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Kent. With you, goodman boy, an you please: come,[3192]
I'll flesh you; come on, young master.[3193]
I'll flesh you; come on, young master.[3193]
Glou. Weapons! arms! What's the matter here?[3194]
Corn. Keep peace, upon your lives;[3195]
He dies that strikes again. What is the matter?[3195][3196] 45
He dies that strikes again. What is the matter?[3195][3196] 45
Reg. The messengers from our sister and the king.[3197]
Corn. What is your difference? speak.[3198]
Osw. I am scarce in breath, my lord.
Kent. No marvel, you have so bestirred your valour.[3199]
You cowardly rascal, nature disclaims in thee: a tailor made[3199][3200] 50
thee.[3199]
You cowardly rascal, nature disclaims in thee: a tailor made[3199][3200] 50
thee.[3199]
Kent. Ay, a tailor, sir: a stone-cutter or a painter[3202]
could not have made him so ill, though he had been but[3203]
two hours at the trade.[3204] 55
could not have made him so ill, though he had been but[3203]
two hours at the trade.[3204] 55
Corn. Speak yet, how grew your quarrel?[3205]
Kent. Thou whoreson zed! thou unnecessary letter![3208]
My lord, if you will give me leave, I will tread this unbolted[3209] 60
villain into mortar, and daub the walls of a jakes[3210]
with him. Spare my gray beard, you wagtail?[3211]
My lord, if you will give me leave, I will tread this unbolted[3209] 60
villain into mortar, and daub the walls of a jakes[3210]
with him. Spare my gray beard, you wagtail?[3211]
Kent. Yes, sir; but anger hath a privilege.[3215] 65
Corn. Why art thou angry?
Kent. That such a slave as this should wear a sword,
Who wears no honesty. Such smiling rogues as these,[3216]
Like rats, oft bite the holy cords a-twain[3217]
Which are too intrinse to unloose; smooth every passion[3218] 70
That in the natures of their lords rebel;[3219]
Bring oil to fire, snow to their colder moods;[3220]
Renege, affirm, and turn their halcyon beaks[3221]
With every gale and vary of their masters,[3222]
Knowing nought, like dogs, but following.[3223][3224] 75
A plague upon your epileptic visage![3223]
Smile you my speeches, as I were a fool?[3223][3225]
Goose, if I had you upon Sarum plain,[3226]
I'ld drive ye cackling home to Camelot.[3227]
Who wears no honesty. Such smiling rogues as these,[3216]
Like rats, oft bite the holy cords a-twain[3217]
Which are too intrinse to unloose; smooth every passion[3218] 70
That in the natures of their lords rebel;[3219]
Bring oil to fire, snow to their colder moods;[3220]
Renege, affirm, and turn their halcyon beaks[3221]
With every gale and vary of their masters,[3222]
Knowing nought, like dogs, but following.[3223][3224] 75
A plague upon your epileptic visage![3223]
Smile you my speeches, as I were a fool?[3223][3225]
Goose, if I had you upon Sarum plain,[3226]
I'ld drive ye cackling home to Camelot.[3227]
Corn. What, art thou mad, old fellow?[3228] 80
Kent. No contraries hold more antipathy
Than I and such a knave.
Than I and such a knave.
Corn. Why dost thou call him knave? What is his fault?[3230]
Kent. His countenance likes me not. 85
Corn. No more perchance does mine, nor his, nor hers.[3231]
Kent. Sir, 'tis my occupation to be plain:
I have seen better faces in my time
Than stands on any shoulders that I see[3232]
Before me at this instant.
I have seen better faces in my time
Than stands on any shoulders that I see[3232]
Before me at this instant.
