Enter Kent, Gloster, and Bastard.
Kent.Thought the King had more affected the Duke of Albany then Cornwell.
Glo.It did allwaies seeme so to vs, but now in the
diuision of the kingdomes, it appeares not which of
the Dukes he values most, for equalities are so weighed, that curiositie in neither, can make choise of eithers moytie.
Kent.Is not this your sonne my Lord?
Glo.His breeding sir hath beene at my charge, I haue so often blusht to acknowledge him, that now I am braz'd to it.
Kent. I cannot conceiue you.
Glo.Sir, this young fellowes mother Could, wherupon shee
grew round wombed, and had indeed Sir a sonne for her cradle, ere she had a husband for her bed, doe you smell a fault?
Kent. I cannot wish the fault vndone, the issue of it being so proper.
Glo. But I haue sir a sonne by order of Law, some yeare elder then this, who yet is no deerer in my account, though this
knaue came something sawcely into the world before hee was
sent for, yet was his mother faire, there was good sport at his
makeing,&the whoreson must be acknowledged, do, you know
this noble gentleman Edmund?
Bast. No my Lord.
Glo. My Lord of Kent, remember him hereafter as my honorable friend..
Bast.My seruices to your Lordship.
Kent.I must loue you, and sue to know you better.
Bast. Sir I shall study deseruing.
Glo. Hee hath beene out nine yeares, and away hee shall
againe, the King is comming.
Sound a Sennet,
Enter one bearing a Coronet, then Lear, then the
Dukes of Albany, and Cornwell, next Gonorill, Regan, Cordelia, with followers.
Lear.Attend my Lords of France and Burgundy, Gloster.
Glo.I shall my Leige.
Lear.Meane time we will expresse our darker purposes,
The map there; know we haue diuided
In three, our kingdome; and tis our first intent,
To shake all cares and busines of our state,
Confirming them on yonger yeares,
The two great Princes France and Burgundy,
Great ryuals in our youngest daughters loue,
Long in our Court haue made their amorous soiourne,
And here are to be answerd, tell me my daughters,
Which of you shall we say doth loue vs most,
That we our largest bountie may extend,
Where merit doth most challenge it,
Gonorill our eldest borne, speake first?
Gon.Sir I do loue you more then words can weild the matter,
Dearer then eye-sight, space or libertie,
Beyond what can be valued rich or rare,
No lesse then life; with grace, health, beautie, honour,
As much a child ere loued, or father friend,
A loue that makes breath poore, and speech vnable,
Beyond all manner of so much I loue you.
Cord.What shall Cordelia doe, loue and be silent.
Lear.Of al these bounds, euen from this line to this,
With shady forrests, and wide skirted meades,
We make thee Lady, to thine and Albaines issue,
Be this perpetuall, what saies our second daughter?
Our deerest Regan, wife to Cornwell, speake?
Reg. Sir I am made of the selfe same mettall that my sister is,
And prize me at her worth in my true heart,
I find she names my very deed of loue, onely she came short,
That I professe my selfe an enemie to all other ioyes,
Which the most precious square of sence possesses,
And find I am alone felicitate, in your deere highnes loue.
Cord. Then poore Cord.& yet not so, since I am sure
My loues more richer then my tongue.
Lear. To thee and thine hereditarie euer
Remaine this ample third of our faire kingdome,
No lesse in space, validity, and pleasure,
Then that confirm'd on Gonorill, but now our ioy,
Although the last, not least in our deere loue,
What can you say to win a third, more opulent
Then your sisters.
Cord. Nothing my Lord.
Lear. How, nothing can come of nothing, speake againe.
Cord.> Vnhappie that I am, I cannot heaue my heart into my
mouth,-->I loue your Maiestie according to my bond, nor more nor lesse.
Lear. Goe to, goe to, mend your speech a little,
Least it may mar your fortunes.
Cord.> Good my Lord,
You haue begot me, bred me, loued me,
I returne those duties backe as are right fit,
Obey you, loue you, and most honour you,
Why haue my sisters husbands if they say they loue you all,.
Happely when I shall wed, that Lord whose hand
Must take my plight, shall cary halfe my loue with him,
Halfe my care and duty, sure I shall neuer
Mary like my sisters, to loue my father all.
Lear. But goes this with thy heart?
Cord.I good my Lord.
Lear. So yong and so vntender.
Cord. So yong my Lord and true.
Lear. Well let it be so, thy truth then be thy dower,
For by the sacred radience of the Sunne,
The mistresse of Heccat, and the might,
By all the operation of the orbs,
From whome we doe exsist and cease to be
Heere I disclaime all my paternall care,
Propinquitie and property of blood,
And as a stranger to my heart and me
Hould thee from this for euer, the barbarous Scythyan,
Or he that makes his generation
Messes to gorge his appetite
Shall bee as well neighbour'd, pittyed and relieued
As thou my sometime daughter.
Kent.Good my Liege.
Lear.Peace Kent, come not between the Dragon his wrath,
I lou'd her most, and thought to set my rest
On her kind nurcery, hence and auoide my sight?
So be my graue my peace as here I giue,
Her fathers heart from her, call France, who stirres?
Call Burgundy, Cornwell, and Albany,
With my two daughters dower digest this third,
Let pride, which she cals plainnes, marrie her:
I doe inuest you iointly in my powre,
Preheminence, and all the large effects
That troope with Maiestie, our selfe by monthly course
With reseruation of an hundred knights,
By you to be sustayn'd, shall our abode
Make with you by due turnes, onely we still retaine
The name and all the additions to a King,
The sway, reuenue, execution of the rest,
Beloued sonnes be yours,which to confirme,
This Coronet part betwixt you.
Kent.Royall Lear,
Whom I haue euer honor'd as my King,
Loued as my Father, as my maister followed,
As my great patron thought on in my prayers.
Lear. The bow is bent & drawen make from the shafte.
Kent.Let it fall rather,
Though the forke inuade the region of my heart,
Be Kent vnmannerly when Lear is man,
What wilt thou doe ould man, think'st thou that dutie
Shall haue dread to speake, when power to flatterie bowes,
To plainnes honours bound when Maiesty
stoops to folly,
Reuerse thy doome, and in thy best consideration
Checke this hideous rashnes,answere my life
My iudgement, thy yongest daughter does not loue thee least,
Nor are those empty harted whose low, sound
Reuerbs no hollownes.
Lear. Kent on thy life no more.
Kent.My life I neuer held but as a pawne
To wage against thy enemies, nor feare to loseit
Thy safty being the motiue.
Lear.Out of my sight.
Kent.See better Lear and let me still remaine,
The true blanke of thine eye.
Lear.Now by Appollo,
Kent.Now by Appollo King thou swearest thy Gods in vaine.
Lear.Vassall, recreant.
Kent.Doe, kill thy Physicion,
And the fee bestow vpon the foule disease,
Reuoke thy doome, or whilst I can vent clamour
From my throat, ile tell thee thou dost euill.
Lear.Heare me, on thy allegeance heare me?
Since thou hast sought to make vs breake our vow,
Which we durst neuer yet; and with straied pride,
To come betweene our sentence and our powre,
Which nor our nature nor our place can beare,
Our potency made good,take thy reward,
Foure dayes we doe allot thee for prouision,
To shield thee from diseases of the world,
And on the fift to turne thy hated backe
Vpon our kingdome, if on the tenth day following,
Thy banisht truncke be found in our dominions,
The moment is thy death, away, by Iupiter
This shall not be reuokt.
Kent.Why fare thee well king, since thus thou wilt appeare,
Friendship liues hence, and banishment is here,
The Gods to their protection take the maide,
That rightly thinks, and hast most iustly said,
And your large speeches may your deedes approue,
That good effects may spring from wordes of loue:
Thus Kent O Princes, bids you all adew,
Heele shape his old course in a countrie new.
Enter France and Burgundie with Gloster.
Glo.Heers France and Burgundie my noble Lord.
Lear.My L. of Burgundie,we first addres towards you,
Who with a King hath riuald for our daughter,
What in the least will you require in present
Dower with her, or cease your quest of loue?
Burg.Royall maiesty,
I craue no more then what
Your highnes offered, nor will you tender lesse?
Lear. Right noble Burgundie,when she was deere to vs
We did hold her so, but now her prise is fallen,
Sir there she stands, if ought within that little
Seeming substance, or al of it with our displeasure peec'st,
And nothing else may fitly like your grace,
Shees there, and she is yours.
Burg. I know no answer.
Lear. Sir will you with those infirmities she owes,
Vnfriended, new adopted to our hate,
Couered with our curse, and stranger'd with our oth,
Take her or leaue her.
Burg. Pardon me royall sir, election makes not vp
On such conditions.
Lear.Then leaue her sir, for by the powre that made me
I tell you all her wealth, for you great King,
I would not from your loue make such a stray,
To match you where I hate, therefore beseech you,
To auert your liking a more worthier way,
Then on a wretch whome nature is ashamed
Almost to acknowledge hers.
Fra.This is most strange, that she, that euen but now
Was your best obiect, the argument of your praise,
Balme of your age,most best, most deerest,
Should in this trice of time commit a thing,
So monstrous to dismantell so many foulds of fauour,
Sure her offence must be of such vnnaturall degree,
That monsters it, or you for voucht affections
Falne into taint, which to beleeue of her
Must be a faith that reason without miracle
Could neuer plant in me.
Cord.I yet beseech your Maiestie,
If for I want that glib and oyly Art,
To speake and purpose not, since what I well entend
Ile do't before I speake, that you may know
It is no vicious blot, murder or foulnes,
No vncleane action or dishonord step
That hath depriu'd me of your grace and fauour,
But euen for want of that, for which I am rich,
A still soliciting eye, and such a tongue,
As I am glad I haue not, though not to haue it,
Hath lost me in your liking.
Lear. Goe to, goe to, better thou hadst not bin borne,
Then not to haue pleas'd me better.
Fra.> Is it no more but this, a tardines in nature,
That often leaues the historie vnspoke that it intends to do,
My Lord of Burgundie,what say you to the Lady?
Loue is not loue when it is mingled with respects that stands
Aloofe from the intire point wil you haue her?
She is her selfe and dowre.
Burg.Royall Leir,
giue but that portion
Which your selfe proposd,and here I take Cordelia
By the hand, Dutches of Burgundie,
Lear. Nothing, I haue sworne.
Burg.I am sory then you haue so lost a father,
That you must loose a husband.
Cord. Peace be with Burgundie, since that respects
Of fortune are his loue, I shall not be his wife.
Fra.Fairest Cordelia that art most rich being poore,
Most choise forsaken,and most loued despisd,
Thee and thy vertues here I ceaze vpon,
Be it lawfull I take vp whats cast away,
Gods, Gods! tis strange,that from their couldst neglect,
My loue should kindle to inflam'd respect,
Thy dowreles daughter King throwne to thy chance,
Is Queene of vs, of ours,and our faire France:
Not all the Dukes in watrish Burgundie,
Shall buy this vnprizd precious maide of me,
Bid them farewell Cordelia, though vnkind
Thou loosest here, a better where to find.
Lear. Thou hast her France, let her be thine,
For we haue no such daughter, nor shall euer see
That face of hers againe,therfore be gone,
Without our grace, our loue, our benizon? come noble Burgundy.
Exit Lear and Burgundie.
Fra.Bid farewell to your sisters?
Cord.The iewels of our father,
With washt eyes Cordelia leaues you, I know you what you are,
And like a sister am most loath to call your faults
As they are named, vse well our Father,
To your professed bosoms I commit him,
But yet alas stood I within his grace,
I would preferre him to a better place:
So farewell to you both?
Gon.Prescribe not vs our duties?
Reg.Let your study be to content your Lord,
Who hath receaued you at Fortunes almes,
You haue obedience scanted,
And well are worth the worth that you haue wanted.
Cord.Time shal vnfould what pleated cunning hides,
Who couers faults, at last shame them derides:
Well may you prosper.
Fra.Come faire Cordelia?
Exit France & Cord.
Gon.Sister, it is not a little I haue to say,
Of what most neerely appertaines to vs both,
I thinke our father will hence to night.
Reg.Thats most certaine, and with you, next moneth with vs.
Gon.You see how full of changes his age is the obseruation we
haue made of it hath not bin little; hee alwaies loued our sister
most, and with what poore iudgement hee hath now cast her
off, appeares too grosse.
Reg.Tis the infirmitie of his age, yet hee hath euer but slenderly knowne himselfe.
Gon.The best and soundest of his time hath bin but rash,
then must we looke to receiue from his age not alone the imperfection of long ingrafted condition, but therwithal vnruly waywardnes, that infirme and cholericke yeares bring with them.
Reg.Such vnconstant starts are we like to haue from him, as
this of Kents banishment.
Gon.There is further complement of leaue taking betweene
France and him,pray lets hit together, if our Father cary authority with such dispositions as he beares, this last surrender of his,
will but offend vs,
Reg. We shall further thinke on't.
Gon. We must doe something, and it'h heate.
Exeunt.
Enter Bastard Solus.
Bast.Thou Nature art my Goddesse, to thy law my seruices
are bound, wherefore should I stand in the plague of custome,
and permit the curiositie of nations to depriue me, for that I am
some twelue or 14.mooneshines lag of a brother, why bastard?
wherfore base, when my dementions are as well compact, my
mind as generous, and my shape as true as honest madams issue,
why brand they vs with base, base bastardie? who in the lusty
stealth of nature, take more composition and feirce quality,then
doth within a stale dull lyed bed, goe to the creating of a whole
tribe of fops got tweene a sleepe and wake; well the legitimate
Edgar I must haue your land, our Fathers loue is to the bastard
Edmund as to the legitimate, well my legitimate, if this letter
speede,and my inuention thriue, Edmund the base
shall tooth'legitimate: I grow, I prosper, now Gods stand vp for Bastards.
Enter Gloster.
Glo.Kent banisht thus, and France in choller parted, and
the King gone to night, subscribd his power, confined to exhibition, all this donne vpon the gadde; Edmund how now
what newes?
Bast.So please your Lordship, none:
Glo. Why so earnestly seeke you to put vp that letter?
Bast. I know no newes my Lord.
Glo.What paper were you reading?
Bast. Nothing my Lord,
Glo. No, what needes then that terribe dispatch of it into
your pocket, the qualitie of nothing hath not such need to hide
it selfe, lets see, come if it bee nothing I shall not neede spectacles.
Bast. I beseech you Sir pardon me, it is a letter from my brother,
that I haue not all ore read, for so much as I haue perused, I find it
not fit for your liking.
Glo. Giue me the letter sir.
Bast. I shall offend either to detaine or giue it, the contents
as in part I vnderstand them, are too blame.
Glo. Lets see, lets see?
Bast. I hope for my brothers iustification, he wrot this but
as an essay, or tast of my vertue.
A Letter.
Glo. This policie of age makes the world bitter to the best
of our times, keepes our fortunes from vs till our oldnes cannot
relish them, I begin to find an idle and fond bondage in the oppression of aged tyranny, who swaies not as it hath power, but as
it is suffered, come to me, that of this I may speake more, if our
father would sleepe till I wakt him, you should inioy halfe his
reuenew for euer, and liue the beloued of your brother Edgar.
Hum, conspiracie, slept till I wakt him, you should enioy halfe
his reuenew, my sonne Edgar, had hee a hand to write this, a
hart,and braine to breed it in, when came this to you, who
brought it?
Bast. It was not brought me my Lord, ther's the cunning of
it, I found it throwne in at the casement of my closet.
Glo. You know the Caractar to be your brothers?
Bast. If the matter were good, my Lord I durst sweare it were
his but in respect, of that I would faine thinke it were not,
Glo. It is his?
Bast. It is his hand my Lord, but I hope his heart is not in
the contents.
Glo. Hath he neuer heretofore soũded you in this busines?
Bast. Neuer my Lord, but I haue often heard him maintaine
it to be fit, that sons at perfit age,& fathers declining, his father
should be as ward to the sonne, and the sonne mannage the re uenew.
Glo. O villaine, villaine, his very opinion in the letter, abhorred villaine, vnnaturall detested brutish villaine, worse then
brutish, go sir seeke him, I apprehend him, abhominable villaine
where is he?
Bast. I doe not well know my Lord, if it shall please you to
suspend your indignation against my brother, til you can deriue
from him better testimony of this intent: you should run a certaine course, where if you violently proceed against him, mistaking his purpose, it would make a great gap in your owne
honour,&shake in peeces the heart of his obedience, I dare pawn
downe my life for him, he hath wrote this to feele my affection
to your honour, and to no further pretence of danger.
Glo. Thinke you so?
Bast.If your honour iudge it meete, I will place you where
you shall heare vs conferre of this, and by an aurigular assurance
haue your satisfaction, and that without any further delay then
this very euening.
Glo. He cannot be such a monster.
Bast. Nor is not sure.
Glo. To his father, that so tenderly and intirely loues him,
heauen and earth! Edmund seeke him out, wind mee into him, I
pray you frame your busines after your own wisedome, I would
vnstate my selfe to be in a due resolution.
Bast. I shall seeke him sir presently, conuey the businesse as I
shall see meanes, and acquaint you withall.
Glo. These late eclipses in the Sunne and Moone portend
no good to vs, though the wisedome of nature can reason thus
and thus, yet nature finds it selfe scourg'd by the sequent effects,
loue cooles, friendship fals off, brothers diuide, in Citties mutinies, in Countries discords, Pallaces treason, the bond crackt
betweene sonne and father; find out this villaine Edmund, it shal
loose thee nothing, doe it carefully, and the noble and true harted Kent banisht, his offence honest, strange strange!
Bast. This is the excellent foppery of the world, that when
we are sicke in Fortune, often the surfeit of our owne behauiour,
we make guiltie of our disasters, the Sunne, the Moone, and the
Starres, as if we were Villaines by necessitie, Fooles by heauenly compulsion, Knaues, Theeues, and Trecherers by spirituall
predominance, Drunkards, Lyars,and Adulterers by an enforst
obedience of planitary influence, and all that wee are euill in,
by a diuine thrusting on, an admirable euasion of whoremaster
man, to lay his gotish disposition to the charge of Starres: my
Father compounded with my Mother vnder the Dragons taile,
and my natiuitie was vnder Vrsa maior, so that it followes,I am
rough and lecherous, Fut,I should haue beene that I am, had the
maidenlest starre of the Firmament twinckled on my bastardy
er EdgarEdgar; and out hee comes like the Catastrophe of the old Comedy, mine is villanous melancholy, with a sith like them of
Bedlam; O these eclipses doe portend these diuisions.
Edg. How now brother Edmund, what serious contemplation are you in?
Bast. I am thinking brother of a prediction I read this other
day, what should follow these Eclipses.
Edg. Doe you busie your selfe about that?
Bast. I promise you the effects he writ of, succeed vnhappily,
as of vnnaturalnesse betweene the child and the parent, death,
dearth, dissolutions of ancient amities, diuisions in state, menaces and maledictions against King and nobles, needles diffidences, banishment offriends, dissipation of Cohorts, nuptial breaches, and I know not what.
Edg. How long haue you beene a sectary Astronomicall?
Bast. Come, come, when saw you my father last?
Edg. Why, the night gon by.
Bast. Spake you with him?
Edg.Two houres together.
Bast. Parted you in good tearmes? found you no displeasure
in him by word or countenance?
Edg. None at all.
Bast. Bethinke your selfe wherein you may haue offended
him, and at my intreatie, forbeare his presence, till some little
time hath qualified the heat of his displeasure, which at this instant so rageth in him, that with the mischiefe,of your parson it
would scarce allay.
Edg. Some villaine hath done me wrong.
Bast. Thats my feare brother, I aduise you to the best, goe
arm'd, I am no honest man if there bee any good meaning towards you, I haue told you what I haue seene &heard, but faintly, nothing like the image and horror of it, pray you away
Edg. Shall I heare from you anon?
