Enter HAMLET and GUILDENSTERN.

King. Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?
Ham. At supper.

King. At supper? where?

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Ham. Not where he eats, but where he is eaten; a certain convocation of politic 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!

Y

Ham. A man may fish with the worm that hath ate of a King, eat of the fish that hath fed of that

worm.

King. What dost thou mean by this?

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

If your

Ham. In Heaven, send thither to see. messenger find him not there, seek him i' th' other place yourself. But, indeed, if 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.

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 done) must send thee

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.

A

King. So is it, if thou knew'st our purposes. Ham. I see a Cherub that sees 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 so, my mother. Come, for England.

[Exit. King. Follow him at foot; tempt him with speed

Delay it not: I'll have him hence to-night.
Away, for every thing is sealed and done
That else leans on th' affair; pray you, make haste.
[Exeunt Ros. 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
201
After the Danish sword, and thy free awer
Pays homage to us; thou may'st not coldly set

Our sovereign process, which imports at full,
By letters congruing to that effect,

The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England:
For like the hectic in my blood he rages,

And thou must cure me; 'till I know 'tis done, Howe'er my haps, my joy will ne'er begin. [Exit.

SCENE-A Camp on the Frontiers of Denmark.' Enter FORTINBRAS with an Army.

For. Go, Captain, from me greet the Danish
King;

Tell him, that by his licence, Fortinbras
Claims the conveyance of a promised 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 so.

Capt. I will do't, my Lord. (61)

For. Go softly on.

[Exit Fortinbras, with the Army,

Enter HAMLET, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, &c.

Ham. Good Sir, whose powers are these?

(61) I take Fortinbras's Captain to have the same prototype in the moon as Orsin in Hudibras, who is drawn in figure 15, ante.

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Capt. They are of Norway, Sir.

Ham. How purposed, Sir, I pray you?
Capt. Against some part of Poland.

Ham. Who commands them, Sir?

Capt. The nephew of old Norway, Fort-in-bras. Ham. Goes it against the main of Poland, Sir, Or for some frontier?

Capt. Truly to speak it, and with no addition,
We go to gain a little patch of ground,
That hath in it no profit but the naine.

To pay five ducats--five, I would not farm it; (62)
Nor will it yield to Norway, or the Pole,
A ranker rate, should it be sold in fee.

Ham. Why, then the Polack never will defend it.
Capt. Yea, 'tis already garrisoned.

Ham. Two thousand souls, and twenty thousand Will not debate the question of this straw; [ducats, This is the imposthume of much wealth and peace, That inward breaks, and shews no cause without Why the man dies. I humbly thank you, Sir. Capt. God b' w'ye, Sir.

Ros. Will't please you go, my Lord?

(62) Five ducats. On the body of King Claudius, against whom Fortinbras's expedition lies, (i. e. against which Fortinbras's side of the moon weighs or librates,) there are several bright spots of light, like coins, which are here, perhaps, alluded to.

Ham. I'll be with you strait, go a little before. 5[Exeunt.

SCENE changes to a Palace.

Enter Queen, HORATIO, and a Gentleman,951 Queen. I will not speak with her. us to list 62 Gent. She is importunate, (63) ut veri elliga ti Indeed, distract; her mood will needs be pitied. Queen. What would she have? 17 [hears Gent. She speaks much of her father; says, she There's tricks i' th' world; and hems and beats

her heart;

・

LLA

Spurns enviously at straws; speaks things in doubt
That carry but half sense; her speech is nothing,
Yet the unshaped use of it doth move A
The hearers to collection; they aim at it,
And botch their words up fit to their own thoughts;
Which as her winks, and nods, and gestures yield
[thought;
Indeed, would make one think there might be
Tho' nothing sure, yet much unhappily.

them,

Hor. 'Twere good she were spoken with, for. she may strow

(63). It is little necessary to point out the prototype of so inconsiderable a character as that of the gentleman who announces Ophelia's lunacy to the Queen: there are, ind fact, many heads, or faces, scattered over the map of the moon, besides those more particularly conspicuous, [and] one of these may be assigned to him. ¿ylinaz