Corn. This is some fellow,[3233][3234] 90
Who, having been praised for bluntness, doth affect[3233]
A saucy roughness, and constrains the garb[3233][3235]
Quite from his nature: he cannot flatter, he,—[3233][3236]
An honest mind and plain,—he must speak truth![3233][3237]
An they will take it, so; if not, he's plain.[3233][3238] 95
These kind of knaves I know, which in this plainness[3233][3239]
Harbour more craft and more corrupter ends[3233][3240]
Than twenty silly ducking observants[3233][3241]
That stretch their duties nicely.[3233]
Who, having been praised for bluntness, doth affect[3233]
A saucy roughness, and constrains the garb[3233][3235]
Quite from his nature: he cannot flatter, he,—[3233][3236]
An honest mind and plain,—he must speak truth![3233][3237]
An they will take it, so; if not, he's plain.[3233][3238] 95
These kind of knaves I know, which in this plainness[3233][3239]
Harbour more craft and more corrupter ends[3233][3240]
Than twenty silly ducking observants[3233][3241]
That stretch their duties nicely.[3233]
Kent. Sir, in good faith, in sincere verity,[3242] 100
Under the allowance of your great aspect,[3243]
Whose influence, like the wreath of radiant fire
On flickering Phœbus' front,—
Under the allowance of your great aspect,[3243]
Whose influence, like the wreath of radiant fire
On flickering Phœbus' front,—
Corn. What mean'st by this?[3244]
Kent. To go out of my dialect, which you discommend[3245]
so much. I know, sir, I am no flatterer: he that beguiled[3246] 105
you in a plain accent was a plain knave; which, for my
part, I will not be, though I should win your displeasure to[3247]
entreat me to't.[3247][3248]
so much. I know, sir, I am no flatterer: he that beguiled[3246] 105
you in a plain accent was a plain knave; which, for my
part, I will not be, though I should win your displeasure to[3247]
entreat me to't.[3247][3248]
Corn. What was the offence you gave him?[3249]
Osw. I never gave him any:[3250][3251] 110
It pleased the king his master very late[3251][3252]
To strike at me, upon his misconstruction;[3251][3253]
When he, conjunct, and flattering his displeasure,[3254]
Tripp'd me behind; being down, insulted, rail'd,
And put upon him such a deal of man,[3255] 115
That worthied him, got praises of the king[3255]
For him attempting who was self-subdued;
And in the fleshment of this dread exploit[3256]
Drew on me here again.[3257]
It pleased the king his master very late[3251][3252]
To strike at me, upon his misconstruction;[3251][3253]
When he, conjunct, and flattering his displeasure,[3254]
Tripp'd me behind; being down, insulted, rail'd,
And put upon him such a deal of man,[3255] 115
That worthied him, got praises of the king[3255]
For him attempting who was self-subdued;
And in the fleshment of this dread exploit[3256]
Drew on me here again.[3257]
Corn. Fetch forth the stocks! 120
You stubborn ancient knave, you reverend braggart,[3260]
We'll teach you—[3261]
You stubborn ancient knave, you reverend braggart,[3260]
We'll teach you—[3261]
Kent. Sir, I am too old to learn:[3262]
Call not your stocks for me: I serve the king,[3262]
On whose employment I was sent to you:[3262][3263]
You shall do small respect, show too bold malice[3264] 125
Against the grace and person of my master,
Stocking his messenger.[3265]
Call not your stocks for me: I serve the king,[3262]
On whose employment I was sent to you:[3262][3263]
You shall do small respect, show too bold malice[3264] 125
Against the grace and person of my master,
Stocking his messenger.[3265]
Corn. Fetch forth the stocks! As I have life and honour,[3266][3267]
There shall he sit till noon.[3266]
There shall he sit till noon.[3266]
Reg. Till noon! till night, my lord, and all night too.[3268] 130
Reg. Sir, being his knave, I will.
Corn. This is a fellow of the self-same colour[3271]
Our sister speaks of. Come, bring away the stocks!
Our sister speaks of. Come, bring away the stocks!
