ACT IV. Scene I. Elsinore. A room in the Castle.  Enter King and Queen, with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.    King. There's matter in these sighs. These profound heaves     You must translate; 'tis fit we understand them.     Where is your son?   Queen. Bestow this place on us a little while.                           [Exeunt Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.]     Ah, mine own lord, what have I seen to-night!   King. What, Gertrude? How does Hamlet?   Queen. Mad as the sea and wind when both contend     Which is the mightier. In his lawless fit     Behind the arras hearing something stir,     Whips out his rapier, cries 'A rat, a rat!'     And in this brainish apprehension kills     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     We would not understand what was most fit,     But, like the owner of a foul disease,     To keep it from divulging, let it feed     Even on the pith of life. Where is he gone?   Queen. To draw apart the body he hath kill'd;     O'er whom his very madness, like some ore     Among a mineral of metals base,     Shows itself pure. He weeps for what is done.   King. O Gertrude, come away!     The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch     But we will ship him hence; and this vile deed     We must with all our majesty and skill     Both countenance and excuse. Ho, Guildenstern!               Enter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.      Friends both, go join you with some further aid.     Hamlet in madness hath Polonius slain,     And from his mother's closet hath he dragg'd him.     Go seek him out; speak fair, and bring the body     Into the chapel. I pray you haste in this.                           Exeunt [Rosencrantz and Guildenstern].     Come, Gertrude, we'll call up our wisest friends     And let them know both what we mean to do     And what's untimely done. [So haply slander-]     Whose whisper o'er the world's diameter,     As level as the cannon to his blank,     Transports his poisoned shot- may miss our name     And hit the woundless air.- O, come away!     My soul is full of discord and dismay.                                                          Exeunt.     Scene II. Elsinore. A passage in the Castle.  Enter Hamlet.    Ham. Safely stow'd.   Gentlemen. (within) Hamlet! Lord Hamlet!   Ham. But soft! 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 'tis kin.   Ros. Tell us where 'tis, that we may take it thence     And bear it to the chapel.   Ham. Do not believe it.   Ros. Believe what?   Ham. That I can keep your counsel, and not mine own. Besides, to be     demanded of a sponge, what replication should be made by the son     of a king?   Ros. Take you me for a sponge, my lord?   Ham. Ay, sir; that soaks up the King's countenance, his rewards,     his authorities. But such officers do the King best service in     the end. He keeps them, like an ape, in the corner of his jaw;     first mouth'd, to be last Swallowed. When he needs what you have     glean'd, it is but squeezing you and, sponge, you shall be dry     again.   Ros. I understand you not, my lord.   Ham. I am glad of it. A knavish speech sleeps in a foolish ear.   Ros. 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.                                                          Exeunt.     Scene III. Elsinore. A room in the Castle.  Enter King.    King. I have sent to seek him and to find the body.     How dangerous is it that this man goes loose!     Yet must not we put the strong law on him.     He's lov'd of the distracted multitude,     Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes;     And where 'tis so, th' offender's scourge is weigh'd,     But never the offence. To bear all smooth and even,     This sudden sending him away must seem     Deliberate pause. Diseases desperate grown     By desperate appliance are reliev'd,     Or not at all.                      Enter Rosencrantz.      How now O What hath befall'n?   Ros. Where the dead body is bestow'd, my lord,     We cannot get from him.   King. But where is he?   Ros. Without, my lord; guarded, to know your pleasure.   King. Bring him before us.   Ros. Ho, Guildenstern! Bring in my lord.          Enter Hamlet and Guildenstern [with Attendants].    King. Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?   Ham. At supper.   King. At supper? Where?   Ham. Not where he eats, but where he is eaten. A certain     convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your     only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else to fat us, and     we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar     is but variable service- two dishes, but to one table. That's the     end.   King. Alas, alas!   Ham. A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat     of the fish that hath fed of that worm.   King. What dost thou mean by this?   Ham. Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress through     the guts of a beggar.   King. Where is Polonius?   Ham. In heaven. Send thither to see. If your messenger find him not     there, seek him i' th' other place yourself. But indeed, if you     find him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up     the stair, into the lobby.   King. Go seek him there. [To Attendants.]   Ham. He will stay till you come.                                             [Exeunt Attendants.]   King. Hamlet, this deed, for thine especial safety,-     Which we do tender as we dearly grieve     For that which thou hast done,- must send thee hence     With fiery quickness. Therefore prepare thyself.     The bark is ready and the wind at help,     Th' associates tend, and everything is bent     For England.   Ham. For England?   King. Ay, Hamlet.   Ham. Good.   King. So is it, if thou knew'st our purposes.   Ham. I see a cherub that sees them. But come, for England!     Farewell, dear mother.   King. Thy loving father, Hamlet.   Ham. My mother! Father and mother is man and wife; man and wife is     one flesh; and so, my mother. Come, for England! Exit.   King. Follow him at foot; tempt him with speed aboard.     Delay it not; I'll have him hence to-night.     Away! for everything is seal'd and done     That else leans on th' affair. Pray you make haste.                             Exeunt Rosencrantz and Guildenstern]     And, England, if my love thou hold'st at aught,-     As my great power thereof may give thee sense,     Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red     After the Danish sword, and thy free awe     Pays homage to us,- thou mayst not coldly set     Our sovereign process, which imports at full,     By letters congruing to that effect,     The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England;     For like the hectic in my blood he rages,     And thou must cure me. Till I know 'tis done,     Howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun.             Exit.