Authors: William Shakespeare
Takes his arm
Enter Steward [Oswald]
OSWALD
A
proclaimed prize
! Most
happy
240
!
That eyeless head of thine was first
framed flesh
241
To raise my fortunes. Thou old unhappy traitor,
Draws
Briefly
thyself remember
243
: the sword is out
That must destroy thee.
GLOUCESTER
Now let thy friendly hand
Edgar interposes
Put strength enough to’t.
OSWALD
Wherefore, bold peasant,
Darest thou support a
published
248
traitor? Hence,
Lest that th’infection of his fortune take
Like hold on thee. Let go his arm.
EDGAR
‘Chill
not let go, zir, without vurther ’casion
251
.
OSWALD
Let go, slave, or thou diest!
EDGAR
Good gentleman, go
your gait
253
, and let poor volk
pass.
An ’chud ha’ bin zwaggered out of my life, ’twould not
254
ha’ bin zo long as ’tis by a vortnight. Nay, come not near
th’old man: keep out,
che vor ye
, or
I’se
256
try whether your
costard
or my
ballow
257
be the harder. ’Chill be plain with you.
OSWALD
Out, dunghill!
They fight
EDGAR
’Chill
pick
your teeth, zir: come, no matter vor your
foins
259
.
OSWALD
Slave, thou hast slain me. Villain, take my purse:
If ever thou wilt thrive, bury my body
And give the letters which thou find’st about me
To Edmund, Earl of Gloucester: seek him out
Upon the English
party
264
. O, untimely death! Death!
He dies
EDGAR
I know thee well: a
serviceable
265
villain,
As duteous to the vices of thy mistress
As badness would desire.
GLOUCESTER
What, is he dead?
EDGAR
Sit you down, father: rest you.
Let’s see these pockets: the letters that he speaks of
May be my friends. He’s dead: I am only sorry
He had no other
deathsman
272
. Let us see.
Opens the letter
Leave
273
, gentle wax, and manners, blame us not:
To know our enemies’ minds we rip their hearts:
Their papers is more lawful.
Reads the letter
‘Let our reciprocal vows be remembered. You have many
opportunities to cut him off: if your
will
want not
277
, time and
place will be fruitfully offered. There is nothing
done
278
if he
return the conqueror: then am I the prisoner, and his bed my
jail, from the loathed warmth whereof deliver me, and
supply the place
for your labour
281
. Your — wife, so I would say
— affectionate
servant
282
, Goneril.’
O,
undistinguished space
of woman’s
will
283
!
A plot upon her virtuous husband’s life,
And the exchange my brother! Here in the sands
Thee I’ll rake up
, the
post unsanctified
286
Of murderous lechers: and
in the mature time
287
With this
ungracious
paper
strike
288
the sight
Of the
death-practised
289
duke: for him ’tis well
That of thy death and business I can tell.
GLOUCESTER
The king is mad: how
stiff
291
is my vile sense,
That I stand up and have
ingenious
292
feeling
Of my huge sorrows. Better I were
distract
293
,
So should my thoughts be severed from my griefs,
Drum afar off
And woes by
wrong imaginations
295
lose
The knowledge of themselves.
EDGAR
Give me your hand:
Far off, methinks, I hear the beaten drum.
Come, father, I’ll bestow you with a friend.
Exeunt
running scene 17
Enter Cordelia, Kent and Gentleman
Kent still disguised
CORDELIA
O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work
To match thy goodness? My life will be too short,
KENT
To be acknowledged, madam, is
o’erpaid
4
.
All my reports go with the modest truth
5
,
Nor more nor clipped
6
, but so.
CORDELIA
Be better
suited
7
:
These
weeds
8
are memories of those worser hours,
I prithee put them off.
KENT
Pardon, dear madam,
Yet to be known shortens my made intent
11
:
My boon I make it
, that you
know me not
12
Till time and I think
meet
13
.
CORDELIA
Then be’t so, my good lord.— How does the king?
GENTLEMAN
Madam, sleeps still.
CORDELIA
O you kind gods,
Cure this great breach in his abusèd nature!
Th’untuned and jarring senses, O,
wind up
18
Of this
child-changèd
19
father!
GENTLEMAN
So please your majesty
That we may wake the king: he hath slept long.
CORDELIA
Be governed by your knowledge, and proceed
Enter Lear in a chair carried by Servants
GENTLEMAN
Ay, madam: in the heaviness of sleep
We put fresh garments on him.
Be by, good madam, when we do awake him:
I
doubt of
his
temperance
27
.