Bast. I doe serue you in this busines:
Exit Fdgar
Bast.A credulous Father, and a brother noble,
Whose nature is so farre from doing harmes,
That he suspects none, on whose foolish honesty
My practises ride easie, I see the busines,
Let me if not by birth, haue lands by wit,
All with me's meete, that I can fashion fit.
Exit.
Enter Kent.
Kent.If but as well I other accents borrow, that can my speech
defuse, my good intent may carry through it selfe to that full issue for which I raz'd my likenes, now banisht Kent, if thou canst
serue where thou dost stand condem'd, thy maister whom thou
louest shall find the full of labour.
Enter Lear.
Lear. Let me not stay a iot for dinner, goe get it readie, how
now, what art thou?
Kent. A man Sir.
Lear. What dost thou professe? what would'st thou with vs?
Kent. I doe professe to be no lesse then I seeme, to serue him
truly that will put me in trust, to loue him that is honest, to conuerse with him that is wise, and sayes little, to feare iudgement,
to fight when I cannot chuse, and to eate no fishe.
Lear. What art thou?
Kent. A very honest harted fellow, and as poore as the king.
Lear. If thou be as poore for a subiect, as he is for a King, thar't
poore enough, what would'st thou?
Kent.Seruice.
Lear. Who would'st thou serue?
Kent. You.
Lear.Do'st thou know me fellow?
Kent. No sir, but you haue that in your countenance, which
I would faine call Maister.
Lear.Whats that?
Kent.Authoritie.
Lear.What seruices canst doe?
Kent. I can keepe honest counsaile, ride, run, mar a curious
tale in telling it, and deliuer a plaine message bluntly, that
which ordinarie men are fit for, I am qualified in, and the best
of me, is diligence.
Lear. How old art thou?
Kent.Not so yong to loue a woman for singing, nor so old to
dote on her for any thing, I haue yeares on my backe fortie eight.
Lear.Follow mee, thou shalt serue mee, if I like thee no
worse after dinner, I will not part from thee yet, dinner, ho dinner, wher's my knaue, my foole, goe you and call my foole hether, you sirra,whers my daughter?
Enter Steward.
Osw.So please you,
Lear. What say's the fellow there, call the clat-pole backe,
whers my foole, ho I thinke the world's asleepe, how now,
wher's that mungrel?
Kent. He say's my Lord, your daughter is not well.
Lear. Why came not the slaue backe to mee when I cal'd
him?
Ser. Sir, hee answered mee in the roundest maner, hee
would not.
Lear. A would not?
Ser. My Lord, I know not what the matter is, but to my
iudgement, your highnes is not entertained with that ceremonious
affection as you were wont, ther's a great abatement, apeer's as
well in the generall dependants, as in the Duke himselfe also,
and your daughter.
Lear. Ha, say'st thou so?
Ser.I beseech you pardon mee my Lord, if I be mistaken,
for my dutie cannot bee silent, when I thinke your highnesse
wrong'd.
Lear. Thou but remember'st me of mine owne conception, I
haue perceiued a most faint neglect of late, which I haue rather
blamed as mine owne ielous curiositie, then as a very pretence&
purport of vnkindnesse, I will looke further into't, but wher's
this foole? I haue not seene him this two dayes.
Ser.Since my yong Ladies going into France sir, the foole
hath much pined away.
Lear. No more of that, I haue noted it, goe you and tell my
daughter, I would speake with her, goe you cal hither my foole,
O you sir, you sir, come you hither, who am I sir?
Osw. My Ladies Father.
Lear.My Ladies father, my Lords knaue, you horeson dog,
you slaue, you cur.
Osw. I am none of this my Lord,
I beseech you pardon me.
Lear. Doe you bandie lookes with me you rascall?
Osw. Ile not be struck my Lord,
Kent. Nor tript neither, you base football player
Lear. I thanke thee fellow, thou seru'st me, and ile loue thee
Kent. Come sir ile teach you differences, away, away, if
you will measure your lubbers length againe, tarry, but away,
you haue wisedome.
Lear.Now friendly knaue I thanke thee, their's earnest of
thy seruice.
Enter Foole.
Foole. Let me hire him too, heer's my coxcombe.
Lear. How now my prety knaue, how do'st thou?
Foole. Sirra, you were best take my coxcombe.
Kent. Why Foole?
Foole. Why for taking on's part, that's out of fauour, nay and
thou can'st not smile as the wind sits, thou't catch cold shortly,
there take my coxcombe; why this fellow hath banisht two
on's daughters, and done the third a blessing against his will, if
thou follow him, thou must needs weare my coxcombe, how
now nuncle, would I had two coxcombes, and two daughters.
Lear. Why my boy?
Foole. If I gaue them any liuing, id'e keepe my coxcombs
my selfe, ther's mine, beg another of thy daughters.
Lear. Take heede sirra, the whip.
Foole. Truth is a dog that must to kenell, hee must bee whipt
out, when Ladie oth'e brach may stand by the fire and stincke.
Lear. A pestilent gull to mee.
Foole.Sirra ile teach thee a speech.
Lear.Doe.
Foole. Marke it vncle, haue more then thou shewest, speake
lesse then thou knowest, lend lesse then thou owest, ride more
then thou goest, learne more then thou trowest, set lesse then
thou throwest, leaue thy drinke and thy whore, and keepe in a
doore, and thou shalt haue more, then two tens to a score.
Lear. This is nothing foole.
Foole. Then like the breath of an vnfeed Lawyer, you gaue
me nothing for't, can you make no vse ofnothing vncle?
Lear. Why no boy, nothing can be made out of nothing.
Foole.Preethe tell him so much the rent of his land comes to,
he will not beleeue a foole.
Lear. A bitter foole.
Foole. Doo'st know the difference my boy, betweene a bitter
foole, and a sweete foole.
Lear. No lad, teach mee.
Foole. That Lord that counsail'd thee to giue away thy land,
Come place him heere by mee, doe thou for him stand,
The sweet and bitter foole will presently appeare,
The one in motley here, the other found out there.
Lear. Do'st thou call mee foole boy?
Foole. All thy other Titles thou hast giuen away, tha thou
wast borne with.
Kent. This is not altogether foole my Lord.
Foole. No faith, Lords and great men will not let me, if I had
a monopolie out, they would haue part an't, and Ladies too,they
will not let me haue all the foole to my selfe, they'l be snatching;
giue me an egge Nuncle, and ile giue thee two crownes.
Lear. What two crownes shall they be?
Foole. Why, after I haue cut the egge in the middle and eate vp the meate, the two crownes of the egge; when thou clouest
thy crowne it'h middle, and gauest away both parts, thou borest
thy asse at'h backe or'e the durt, thou had'st little wit in thy bald
crowne, when thou gauest thy golden one away, if I speake like
my selfe in this, let him be whipt that first finds it so.
Foole.Fooles had nere lesse wit, in a yeare,
For wise men are growne foppish,
They know not how their wits doe weare,
Their manners are so apish.
Lear. When were you wont to be so full of songs sirra?
Foole. I haue vs'd it nuncle, euer since thou mad'st thy daughters thy mother, for when thou gauest them the rod, and put'st
downe thine own breeches, then they for sudden ioy did weep,
and I for sorrow sung, that such a King should play bo-peepe,
and goe the fooles among: prethe Nunckle keepe a schoolemaster that can teach thy foole to lye, I would faine learneto lye.
Lear. And you lye, weele haue you whipt.
Foole. I maruell what kin thou and thy daughters are, they'l
haue me whipt for speaking true, thou wilt haue mee whipt forlying, and sometime I am whipt for holding my peace, I had
rather be any kind of thing then a foole,and yet I would not bee
thee Nuncle, thou hast pared thy wit a both sides, &left nothing
in the middle, here comes one of the parings.
Enter Gonorill.
Lear. How now daughter, what makes that Frontlet on,
Me thinks you are too much alate it'h frowne.
Foole.Thou wast a prettie fellow when thou had'st no need
to care for her frowne, now thou art an O without a figure, I am
better then thou art now, I am a foole,thou art nothing, yes for sooth I will hould my tongue, so your face bids mee, though
you say nothing.
Mum, mum, he that keepes neither crust nor crum,
Wearie of all, shall want some. That's a sheald pescod.
Gon.Not onely sir this,your all-licenc'd foole, but other of
your insolent retinue do hourely carpe and quarrell, breaking
forth in ranke & (not to be indured riots,) Sir I had thought by
making this well knowne vnto you, to haue found a safe redres,
but now grow fearefull by what your selfe too late haue spoke
and done, that you protect this course, and put on by your allowance, which if you should, the fault would not scape censure,
nor the redresse, sleepe, which in the tender of a wholsome
weale, might in their working doe you that offence, that else
were shame, that then necessitie must call discreet proceedings.
Foole. For you trow nuncle, the hedge sparrow fed the Cookow so long, that it had it head bit off beit young, so out went
the candle, and we were left darkling.
Lear. Are you our daughter?
Gon. sir, I would you would make vse of that good
wisedome whereof I know you are fraught, and put away these
dispositions, that of late transforme you from what you rightly
are.
Foole.May not an Asse know when the cart drawes the horse,
whoop Iug I loue thee.
Lear. Doth any here know mee? why this is not Lear, doth
Lear walke thus? speake thus? where are his eyes, either his notion, weaknes, or his discernings are lethergie,sleeping,or wakeing; ha! sure tis not so, who is it that can tell me who I am? Lears
shadow? I would learne that, for by the markes of soueraintie,
knowledge, and reason, I should bee false perswaded I had
daughters.
Foole. Which they, will make an obedient father.
Lear. Your name faire gentlewoman?
Gon.Come sir, this admiration is much of the sauour of other
your new prankes, I doe beseech you vnderstand my purposes
aright, as you are old and reuerend,should be wise, here do you
keepe a 100.Knights and Squires, men so disordred, so deboyst
and bold, that this our court infected with their manners, showes
like a riotous Inne, epicurisme, and lust make more like a tauerne
or brothell, then a great pallace, the shame it selfe doth speake
for instant remedie, be thou desired by her, that else will take the
thing sheebegs, a little to disquantitie your traine, and the remainder that shall still depend, to bee such men as may besort
your age, that know themselues and you.