[Stocks brought out.[3272]
Glou. Let me beseech your grace not to do so: 135
His fault is much, and the good king his master[3273]
Will check him for't: your purposed low correction[3273]
Is such as basest and contemned'st wretches[3273][3274]
For pilferings and most common trespasses[3273]
Are punish'd with: the king must take it ill,[3273] 140
That he, so slightly valued in his messenger,[3273][3275]
Should have him thus restrain'd.[3273][3275]
His fault is much, and the good king his master[3273]
Will check him for't: your purposed low correction[3273]
Is such as basest and contemned'st wretches[3273][3274]
For pilferings and most common trespasses[3273]
Are punish'd with: the king must take it ill,[3273] 140
That he, so slightly valued in his messenger,[3273][3275]
Should have him thus restrain'd.[3273][3275]
Corn. I'll answer that.
[Kent is put in the stocks.[3279]
Come, my good lord, away. [Exeunt all but Gloucester and Kent.[3280]
Glou. I am sorry for thee, friend; 'tis the duke's pleasure,[3281]
Whose disposition, all the world well knows,
Will not be rubb'd nor stopp'd: I'll entreat for thee.[3282]
Whose disposition, all the world well knows,
Will not be rubb'd nor stopp'd: I'll entreat for thee.[3282]
Kent. Pray, do not, sir: I have watch'd and travell'd hard;[3283] 150
Some time I shall sleep out, the rest I'll whistle.[3284]
A good man's fortune may grow out at heels:
Give you good morrow!
Some time I shall sleep out, the rest I'll whistle.[3284]
A good man's fortune may grow out at heels:
Give you good morrow!
Glou. The duke's to blame in this; 'twill be ill taken.
[Exit.[3285]
Kent. Good king, that must approve the common saw, 155
Thou out of heaven's benediction comest[3286]
To the warm sun!
Approach, thou beacon to this under globe,[3287][3288]
That by thy comfortable beams I may[3287]
Peruse this letter! Nothing almost sees miracles[3287][3289] 160
But misery: I know 'tis from Cordelia,[3287][3290]
Who hath most fortunately been inform'd[3287][3291]
Of my obscured course; and shall find time[3287][3292][3293]
From this enormous state, seeking to give[3287][3293][3294]
Losses their remedies. All weary and o'er-watch'd,[3287][3295] 165
Take vantage, heavy eyes, not to behold[3296]
This shameful lodging.[3297]
Fortune, good night: smile once more; turn thy wheel![3297]
Thou out of heaven's benediction comest[3286]
To the warm sun!
Approach, thou beacon to this under globe,[3287][3288]
That by thy comfortable beams I may[3287]
Peruse this letter! Nothing almost sees miracles[3287][3289] 160
But misery: I know 'tis from Cordelia,[3287][3290]
Who hath most fortunately been inform'd[3287][3291]
Of my obscured course; and shall find time[3287][3292][3293]
From this enormous state, seeking to give[3287][3293][3294]
Losses their remedies. All weary and o'er-watch'd,[3287][3295] 165
Take vantage, heavy eyes, not to behold[3296]
This shameful lodging.[3297]
Fortune, good night: smile once more; turn thy wheel![3297]
[Sleeps.[3298]
Scene III. A wood.
Enter Edgar.[3299]
Edg. I heard myself proclaim'd;[3300]
And by the happy hollow of a tree
Escaped the hunt. No port is free; no place,
That guard and most unusual vigilance[3301]
Does not attend my taking. Whiles I may 'scape[3302] 5
I will preserve myself: and am bethought
To take the basest and most poorest shape[3303]
That ever penury in contempt of man
Brought near to beast: my face I'll grime with filth,
Blanket my loins, elf all my hair in knots,[3304] 10
And with presented nakedness out-face
The winds and persecutions of the sky.[3305]
The country gives me proof and precedent[3306]
Of Bedlam beggars, who with roaring voices
Strike in their numb'd and mortified bare arms[3307] 15
Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of rosemary;[3308]
And with this horrible object, from low farms,[3309]
Poor pelting villages, sheep-cotes and mills,[3310]
Sometime with lunatic bans, sometime with prayers,[3311]
Enforce their charity. Poor Turlygod! poor Tom![3312] 20
That's something yet: Edgar I nothing am. [Exit.
