The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (929 page)

oath before this honourable assembly, she kicked the

poor king her father.

Charge her first; it is Goneril. I will now

swear in front of this honourable meeting, she kicked

the poor King her father.

Fool

Come hither, mistress. Is your name Goneril?

Come here, lady. Is your name Goneril?

KING LEAR

She cannot deny it.

She can't deny it.

Fool

Cry you mercy, I took you for a joint-stool.

I beg your pardon, I thought you were a footstool.

KING LEAR

And here's another, whose warp'd looks proclaim

What store her heart is made on. Stop her there!

Arms, arms, sword, fire! Corruption in the place!

False justicer, why hast thou let her 'scape?

And here's another one, whose twisted face shows

what she has in her heart. Stop her there!

Arms, arms, sword, fire! There is corruption here!

 False judge, why have you let her escape?

EDGAR

Bless thy five wits!

Bless your five wits!

KENT

O pity! Sir, where is the patience now,

That thou so oft have boasted to retain?

I pity you! Sir, where is your temper now,

that you used to be so proud of keeping?

EDGAR

[Aside] My tears begin to take his part so much,

They'll mar my counterfeiting.

I begin to cry so much for him,

it'll give away my disguise.

KING LEAR

The little dogs and all, Tray, Blanch, and

Sweet-heart, see, they bark at me.

The little dogs and all, Tray, Blanch and

Sweetheart, look they bark at me.

EDGAR

Tom will throw his head at them. Avaunt, you curs!

Be thy mouth or black or white,

Tooth that poisons if it bite;

Mastiff, grey-hound, mongrel grim,

Hound or spaniel, brach or lym,

Or bobtail tike or trundle-tail,

Tom will make them weep and wail:

For, with throwing thus my head,

Dogs leap the hatch, and all are fled.

Do de, de, de. Sessa! Come, march to wakes and

fairs and market-towns. Poor Tom, thy horn is dry.

Tom will drive them off. Away, you curs!

Whether your mouth is black or white

the bite of your teeth is poison;

mastiff, greyhound, grim mongrel,

hound or spaniel, beagle or bloodhound,

short or long tailed,

Tom will make them weep and wail:

for as I charge at them

the dogs leap through the door, and they are all gone.

Do, de, de, de.  Off you go! Come, let's march to funerals

fairs and market towns. Poor Tom, your glass is empty.

KING LEAR

Then let them anatomize Regan; see what breeds

about her heart. Is there any cause in nature that

makes these hard hearts?

To EDGAR

You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred; only I

do not like the fashion of your garments: you will

say they are Persian attire: but let them be changed.

Then let them dissect Regan; let's see what

her heart is made of. Is there anything in nature

that causes these hard hearts?

You, sir, I welcome as one of my knights; only I

don't like the way you are dressed: you will

say they are Persian clothes: but change them.

KENT

Now, good my lord, lie here and rest awhile.

Now, my good lord, lie here and rest for a while.

KING LEAR

Make no noise, make no noise; draw the curtains:

so, so, so. We'll go to supper i' he morning. So, so, so.

Keep quiet, keep quiet; draw the curtains:

there, there, there. We'll go to supper in the morning. There, there, there.

Fool

And I'll go to bed at noon.

Re-enter GLOUCESTER

And I'll go to bed at noon.

GLOUCESTER

Come hither, friend: where is the king my master?

Come here, friend: where is my master the King?

KENT

Here, sir; but trouble him not, his wits are gone.

Here, sir;  but do not bother him, he's lost his mind.

GLOUCESTER

Good friend, I prithee, take him in thy arms;

I have o'erheard a plot of death upon him:

There is a litter ready; lay him in 't,

And drive towards Dover, friend, where thou shalt meet

Both welcome and protection. Take up thy master:

If thou shouldst dally half an hour, his life,

With thine, and all that offer to defend him,

Stand in assured loss: take up, take up;

And follow me, that will to some provision

Give thee quick conduct.