Lear. Darkenes,and Deuils! saddle my horses, call my traine
together, degenerate bastard, ile not trouble thee, yet haue I left
a daughter.
Gon.You strike my people, and your disordred rabble, make
seruants of their betters.
Enter Duke.
Lear. We that too late repent's, O sir, are you come? is it your
will that wee prepare any horses,ingratitude! thou marble harted fiend, more hideous when thou shewest thee in a child, then
the Sea-monster, detested kite, thou listmy traine, and men of
choise and rarest parts, that all particulars of dutie knowe, and
in the most exact regard, support the worships of their name, O
most small fault, how vgly did'st thou in Cordelia shewe, that
like an engine wrencht my frame of nature from the fixt place,
drew from my heart all loue and added to the gall, O Lear. Lear!
beat at this gate that let thy folly in, and thy deere iudgement
out, goe goe, my people?
Alb. My Lord, I am giltles as I am ignorant.
Lear. It may be so my Lord, harke Nature,heare deere Goddesse, suspend thy purpose, if thou did'st intend to make this
creature fruitful into her wombe, conuey sterility, drie vp in hir
the organs of increase, and from her derogate body neuer spring
a babe to honour her, ifshee must teeme, create her childe of
spleene, that it may liue and bee a thourt disuetur'd torment to
her, let it stampe wrinckles in her brow of youth, with accent
teares, fret channels in her cheeks,turne all her mothers paines
and benefits to laughter and contempt, that shee may feele,that
she may feele, how sharper then a serpents tooth it is, to haue a
thanklesse child, goe, goe,my people?
Alb.Now Gods that we adore, whereof comes this!
Gon.Neuer afflict your selfe to know the cause, but let his
disposition haue that scope that dotage giues it.
Lear.What, fiftie of my followers at a clap, within a fortnight?
Alb.What is the matter sir?
Lear.Ile tell thee, life and death! I am asham'd
that thou hast
power to shake my manhood thus, that these hot teares that
breake from me perforce.should make the worst blasts and fogs
vpon the vntented woundings of a fatherscursse, pierce euery
sence about the old fond eyes, beweepe this cause againe, ile
pluck you out, & you cast with the waters that you make to temper clay, yea, i'st come to this? yet haue I left a daughter, whom
I am sure is kind and comfortable, when shee shall heare this of
thee, with her nailes shee'l flea thy woluish visage, thou shalt
find that ile resume the shape, which thou dost thinke I haue cast
off for euer, thou shalt I warrant thee.
Gon. Doe you marke that my Lord?
Alb.I cannot bee so partiall Gonorill
to the great loue I
beare you,
Gon.Come sir no more,
you, more knaue then foole, after
your master?
Foole. NunckleLear, Nunckle Lear, tary and take the foole with a fox when one has caught her, and such a daughter should sure to the slaughter, if my cap would buy a halter, so the foole followes after.
Gon. What Oswald, ho. Osw.Here Madam,
Gon. What haue you writ this letter to my sister?
Osw.Yes Madam.
Gon. Take you some company, and away to horse,
informe
her full of my particular feares, and thereto add such reasons of
your owne, as may compact it more, get you gon, & hasten your
returne now my Lord, this mildie gentlenes and course of yours
though I dislike not, yet vnder pardon y'are much more attastk
for want of wisedome, then praise for harmfull mildnes
Alb. How farre your eyes may pearce I cannot tell, striuingto better ought, we marre whats well.
Gon. Nay then. Alb. Well, well, the euent,
Exeunt.
Enter Kent, and Steward.
Osw.Good euen to thee friend, art of the house?
Kent. I.
Osw.Where may we set our horses?
Kent. It'h mire.
Osw.Prethee if thou loue me, tell me.
Kent.I loue thee not.
Osw.Why then I care not for thee.
Kent. If I had thee in Lipsburie pinfold, I would make thee
care for mee.
Osw.Why dost thou vse me thus? I know thee not.
Kent. Fellow I know thee.
Osw.What dost thou know me for?
Kent. A knaue, a rascall, an eater of broken meates, a base,
proud, shallow, beggerly, three shewted hundred pound, filthy
worsted-stocken knaue, a lilly lyuer'd action taking knaue, a
whorson glassegazing superfinicall rogue, one truncke inheriting slaue, one that would'st bee a baud in way of good seruice,
and art nothing but the composition of a knaue, begger, coward, pander, and the sonne and heire of a mungrell bitch, whom
I will beat into clamorous whyning, if thou denie the least sillable of the addition.
Osw.What a monstrous fellow art thou, thus to raile on one,
that's neither knowne of thee, nor knowes thee.
Kent.What a brazen fac't varlet art thou, to deny thou
knowest mee, is it two dayes agoe since I beat thee,and tript vp
thy heeles before the King? draw you rogue, for though it be
night the Moone shines, ile make a sop of the moone-shine a'you,
draw you whorson cullyonly barber-munger, draw?
Osw.Away, I haue nothing to doe with thee.
Kent. Draw you rascall, you bring letters against the King,
and take Vanitie the puppets part, against the royaltie of her
father, draw you rogue or ile so carbonado your shankes, draw
you rascall, come your wayes.
Osw.Helpe, ho, murther,helpe.
Kent. Strike you slaue, stand rogue, stand you neate slaue,
strike?
Osw. Helpe, ho, murther, helpe.
Enter Edmund with his rapier drawne, Gloster the Duke
and Dutchesse.
Bast.How now, whats the matter?
Kent. With you goodman boy, and you please come, ile
fleash you, come on yong maister.
Glo.Weapons, armes, whats the matter here?
Corn. Keepe peace vpon your liues, hee dies that strikes againe, what's the matter?
Reg. The messengers from our sister, and the King.
Corn.Whats your difference, speake?
Osw.I am scarse in breath my Lord.
Kent. No maruaile you haue so bestir'd your valour, you
cowardly rascall, nature disclaimes in thee, a Tayler made thee.
Corn. Thou art a strange fellow, a Taylor make a man.
Kent. I, a Tayler sir; a Stone-cutter, or a Painter could not
haue made him so ill, though hee had beene but two houres at
the trade.
Glo. Speake yet, how grew your quarrell?
Osw.This ancient ruffen sir, whose life I haue spar'd at sute
of his gray-beard.
Kent. Thou whorson Zedd, thou vnnecessarie letter, my
Lord if you'l giue mee leaue, I will tread this vnboulted villaine
into morter, and daube the walles of a iaques with him, spare
my gray beard you wagtayle.
Corn. Peace sir, you beastly Knaue you haue no reuerence.
Kent. Yes sir, but anger has a priuiledge.
Corn.Why art thou angry?
Kent. That such a slaue as this should weare a sword,
That weares no honesty, such smiling roges as these,
Like Rats oft bite those cordes in twaine,
Which are to intrench, to inloose smooth euery passion
That in the natures of their Lords rebell,
Bring oyle to stir, snow to their colder-moods,
Reneag, affirme, and turne their halcion beakes
With euery gale and varie of their maisters,
Knowing nought like dayes but following, a plague vpon your epeliptick
Visage, smoyle you my speeches, as I were a foole?
Goose and I had you vpon Sarum plaine,
Id'e send you cackling home to Camulet.,
Corn. What art thou mad old fellow?
Glo. How fell you out,say that?
Kent. No contraries hold more, antipathy,
Then I and such a knaue.
Corn. Why dost thou call him knaue, what's his offence.
Kent. His countenance likes me not.
Corn.No more perchance does mine, or his,or hers.
Kent. Sir tis my occupation to be plaine,
I haue seene better faces in my time
That stands on any shoulder that I see
Before me at this instant.
Corn. This is a fellow who hauing beene praysd
For bluntnes doth affect a sawcy ruffines,
And constraines the garb quite from his nature,
He cannot flatter he, he must be plaine,
He must speake truth,and they will tak't so,
If not he's plaine, these kind of knaues I know
Which in this plainnes harbour more craft,
And more corrupter ends, then twentie silly ducking
Obseruants, that stretch their duties nisely.
Kent.Sir in good sooth, or in sincere veritie,
Vnder the allowance of your graund aspect.
Whose influence like the wreath of radient fire
In flitkering Phoebus front.
Corn. What mean'st thou by this?
Kent. To goe out of my dialogue which you discommend so
much, I know sir, I am no flatterer, he that beguild you in a plain
accent, was a plaine knaue, which for my part I will not bee,
though I should win your displeasure, to intreat mee too't.
Corn. What's the offence you gaue him?
Osw. I neuer gaue him any, it pleas'd the King his maister
Very late to strike at me vpon his misconstruction,
When he coniunct and flattering his displeasure
Tript me behind, being downe, insulted, rayld,
And put vpon him such a deale of man, that,
That worthied him, got prayses of the King,
For him attempting who was selfe subdued,
And in the flechuent of this dread exploit,
Drew on me here againe.
Kent. None of these roges & cowards but AIax is their foole.
Corn. Bring forth the stockes ho?
You stubburne miscreant knaue, you reuerent bragart,
Weele teach you.
Kent. I am too old to learne, call not your stockes for me,
I serue the King, on whose imployments I was sent to you,
You should doe small respect, shew too bold malice
Against the Grace and person of my maister,
Stopping his messenger.
Corn.Fetch forth the stockes? as I haue life and honour,
There shall he sit till noone.
Reg. Till noone, till night my Lord, and all night too.
Kent. Why Madam, if I were your fathers dogge, you could
not vse me so.
Reg. Sir being his knaue, I will.
Corn. This is a fellow of the selfe same nature,
Our sister speake of, come bring away the stockes?
Glo. Let me beseech your Grace not to doe so,
His fault is much, and the good King his maister
Will check him for't, your purpost low correction
Is such, as basest and temnest wretches for pilfrings
And most common trespasses are punisht with,
The King must take it ill, that hee's so slightly valued
In his messenger, should haue him thus restrained.
