SCENE III.
The same. Another Room in the same.
Enter King, attended.
Kin.
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 lov'd 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 note the offence. To bear all smooth and even,
This sudden sending him away must seem
Deliberate pause: Diseases, desperate grown,
By desperate appliance are reliev'd,
Enter Rosincrantz.
Or not at all.—How now? what hath befall'n?
Ros.
Where the dead body is bestow'd, my lord,
We cannot get from him.
Kin.
But where is he?
Ros.
Without, my lord; guarded, to know your pleasure.
Kin.
Bring him before us.
-- 92 --
Ros.
Ho! bring in the lord. note
Enter Hamlet, and Guildenstern.
Kin.
Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?
Ham.
At supper.
Kin.
At supper? Where?
Ham.
Not where he eats, but where he is eaten: a
certain convocation of politick note 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 note for maggots:
Your fat king, and your lean beggar, is but variable
service; two dishes, note but to one table; that's the
end.
Kin.
Alas, alas! note
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.
Kin.
What dost thou mean by this?
Ham.
Nothing, but to shew you how a king may go
a progress through the guts note of a beggar.
Kin.
Where is Polonius?
Ham.
In heaven; send thither to see: if your messenger
find him not there, seek him in the other place yourself.
But, indeed note, if you find him not this note month, you
shall nose him as you go up the stairs into the lobby.
Kin.
Go seek him there.
[to some Attendants.
Ham.
He will stay till you come. note
[Exeunt Attendants.
Kin.
Hamlet, this deed, for thine note especial safety,—
Which we do tender; as we dearly grieve
For that which thou hast done,—must send thee hence
With fiery quickness: note Therefore, prepare thyself;
The bark is ready, and the wind at help,
The associates tend, and every thing is bent note
For England.
-- 93 --
Ham.
For England?
Kin.
Ay, Hamlet.
Ham.
Good.
Kin.
So is it, if thou knew'st our purposes.
Ham.
I see a cherub, that sees them. note—But, come; for
England:—Farewel, dear mother.
Kin.
Thy loving father, Hamlet.
Ham.
My mother: Father and mother is man and wife;
man and wife is one flesh: so note, my mother.—Come, for
England.
[Exit Hamlet.
Kin.
Follow him at foot; tempt him with speed aboard;
Delay it not, I'll have him hence to-night:
Away; for every thing is seal'd and done,
That else leans on the affair: Pray you, make haste.
[Exeunt Ros. and Gui.
And, England, if my love thou hold'st at ought,
(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 sovereign process; which imports at full,
By letters congruing note 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. note
[Exit.
Edward Capell [1767], Mr William Shakespeare his comedies, histories, and tragedies, set out by himself in quarto, or by the Players his Fellows in folio, and now faithfully republish'd from those Editions in ten Volumes octavo; with an introduction: Whereunto will be added, in some other Volumes, notes, critical and explanatory, and a Body of Various Readings entire (Printed by Dryden Leach, for J. and R. Tonson [etc.], London) [word count] [S10601].
