Lear. Deny to speak with me? They are sick? they are weary?[3375]
They have travell'd all the night? Mere fetches;[3376][3377] 85
The images of revolt and flying off.[3377][3378]
Fetch me a better answer.[3379]
Glou. My dear lord,[3380]
You know the fiery quality of the duke;[3380]
How unremoveable and fix'd he is[3380]
In his own course.[3380] 90
Lear. Vengeance! plague! death! confusion![3380][3381]
Fiery? what quality? Why, Gloucester, Gloucester,[3380][3382]
I'ld speak with the Duke of Cornwall and his wife.[3380]
Glou. Well, my good lord, I have inform'd them so.[3383]
Lear. Inform'd them! Dost thou understand me, man?[3383] 95
Glou. Ay, my good lord.
Lear. The king would speak with Cornwall; the dear father[3384]
Would with his daughter speak, commands her service:[3385]
Are they inform'd of this? My breath and blood![3386]
'Fiery'? 'the fiery duke'? Tell the hot duke that—[3387] 100
No, but not yet: may be he is not well:[3388]
Infirmity doth still neglect all office[3389]
Whereto our health is bound; we are not ourselves[3389][3390]
When nature being oppress'd commands the mind[3389][3391]
To suffer with the body: I'll forbear;[3389] 105
And am fall'n out with my more headier will,[3392]
To take the indisposed and sickly fit[3393]
For the sound man. [Looking on Kent] Death on my state! wherefore[3393][3394]
Should he sit here? This act persuades me[3393][3395]
That this remotion of the duke and her[3393] 110
Is practice only. Give me my servant forth.[3396]
Go tell the duke and's wife I'ld speak with them,[3397]
Now, presently: bid them come forth and hear me,
Or at their chamber-door I'll beat the drum
Till it cry sleep to death.[3398] 115
Glou. I would have all well betwixt you. [Exit.[3399]
Lear. O me, my heart, my rising heart! But down![3400]
Fool. Cry to it, nuncle, as the cockney did to the eels[3401]
when she put 'em i' the paste alive; she knapped 'em o' the[3402]
coxcombs with a stick, and cried 'Down, wantons, down!' 120
'Twas her brother that, in pure kindness to his horse, buttered[3403]
his hay.
Re-enter Gloucester, with Cornwall, Regan, and Servants.[3404]
Lear. Good morrow to you both.
Corn. Hail to your grace!
[Kent is set at liberty.[3405]
Reg. I am glad to see your highness.
Lear. Regan, I think you are; I know what reason[3406] 125
I have to think so: if thou shouldst not be glad,[3407]
I would divorce me from thy mother's tomb,[3408]
Sepulchring an adultress. [To Kent] O, are you free?[3409]
Some other time for that. Beloved Regan,
Thy sister's naught: O Regan, she hath tied[3410][3411] 130
Sharp-tooth'd unkindness, like a vulture, here:[3410]
[Points to his heart.[3412]
I can scarce speak to thee; thou'lt not believe[3413]
With how depraved a quality—O Regan![3414]
Reg. I pray you, sir, take patience: I have hope[3415]
You less know how to value her desert 135
Than she to scant her duty.[3416]
Reg. I cannot think my sister in the least[3417]
Would fail her obligation: if, sir, perchance[3417][3419]
She have restrain'd the riots of your followers,[3417]
'Tis on such ground and to such wholesome end[3417] 140
As clears her from all blame.[3417]
Lear. My curses on her!
Reg. O, sir, you are old;
Nature in you stands on the very verge[3420][3421]
Of her confine: you should be ruled and led[3420][3422]
By some discretion that discerns your state[3420] 145
Better than you yourself. Therefore I pray you[3420][3423]
That to our sister you do make return;[3420]
Say you have wrong'd her, sir.
Lear. Ask her forgiveness?[3424]
Do you but mark how this becomes the house:[3425]
[Kneeling] 'Dear daughter, I confess that I am old;[3426] 150
Age is unnecessary: on my knees I beg
That you'll vouchsafe me raiment, bed and food.'
Reg. Good sir, no more; these are unsightly tricks:
Return you to my sister.
Lear. [Rising] Never, Regan:[3427]
She hath abated me of half my train; 155
Look'd black upon me; struck me with her tongue,[3428]
Most serpent-like, upon the very heart:
All the stored vengeances of heaven fall[3429]
On her ingrateful top! Strike her young bones,[3429][3430]
You taking airs, with lameness.[3429]
Corn. Fie, sir, fie![3431] 160
Lear. You nimble lightnings, dart your blinding flames[3432]
Into her scornful eyes. Infect her beauty,
You fen-suck'd fogs, drawn by the powerful sun[3433]
To fall and blast her pride.[3433][3434]
Reg. O the blest gods! so will you wish on me,[3435] 165
When the rash mood is on.[3435][3436]
Lear. No, Regan, thou shalt never have my curse:
Thy tender-hefted nature shall not give[3437][3438]
Thee o'er to harshness: her eyes are fierce, but thine[3438][3439]
Do comfort and not burn. 'Tis not in thee[3438] 170
To grudge my pleasures, to cut off my train,[3438]
To bandy hasty words, to scant my sizes,
And in conclusion to oppose the bolt
Against my coming in: thou better know'st[3440]
The offices of nature, bond of childhood, 175
Effects of courtesy, dues of gratitude;[3441]
Thy half o' the kingdom hast thou not forgot,[3442]
Wherein I thee endow'd.
Reg. Good sir, to the purpose.[3443]
Lear. Who put my man i' the stocks? [Tucket within.[3444]
Corn. What trumpet's that?