Corn. Ile answer that.
Reg. My sister may receiue it much more worse,
To haue her Gentlemen abus'd, assalted
For following her affaires, put in his legges,
Come my good Lord away?
Glo. I am sory for thee friend, tis the Dukes pleasure,
Whose disposition all the world well knowes
Will not be rubd nor stopt, ile intreat for thee.
Kent. Pray you doe not sir, I haue watcht and trauaild hard,
Sometime I shal sleepe ont,the rest ile whistle,
A good mans fortune may grow out at heeles,
Giue you good morrow.
Glo. The Dukes to blame in this, twill be ill tooke.
Kent. Good King that must approue the common saw,
Thou out of heauens benediction comest
To the warme Sunne.
Approach thou beacon to this vnder gloabe,
That by thy comfortable beames I may
Peruse this letter, nothing almost sees my wracke
But miserie, I know tis from Cordelia,
Who hath most fortunately bin informed
Of my obscured course, and shall find time
From this enormious state, seeking to giue
Losses their remedies, all wearie and ouerwatch
Take vantage heauie eyes not to behold
This shamefull lodging, Fortune goodnight,
Smile, once more turne thy wheele.
sleepes.
Enter Edgar.
Edg. I heare my selfe proclaim'd,
And by the happie hollow of a tree
Escapt the hunt, no Port is free, no place
That guard, and most vnusuall vigilence
Dost not attend my taking while I may scape,
I will preserue my selfe, and am bethought
To take the basest and most poorest shape,
That euer penury in contempt of man,
Brought neare to beast, my face ile grime with filth,
Blanket my loynes, else all my haire with knots,
And with presented nakednes outface,
The wind, and persecution of the skie,
The Countrie giues me proofe and president
Of Bedlam beggers, who with roring voyces,
Strike in their numb'd and mortified bare armes,
Pins, wodden prickes, nayles, sprigs of rosemary,
And with this horrible obiect from low seruice,
Poore pelting villages, sheep-coates,and milles,
Sometime with lunaticke bans, sometime with prayers
Enforce their charitie, poore Turlygod, poore Tom,
That's something yet, Edgar I nothing am.
Exit
Enter King.
Lear.Tis strange that they should so depart from hence,
And not send backe my messenger.
Knight.As I learn'd, the night before there was
No purpose of his remoue.
Kent.Hayle to thee noble maister.
Lear.How, mak'st thou this shame thy pastime?
Foolie.Ha ha, looke he weares crewell garters,
Horses are tide by the heeles, dogges and beares
Byt'h necke, munkies bit'h loynes, and men
Byt'h legges, when a mans ouer lusty at legs,
Then he weares wooden neatherstockes.
Lear. Whats he, that hath so much thy place mistooke to set
thee here?
Kent.It is both he and shee, your sonne & daugter.
Lear. No. Kent. Yes.
Lear. No I say, Kent. I say yea.
Lear. No no, they would not. Kent. Yes they haue.
Lear. By Iupiter I sweare no,they durst not do't,
They would not, could not do't, tis worse then murder,
To doe vpon respect such violent outrage,
Resolue me with all modest hast, which way
Thou may'st deserue, or they purpose this vsage,
Coming from vs.
Kent.My Lord, when at their home
I did commend your highnes letters to them,
Ere I was risen from the place that shewed
My dutie kneeling, came there a reeking Post,
Stewd in his hast, halfe breathles, panting forth
From Gonerill his mistris, salutations,
Deliuered letters spite of intermission,
Which presently they read, on whose contents
They summond vp their men, straight tooke horse,
Commanded me to follow, and attend the leasure
Of their answere, gaue me cold lookes,
And meeting here the other messenger,
Whose welcome I perceau'd had poyson'd mine,
Being the very fellow that of late
Display'd so sawcily against your Highnes,
Hauing more man then wit,about me drew,
He raised the house with loud and coward cries,
Your sonne and daughter found this trespas worth
This shame which here it suffers.
Lear.O how this mother swels vp toward my hart,
Historica passio downe thou climing sorrow,
Thy element's below, where is this daughter?
Kent. With the Earle sir within,
Lear. Follow me not, stay there?
Knight. Made you no more offence then what you speake of?
Kent. No, how chance the King comes with so small a traine?
Foole. And thou hadst beene set in the stockes for that question, thou ha'dst well deserued it.
Kent. Why foole?
Foole.Weele set thee to schoole to an Ant, to teach thee ther's
no labouring in the winter, all that follow their noses, are led by
their eyes, but blind men, and ther's not a nose among a 100.but
can smell him thats stincking, let goe thy hold when a great
wheele runs downe a hill, least it breake thy necke with following it, but the great one that goes vp the hill, let him draw thee
after, when a wise man giues thee better councell, giue mee mine
againe, I would haue none but knaues follow it, sincea foole
giues it.
That Sir that serues for gaine,
And followes but for forme:
Will packe when it begin to raine,
And leaue thee in the storme.
But I will tarie, the foole will stay,
And let the wise man flie:
The knaue turnes foole that runs away,
The foole no knaue perdy.
Kent.Where learnt you this foole?
Foole. Not in the stockes.
Enter Lear and Gloster.
Lear. Denie to speake with mee, th'are sicke, th'are weary,
They traueled hard to night, meare Iustice,
I the Images of reuolt and flying off,
Fetch mee a better answere.
Glo.My deere Lord,
you know the fierie qualitie of the
Duke, how vnremoueable and fixt he is in his owne Course.
Lear. Vengeance, death, plague, confusion, what fierie quality,
why Gloster, Gloster, id'e speake with the Duke of Cornewall, and
his wife.
Glo. I my good Lord.
Lear. The King would speak with Cornewal, the deare father
Would with his daughter speake, commands her seruice,
Fierie Duke, tell the hot Duke that Lear,
No but not yet may be he is not well,
Infirmitie doth still neglect all office, where to our health
Is bound, we are not our selues, when nature being oprest
Command the mind to suffer with the bodie, ile forbeare,
And am fallen out with my more hedier will,
To take the indispos'd and sickly fit, for the sound man,
Death on my state, wherfore should he sit here?
This act perswades me, that this remotion of the Duke, & her
Is practise,only giue me my seruant forth,
Tell the Duke and's wife, Ile speake with them
Now presently, bid them come forth and heare me,
Or at their chamber doore ile beat the drum,
Till it cry sleepe to death.
Glo. I would haue all well betwixt you.
Lear. O my heart, my heart.
Foole. Cry to it Nunckle, as the Cokney did to the eeles, when
she put vm ith past aliue, she rapt vm ath coxcombs with a stick,
and cryed downe wantons downe, twas her brother,that in pure
kindnes to his horse buttered his hay.
Enter Duke and Regan.
Lear. Good morrow to you both.
Corn. Hayle to your Grace.
Reg. I am glad to see your highnes.
Lear. Regan I thinke you are, I know what reason
I haue to thinke so, ifthou shouldst not be glad,
I would diuorse me from thy mothers tombe
Sepulchring an adultresse, yea are you free?
Some other time for that. Beloued Regan,
Thy sister is naught, oh Regan she hath tyed,
Sharpe tooth'd vnkindnes, like a vulture heare,
I can scarce speake to thee, thout not beleeue,
Of how depriued a qualitie, O Regan.
Reg. I pray sir take patience, I haue hope
You lesse know how to value her desert,
Then she to slacke her dutie.
Lear.My cursses on her.
Reg. O Sir you are old,
Nature on you standes on the very verge of her confine,
You should be rul'd and led by some discretion,
That discernes your state better then you your selfe,
Therfore I pray that to our sister,you do make returne,
Say you haue wrong'd her Sir?
Lear. Aske her forgiuenes,
Doe you marke how this becomes the house,
Deare daughter, I confesse that I am old,
Age is vnnecessarie, on my knees I beg,
That you'l vouchsafe me rayment, bed and food.
Reg. Good sir no more, these are vnsightly tricks,
Returne you to my sister.
Lear. No Regan,
She hath abated me ofhalfe my traine,
Looktblacke vpon me, strooke mee with her tongue
Most Serpent-like vpon the very heart,
All the stor'd vengeances of heauen fall on her ingratful top,
Strike her yong bones,you taking ayrs with lamenes.
Corn. Fie fie sir.
Lear. You nimble lightnings dart your blinding flames,
Into her scornfull eyes, infect her beautie,
You Fen suckt fogs, drawne by the powrefull Sunne,
To fall and blast her pride.
Reg. O the blest Gods,so will you wish on me,
When the rash mood---
Lear. No Regan, thou shalt neuer haue my curse,
The tender hested nature shall not giue the or'e
To harshnes, her eiesare fierce, but thine do comfort & not burne
Tis not in thee to grudge my pleasures, to cut off my traine,
To bandy hasty words,to scant my sizes,
And in conclusion, to oppose the bolt
Againstmy coming in, thou better knowest,
The offices of nature, bond of child-hood,
Effects of curtesie, dues of gratitude,
Thy halfe of the kingdome, hast thou not forgot
Wherein I thee indow'd.
Reg. Good sir too'th purpose.
Lear.Who put my man i'th stockes?
Corn. What trumpets that?
Enter Steward.
Reg. I know't my sisters, this approues her letters,
That she would soone be here, is your Lady come?
Lear. This is a slaue, whose easie borrowed pride
Dwels in the fickle grace of her, a followes,
Out varlet, from my sight.
Corn. What meanes your Grace?
Enter Gon.
Gon. Who struck my seruant, Regan I haue good hope
Thou didst not know ant.
Lear. Who comes here? O heauens!
If you doe loue old men, if you sweet sway allow
Obedience, if your selues are old, make it your cause,
Send downe and take my part,
Art not asham'd to looke vpon this beard?
O Regan wilt thou take her by the hand?
Gon. Why not by the hand sir, how haue I offended?
Als not offence that indiscretion finds
And dotage tearmes so.
Lear. O sides you are too tough,
Will you yet hold? how came my man it'h stockes?
