Part 6 (1/2)

_Queene_ Hamlet, no more.

_Ham._ Why appet.i.te with you is in the waine, Your blood runnes backeward now from whence it came, Who'le chide hote blood within a Virgins heart, When l.u.s.t shall dwell within a matrons breast?

_Queene_ Hamlet, thou cleaues my heart in twaine.

_Ham._ O throw away the worser part of it, and keepe the better.

_Enter the ghost in his night gowne._

Saue me, saue me, you gratious Powers aboue, and houer ouer mee, With your celestiall wings.

Doe you not come your tardy sonne to chide, That I thus long haue let reuenge slippe by?

O do not glare with lookes so pittifull!

Lest that my heart of stone yeelde to compa.s.sion, And euery part that should a.s.sist reuenge, [G3]

Forgoe their proper powers, and fall to pitty.

_Ghost_ Hamlet, I once againe appeare to thee, To put thee in remembrance of my death: Doe not neglect, nor long time put it off.

But I perceiue by thy distracted lookes, Thy mother's fearefull, and she stands amazde: Speake to her Hamlet, for her s.e.x is weake, Comfort thy mother, Hamlet, thinke on me.

_Ham._ How i'st with you Lady?

_Queene_ Nay, how i'st with you That thus you bend your eyes on vacancie, And holde discourse with nothing but with ayre?

_Ham._ Why doe you nothing heare?

_Queene_ Not I.

_Ham._ Nor doe you nothing see?

_Queene_ No neither. (habite _Ham._ No, why see the king my father, my father, in the As he liued, looke you how pale he lookes, See how he steales away out of the Portall, Looke, there he goes. _exit ghost._ _Queene_ Alas, it is the weakeness of thy braine, Which makes thy tongue to blazon thy hearts griefe: But as I haue a soule, I sweare by heauen, I neuer knew of this most horride murder: But Hamlet, this is only fantasie, And for my loue forget these idle fits.

_Ham._ Idle, no mother, my pulse doth beate like yours, It is not madnesse that possesseth Hamlet.

O mother, if euer you did my deare father loue, Forbeare the adulterous bed to night, And win your selfe by little as you may, In time it may be you wil lothe him quite: And mother, but a.s.sist mee in reuenge, And in his death your infamy shall die.

_Queene_ _Hamlet_, I vow by that maiesty, That knowes our thoughts, and lookes into our hearts, [G3v]

I will conceale, consent, and doe my best, What stratagem soe're thou shalt deuise.

_Ham._ It is enough, mother good night: Come sir, I'le provide for you a graue, Who was in life a foolish prating knaue.

_Exit Hamlet with the dead body._

_Enter the King and Lordes._ _King_ Now Gertred, what sayes our sonne, how doe you finde him?

_Queene_ Alas my lord, as raging as the sea: Whenas he came, I first bespake him faire, But then he throwes and tosses me about, As one forgetting that I was his mother: At last I call'd for help: and as I cried, _Corambis_ Call'd, which Hamlet no sooner heard, but whips me Out his rapier, and cries, a Rat, a Rat, and in his rage The good olde man he killes.

_King_ Why this his madnesse will vndoe our state.

Lordes goe to him, inquire the body out.

_Gil._ We will my Lord. _Exeunt Lordes._ _King_ Gertred, your sonne shall presently to England, His s.h.i.+pping is already furnished, And we have sent by _Rossencraft_ and _Gilderstone_, Our letters to our deare brother of England, For Hamlets welfare and his happinesse: Happly the aire and climate of the Country May please him better than his natiue home: See where he comes.

_Enter Hamlet and the Lordes._ _Gil._ My lord, we can by no meanes Know of him where the body is.

_King_ Now sonne Hamlet, where is this dead body?

_Ham._ At supper, not where he is eating, but Where he is eaten, a certaine company of politicke wormes [G4]

are euen now at him.

Father, your fatte King, and your leane Beggar Are but variable seruices, two dishes to one messe: Looke you, a man may fish with that worme That hath eaten of a King, And a Beggar eate that fish, Which that worme hath caught.

_King_ What of this?

_Ham._ Nothing father, but to tell you, how a King May go a progresse through the guttes of a Beggar.

_King_ But sonne _Hamlet_, where is this body?

_Ham._ In heau'n, if you chance to misse him there, Father, you had best looke in the other partes below For him, aud if you cannot finde him there, You may chance to nose him as you go vp the lobby.

_King_ Make haste and finde him out.

_Ham._ Nay doe you heare? do not make too much haste, I'le warrant you hee'le stay till you come.

_King_ Well sonne _Hamlet_, we in care of you: but specially in tender preseruation of your health, The which we price euen as our proper selfe, It is our minde you forthwith goe for _England_, The winde sits faire, you shall aboorde to night, Lord _Rossencraft_ and _Gilderstone_ shall goe along with you.

_Ham._ O with all my heart: farewel mother.

_King_ Your louing father, _Hamlet_.

_Ham._ My mother I say: you married my mother, My mother is your wife, man and wife is one flesh, And so (my mother) farewel: for England hoe.

_exeunt all but the king._ _king_ Gertred, leaue me, And take your leaue of _Hamlet_, To England is he gone, ne're to returne: Our Letters are vnto the King of England, That on the sight of them, on his allegeance, He presently without demaunding why, [G4v]

That _Hamlet_ loose his head, for he must die, There's more in him than shallow eyes can see: He once being dead, why then our state is free. _exit._