And I the matter will re-word; which madness Infects unseen. Confess yourself to heaven; Repent what's past: avoid what is to come; Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg; Yea, curba and woo, for leave to do him good. Ham. O throw away the worser part of it, That monster, custom, who all sense doth eat— With wondrous potency. Once more, good night : [Pointing to POLONIUS. a Curb-to bend-courber. The death I gave him. So again, good night! Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.— Queen. What shall I do? Ham. Not this, by no means, that I bid you do: Or paddling in your neck with his damn'd fingers, That I essentially am not in madness, But mad in craft. 'T were good you let him know: Unpeg the basket on the house's top, Let the birds fly; and, like the famous ape, To try conclusions, in the basket creep, And break your own neck down. Queen. Be thou assur'd, if words be made of breath, And breath of life, I have no life to breathe What thou hast said to me. Ham. I must to England; you know that? Queen. I had forgot; 't is so concluded on. Alack, Ham. There's letters seal'd: and my two school fellows, Whom I will trust, as I will adders fang'd, They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way, For 't is the sport, to have the engineer a Paddock-toad. b Gib-a cat. c Hoist with his own petar-blown up with his own engine. And blow them at the moon: O, 't is most sweet, I'll lug the guts into the neighbour room :- [Exeunt severally; HAMLET dragging in the body of POLONIUS. ACT IV. SCENE I.-The same. Enter KING and QUEEN. King. There's matter in these sighs; these profound heaves; You must translate: 't is fit we understand them : Queen. Ah, my good lord, what have I seen to-night! Queen. Mad as the seas, and wind, when both contend Which is the mightier: In his lawless fit, He whips his rapier out, and cries, "A rat! a rat!" The unseen good old man. 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, To keep it from divulging, let it feed Even on the pith of life. Where is he gone? Shows itself pure; he weeps for what is done. a Mineral-mine; a compound mass of metals. King. O, Gertrude, come away! The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch, Both countenance and excuse.-Ho! Guildenstern! Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Friends both, go join you with some further aid: [Exeunt Ros. and GUIL. Transports his poison'd shot, may miss our name, [Exeunt. SCENE II.-Another Room in the same. Ham. Enter HAMLET. -Safely stowed, Ros. &c. within. Hamlet! lord Hamlet! Ham. What noise? who calls on Hamlet? O, here they come. Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Ros. What have you done, my lord, with the dead body? Ham. Compounded it with dust, whereto 't is kin. Ros. Tell us where 't is; that we may take it thence, And bear it to the chapel. Ham. Do not believe it. |