Please, good friend, pick him up in your arms;

I have overheard a plot to kill him:

I have a litter ready; put him in it

and drive towards Dover, friend, where you shall find

both welcome and protection. Pick up your master:

if you delay half an hour, his life,

and yours, and those of everyone who tries to defend him,

will certainly be lost: pick him up, pick him up;

and follow me, I will take you quickly

to the things I have ready.

KENT

Oppressed nature sleeps:

This rest might yet have balm'd thy broken senses,

Which, if convenience will not allow,

Stand in hard cure.

To the Fool

Come, help to bear thy master;

Thou must not stay behind.

His troubled soul sleeps:

this rest still might have healed your damaged mind,

which, if it hasn't happened now,

will be almost impossible to cure.

Come on, help carry your master;

you mustn't stay behind.

GLOUCESTER

Come, come, away.

Exeunt all but EDGAR

Come on, come on, let's go.

EDGAR

When we our betters see bearing our woes,

We scarcely think our miseries our foes.

Who alone suffers suffers most i' the mind,

Leaving free things and happy shows behind:

But then the mind much sufferance doth o'er skip,

When grief hath mates, and bearing fellowship.

How light and portable my pain seems now,

When that which makes me bend makes the king bow,

He childed as I father'd! Tom, away!

Mark the high noises; and thyself bewray,

When false opinion, whose wrong thought defiles thee,

In thy just proof, repeals and reconciles thee.

What will hap more to-night, safe 'scape the king!

Lurk, lurk.

Exit

When we see our betters enduring our sorrows,

we hardly think of our miseries as enemies.

The one who suffers alone suffers mostly in the mind,

forgetting carefree things and happy sights:

but the mind can cope with much suffering,

when grief has friends, and suffering is shared.

How light and bearable my pain now seems,

when the thing I suffer from is worse for the King,

he has cruel children as I have a cruel father! Tom, away!

Look at the great events; throw off your disguise,

when those who think wrongly of you

can see the real evidence, repeal your sentence and reconcile you with your father.

Whatever else happens tonight, may the king escape safely!

I'll hide and bide my time.

Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, GONERIL, EDMUND, and Servants

CORNWALL

Post speedily to my lord your husband; show him

this letter: the army of France is landed. Seek

out the villain Gloucester.

Exeunt some of the Servants

Send quickly to my lord, your husband; show him

this letter: the French army has landed. Find

the villain Gloucester.

REGAN

Hang him instantly.

Hang him at once.

GONERIL

Pluck out his eyes.

Tear out his eyes.

CORNWALL

Leave him to my displeasure. Edmund, keep you our

sister company: the revenges we are bound to take

upon your traitorous father are not fit for your

beholding. Advise the duke, where you are going, to

a most festinate preparation: we are bound to the

like. Our posts shall be swift and intelligent

betwixt us. Farewell, dear sister: farewell, my

lord of Gloucester.

Enter OSWALD

How now! where's the king?

Leave his punishment to me. Edmund, you keep

my sister company: the punishment we are going to have to give

your traitorous father is not fit for you to see.

Tell the Duke, to whom you are going, to hurry

and get ready for war: we are doing the same.

The information will fly quickly between us.

Farewell, dear sister: farewell, my lord of Gloucester.

Hello there! Where's the King?

OSWALD

My lord of Gloucester hath convey'd him hence:

Some five or six and thirty of his knights,

Hot questrists after him, met him at gate;

Who, with some other of the lord's dependants,

Are gone with him towards Dover; where they boast

To have well-armed friends.

My lord of Gloucester has carried him away:

thirty-five or thirty-six of his knights,

who had been urgently seeking him, met him at the gate;

they, with some of the other servants of Gloucester,

have gone with him towards Dover; they say

they have well armed friends there.

CORNWALL

Get horses for your mistress.

Get horses for your mistress.

GONERIL

Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.