King Lear (16 page)
Authors: William Shakespeare
To Edmund
GONERIL
Then shall you go no further.
It is the
cowish
13
terror of his spirit,
That dares not
undertake
14
: he’ll not feel wrongs
Which
tie him to an answer
. Our wishes
on the way
15
May
prove effects
. Back, Edmund, to my
brother
16
:
Hasten his
musters
and
conduct his powers
17
.
I must
change
names at home and give the
distaff
18
Into my husband’s hands. This trusty servant
Shall pass between us: ere long you are
like
20
to hear —
If you dare venture in your own behalf —
A
mistress’s
22
command. Wear this; spare speech.
Gives a
favor
Decline your head: this kiss, if it durst speak,
Kisses him
Would stretch
thy
spirits
24
up into the air.
Conceive
25
, and fare thee well.
EDMUND
Yours in the ranks of
death
26
.
Exit
GONERIL
My most dear Gloucester!
O, the difference of man and man!
To thee a woman’s
services
29
are due:
OSWALD
Madam, here comes my lord.
Exit
Enter Albany
GONERIL
I have been
worth the whistle
32
.
ALBANY
O
Goneril,
33
You are not worth the dust which the
rude
34
wind
Blows in your face.
GONERIL
Milk-livered
36
man,
That bear’st a cheek for blows, a head for wrongs,
Who hast not in thy brows an eye
discerning
38
Thine honour from thy suffering.
ALBANY
See thyself, devil!
Proper deformity seems not in the fiend
41
So horrid as in woman.
GONERIL
O
vain
43
fool!
Enter a Messenger
MESSENGER
O, my good lord, the Duke of Cornwall’s dead,
Slain by his servant, going to put out
The other eye of Gloucester.
ALBANY
Gloucester’s eyes?
MESSENGER
A servant that he
bred
,
thrilled
with
remorse
48
,
Opposed
against the act,
bending
49
his sword
To his great master, who,
threat-enraged
50
,
Flew on him and amongst them felled him dead,
But not without that harmful stroke which since
Hath plucked him
after
53
.
ALBANY
This shows you are above,
You
justices
, that these our
nether
55
crimes
So speedily can
venge
56
. But, O, poor Gloucester!
Lost he his other eye?
MESSENGER
Both, both, my lord.—
Gives a letter
This letter, madam, craves a speedy answer:
’Tis from your sister.
Aside
GONERIL
One way I like this well:
But being widow, and my Gloucester with her,
May
all the building in my fancy pluck
63
Upon my hateful life: another way,
The news is not so
tart
65
.— I’ll read, and answer.
[
Exit
]
ALBANY
Where was his son when they did take his eyes?
MESSENGER
Come with my lady hither.
ALBANY
He is not here.
MESSENGER
No, my good lord, I met him
back
69
again.
ALBANY
Knows he the wickedness?
MESSENGER
Ay, my good lord: ’twas he informed against him,
And quit the house on purpose that their punishment
Might have the freer course.
ALBANY
Gloucester, I live
To thank thee for the love thou showed’st the king
And to revenge thine eyes.— Come hither, friend:
Tell me what more thou know’st.
Exeunt
running scene 14
Enter with Drum and
Colours
Cordelia, Gentleman and Soldiers
CORDELIA
Alack, ’tis he: why, he was met even now
As mad as the
vexed
2
sea, singing aloud,
Crowned with
rank fumiter
and
furrow weeds
3
,
With
burdocks
,
hemlock
, nettles,
cuckoo-flowers
4
,
Darnel
, and all the
idle
5
weeds that grow
In our sustaining corn. A sentry send forth;
Search every acre in the high-grown field
And bring him to our eye.—
[Exit a Soldier]
In the restoring his
bereavèd
9
sense?
He that helps him take all my
outward worth
10
.
GENTLEMAN
There is means, madam:
Our foster-nurse of nature is
repose
12
,
The which he lacks:
that to provoke in him
13
Are many simples operative, whose power
Will close the eye of anguish.
CORDELIA
All blest secrets,
All you
unpublished virtues
17
of the earth,
Spring with my tears! Be
aidant
and
remediate
18
In the good man’s distress! Seek, seek for him,
Lest his ungoverned
rage
20
dissolve the life
That
wants the means
21
to lead it.
Enter Messenger
MESSENGER
News, madam:
The British powers are marching hitherward.
CORDELIA
’Tis known before: our
preparation
24
stands
In expectation of them. O dear father,
It is thy business that I go about:
Therefore great
France
27
My mourning and
importuned
28
tears hath pitied.
No
blown
29
ambition doth our arms incite,
But love, dear love, and our aged father’s right:
Soon may I hear and see him!
Exeunt
running scene 15
Enter Regan and Steward [Oswald]
REGAN
But are my brother’s powers set forth?
OSWALD
Ay, madam.
REGAN
Himself in person there?
OSWALD
Madam, with much
ado
4
:
Your sister is the better soldier.
REGAN
Lord Edmund spake not with your lord at home?
OSWALD
No, madam.
REGAN
What might
import
8
my sister’s letter to him?
OSWALD
I know not, lady.
REGAN
Faith, he is
posted
10
hence on serious matter.
It was great
ignorance
11
, Gloucester’s eyes being out,
To let him live: where he arrives he moves
All hearts against us. Edmund, I think, is gone,
In pity of his misery, to dispatch
His
nighted
life: moreover, to
descry
15
The strength o’th’enemy.
OSWALD
I must needs
after
17
him, madam, with my letter.
REGAN
Our troops set forth tomorrow. Stay with us:
The
ways
19
are dangerous.
OSWALD
I may not, madam:
My lady
charged my duty
21
in this business.
REGAN
Why should she write to Edmund? Might not you
Transport her purposes by word?
Belike
23
,
Some things I know not what.
I’ll love thee
24
much,
Let me unseal the letter.
OSWALD
Madam, I had rather—
REGAN
I know your lady does not love her husband,
I am sure of that: and at her late being here
She gave strange
oeillades
and most
speaking
29
looks
To noble Edmund. I know you are
of her bosom
30
.
OSWALD
I, madam?
REGAN
I speak in understanding.
Y’are
32
, I know’t.
Therefore I do advise you,
take this note
33
.
My lord is dead: Edmund and I have talked,
And more
convenient
35
is he for my hand
Than for your lady’s: you may
gather more
36
.
If you do find him, pray you give him this,
Gives a token or a letter
And when your mistress hears thus much from you,
I pray desire her
call her wisdom to her
39
.
So, fare you well.
If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor,
Preferment falls on him that cuts him off.
OSWALD
Would I could
meet
43
, madam, I should show
What party I do follow.
REGAN
Fare thee well.
Exeunt
running scene 16
Enter Gloucester and Edgar
Edgar dressed like a peasant
GLOUCESTER
When shall I come to th’top of
that same hill
1
?
EDGAR
You do climb up it now: look how we labour.
GLOUCESTER
Methinks the ground is even.
EDGAR
Horrible steep.
Hark, do you hear the sea?
GLOUCESTER
No, truly.
EDGAR
Why, then, your other senses grow imperfect
By your eyes’ anguish.
GLOUCESTER
So may it be, indeed:
Methinks thy voice is altered and thou speak’st
In better
phrase and matter
11
than thou didst.
EDGAR
You’re much deceived: in nothing am I changed
But in my garments.
GLOUCESTER
Methinks you’re better spoken.
EDGAR
Come on, sir, here’s the place: stand still. How fearful
And dizzy ’tis to cast one’s eyes so low!
The crows and
choughs
that
wing
the
midway
17
air
Show scarce so
gross
18
as beetles: halfway down
Hangs one that gathers
samphire
19
, dreadful trade!
Methinks he seems no bigger than his head.
The fishermen that walk upon the beach
Appear like mice, and
yond
tall anchoring
bark
22
Diminished to
her cock
23
, her cock, a buoy
Almost too small for sight. The murmuring surge,
That on
th’unnumbered idle pebble
25
chafes,
Cannot be heard so high. I’ll look no more,
Lest my brain turn and
the deficient
27
sight
Topple
28
down headlong.
GLOUCESTER
Set me where you stand.
EDGAR
Give me your hand: you are now within a foot
Of th’extreme verge: for all beneath the moon
Would I not
leap upright
32
.
GLOUCESTER
Let go my hand.
Here, friend’s
34
another purse: in it a jewel
Gives a purse
Well worth a poor man’s taking: fairies and gods
Prosper it
36
with thee! Go thou further off:
Bid me farewell, and let me hear thee going.
EDGAR
Now fare ye well, good sir.
GLOUCESTER
With all my heart.
Aside
EDGAR
Why I do
trifle
40
thus with his despair
Is done to cure it.
Kneels
GLOUCESTER
O you mighty gods!
This world I do renounce, and in your sights
Shake patiently my great affliction off:
If I could bear it longer, and not fall
To quarrel with your great
opposeless
46
wills,
My snuff and loathèd part of nature
47
should
Burn itself out. If Edgar live, O, bless him!—
