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112

Thick and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers,

For good Polonius' death; and we have done but greenly,

In hugger-mugger to inter him: poor Ophelia

Divided from herself and her fair judgment,

Without the which we are pictures, or mere beasts:

Last, and as much containing as all these,

Her brother is in secret come from France,

Feeds on his wonder, keeps himself in clouds,

And wants not buzzers to infect his ear

With pestilent speeches of his father's death;

Wherein necessity, of matter beggar'd,

Will nothing stick our person to arraign

In ear and ear. O my dear Gertrude! this,

Like to a murdering-piece, in many places

Gives me superfluous death.

Queen. Alack! what noise is this?

King. Where are my Switzers? Let them guard the door.

What is the matter?

Mess. Save yourself, my lord;

The ocean, overpeering of his list,

Eats not the flats with more impetuous haste

Than young Laertes, in a riotous head,

O'erbears your officers. The rabble call him lord;

And, as the world were now but to begin,

 83 greenly: foolishly

84 In hugger-mugger: secretly

89 wonder: doubt

in clouds: in gloom, or, invisible

90 buzzers: tale-bearers

92 Wherein: i.e., in which pestilent speeches

93 nothing stick: not at all hesitate

94 In ear and ear: in many ears

95 murdering-piece: small cannon firing case shot

97 Switzers: Swiss guards; cf. n.

99 overpeering: rising above

list: boundary

101 head: hostile advance