And by the happy hollow of a tree
Escaped the hunt. No port is free; no place,
That guard and most unusual vigilance[3301]
Does not attend my taking. Whiles I may 'scape[3302] 5
I will preserve myself: and am bethought
To take the basest and most poorest shape[3303]
That ever penury in contempt of man
Brought near to beast: my face I'll grime with filth,
Blanket my loins, elf all my hair in knots,[3304] 10
And with presented nakedness out-face
The winds and persecutions of the sky.[3305]
The country gives me proof and precedent[3306]
Of Bedlam beggars, who with roaring voices
Strike in their numb'd and mortified bare arms[3307] 15
Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of rosemary;[3308]
And with this horrible object, from low farms,[3309]
Poor pelting villages, sheep-cotes and mills,[3310]
Sometime with lunatic bans, sometime with prayers,[3311]
Enforce their charity. Poor Turlygod! poor Tom![3312] 20
That's something yet: Edgar I nothing am. [Exit.
Scene IV. Before Gloucester's castle. Kent in the stocks.
Enter Lear, Fool, and Gentleman.[3313]
Lear. 'Tis strange that they should so depart from home,[3314]
And not send back my messenger.[3315]
And not send back my messenger.[3315]
Gent. As I learn'd,[3316]
The night before there was no purpose in them[3316][3317]
Of this remove.[3316][3318]
The night before there was no purpose in them[3316][3317]
Of this remove.[3316][3318]
Kent. Hail to thee, noble master!
Kent. No, my lord.[3321]
Fool. Ha, ha! he wears cruel garters. Horses are tied[3322][3323]
by the heads, dogs and bears by the neck, monkeys by the[3322][3324]
loins, and men by the legs: when a man's over-lusty at[3322][3325]
legs, then he wears wooden nether-stocks.[3322][3326] 10
by the heads, dogs and bears by the neck, monkeys by the[3322][3324]
loins, and men by the legs: when a man's over-lusty at[3322][3325]
legs, then he wears wooden nether-stocks.[3322][3326] 10
Lear. No.
Kent. Yes. 15
Lear. No, I say.
Kent. I say, yea.[3329]
Lear. No, no, they would not.[3330]
Kent. Yes, they have.[3330]
Lear. By Jupiter, I swear, no. 20
Kent. By Juno, I swear, ay.[3331]
Lear. They durst not do't;[3332]
They could not, would not do't; 'tis worse than murder,[3332][3333]
To do upon respect such violent outrage:
Resolve me with all modest haste which way
Thou mightst deserve, or they impose, this usage,[3334] 25
Coming from us.
They could not, would not do't; 'tis worse than murder,[3332][3333]
To do upon respect such violent outrage:
Resolve me with all modest haste which way
Thou mightst deserve, or they impose, this usage,[3334] 25
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 show'd[3335]
My duty kneeling, came there a reeking post,[3336]
Stew'd in his haste, half breathless, panting forth[3337] 30
From Goneril his mistress salutations;[3338]
Deliver'd letters, spite of intermission,[3339]
Which presently they read: on whose contents[3340]
They summon'd up their meiny, straight took horse;[3341]
Commanded me to follow and attend 35
The leisure of their answer; gave me cold looks:
And meeting here the other messenger,[3342]
Whose welcome, I perceived, had poison'd mine—
Being the very fellow that of late[3343]
Display'd so saucily against your highness— 40
Having more man than wit about me, drew:[3344]
He raised the house with loud and coward cries.
