sing, Down-a-down, an you call him a-down-a. O, how the wheel2 becomes it! It is the false steward, that stole his master's daughter. Laer. This nothing's more than matter. Oph There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray you, love, remember; and there is pansies, that's for thoughts. Laer. A document in madness; thoughts and remembrance fitted. Oph. There's fennel for you, and columbines: -there's rue for you; and here's some for me :we may call it, herb of grace o'Sundays:-you may wear your rue with a difference. --There's a daisy-I would give you some violets; but they withered all, when my father died :-They say, he made a good end, For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy,— [Sings. Laer Thought4 and affliction, passion, hell itself, She turns to favour, and to prettiness. Oph. And will he not come again? Go to thy death-bed, He never will come again. His beard was as white as snow, He is gone, he is gone, God 'a mercy on his soul! [Sings. And of all Christian souls! I pray God. God be Laer. Do you see this, O God? Make choice of whom your wisest friends you will, They find us touch'd, we will our kingdom give, Be you content to lend your patience to us, Laer. Let this be so; His means of death, his obscure funeral,No trophy, sword, nor hatchment, o'er his bones, No noble rite, nor formal ostentation, Cry to be heard, as 'twere from heaven to earth, (1) Artful. (2) The burthen. (3) i. e. By its Sunday name 'herb of grace;' mine is merely rue, i. e. sorrow. King. So you shall; And where the offence is, let the great axe fall: I pray you, go with me. [Exeunt. SCENE VI-Another room in the same. Enter Horatio, and a Servant. Hor. What are they, that would speak with me? They say, they have letters for you. Let them come in.- 1 Sail. God bless you, sir. Hor. Let him bless thee too. 1 Sail. He shall, sir, an't please him. There's a letter for you, sir: it comes from the ambassador that was bound for England; if your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is. Hor. [Reads.] Horatio, when thou shalt have overlooked this, give these fellows some means to the king; they have letters for him. Ere we were two days old at sea, a pirate of very warlike appointment gave us chace: Finding ourselves too slow of sail, we put on a compelled valour; and in the grapple I boarded them on the instant they got clear of our ship; so I alone became their prisoner. They have dealt with me, like thieves of mercy; but they knew what they did; I am to do a good turn for them. Let the king have the letters I have sent; and repair thou to me with as much haste as thou would'st fly death. I have yet are they much too light for the bore of the words to speak in thine ear, will make thee dumb; matter. These good fellows will bring thee where I am. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hold their course for England: of them I have much to tell thee. Farewell. He that thou knowest thine, Hamlet. Come, I will give you way for these your letters; And do't the speedier, that you may direct me To him from whom you brought them. [Exeunt. SCENE VII.-Another room in the same. Enter King and Laertes. King. Now must your conscience my acquittance seal, And you must put me in your heart for friend ; Laer. It well appears:-But tell me, Why you proceeded not against these feats, So crimeful and so capital in nature, As by your safety, greatness, wisdom, all things else, You mainly were stirr'd up? King. O, for two special reasons; Which may to you, perhaps, seem much unsinew'd, But yet to me they are strong. The queen his mother, Lives almost by his.looks; and for myself, (4) Melancholy. (5) Since. |