уильям шекспир - King Lear

myself. There’s mine: beg another of thy daughters.

LEAR Take heed, sirrah: the whip.

FOOL Truth’s a dog must to kennel: he must be whipped

out when the Lady Brach 106may stand by th’fire and stink.

LEAR A pestilent gall 107to me!

FOOL Sirrah, I’ll teach thee a speech.

LEAR Do.

FOOL Mark 110it, nuncle:

Have more than thou showest,

Speak less than thou knowest,

Lend less than thou owest 113,

Ride more than thou goest 114,

Learn more than thou trowest 115,

Set less than thou throwest 116;

Leave thy drink and thy whore,

And keep in-a-door,

And thou shalt have more 119

Than two tens to a score 120.

KENT This is nothing, fool.

To Lear

FOOL Then ’tis like the breath of an unfee’d 122

lawyer: you gave me nothing for’t.— Can you make no use 123

of nothing, nuncle?

LEAR Why, no, boy: nothing can be made out of nothing.

To Kent

FOOL Prithee tell him, so much the rent of his land

comes to: he will not believe a fool.

LEAR A bitter fool!

FOOL Dost thou know the difference, my boy, between a

bitter fool and a sweet one?

LEAR No, lad, teach me.

FOOL Nuncle, give me an egg and I’ll give thee two

crowns.

LEAR What two crowns 134shall they be?

FOOL Why, after I have cut the egg i’th’middle and eat up

the meat, the two crowns of the egg. When thou clovest 136thy

crowns i’th’middle and gav’st away both parts, thou bor’st

thine ass on thy back o’er the dirt: thou hadst little wit in thy

bald crown when thou gav’st thy golden one away. If I speak

like myself 140in this, let him be whipped that first finds it so:

Sings

Fools had ne’er less grace 141in a year,

For wise men are grown foppish 142

And know not how their wits to wear,

Their manners are so apish 144.

LEAR When were you wont to be so full of songs, sirrah?

FOOL I have used it 146, nuncle, e’er since thou mad’st thy

daughters thy mothers: for when thou gav’st them the rod 147

and put’st down thine own breeches,

Sings

Then they for sudden joy did weep,

And I for sorrow sung,

That such a king should play bo-peep 151

And go the fool among 152.

Prithee, nuncle, keep a schoolmaster that can teach thy fool

to lie: I would fain 154learn to lie.

LEAR An 155you lie, sirrah, we’ll have you whipped.

FOOL I marvel 156what kin thou and thy daughters are:

they’ll have me whipped for speaking true, thou’lt have me

whipped for lying, and sometimes I am whipped for holding

my peace. I had rather be any kind o’thing than a fool. And

yet I would not be thee, nuncle: thou hast pared 160thy wit

o’both sides and left nothing i’th’middle. Here comes one

o’the parings.

Enter Goneril

LEAR How now, daughter? What makes that frontlet 163on?

You are too much of late i’th’frown.

FOOL Thou wast a pretty fellow when thou hadst no need

to care for her frowning: now thou art an O without a figure 166.

I am better than thou art now: I am a fool, thou art

To Goneril

nothing.— Yes, forsooth 168, I will hold my tongue, so

your face bids me, though you say nothing.

Sings

Mum, mum,

He that keeps nor crust nor crumb 171,

Weary of all, shall want some 172.

Points to Lear

That’s a shelled peascod 173.

GONERIL Not only, sir, this your all-licensed 174fool,

But other of your insolent retinue

Do hourly carp 176and quarrel, breaking forth

In rank 177and not-to-be endured riots, sir.

I had thought by making this well known unto you

To have found a safe 179redress, but now grow fearful,

By what yourself too late 180have spoke and done.

That you protect this course and put it on 181

By your allowance, which if you should, the fault

Would not scape censure, nor the redresses sleep 183

Which in the tender of a wholesome weal 184

Might in their working do you that offence,

Which else were shame, that then necessity

Will call discreet proceeding.

FOOL For you know, nuncle,

The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo 189so long,

That it’s had it head bit off by it young 190.

So, out went the candle, and we were left darkling 191.

To Goneril

LEAR Are you our daughter?

GONERIL I would you would make use of your good wisdom —

Whereof I know you are fraught 194— and put away

These dispositions 195which of late transport you

From what you rightly are.

FOOL May not an ass know when the cart draws the horse?

Whoop, Jug 198! I love thee.

LEAR Does any here know me? This is not Lear.

Does Lear walk thus? Speak thus? Where are his eyes?

Either his notion weakens, his discernings 201

Are lethargied — Ha! Waking? 202’Tis not so?

Who is it that can tell me who I am?

FOOL Lear’s shadow 204.

LEAR Your name, fair gentlewoman?

GONERIL This admiration, sir, is much o’th’savour 206

Of other your new pranks. I do beseech you

To understand my purposes aright:

As you are old and reverend, should 209be wise.

Here do you keep a hundred knights and squires,

Men so disordered, so debauched and bold 211,

That this our court, infected with their manners,

Shows like a riotous inn: epicurism 213and lust

Makes it more like a tavern or a brothel

Than a graced palace. The shame itself doth speak 215

For instant remedy. Be then desired 216

By her, that else will take the thing she begs,

A little to disquantity your train 218,

And the remainders, that shall still depend 219

To be such men as may besort 220your age,

Which know themselves and you 221.

LEAR Darkness and devils!—

To a Servant

Saddle my horses, call my train together.—

To Goneril

Degenerate 224bastard! I’ll not trouble thee.

Yet have I left a daughter.

GONERIL You strike my people, and your disordered rabble

Make servants of their betters.

Enter Albany

To Albany

LEAR Woe that 228too late repents!— Is it your will?

To a Servant

Speak, sir.— Prepare my horses.

Ingratitude, thou marble-hearted fiend,

More hideous when thou show’st thee in a child

Than the sea-monster!

ALBANY Pray, sir, be patient.

To Goneril

LEAR Detested kite 234, thou liest.

My train are men of choice and rarest parts 235,

That all particulars of duty know

And in the most exact regard support 237

The worships of their name. O, most small fault,

How ugly didst thou in Cordelia show!

Which, like an engine 240, wrenched my frame of nature

From the fixed place, drew from my heart all love,

And added to the gall 242. O Lear, Lear, Lear!

Hits his head

Beat at this gate, that let thy folly in,

And thy dear judgement out!— Go, go, my people.

ALBANY My lord, I am guiltless as I am ignorant

Of what hath moved 246you.

LEAR It may be so, my lord.—

Hear, nature, hear, dear goddess, hear!

Suspend thy purpose if thou didst intend

To make this creature fruitful:

Into her womb convey sterility,

Dry up in her the organs of increase 252,

And from her derogate 253body never spring

A babe to honour her: if she must teem 254,

Create her child of spleen 255, that it may live

And be a thwart disnatured 256torment to her:

Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth,