The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Part 53

_King._ I have sent to seeke him, and to find the bodie: How dangerous is it that this man goes loose:[5]

Yet must not we put the strong Law on him: [Sidenote: 212] Hee's loved of the distracted mult.i.tude,[6]

Who like not in their iudgement, but their eyes: And where 'tis so, th'Offenders scourge is weigh'd But neerer the offence: to beare all smooth, and euen, [Sidenote: neuer the]

This sodaine sending him away, must seeme [Sidenote: 120] Deliberate pause,[7] diseases desperate growne, By desperate appliance are releeved, Or not at all. _Enter Rosincrane._ [Sidenote: _Rosencraus and all the rest._]

How now? What hath befalne?

_Rosin._ Where the dead body is bestow'd my Lord, We cannot get from him.

_King._ But where is he?[8]

_Rosin._ Without my Lord, guarded[9] to know your pleasure.

_King._ Bring him before us.

_Rosin._ Hoa, Guildensterne? Bring in my Lord.

[Sidenote: _Ros._ How, bring in the Lord. _They enter._]

_Enter Hamlet and Guildensterne_[10]

_King._ Now _Hamlet_, where's _Polonius?_

[Footnote 1: 'The body is in the king's house, therefore with the king; but the king knows not where, therefore the king is not with the body.']

[Footnote 2: 'A thing of nothing' seems to have been a common phrase.]

[Footnote 3: The _Quarto_ has not 'hide Fox, and all after.']

[Footnote 4: Hamlet darts out, with the others after him, as in a hunt.

Possibly there was a game called _Hide fox, and all after_.]

[Footnote 5: He is a hypocrite even to himself.]

[Footnote 6: This had all along helped to Hamlet's safety.]

[Footnote 7: 'must be made to look the result of deliberate reflection.'

Claudius fears the people may imagine Hamlet treacherously used, driven to self-defence, and hurried out of sight to be disposed of.]

[Footnote 8: Emphasis on _he_; the point of importance with the king, is _where he is_, not where the body is.]

[Footnote 9: Henceforward he is guarded, or at least closely watched, according to the _Folio_--left much to himself according to the _Quarto_. 192.]

[Footnote 10: _Not in Quarto._]

[Page 188]

_Ham._ At Supper.

_King._ At Supper? Where?

_Ham._ Not where he eats, but where he is eaten, [Sidenote: where a is]

a certaine conuocation of wormes are e'ne at him.

[Sidenote: of politique wormes[1]]

Your worm is your onely Emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else to fat vs, and we fat our selfe [Sidenote: ourselves]

for Magots. Your fat King, and your leane Begger is but variable seruice to dishes, but to one [Sidenote: two dishes]

Table that's the end.

[A]

_King._ What dost thou meane by this?[2]

_Ham._ Nothing but to shew you how a King may go a Progresse[3] through the guts of a Begger.[4]

_King._ Where is _Polonius_.

_Ham._ In heauen, send thither to see. If your Messenger finde him not there, seeke him i'th other place your selfe: but indeed, if you finde him not [Sidenote: but if indeed you find him not within this]

this moneth, you shall nose him as you go vp the staires into the Lobby.

_King._ Go seeke him there.

_Ham._ He will stay till ye come.

[Sidenote: A will stay till you]

_K._ _Hamlet_, this deed of thine, for thine especial safety [Sidenote: this deede for thine especiall]

Which we do tender, as we deerely greeue For that which thou hast done,[5] must send thee hence With fierie Quicknesse.[6] Therefore prepare thy selfe, The Barke is readie, and the winde at helpe,[7]

Th'a.s.sociates tend,[8] and euery thing at bent [Sidenote: is bent]

For England.

[Footnote A: _Here in the Quarto:_--

_King_ Alas, alas.[9]

_Ham._ A man may fish with the worme that hath eate of a King, and eate of the fish that hath fedde of that worme.]

[Footnote 1: --such as Rosincrance and Guildensterne!]

[Footnote 2: I suspect this and the following speech ought by the printers to have been omitted also: without the preceding two speeches of the Quarto they are not accounted for.]

[Footnote 3: a royal progress.]

[Footnote 4: Hamlet's philosophy deals much now with the worthlessness of all human distinctions and affairs.]

[Footnote 5: 'and we care for your safety as much as we grieve for the death of Polonius.']

[Footnote 6: 'With fierie Quicknesse.' _Not in Quarto._]

[Footnote 7: fair--ready to help.]

[Footnote 8: attend, wait.]