Reg. I know't; my sister's: this approves her letter,[3445] 180
That she would soon be here.
Enter Oswald.[3446]
Is your lady come?
Lear. This is a slave whose easy-borrow'd pride[3447]
Dwells in the fickle grace of her he follows.[3448]
Out, varlet, from my sight!
Corn. What means your grace?
Lear. Who stock'd my servant? Regan, I have good hope[3449] 185
Thou didst not know on't. Who comes here?
Enter Goneril.[3450]
O heavens,
If you do love old men, if your sweet sway[3451][3452]
Allow obedience, if yourselves are old,[3451][3453]
Make it your cause; send down, and take my part![3451]
[To Gon.] Art not ashamed to look upon this beard?[3454] 190
O Regan, wilt thou take her by the hand?[3455]
Gon. Why not by the hand, sir? How have I offended?
All's not offence that indiscretion finds[3456]
And dotage terms so.
Lear. O sides, you are too tough;
Will you yet hold? How came my man i' the stocks?[3457] 195
Corn. I set him there, sir: but his own disorders[3458]
Deserved much less advancement.[3459]
Lear. You! did you?
Reg. I pray you, father, being weak, seem so.[3460]
If, till the expiration of your month,[3461]
You will return and sojourn with my sister, 200
Dismissing half your train, come then to me:
I am now from home and out of that provision[3462]
Which shall be needful for your entertainment.
Lear. Return to her, and fifty men dismiss'd?
No, rather I abjure all roofs, and choose 205
To wage against the enmity o' the air,[3463][3464]
To be a comrade with the wolf and owl,—[3463][3465]
Necessity's sharp pinch! Return with her?
Why, the hot-blooded France, that dowerless took[3466][3467]
Our youngest born, I could as well be brought[3467] 210
To knee his throne, and, squire-like, pension beg[3468]
To keep base life afoot. Return with her?
Persuade me rather to be slave and sumpter
To this detested groom. [Pointing at Oswald.[3469]
Gon. At your choice, sir.
Lear. I prithee, daughter, do not make me mad:[3470] 215
I will not trouble thee, my child; farewell:
We'll no more meet, no more see one another:
But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter;
Or rather a disease that's in my flesh,[3471]
Which I must needs call mine: thou art a boil,[3472] 220
A plague-sore, an embossed carbuncle,[3473][3474]
In my corrupted blood. But I'll not chide thee;[3473]
Let shame come when it will, I do not call it:[3475]
I do not bid the thunder-bearer shoot,[3476]
Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove:[3477] 225
Mend when thou canst; be better at thy leisure:
I can be patient; I can stay with Regan,
I and my hundred knights.
Reg. Not altogether so:[3478][3479]
I look'd not for you yet, nor am provided[3478][3480]
For your fit welcome. Give ear, sir, to my sister;[3478][3481] 230
For those that mingle reason with your passion[3478][3482]
Must be content to think you old, and so—[3483]
But she knows what she does.
Lear. Is this well spoken?[3484]
Reg. I dare avouch it, sir: what, fifty followers?[3485]
Is it not well? What should you need of more? 235
Yea, or so many, sith that both charge and danger[3486]
Speak 'gainst so great a number? How in one house[3487]
Should many people under two commands
Hold amity? 'Tis hard, almost impossible.[3488]
Gon. Why might not you, my lord, receive attendance 240
From those that she calls servants or from mine?
Reg. Why not, my lord? If then they chanced to slack you,[3489]
We could control them. If you will come to me,[3490]
For now I spy a danger, I entreat you[3491]
To bring but five and twenty: to no more[3492] 245
Will I give place or notice.
Reg. And in good time you gave it.
Lear. Made you my guardians, my depositaries,
But kept a reservation to be follow'd[3494]
With such a number. What, must I come to you[3495] 250
With five and twenty, Regan? said you so?[3496]
Reg. And speak't again, my lord; no more with me.[3497]
Lear. Those wicked creatures yet do look well-favour'd,[3498][3499]
When others are more wicked; not being the worst[3498][3500]
Stands in some rank of praise. [To Gon.] I'll go with thee:[3501] 255
Thy fifty yet doth double five and twenty,
And thou art twice her love.[3502]
Gon. Hear me, my lord:
What need you five and twenty, ten, or five,
To follow in a house where twice so many
Have a command to tend you?
Lear. O, reason not the need: our basest beggars[3504]
Are in the poorest thing superfluous:
Allow not nature more than nature needs,
Man's life's as cheap as beast's: thou art a lady;[3505]
If only to go warm were gorgeous, 265
Why, nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear'st,[3506]
Which scarcely keeps thee warm. But for true need,—[3507]
You heavens, give me that patience, patience I need![3508]
You see me here, you gods, a poor old man,[3509]
As full of grief as age; wretched in both: 270
If it be you that stirs these daughters' hearts[3510]
Against their father, fool me not so much[3511]
To bear it tamely; touch me with noble anger,[3512]
And let not women's weapons, water-drops,[3513]
Stain my man's cheeks! No, you unnatural hags, 275
I will have such revenges on you both[3514]
That all the world shall—I will do such things,—[3515]
What they are, yet I know not, but they shall be
The terrors of the earth. You think I'll weep;[3516]
No, I'll not weep:[3517] 280
I have full cause of weeping; but this heart[3517][3518]
Shall break into a hundred thousand flaws,[3517][3519]
Or ere I'll weep. O fool, I shall go mad!
[Exeunt Lear, Gloucester, Kent, and Fool.[3520]