уильям шекспир - King Lear

With cadent tears fret 258channels in her cheeks,

Turn all her mother’s pains and benefits 259

To laughter and contempt, that she may feel

How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is

To have a thankless child!— Away, away!

Exit

Perhaps with Kent and Knights

ALBANY Now, gods that we adore, whereof comes this?

GONERIL Never afflict yourself to know more of it,

But let his disposition have that scope

As dotage 266gives it.

Enter Lear

LEAR What, fifty of my followers at a clap 267?

Within a fortnight?

ALBANY What’s the matter, sir?

To Goneril

LEAR I’ll tell thee:— Life and death! I am ashamed

That thou hast power to shake my manhood thus,

That these hot tears, which break from me perforce 272,

Should make thee worth them. Blasts 273and fogs upon thee!

Th’untented 274woundings of a father’s curse

Pierce every sense about thee! Old fond 275eyes,

Beweep this cause again, I’ll pluck ye out

And cast you, with the waters that you loose 277,

To temper clay 278. Ha? Let it be so.

I have another daughter,

Who, I am sure, is kind and comfortable 280:

When she shall hear this of thee, with her nails

She’ll flay thy wolvish visage 282. Thou shalt find

That I’ll resume the shape which thou dost think

I have cast off for ever.

Exeunt [ Lear, perhaps with Kent and Knights ]

GONERIL Do you mark that?

ALBANY I cannot be so partial 286, Goneril,

To the great love I bear you—

GONERIL Pray you, content 288.— What, Oswald, ho!—

To Fool

You, sir, more knave than fool, after your master.

FOOL Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, take the fool with

thee.

Sings

A fox, when one has caught her,

And such a daughter

Should sure to the slaughter,

If my cap would buy a halter 295:

So the fool follows after.

Exit

GONERIL This man hath had good counsel. A hundred knights?

’Tis politic 298and safe to let him keep

At point a hundred knights: yes, that 299on every dream,

Each buzz, each fancy 300, each complaint, dislike,

He may enguard 301his dotage with their powers

And hold our lives in 302mercy.— Oswald, I say!

ALBANY Well, you may fear too far.

GONERIL Safer than trust too far:

Let me still 305take away the harms I fear,

Not fear still to be taken 306. I know his heart.

What he hath uttered I have writ my sister:

If she sustain him and his hundred knights

When I have showed th’unfitness—

Enter Steward [Oswald]

How now, Oswald?

What, have you writ that letter to my sister?

OSWALD Ay, madam.

GONERIL Take you some company and away to horse:

Inform her full of my particular fear,

And thereto add such reasons of your own

As may compact 315it more. Get you gone,

And hasten your return.—

[Exit Oswald]

No, no, my lord,

This milky gentleness and course of yours

Though I condemn not, yet, under pardon 318,

You are much more at task 319for want of wisdom

Than praised for harmful mildness.

ALBANY How far your eyes may pierce I cannot tell:

Striving to better, oft we mar what’s well.

GONERIL Nay, then—

ALBANY Well, well, th’event 324.

Exeunt

Act 1 Scene 5

running scene 3 continues

Kent disguised as Caius

Enter Lear, Kent, Gentleman and Fool

To Kent

LEAR Go you before 1to Gloucester with these letters.

Acquaint my daughter no further with anything you know

than comes from her demand out of 3the letter. If your

diligence be not speedy, I shall be there afore you.

KENT I will not sleep, my lord, till I have delivered your

letter.

Exit

FOOL If a man’s brains were in’s heels, were’t not in

danger of kibes 8?

LEAR Ay, boy.

FOOL Then, I prithee be merry: thy wit shall not go slip- 10

shod.

LEAR Ha, ha, ha!

FOOL Shalt 13see thy other daughter will use thee kindly, for

though she’s as like this as a crab’s 14like an apple, yet I can tell

what I can tell.

LEAR What canst tell, boy?

FOOL She will taste as like this as a crab does to a crab.

Thou canst tell why one’s nose stands i’th’middle on’s 18face?

LEAR No.

FOOL Why, to keep one’s eyes of either side’s 20nose, that

what a man cannot smell out he may spy into.

LEAR I did her 22wrong—

FOOL Canst tell how an oyster makes his shell?

LEAR No.

FOOL Nor I neither; but I can tell why a snail has a house.

LEAR Why?

FOOL Why, to put’s head in, not to give it away to his

daughters and leave his horns without a case.

LEAR I will forget my nature. So kind a father!— Be my

horses ready?

FOOL Thy asses are gone about ’em. The reason why the 31

seven stars are no more than seven is a pretty 32reason.

LEAR Because they are not eight.

FOOL Yes, indeed: thou wouldst make a good fool.

LEAR To take’t again 35perforce. Monster ingratitude!

FOOL If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I’d have thee beaten

for being old before thy time.

LEAR How’s that?

FOOL Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst

been wise.

LEAR O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven!

Keep me in temper 42: I would not be mad!—

To Gentleman

How now, are the horses ready?

GENTLEMAN Ready, my lord.

LEAR Come, boy.

FOOL She that’s a maid 46now, and laughs at my departure,

Shall not be a maid long, unless things 47be cut shorter.

Exeunt

Act 2 Scene 1

running scene 4

Enter Bastard [Edmund] and Curan, severally

EDMUND Save thee 1, Curan.

CURAN And you, sir. I have been with your father, and given

him notice that the Duke of Cornwall and Regan his duchess

will be here with him this night.

EDMUND How comes that?

CURAN Nay, I know not. You have heard of the news

abroad: I mean the whispered ones, for they are yet but ear- 7

kissing arguments?

EDMUND Not I: pray you, what are they?

CURAN Have you heard of no likely wars toward 10’twixt the

dukes of Cornwall and Albany?

EDMUND Not a word.

CURAN You may do then in time. Fare you well, sir.

Exit

EDMUND The duke be here tonight? The better — best!

This weaves itself perforce 15into my business.

My father hath set guard to take 16my brother,

And I have one thing, of a queasy question 17,

Which I must act. Briefness and fortune, work!—

Enter Edgar

Appears above and then enters below

Brother, a word: descend, brother, I say!

My father watches 20: O sir, fly this place.

Intelligence 21is given where you are hid;

You have now the good advantage of the night.

Have you not spoken gainst the Duke of Cornwall?

He’s coming hither, now, i’th’night, i’th’haste 24,

And Regan with him: have you nothing said 25

Upon his party gainst the Duke of Albany?

Advise yourself 27.

EDGAR I am sure on’t, not a word.

EDMUND I hear my father coming, pardon me:

Draws

In cunning 30I must draw my sword upon you:

Edgar draws

Draw, seem to defend yourself. Now quit you 31well.

Yield: come before my father.— Light, ho, here!—

Fly, brother.— Torches, torches!— So, farewell.

Exit Edgar

Wounds his arm