William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition (530 page)

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Authors: William Shakespeare

Tags: #Drama, #Literary Criticism, #Shakespeare

BOOK: William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
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LEAR
’Tis strange that they should so depart from home
And not send back my messenger.
⌈FIRST⌉ GENTLEMAN
As I learned,
The night before there was no purpose in them
Of this remove.
KENT (waking)
Hail to thee, noble master.
LEAR
Ha! Mak’st thou this shame thy pastime?
KENT No, my lord.
FOOL Ha, ha, he wears cruel garters! Horses are tied by the heads, dogs and bears by th’ neck, monkeys by th’ loins, and men by th’ legs. When a man’s overlusty at legs, then he wears wooden nether-stocks.
LEAR (
to Kent
)
What’s he that hath so much thy place mistook To set thee here?
KENT It is both he and she:
Your son and daughter.
 
LEAR By Jupiter, I swear no.
KENT
By Juno, I swear ay.
LEAR They durst not do’t,
They could not, would not do’t. ’Tis worse than
murder,
To do upon respect such violent outrage.
Resolve me with all modest haste which way
Thou mightst deserve or they impose this usage,
Coming from us.
KENT My lord, when at their home
I did commend your highness’ letters to them,
Ere I was risen from the place that showed
My duty kneeling, came there a reeking post
Stewed in his haste, half breathless, painting forth
From Goneril, his mistress, salutations,
Delivered letters spite of intermission,
Which presently they read, on whose contents 210
They summoned up their meiny, straight took horse,
Commanded me to follow and attend
The leisure of their answer, gave me cold looks;
And meeting here the other messenger,
Whose welcome I perceived had poisoned mine—
Being the very fellow which of late
Displayed so saucily against your highness—
Having more man than wit about me, drew.
He raised the house with loud and coward cries.
Your son and daughter found this trespass worth
The shame which here it suffers.
FOOL Winter’s not gone yet if the wild geese fly that way.
⌈
Sings
⌉ Fathers that wear rags
Do make their children blind,
But fathers that bear bags
Shall see their children kind.
Fortune, that arrant whore,
Ne’er turns the key to th’ poor.
 
But for all this thou shalt have as many dolours for
thy daughters as thou canst tell in a year.
LEAR
O, how this mother swells up toward my heart!
Histerica passio
down, thou climbing sorrow;
Thy element’s below.—Where is this daughter?
KENT
With the Earl, sir, here within.
LEAR
Follow me not; stay here.
Exit
⌈FIRST⌉ GENTLEMAN (
to Kent
)
Made you no more offence but what you speak of?
KENT None.
How chance the King comes with so small a number?
FOOL An thou hadst been set i’th’ stocks for that question, thou’dst well deserved it.
KENT Why, Fool?
FOOL We’ll set thee to school to an ant, to teach thee there’s no labouring i’th’ winter. All that follow their noses are led by their eyes but blind men, and there’s not a nose among twenty but can smell him that’s stinking. Let go thy hold when a great wheel runs down a hill, lest it break thy neck with following; but the great one that goes upward, let him draw thee after. When a wise man gives thee better counsel, give me mine again. I would have none but knaves follow it, since a fool gives it.
⌈
Sings
⌉
That sir which serves and seeks for gain
And follows but for form,
Will pack when it begin to rain,
And leave thee in the storm.
But I will tarry, the fool will stay,
And let the wise man fly.
The knave turns fool that runs away,
The fool no knave, pardie.
 
KENT Where learned you this, Fool?
FOOL Not i’th’ stocks, fool.
Enter King Lear and the Duke of Gloucester
 
LEAR
Deny to speak with me? They are sick, they are weary,
They have travelled all the night?—mere fetches,
The images of revolt and flying off.
Fetch me a better answer.
GLOUCESTER
My dear lord,
You know the fiery quality of the Duke,
How unremovable and fixed he is
In his own course.
LEAR
Vengeance, plague, death, confusion!
‘Fiery’? What ‘quality’? Why, Gloucester, Gloucester,
I’d speak with the Duke of Cornwall and his wife.
GLOUCESTER
Well, my good lord, I have informed them so.
LEAR
‘Informed them’? Dost thou understand me, man?
GLOUCESTER Ay, my good lord.
LEAR
The King would speak with Cornwall; the dear father
Would with his daughter speak, commands, tends
service.
Are they ‘informed’ of this? My breath and blood—
‘Fiery’? The ‘fiery’ Duke—tell the hot Duke that—
No, but not yet. Maybe he is not well.
Infirmity doth still neglect all office
Whereto our health is bound. We are not ourselves
When nature, being oppressed, commands the mind
To suffer with the body. I’ll forbear,
And am fallen out with my more headier will,
To take the indisposed and sickly fit
For the sound man.—Death on my state, wherefore
Should he sit here? This act persuades me
That this remotion of the Duke and her
Is practice only. Give me my servant forth.
Go tell the Duke and’s wife I’d speak with them,
Now, presently. Bid them come forth and hear me,
Or at their chamber door I’ll beat the drum
Till it cry sleep to death.
GLOUCESTER
I would have all well betwixt you.
Exit
LEAR
O me, my heart! My rising heart! But down.
FOOL Cry to it, nuncle, as the cockney did to the eels when she put ‘em i’th’ paste alive. She knapped ‘em o’th’ coxcombs with a stick, and cried ‘Down, wantons, down!’ ’Twas her brother that, in pure kindness to his horse, buttered his hay.
Enter the Duke of Cornwall, Regan, the Duke of Gloucester, and servants
 
LEAR Good morrow to you both.
CORNWALL Hail to your grace.
Kent here set at liberty
 
REGAN I am glad to see your highness.
LEAR
Regan, I think you are. I know what reason
I have to think so. If thou shouldst not be glad
I would divorce me from thy mother’s shrine,
Sepulchring an adultress. (To Kent) O, are you free?
Some other time for that. ⌈
Exit Kent
⌉
Beloved Regan,
Thy sister’s naught. O, Regan, she hath tied
Sharp-toothed unkindness like a vulture here.
I can scarce speak to thee. Thou’lt not believe
With how depraved a quality-O, Regan!
REGAN
I pray you, sir, take patience. I have hope
You less know how to value her desert
Than she to scant her duty.
LEAR
Say, how is that?
REGAN
I cannot think my sister in the least
Would fail her obligation. If, sir, perchance
She have restrained the riots of your followers,
’Tis on such ground and to such wholesome end
As clears her from all blame.
LEAR My curses on her.
REGAN O sir, you are old.
Nature in you stands on the very verge
Of his confine. You should be ruled and led
By some discretion that discerns your state
Better than you yourself. Therefore I pray you
That to our sister you do make return;
Say you have wronged her.
LEAR
Ask her forgiveness?
Do you but mark how this becomes the house?
⌈
Kneehng
⌉ ‘Dear daughter, I confess that I am old.
Age is unnecessary. On my knees I beg
That you’ll vouchsafe me raiment, bed, and food.’
REGAN
Good sir, no more. These are unsightly tricks.
Return you to my sister.
LEAR ⌈
rising
⌉
Never, Regan.
She hath abated me of half my train,
Looked black upon me, struck me with her tongue
Most serpent-like upon the very heart.
All the stored vengeances of heaven fall
On her ingrateful top! Strike her young bones,
You taking airs, with lameness!
CORNWALL
Fie, sir, fie.
LEAR
You nimble lightnings, dart your blinding flames
Into her scornful eyes. Infect her beauty,
You fen-sucked fogs drawn by the pow’rful sun
To fall and blister.
REGAN
O, the blest gods!
So will you wish on me when the rash mood is on.
LEAR
No, Regan. Thou shalt never have my curse.
Thy tender-hafted nature shall not give
Thee o‘er to harshness. Her eyes are fierce, but thine
Do comfort and not burn. ’Tis not in thee
To grudge my pleasures, to cut off my train,
To bandy hasty words, to scant my sizes,
And, in conclusion, to oppose the bolt
Against my coming in. Thou better know‘st
The offices of nature, bond of childhood,
Effects of courtesy, dues of gratitude.
Thy half o’th’ kingdom hast thou not forgot,
Wherein I thee endowed.
REGAN
Good sir, to th’ purpose.
LEAR
Who put my man i’th’ stocks?
Tucket within
 
CORNWALL
What trumpet’s that?
Enter Oswald the steward
 
REGAN
I know’t, my sister’s. This approves her letter
That she would soon be here. (To Oswald) Is your lady
come?
LEAR
This is a slave whose easy-borrowed pride
Dwells in the sickly grace of her a follows.
(To
Oswald
) Out, varlet, from my sight!
CORNWALL What means your grace?
Enter Goneril
 
LEAR
Who stocked my servant? Regan, I have good hope
Thou didst not know on’t. Who comes here? O heavens,
If you do love old men, if your sweet sway
Allow obedience, if you yourselves are old,
Make it your cause! Send down and take my part.
(
To Goneril
) Art not ashamed to look upon this beard?
O Regan, will you take her by the hand?
GONERIL
Why not by th’ hand, sir? How have I offended?
All’s not offence that indiscretion finds
And dotage terms so.
LEAR
O sides, you are too tough!
Will you yet hold?—How came my man i’th’ stocks?
CORNWALL
I set him there, sir; but his own disorders
Deserved much less advancement.
LEAR
You? Did you?
REGAN
I pray you, father, being weak, seem so.
If till the expiration of your month
You will return and sojourn with my sister,
Dismissing half your train, come then to me.
I am now from home, and out of that provision
Which shall be needful for your entertainment.

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