CORDELIA
O my dear father! Restoration hang
Kisses him
Thy medicine on my lips and let this kiss
Repair those violent harms that my two sisters
Have in thy
reverence
31
made!
KENT
Kind and dear princess!
CORDELIA
Had you
not been their father, these white
flakes
33
Did challenge
pity
of
34
them. Was this a face
To be opposed against the jarring winds?
Mine enemy’s dog though he had bit me
Should have stood that night against my fire,
And wast thou
fain
38
, poor father,
To hovel thee with swine and
rogues forlorn
39
In
short
40
and musty straw? Alack, alack!
’Tis wonder that thy life and wits
at once
41
Had not
concluded all
42
.— He wakes: speak to him.
GENTLEMAN
Madam, do you: ’tis fittest.
CORDELIA
How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty?
LEAR
You do me wrong to take me out o’th’grave:
Thou art a soul in
bliss
46
, but I am bound
Upon a
wheel of fire
,
that
47
mine own tears
Do scald like molten lead.
CORDELIA
Sir, do you know me?
LEAR
You are a spirit, I know: where did you die?
CORDELIA
Still, still, far
wide
51
!
GENTLEMAN
He’s scarce awake: let him alone awhile.
LEAR
Where have I been? Where am I? Fair daylight?
I am mightily
abused
54
. I should ev’n die with pity
To see another thus. I know not what to say.
I will not swear these are my hands. Let’s see:
I feel this pinprick.
Would I were assured
57
Of my condition!
Kneels?
CORDELIA
O, look upon me, sir,
And hold your hand in benediction o’er me:
You must not kneel.
Stops him from kneeling?
LEAR
Pray, do not mock me:
I am a very foolish
fond
63
old man,
Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less,
And to deal plainly,
I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
Methinks I should know you and know this man,
Yet I am doubtful, for I am mainly ignorant
What place this is, and all the skill I have
Remembers not these garments, nor I know not
Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me,
For, as I am a man, I think this lady
To be my child Cordelia.
CORDELIA
And so I am, I am.
Weeps
LEAR
Be your tears wet? Yes, faith. I pray, weep not:
If you have poison for me, I will drink it.
I know you do not love me, for your sisters
Have, as I do remember, done me wrong:
You have some cause, they have not.
CORDELIA
No cause, no cause.
LEAR
Am I in France?
KENT
In your own kingdom, sir.
LEAR
Do not abuse me.
GENTLEMAN
Be comforted, good madam: the great
rage
84
,
You see, is killed in him. Desire him to go in:
Trouble him no more till
further settling
86
.
CORDELIA
Will’t please your highness walk?
LEAR
You must bear with me. Pray you now, forget and forgive:
I am old and foolish.
Exeunt
running scene 18
Enter with
Drum and Colours
Edmund, Regan, Gentlemen and Soldiers
To a Gentleman
EDMUND
Know of
the duke if his
last purpose
1
hold,
Or whether
since
he is
advised
by
aught
2
To change the course: he’s full of alteration
And
self-reproving
: bring his
constant pleasure
4
.
[Exit Gentleman]
REGAN
Our sister’s man is certainly
miscarried
5
.
EDMUND
’Tis to be
doubted
6
, madam.
REGAN
Now, sweet lord,
You know the goodness I intend upon you:
Tell me but truly — but then speak the truth —
Do you not love my sister?
EDMUND
In
honoured
11
love.
REGAN
But have you never found my brother’s way
To the
forfended place
13
?
EDMUND
No, by mine honour, madam.
REGAN
I never shall endure her
15
: dear my lord,
Be not
familiar
16
with her.
EDMUND
Fear not. She and the duke her husband!
Enter with Drum and Colours Albany, Goneril, Soldiers
ALBANY
Our very loving sister, well be-met.
Sir, this I heard: the king is come to his daughter,
With others whom the
rigour of our state
20
Forced to
cry out
21
.
REGAN
Why is this reasoned
22
?
GONERIL
Combine together
23
gainst the enemy,
For these
domestic and particular broils
24
Are not the question here.
ALBANY
Let’s then determine
With
th’ancient of war
27
on our proceeding.
REGAN
Sister, you’ll go with us?
GONERIL
No.
REGAN
’Tis most
convenient
30
: pray, go with us.
Aside
GONERIL
O, ho, I
know the riddle
31
.— I will go.
Exeunt both the armies. [Albany remains]
Enter Edgar
Disguised
EDGAR
If e’er your grace had speech with man so poor,
Hear me one word.
ALBANY
I’ll overtake you
34
.— Speak.