Corn. I set him there sir, but his owne disorders
Deseru'd much lesse aduancement,
Lear. You, did you?
Reg. I pray you father being weake seeme so,
If till the expiration of your moneth,
You will returne and soiorne with my sister,
Dismissing halfe your traine, come then to me,
I am now from home, and out of that prouision,
Which shall be needful for your entertainment.
Lear. Returne to her, and fiftie men dismist,
No rather I abiure all roofes, and chuse
To wage against the enmitie of the Ayre,
To be a Comrade with the Woolfe and owle,
Necessities sharpe pinch, returne with her,
Why the hot bloud in France, that dowerles
Tooke our yongest borne, I could as well be brought
To knee his throne,and Squire-like pension bag,
To keepe base life afoot, returne with her,
Perswade me rather to be slaue and sumter
To this detested groome.
Gon. At your choise sir.
Lear. Now I prithee daughter do not make me mad,
I will not trouble thee my child, farewell,
Wee'le no more meete, no more see one another.
But yet thou art my flesh, my bloud,my daughter,
Or rather a disease that lies within my flesh,
Which I must needs call mine, thou art a bile,
A plague sore, an imbossed carbuncle in my
Corrupted bloud, but Ile not chide thee,
Let shame come when it will,I doe not call it,
I doe not bid the thunder bearer shoote,
Nor tell tailes of thee to high Iudging Ioue,
Mend when thou canst, be better at thy leasure,
I can be patient, I can stay with Regan,
I and my hundred Knights.
Reg.Not altogether so sir, I looke not for you yet,
Nor am prouided for your fit welcome,
Giue eare sir to my sister, for those
That mingle reason with your passion,
Must be content to thinke you are old, and so,
But she knowes what shee does.
Lear. Is this well spoken now?
Reg. I dare auouch it sir, what fiftie followers,
Is it not well,what should you need of more,
Yea or so many, sith that both charge and danger
Speakes gainst so great a number, how in a house
Should many people vnder two commands
Hold amytie, tis hard,almost impossible.
Gon. Why might not you my Lord receiue attendance
From those that she cals seruants, or from mine?
Reg. Why not my Lord? if then they chanc'st to slacke you,
We could controwle them, if you will come to me,
For now I spie a danger, I intreat you,
To bring but fiue and twentie, to no more
Will I giue place or notice.
Lear. I gaue you all.
Reg. And in good time you gaue it.
Lear. Made you my guardians, my depositaries,
But kept a reseruation to be followed
With such a number, what, must I come to you
With fiue and twentie, Regan said you so?
Reg. And speak't againe my Lord, no more with me.
Lear. Those wicked creatures yet do seem wel fauor'd
When others are more wicked, not being the worst
Stands in some ranke of prayse, Ile goe with thee,
Thy fifty yet doth double fiue and twentie,
And thou art twice her loue.
Gon. Heare me my Lord,
What need you fiue and twentie, tenne, or fiue,
To follow in a house, where twise so many
Haue a commaund to tend you.
Reg. What needes one?
Lear. O reason not the deed, our basest beggers,
Are in the poorest thing superfluous,
Allow not nature more then nature needes,
Mans life as cheape as beasts, thou art a Lady,
If onely to goe warme were gorgeous,
Why nature needes not, what thou gorgeous wearest
Which scarcely keepes thee warme, but for true need,
You heauens giue me that patience, patience I need,
You see me here (you Gods) a poore old fellow,
As full of greefe as age, wretched in both,
If it be you that stirres these daughters hearts
Against their Father, foole me not to much,
To beare it lamely, touch me with noble anger,
O let not womens weapons,water drops
Stayne my mans cheekes, no you vnnaturall hags,
I will haue such reuenges on you both,
That all the world shall, I will doe such things,
What they are yet I know not, but they shalbe
The terrors of the earth, you thinke ile weepe,
No ile not weepe, I haue full cause of weeping,
But this heart shall breake,in a 100.thousand flowes
Or ere ile weepe, O foole I shall goe mad.
Exeunt Lear,Leister,Kent, and Foole.
Corn. Let vs withdraw, twill be a storme.
Reg.This house is little the old man and his people,
Cannot be well bestowed.
Gon. Tis his own blame hath put himselfe from rest,
And must needs tast his folly.
Reg. For his particuler, ile receiue him gladly,
But not one follower.
Corn. So am I puspos'd,where is my Lord of Gloster? Enter Glo.
Reg. Followed the old man forth, he is return'd.
Glo. The King is in high rage, & wil I know not whether.
Reg. Tis good to giue him way, he leads himselfe.
Gon. My Lord, intreat him by no meanes to stay.
Glo. Alack the night comes on, and the bleak winds
Do sorely russel, for many miles about ther's not a bush.
Reg. O sir, to wilfull men
The iniuries that they themselues procure,
Must be their schoolemasters, shut vp your doores,
He is attended with a desperate traine,
And what they may incense him to, being apt,
To haue his eare abusd, wisedome bids feare.
Corn. Shut vp your doores my Lord,tis a wild night,
My Reg counsails well,come out at'h storme.
Exeunt
Enter Lear, Kent, and foole.
Kent. Here is the place my Lord, good my Lord enter, the
tyrannie ofthe open nights too ruffe for nature to indure.
Lear. Let me alone. Kent. Good my Lord enter.
Lear. Wilt breake my heart?
Kent. I had rather breake mine owne, good my Lord enter.
Lear. Thou think'st tis much, that this tempestious storme
Inuades vs to the skin, so tis to thee,
But where the greater malady is fixt
The lesser is scarce felt, thoud'st shun a Beare,
But if thy flight lay toward the roring sea,
Thoud'st meet the beare it'h mouth, when the mind's free
The bodies delicate, this tempest in my mind
Doth from my sences take all feeling else
Saue what beates their filiall ingratitude,
Is it not as this mouth should teare this hand
For lifting food to't, but I will punish sure,
No I will weepe no more, in such a night as this!
O Regan, Gonorill,your old kind father
Whose franke heart gaue you all, O that way madnes lies
Let me shun that, no more of that.
Kent. Good my Lord enter.
Lear. Prethe goe in thy selfe, seeke thy one ease
This tempest will not giue me leaue to ponder
On things would hurt me more, but ile goe in,
Poore naked wretches, where so ere you are
That bide the pelting of this pittiles night,
How shall your house-lesse heads, and vnfed sides,
Your loopt and windowed raggednes defend you
From seasons such as these, O I haue tane
Too little care of this, take physicke pompe,
Expose thy selfe to feele what wretches feele,
That thou mayst shake the superflux to them,
And shew the heauens more iust.
Foole. Come not in here Nunckle, her's a spirit, helpe me, helpe
mee.
Kent. Giue me thy hand, whose there.
Foole. A spirit, he sayes, his nam's poore Tom.
Kent.What art thou that dost grumble there in the straw,
come forth?
Edg. Away, the fowle fiend followes me, thorough the sharpe
hathorne blowes the cold wind, goe to thy cold bed and warme
thee.
Lear. Hast thou giuen all to thy two daughters, and art thou
come to this?
Edg. Who giues any thing to poore Tom, whome the foule
Fiende hath led, through fire, and through foord, and
whirli-poole, ore bog and quagmire, that has layd kniues vnder his pillow, and halters in his pue, set ratsbane by his pottage,
made him proud of heart, to ride on a bay trotting horse ouer
foure incht bridges, to course his owne shadow for a traytor,
blesse thy fiue wits, Tomsa cold, blesse thee from whirle-winds,
starre-blusting,and taking, doe poore Tom some charitie, whom
the foule fiend vexes, there could I haue him now, and there, and
and there againe.
Lear. What, his daughters brought him to this passe,
Couldst thou saue nothing, didst thou giue them all?
Foole. Nay he reseru'd a blanket, else we had beene all sham'd.
Lear. Now all the plagues that in the pendulous ayre
Hang fated ore mens faults, fall on thy daughters.
Kent. He hath no daughters sir.
Lear. Death traytor, nothing could haue subdued nature
To such a lownes, but his vnkind daughters,
Is it the fashion that discarded fathers,
Should haue thus little mercy on their flesh,
Iudicious punishment twas this flesh
Begot those Pelicane daughters.
Edg. Pilicock sate on pelicocks hill, a lo lo
lo.
Foole. This cold night will turne vs all to fooles & madmen.
Edg. Take heede at'h foule fiend, obay thy parents, keep thy
words iustly, sweare not, commit not with mans sworne spouse,
set not thy sweet heart on proud array, Toms a cold,
Lear. What hast thou beene?
Edg. A Seruingman, proud in heart and mind, that curld my
haire, wore gloues in my cap, serued the lust of my mistris heart,
and did the act of darkenes with her, swore as many oaths as I
spake words, and broke them in the sweet face of heauen, one
that slept in the contriuing of lust, and wakt to doe it, wine loued I deeply, dice deerely, and in woman out paromord the
Turke, false of heart, light of eare,bloudie of hand, Hog in sloth,
Fox in stealth, Woolfe in greedines,, Dog in madnes, Lyon
in pray, let not the creeking of shooes, nor the ruslngs of silkes
betray thy poore heart to women, keepe thy foote out of brothell, thy hand out of placket, thy pen from lenders booke,
and defie the foule fiend, still through the hathorne blowes the
cold wind, hay no on ny, Dolphin my boy, my boy, ceaese
let him trot by.
Lear. Why thou wert better in thy graue, then to answere
with thy vncouered bodie this extremitie of the skies, is man no
more, but this consider him well, thou owest the worme no silke,
the beast no hide, the sheepe no wooll, the cat no perfume, her's
three ons are sophisticated, thou art the thing it selfe, vnaccomodated man, is no more but such a poore bare forked Animall
as thou art, off off you lendings, come on
Foole. Prithe Nunckle be content, this is a naughty night to
swim in, now a little fire in a wild field, were like an old leachers
heart, a small sparke, all the rest in bodie cold, looke here comes
a walking fire.
Enter Gloster.
