Ham. Not this, by no means, that I bid you do:
Let the bloat king tempt you again to bed;[1553]
Pinch wanton on your cheek, call you his mouse;
And let him, for a pair of reechy kisses,
Or paddling in your neck with his damn'd fingers, 185
Make you to ravel all this matter out,[1554]
That I essentially am not in madness,
But mad in craft. 'Twere good you let him know;
For who, that's but a queen, fair, sober, wise,
Would from a paddock, from a bat, a gib,[1555] 190
Such dear concernings hide? who would do so?[1556]
No, in despite of sense and secrecy,
Unpeg the basket on the house's top,
Let the birds fly, and like the famous ape,
To try conclusions, in the basket creep[1557] 195
And break your own neck down.
Queen. Be thou assured, if words be made of breath
And breath of life, I have no life to breathe[1558]
What thou hast said to me.
Ham. I must to England; you know that?
Queen. Alack,[1559][1560] 200
I had forgot: 'tis so concluded on.[1560][1561]
Ham. There's letters seal'd: and my two schoolfellows,[1562]
Whom I will trust as I will adders fang'd,[1562]
They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way,[1562]
And marshal me to knavery. Let it work;[1562][1563] 205
For 'tis the sport to have the enginer[1562][1564]
Hoist with his own petar: and't shall go hard[1562][1565]
But I will delve one yard below their mines,[1562]
And blow them at the moon: O, 'tis most sweet[1562]
When in one line two crafts directly meet.[1562][1566] 210
This man shall set me packing:[1567]
I'll lug the guts into the neighbour room.
Mother, good night. Indeed this counsellor[1568]
Is now most still, most secret and most grave,
Who was in life a foolish prating knave.[1569] 215
Come, sir, to draw toward an end with you.
Good night, mother.
[Exeunt severally; Hamlet dragging in Polonius.[1570]
FOOTNOTES:
[1007] Act iii. Scene i.] Q (1676) and Rowe. Omitted in Ff.
A room in the castle] Malone. The Palace. Rowe. Another room in the same. Capell.
Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern.] Capell. Rosencraus, Guyldensterne, Lords. Qq. Rosincrance, Guildenstern, and Lords. F1. Rosincros, Guildenstar, and Lords. F2 F3 F4 (Guildenstare, F4).