William Shakespeare: Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

ACT IV. 3. Scene III. Another room in the Castle.

[Enter King,attended.]

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, the 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! 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.]

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?