Among a mineral of metals bafe,

Shews itself pure. He weeps for what is done.
King. O Gertrude, come away:

The fun no fooner fhall the mountains touch,
But we will ship him hence; and this vile deed
We muft, with all our Majefty and Skill,
Both countenance and excufe. Ho! Guilderfern!

Enter Rofincrantz and Guildenstern.

Friends both, go join you with fome further aid :
Hamlet in madnefs hath Polonius flain,

And from his mother's clofet hath he drag'd him.
Go feck him out, fpeak fair, and bring the body
Into the chapel. Pray you, hafte in this.

[Exe. Rof. and Guil. Come, Gertrude, we'll call up our wifeft friends, (26)

(26) Gertrude, We'll call up our wifeft Friends,
And let them know both what we mean to do,
And what's untimely done.

Whofe Whisper o'er the World's Diameter,
As level as the Cannon to his blank,

Transports its poifon'd Shot, may mifs our Name,
And hit the woundlefs Air. O, come away;}

And

Mr. Pope takes notice, that I replace fome Verfes that were imperfect, (and, tho' of a modern Date, feem to be genuine ;) by inferting two Words. But to fee, what an accurate and faithful Collator he is! I produced thefe Verfes in my SHAKESPEARE refiored, from a Quarto Edition of Hamlet printed in 1637, and happened to fay, that they had not the Authority of any earlier Date in Print, that I knew of, than that. Quarto. Upon the Strength of this Mr. Pope comes and calls the Lines modern, tho' they are in the Quarto's of 1605 and 1611, which I had not then feen, but both of which Mr. Pope pretends to have collated. The Verfes carry the very Stamp of Shakespeare upon them. The Coin, indeed, has been clipt from our first receiving it; but it is not fo diminished, but that with a fmall Affiftance we may hope to make it pafs current. We have not, 'tis true, fo much as the Footsteps, or Traces, of a corrupted Reading, to lead us to an Emendation; nor any means of restoring what is loft, but ConjecI am far from affirming, therefore, that I have given the Poet's very Words; but the Supplement is fuch as the Sentiment

ture.

natu

And let them know both what we mean to do,
And what's untimely done. For, haply, Slander
(Whose whisper o'er the world's diameter,
As level as the cannon to his blank,

Tranfports its poifon'd fhot;) may mifs our Name,
And hit the woundless air.-O, come away;
My foul is full of difcord and dismay.

Enter Hamlet.

Ham. Safely ftowed.

Gentlemen within. Hamlet! Lord Hamlet! Ham. What noife? who calls on Hamlet? Oh, here they come.

Enter Rofincrantz, and Guildenstern.

[Exeunt.

Rof. What have you done, my Lord, with the dead body?

Ham. Compounded it with duft, whereto 'tis kin. Rof. Tell us where 'tis, that we may take it thence, And bear it to the chapel.

Ham. Do not believe it.
Rof. Believe what?

Ham. That I can keep your counsel, and not mine own. Befides, to be demanded of a fpunge, what replication fhould be made by the son of a King?

Rof. Take you me for a fpunge, my Lord?

Ham. Ay, Sir, that fokes up the King's countenance, his rewards, his authorities; but fuch officers do the King beft fervice in the end; he keeps them, like an apple, in the corner of his jaw; firft mouth'd, to be

naturally feems to demand. The Poet has the fame Thought, concerning the diffufive pow'rs of Slander in another of his Plays.

No, 'tis Slander;

Whofe Edge is harper than the Sword, whofe Tongue
Out-venomes all the Worms of Nile, whofe breath
Rides on the pofting Winds, and doth bely
All Corners of the World.

Cymbeline.

laft

laft swallow'd: when he needs what you have glean'd, it is but fqueezing you, and, fpunge, you fhall be dry again.

Rof. I understand you not, my Lord.

Ham. I am glad of it; a knavish speech fleeps in a foolish ear.

Rof. 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 thing

Guil. A thing, my Lord?

Ham. Of nothing: bring me to him; hide fox, and all after.

Enter King.

[Exeunt.:

King, I've fent to feek him, and to find the body
How dang'rous is it, that this man goes loofe!
Yet must not we put the ftrong law on him;
He's lov'd of the distracted multitude,

Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes:
And where 'tis fo, th' offender's fcourge is weigh'd,
But never the offence. To bear all fmooth,
This fudden fending him away must feem
Deliberate paufe: difeafes, defp'rate grown,
By defperate appliance are reliev'd,

Or not at all.

Enter Rofincrantz.

How now? what hath befall'n

Rof. Where the dead body is beftow'd, my Lord,

We cannot get from him.

King. But where is he?

Rof. Without,my Lord, guarded to know your pleasure, King. Bring him before us..

Rof. Ho, Guildenstern! bring in my Lord.

Enter Hamlet, and Guildenstern.

King. Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?

Ham. At fupper.

King. At fupper? where?

Ham. Not where he eats, but where he is eaten ; a certain convocation of politique worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your only Emperor for diet. We fat all creatures elfe to fat us, and we fat ourselves for mag gots. Your fat King and your lean beggar is but vari able service, two dishes but to one table; that's the enda King. Alas, alas !

A

Ham. A man may fifh with the worm that hath eat of a King, eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm. King. What doft thou mean by this?

Ham. Nothing, but to fhew you how a King may go a progress through the guts of a beggar.

King. Where is Polonius ?

Ham. In heav'n, fend thither to fee. If your meffenger find him not there, feek him i' th' other place yourself. But, indeed, if you find him not within this month, you fhall nose him as you go up the stairs into the lobby.

King. Go feek him there.

Ham. He will ftay 'till ye come.

King. Hamlet, this deed, for thine efpecial fafety, (Which we do tender, as we dearly grieve

For that which thou haft done) muft fend thee hence
With fiery quickness; therefore prepare thyfelf;
The bark is ready, and the wind at help,
Th' affociates tend, and every thing is bent
For England.

Ham. For England?

King. Ay, Hamlet.

Ham. Good.

King. So is it, if thou knew't our purposes. Ham. I fee a Cherub, that fees 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, fo, my mother. Come, for England.

[Exit.

Delay

King.Follow him at foot; tempt him with speed aboard;

1

1

Delay it not, I'll have him hence to-night.
Away, for every thing is feal'd and done.
That else leans on th' affair; pray you, make hafte
[Exeunt Rof. and Guild.
And, England! if my love thou hold 'ft at aught,
As my great power thereof may give thee fenfe,
Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red
After the Danish fword, and thy free awe
Pays homage to us; thou may't not coldly fet
Our fovereign procefs,, which imports at full,
By letters congruing to that effect,

The prefent 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,
How-e'er my haps, my joys will ne'er begin.

For.

1

[Exit.

SCENE A Camp, on the Frontiers of
Denmark.

G

O, Captain, from me, greet the Danish King, Tell him, that, by his licence, Fortinbras Claims the conveyance of a promiş'd march Over his realm. You know the rendezvous. If that his Majefty would aught with us, We shall exprefs our duty in his eye, And let him know fo.

Capt. I will do't, my Lord.

For. Go foftly on. [Exit Fortinbras, with the Army

Enter Hamlet, Rofincrantz, Guildenstern, &c.

Ham. Good Sir, whofe powers are these ?

Capt. They are of Norway, Sir.

Ham. How purpos'd, Sir, I pray you d
Capt. Againft fome part of Poland.
Ham. Who commands them, Sir?

Capt. The nephew of old Norway, Fortinbras.
Ham. Goes it against the main of Poland, Sir,
Or for fome frontier?

Capt.