Edg. This is the foule fiend fliberdegibek, hee begins at curphew, and walks till the first cocke, he giues the web,& the pin,
squemes the eye, and makes the hare lip, mildewes the white
wheate, and hurts the poore creature of earth, swithald footed
thrice the old,he met the night mare and her nine fold bid her, O
light and her troth plight and arint thee, witch arint thee.
Kent.How fares your Grace?
Lear. Whats hee?
Kent. Whose there, what i'st you seeke?
Glo. What are you there? your names?
Edg. Poore Tom, that eats the swimming frog, thetode, the
tod pole, the wall-newt, and the water, that in the furie of his
heart, when the foule fiend rages, eats cow-dung for sallets, swallowes the old ratt, and the ditch dogge,drinkes the greene mantle of the standing poole, who is whipt from tithing to tithing,
and stock-punisht and imprisoned, who hath had three sutes to
his backe, sixe shirts to his bodie, horse to ride, and weapon
to weare.
But mise and rats, and such small Deere,
Hath beene Toms foode for seuen long yeare beware my follower, peacesnulbug, peace thou fiend.
Glo. What hath your Grace no better company?
Edg. The Prince of darkenes is a Gentleman, modo he's caled
and ma hu---
Glo. Our flesh and bloud is growne so vild my Lord, that it
doth hate what gets it.
Edg. Poore Toms a cold.
Glo. Go in with me, my dutie cannot suffer to obay in all your
daughters hard commaunds, though their iniunction be to barre
my doores, and let this tyranous night take hold vpon you, yet
haue I venter'd to come seeke you out, and bring you where
both food and fire is readie.
Lear. First let me talke with this Philosopher,
What is the cause of thunder?
Kent. My good Lord take his offer, goe into the house.
Lear. Ile talke a word with this most learned Theban, what is
your studie?
Edg. How to preuent the fiend, and to kill vermine.
Lear. Let me aske you one word in priuate.
Kent. Importune him to goe my Lord, his wits begin to vnsettle.
Glo. Canst thou blame him,
His daughters seeke his death, O that good Kent,
He said it would be thus, poore banisht man,
Thou sayest the King growes mad, ile tell thee friend
I am almost mad my selfe, I had a sonne
Now out-lawed from my bloud, a sought my life
But lately, very late, I lou'd him friend
No father his sonne deerer, true to tell thee,
The greefe hath craz'd my wits,
What a nights this? I doe beseech your Grace.
Lear. O crie you mercie noble Philosopher, your company.
Edg. Toms a cold.
Glo. In fellow there, in't houell keepe thee warme.
Lear. Come lets in all.
Kent. This way my Lord.
Lear. With him I wil keep stil, with my Philosopher.
Kent. Good my Lord sooth him, let him take the fellow.
Glo. Take him you on.
Kent. Sirah come on, goe along with vs?
Lear. Come good Athenian.
Glo. No words, no words, hush.
Edg. Child Rowland, to the darke towne come,
His word was still fy fo and fum,
I smell the bloud of a British man.
Enter Gloster and Lear, Kent, Foole, and Tom.
Glo. Here is better then the open ayre, take it thankfully, I
will peece out the comfort with what addition I can, I will not be
long from you.
Kent. All the power of his wits haue giuen way to impatience,
the Gods deserue your kindnes.
Edg. Fretereto cals me, and tels me Nero is an angler in the
lake of darknes, pray innocent beware the foule fiend.
Foole. Prithe Nunckle tell me, whether a mad man be a Gentleman or a Yeoman.
Lear. A King, a King, to haue a thousand with red burning
spits come hiszing in vpon them.
Edg. The foule fiend bites my backe,
Foole. He's mad, that trusts in the tamenes of a Wolfe, a horses health, a boyes loue, or a whores oath.
Lear. It shalbe done, I wil arraigne them straight,
Come sit thou here most learned Iustice
Thou sapient sir sit here, no you shee Foxes--
Edg. Looke where he stands and glars, wanst thou eyes, at
tral madam come ore the broome Bessy to mee.
Foole. Her boat hath a leake, and she must not speake,
Why she dares not come, ouer to thee.
Edg. The foule fiend haunts poore Tom in the voyce of a nightingale,
Hoppedance cries in Toms belly for two white herring,
Croke not blacke Angell, I haue no foode for thee.
Kent. How doe you sir? stand you not so amazd, will you
lie downe and rest vpon the cushings?
Lear.Ile see their triall first, bring in their euidence, thou
robbed man of Iustice take thy place, & thou his yokefellow of
equity, bench by his side, you are ot'h commission, sit you too.
Edg. Let vs deale iustly sleepest or wakest thou iolly shepheard,
Thy sheepe bee in the corne, and for one blast of thy minikin
mouth, thy sheepe shall take no harme, Pur the cat is gray.
Lear. Arraigne her first tis Gonoril, I here take my oath before
this honorable assembly kickt the poore king her father.
Foole. Come hither mistrisse is your name Gonorill.
Lear. She cannot deny it.
Foole. Cry you mercy I tooke you for a ioyne stoole.
Lear. And heres another whose warpt lookes proclaime,
What store her hart is made an, stop her there,
Armes,armes, sword, fire, corruption in the place,
False Iusticer why hast thou let her scape.
Edg.Blesse thy fiue wits.
Kent. O pity sir, where is the patience now,
That you so oft haue boasted to retaine.
Edg. My teares begin to take his part so much,
Theile marre my counterfeiting.
Lear. The little dogs and all
Trey, Blanch, and Sweet hart,see they barke at me.
Edg.Tom will throw his head at them,auant you curs,
Be thy mouth, or blacke, or white, tooth that poysons if it bite,
Mastife, grayhound, mungril, grim-hoũd or spaniel, brach or him,
Bobtaile tike, or trundletaile, Tom will make them weep & waile,
For with throwing thus my head, dogs leape the hatch and all
are fled, loudla doodla come march to wakes, and faires, and
market townes, poore Tom thy horne is dry.
Lear. Then let them anotomize Regan, see what breeds about her
Hart is there any cause in nature that makes this hardnes,
You sir, I entertaine you for one of my hundred,
Only I do not like the fashion of your garments youle say,
They are Persian attire, but let them be chang'd.
Kent. Now good my Lord lie here awhile.
Lear.Make no noise, make no noise, draw the curtains, so, so, so,
Weele go to supper it'h morning, so, so, so,
Enter Gloster.
Glo. Come hither friend, where is the King my maister.
Kent. Here sir, but trouble him not his wits are gon.
Glo. Good friend I prithy take him in thy armes,
I haue or'e heard a plot of death vpon him,
Ther is a Litter ready lay him in't,& driue towards Douer frend,
Where thou shalt meet both welcome & protection, take vp thy master,
If thou should'st dally halfe an houre, his life with thine
And all that offer to defend him stand in assured losse,
Take vp the King and followe me, that will to some prouision
Giue thee quicke conduct.
Kent. Oppressed nature sleepes,
This rest might yet haue balmed thy broken sinewes,
Which if conuenience will not alow stand in hard cure,
Come helpe to beare thy maister, thou must not stay behind.
Glo. Come, come away. Exit.
Edg. When we our betters see bearing our woes: we scarcely
thinke, our miseries, our foes.
Who alone suffers suffers, most it'h mind,
Leauing free things and happy showes behind,
But then the mind much sufferance doth or'e scip,
When griefe hath mates, and bearing fellowship:
How light and portable my paine seemes now,
When that which makes me bend, makes the King bow.
He childed as I fathered, Tom away,
Marke the high noyses and thy selfe bewray,
When false opinion whose wrong thoughts defile thee,
In thy iust proofe repeals and reconciles thee,
What will hap more to night, safe scape the King,
Lurke, lurke.
Enter Gloster and Edmund.
Glo. When shall we come toth' top ofthat same hill?
Edg.You do climbe it vpnow, looke how we labour?
Glo. Me thinks the ground is euen.
Edg. Horrible steepe, harke doe you heare the sea?
Glo. No truly.
Edg. Why then your other sences grow imperfect
By your eyes anguish.
Glo. So may it be indeed,
Me thinks thy voyce is altered, and thou speakest
With better phrase and matter then thou didst.
Edg. Y'ar much deceaued, in nothing am I chang'd
But in my garments.
Glo.Me thinks y'ar better spoken.
Edg. Come on sir, her's the place, stand still, how feareful
And dizi tis to cast ones eyes so low
The crowes and choghes that wing the midway ayre
Shew scarce so grosse as beetles, halfe way downe
Hangs one that gathers sampire, dreadfull trade,
Me thinkes he seemes no bigger then his head,
The fishermen that walke vpon the beach
Appeare like mise,and yon tall anchoring barke
Diminisht to her cock, her cock a boui
Almost too small for sight, the murmuring surge
That on the vnnumbred idle peeble chaffes
Cannot be heard, its so hie ile looke no more,
Least my braine turne, and the deficient sight
Topple downe headlong.
Glo.Set me where you stand?
Edg. Giue me your hand, you are now within a foot
Of th'extreame verge, for all beneath the Moone
Would I not leape vpright.
Glo. Let goe my hand,
Here friend's another pursse, in it a iewell,
Well worth a poore mans taking, Fairies and Gods
Prosper it with thee, goe thou farther off,
Bid me farewell, and let me heare thee going.
Edg. Now fare you well good sir.
Glo. With all my heart.
Edg. Why I do trifell thus with his dispaire is done to cure it.
Glo. O you mightie Gods,
He kneeles.
Glo.This world I doe renounce, and in your sights
Shake patiently my great affliction off,
If I could beare it longer and not fall
To quarel with your great opposles wils
My snurff and loathed part of nature should
Burne it selfe out, if Edgar liue, O blesse,
Now fellow fare thee well.
He fals.
Edg. Gon sir, farewell, and yet I know not how conceit my
robbe the treasurie of life, when life it selfe yealds to the theft,
aliue or dead, ho you sir, heare you sir, speak,thus might he passe
indeed, yet he reuiues, what are you sir?
Glo.Away and let me die.
Edg. Hadst thou beene ought but gosmore feathers ayre,
So many fadome downe precipitating
Thou hadst shiuerd like an egge, but thou dost breath
Hast heauy substance, bleedst not, speakest, art sound,
Ten masts at each, make not the altitude,
Which thou hast perpendicularly fell,
Thy lifes a miracle,speake yet againe.
Glo. But haue I fallen or no l
Edg. From the dread sommons of this chalkie borne,
Looke vp a hight, the shrill gorg'd larke so farre
Cannotbee seene or heard, doe but looke vp?
Glo. Alack I haue no eyes
Is wretchednes depriu'd, that benefit
To end it selfe by death twas yet some comfort
When misery could beguile the tyrants rage
And frustrate his proud will.
Edg. Giue me your arme?
Vp,so, how feele you your legges, you stand.
Glo. Too well, too well.
Edg. This is aboue all strangenes
Vpon the crowne of the cliffe what thing was that
Which parted from you.
Glo. A poore vnfortunate bagger.
Edg. As I stood here below me thoughts his eyes
Were two full Moones, a had a thousand noses
Hornes, welk't and waued like the enridged sea,
It was some fiend, therefore thou happy father
Thinke that the cleerest Gods, who made their honours
Of mens impossibilities, haue preserued thee.
Glo. I doe remember now, henceforth ile beare
Affliction till it doe crie out it selfe
Enough, enough,and die that thing you speake of,
I tooke it for a man, often would it say
The fiend the fiend,he led me to that place
Edg. Bare free & patient thoughts, but who comes here
The safer sence will neare accommodate his maister thus.
Enter Lear mad.
Lear. No they cannot touch mee for coyning, I am the king himselfe.
Edg. O thou side pearcing sight.
Lear. Nature is aboue Art in that respect, ther's your presse
money, that fellow handles his bow like a crow-keeper, draw me
a clothiers yard, looke,looke a mowse, peace, peace, this tosted
cheese will do it, ther's my gauntlet, ile proue it on a gyant,bring
vp the browne-billes, O well flowne bird in the ayre, hagh, giue
the word?
Edg. Sweet Margerum.
Lear.Passe.
Glo. I know that voyce.
Lear. Ha Gonorill, ha Regan, they flattered mee like a dogge,
and tould me I had white haires in my beard, ere the black ones
were there, to say I and no,to euery thing I saide, I and no toe,
was no good diuinitie, when the raine came to wet me once, and
the winde to make mee chatter, when the thunder would not
peace at my bidding, there I found them,there I smelt them out,
goe toe, they are not men of their words, they told mee I was
euery thing, tis a lye, I am not argue-proofe.
Glo. The tricke of that voyce I doe well remember, ist not
the King?
Lear.I euer inch a King when I do stare, see how the subiect
quakes, I pardon that mans life, what was thy cause, adultery?
thou shalt not die for adulterie, no the wren goes toot, and the
smal guilded flie doe letcher in my sight, let copulation thriue,
for Glosters bastard son was kinder to his father then my daughters got tweene the lawfull sheets, toot luxurie, pell, mell, for I
lacke souldiers, behold yon simpring dame whose face between
her forkes presageth snow, that minces vertue, and do shake the
head heare of pleasures name to fichew nor the soyled horse
goes toot with a more riotous appetite, down from the wast tha're
centaures, though women all aboue, but to the girdle doe the
gods inherit, beneath is all the fiends, thers hell, thers darknesse,
ther's the sulphury pit, burning, scalding, stench, consumation,
fie, fie, fie, pah, pah, Giue mee an ounce of Ciuet, good Apothocarie,to sweeten my imagination, ther's money for thee.
Glo. O let me kisse that hand.
Lear. Here wipe it first, it smels of mortalitie.
Glo. O ruind peece of nature, this great world should so
weare out to naught, do you know me?
Lear. I remember thy eyes well inough, dost thou squiny on
me, no do thy worst blind Cupid, ile not loue, reade thou that
challenge, marke the penning oft.
Glo. Were all the letters sunnes I could not see one.
Edg. I would not take this from report, it is, and my heart
breakes at it.
Lear. Read. Glo. What! with the case of eyes
Lear. O ho, are you there with me, no eyes in your head, norno mony in your purse, your eyes are in a heauie case, your purse
in a light, yet you see how this world goes.
Glo. I see it feelingly.
Lear. What art mad, a man may see how the world goes with
no eyes, looke with thy eares, see how yon Iustice railes vpon
yon simple theefe, harke in thy eare handy, dandy, which is the
theefe, which is the Iustice, thou hast seene a farmers dogge barke
at a begger.
Glo. I sir.
Lear.And the creature runne from the cur, there thou mightst
behold the great image of authoritie, a dogge, so bade in office,
thou rascall beadle hold thy bloudy hand, why dost thou lash
that whore, strip thine owne backe, thy bloud hotly lusts to vse
her in that kind for which thou whipst her, the vsurer hangs the
cosioner, through tottered raggs,smal vices do appeare, robes &
furd-gownes hides all, get thee glasse eyes, and like a scuruy polititian seeme to see the things thou doest not, no now pull off
my bootes, harder, harder,so.
Edg. O matter and impertinencie mixt reason in madnesse.
Lear.If thou wilt weepe my fortune take my eyes, I knowe
thee well inough thy name is Gloster, thou must be patient, we
came crying hither, thou knowest the first time that we smell the
aire, we wayl and cry, I will preach to thee marke me.
Glo. Alack alack the day.
Lear.When we are borne, we crie that wee are come to this
great stage of fooles, this a good blocke. It were a delicate stratagem to shoot a troupe of horse with fell,& when I haue stole
vpon these sonne in lawes, then kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.
Enter three Gentlemen.
Gent. O here he is, lay hands vpon him sirs, your most deere
Lear.No reskue, what a prisoner, I am eene the naturall foole
of Fortune, vse me well you shall haue ransome, let mee haue a
churgion I am cut to the braines.
Gent. You shall haue any thing.
Lear. No seconds, all my selfe, why this would make a man
of salt to vse his eyes for garden waterpots, I and laying Autumsdust.
Lear.I will die brauely like a bridegroome, what? I will be
Iouiall, come, come, I am a King my maisters, know you that.
Gent. You are a royall one, and we obey you.
Lear.Then theres life int, nay and you get it you shall get it
with running.
Exit King running.
Gent. A sight most pitifull in the meanest wretch, past speaking ofin a king: thou hast one daughter who redeemes nature
from the generall curse which twaine hath brought her to.
Edg. Haile gentle sir.
Gent.Sir speed you, whats your will.
Edg. Do you heare ought of a battell toward.
Gent. Most sure and vulgar euery one here's that
That can distinguish sence.
Edg. But by your fauour how neers the other army.
Gent. Neere and on speed fort the maine descryes,
Standst on the howerly thoughts.
Edg. I thanke you sir thats all.
Gent. Though that the Queene on speciall cause is here,
Hir army is moued on.
Edg. I thanke you sir.
Exit.
Glo. You euer gentle gods take my breath from me,
Let not my worser spirit tempt me againe,
To dye before you please.
Edg. Well, pray you father.
Glo. Now good sir what are you.
Edg. A most poore man made lame by Fortunes blowes,
Who by the Art of knowne and feeling sorrowes
Am pregnant to good pitty, giue me your hand
Ile leade you to some biding.
Glo. Hartie thankes, the bornet and beniz of heauen to
saue thee.
Enter Steward.
Osw. A proclamed prize, most happy,that eyles head of thine
was framed flesh to rayse my fortunes, thou most vnhappy traytor, briefly thy selfe remember, the sword is out that must destroy thee.
Glo. Now let thy friendly hand put strength enough to't.
Osw. Wherefore bould pesant durst thou support a publisht
traytor,hence least the infection of his fortune take like hold on
thee, let goe his arme?
Edg. Chill not let goe sir without cagion.
Osw. Let goe slaue, or thou diest.
Edg. Good Gentleman goe your gate, let poore voke passe,
and chud haue beene swaggar'd out of my life, it would not haue
beene so long by a fortnight, nay come not neare the old man,
keepe out, cheuore ye, or ile trie whether your coster or my battero be the harder, ile be plaine with you.
Osw. Out dunghill.
they fight.
Edg.Chill pick your teeth sir, come, no matter for your foyns.
Osw. Slaue thou hast slaine me, villaine take my pursse,
If euer thou wilt thriue, burie my bodie,
And giue the letters which thou find'st about me
To Edmund Earle of Gloster, seeke him out vpon
The British partie, o vntimely death! death.
He dies.
Edg. I know thee well, a seruiceable villaine,
As dutious to the vices of thy mistres, as badnes would desire.
Glo. What is he dead?
Edg. Sit you down father, rest you lets see his pockets
These letters that he speakes of may be my friends,
Hee's dead, I am only sorrow he had no other deathsman
Let vs see, leaue gentle waxe, and manners blame vs not
To know our enemies minds wee'd rip their hearts,
Their papers is more lawfull.
Let your reciprocall vowes bee remembred, you haue many
opportunities to cut him off, if your will want not, time and place
will be fruitfully offered, there is nothing done, If he returne the
conquerour, then am I the prisoner, and his bed my gayle, from
the lothed warmth whereof deliuer me, and supply the place for
your labour, your wife(so I would say) your affectionate seruant
and for you her owne for Venter, Gonorill.
Edg. O Indistinguisht space of womans wit,
A plot vpon her vertuous husbands life,
And the exchange my brother heere in the sands,
Thee ile rake vp, the post vnsanctified
Of murtherous leachers, and in the mature time,
With this vngratious paper strike the sight
Of the death practis'd Duke, for him tis well,
That of thy death and businesse I can tell.
Glo.The King is mad, how stiffe is my vild sence,
That I stand vp and haue ingenious feeling
Of my huge sorowes, better I were distract,
So should my thoughts be fenced from my griefes,
And woes by wrong imaginations loose
The knowledge of themselues.
A drum a farre off.
Edg. Giue me your hand far off me thinks I heare the beatendrum,
Come father ile bestow you with a friend.
Exit.