Your son and daughter found this trespass worth
The shame which here it suffers.[3345]
I did commend your highness' letters to them,
Ere I was risen from the place that show'd[3335]
My duty kneeling, came there a reeking post,[3336]
Stew'd in his haste, half breathless, panting forth[3337] 30
From Goneril his mistress salutations;[3338]
Deliver'd letters, spite of intermission,[3339]
Which presently they read: on whose contents[3340]
They summon'd up their meiny, straight took horse;[3341]
Commanded me to follow and attend 35
The leisure of their answer; gave me cold looks:
And meeting here the other messenger,[3342]
Whose welcome, I perceived, had poison'd mine—
Being the very fellow that of late[3343]
Display'd so saucily against your highness— 40
Having more man than wit about me, drew:[3344]
He raised the house with loud and coward cries.
Your son and daughter found this trespass worth
The shame which here it suffers.[3345]
Fool. Winter's not gone yet, if the wild geese fly that way.[3346][3347] 45
Fathers that wear rags[3346][3348]
Do make their children blind;[3346][3348]
But fathers that bear bags[3346][3348]
Shall see their children kind.[3346][3348]
Fortune, that arrant whore,[3346][3348] 50
Ne'er turns the key to the poor.[3346][3348]
But, for all this, thou shalt have as many dolours for thy[3346][3349][3350]
daughters as thou canst tell in a year.[3346][3349]
Fathers that wear rags[3346][3348]
Do make their children blind;[3346][3348]
But fathers that bear bags[3346][3348]
Shall see their children kind.[3346][3348]
Fortune, that arrant whore,[3346][3348] 50
Ne'er turns the key to the poor.[3346][3348]
But, for all this, thou shalt have as many dolours for thy[3346][3349][3350]
daughters as thou canst tell in a year.[3346][3349]
Lear. O, how this mother swells up toward my heart!
Hysterica passio, down, thou climbing sorrow,[3351] 55
Thy element's below! Where is this daughter?
Hysterica passio, down, thou climbing sorrow,[3351] 55
Thy element's below! Where is this daughter?
Gent. Made you no more offence but what you speak of?[3355]
Fool. An thou hadst been set i' the stocks for that[3359][3360]
question, thou hadst well deserved it.[3361]
question, thou hadst well deserved it.[3361]
Kent. Why, fool?
Fool. We'll set thee to school to an ant, to teach thee 65
there's no labouring i' the winter. All that follow their[3360][3362]
noses are led by their eyes but blind men; and there's not[3362]
a nose among twenty but can smell him that's stinking. Let[3363]
go thy hold when a great wheel runs down a hill, lest it
break thy neck with following it; but the great one that[3364] 70
goes up the hill, let him draw thee after. When a wise man[3365]
gives thee better counsel, give me mine again: I would have
none but knaves follow it, since a fool gives it.
That sir which serves and seeks for gain,[3366][3367]
And follows but for form,[3367] 75
Will pack when it begins to rain,[3367][3368]
And leave thee in the storm.[3367][3369]
But I will tarry; the fool will stay,[3367][3370]
And let the wise man fly:[3367][3371]
The knave turns fool that runs away;[3367][3372] 80
The fool no knave, perdy.[3367][3372]
there's no labouring i' the winter. All that follow their[3360][3362]
noses are led by their eyes but blind men; and there's not[3362]
a nose among twenty but can smell him that's stinking. Let[3363]
go thy hold when a great wheel runs down a hill, lest it
break thy neck with following it; but the great one that[3364] 70
goes up the hill, let him draw thee after. When a wise man[3365]
gives thee better counsel, give me mine again: I would have
none but knaves follow it, since a fool gives it.
That sir which serves and seeks for gain,[3366][3367]
And follows but for form,[3367] 75
Will pack when it begins to rain,[3367][3368]
And leave thee in the storm.[3367][3369]
But I will tarry; the fool will stay,[3367][3370]
And let the wise man fly:[3367][3371]
The knave turns fool that runs away;[3367][3372] 80
The fool no knave, perdy.[3367][3372]
Kent. Where learned you this, fool?
Re-enter Lear, with Gloucester.[3374]