уильям шекспир - King Lear

EDMUND Sir, I shall study deserving 28.

GLOUCESTER He hath been out 29nine years, and away he shall

again. The king is coming.

Sennet. Enter [one bearing a coronet, then] King Lear, Cornwall, Albany, Goneril, Regan, Cordelia and Attendants

LEAR Attend 31the lords of France and Burgundy,

Gloucester.

GLOUCESTER I shall, my lord.

Exit

LEAR Meantime we shall express our darker 34purpose.

Give me the map there.

Kent or an Attendant gives Lear a map

Know that we have divided

In three our kingdom, and ’tis our fast intent 36

To shake all cares and business 37from our age,

Conferring them on younger strengths while we

Unburdened crawl toward death. Our son 39of Cornwall,

And you our no less loving son of Albany,

We have this hour a constant will to publish 41

Our daughters’ several dowers, that 42future strife

May be prevented now. The princes, France and Burgundy,

Great rivals in our youngest daughter’s love,

Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn 45

And here are to be answered. Tell me, my daughters —

Since now we will divest us both of rule,

Interest 48of territory, cares of state —

Which of you shall we say doth love us most,

That we our largest bounty 50may extend

Where nature doth with merit challenge 51? Goneril,

Our eldest born, speak first.

GONERIL Sir, I love you more than word can wield 53the matter,

Dearer than eyesight, space and liberty,

Beyond what can be valued rich or rare,

No less than life, with grace 56, health, beauty, honour:

As much as child e’er loved or father found:

A love that makes breath poor and speech unable 58:

Beyond all manner of so much 59I love you.

Aside

CORDELIA What shall Cordelia speak? Love and be silent.

Points to the map

LEAR Of all these bounds 61, even from this line to this,

With shadowy forests and with champaigns riched 62,

With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads 63,

We make thee lady. To thine and Albany’s issues

Be this perpetual.— What says our second daughter?

Our dearest Regan, wife of Cornwall?

REGAN I am made of that self-mettle 67as my sister,

And prize me at her worth 68. In my true heart,

I find she names my very deed 69of love:

Only she comes too short, that 70I profess

Myself an enemy to all other joys

Which the most precious square of sense 72professes,

And find I am alone felicitate 73

In your dear highness’ love.

Aside

CORDELIA Then poor Cordelia:

And yet not so, since I am sure my love’s

More ponderous 77than my tongue.

LEAR To thee and thine hereditary 78ever

Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom,

No less in space, validity 80and pleasure

To Cordelia

Than that conferred on Goneril.— Now, our joy,

Although our last and least, to whose young love

The vines of France and milk of Burgundy 83

Strive to be interessed, what can you say to draw 84

A third more opulent than your sisters’? Speak.

CORDELIA Nothing, my lord.

LEAR Nothing?

CORDELIA Nothing.

LEAR Nothing will come of nothing: speak again.

CORDELIA Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave

My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty

According to my bond 92, no more nor less.

LEAR How, how, Cordelia? Mend 93your speech a little,

Lest you may mar 94your fortunes.

CORDELIA Good my lord,

You have begot me, bred 96me, loved me:

I return those duties back as are right fit,

Obey you, love you and most honour you.

Why have my sisters husbands if they say

They love you all? Happily when I shall wed,

That lord whose hand must take my plight 101shall carry

Half my love with him, half my care and duty:

Sure I shall never marry like my sisters.

LEAR But goes thy heart with this?

CORDELIA Ay, my good lord.

LEAR So young and so untender 106?

CORDELIA So young, my lord, and true.

LEAR Let it be so: thy truth then be thy dower,

For by the sacred radiance of the sun,

The mysteries of Hecate 110and the night,

By all the operation of the orbs 111

From whom we do exist and cease to be,

Here I disclaim all my paternal care,

Propinquity and property of blood 114,

And as a stranger to my heart and me

Hold thee from this for ever. The barbarous Scythian 116,

Or he that makes his generation messes 117

To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom

Be as well neighboured 119, pitied and relieved

As thou my sometime 120daughter.

KENT Good my liege 121—

LEAR Peace, Kent:

Come not between the dragon and his wrath.

I loved her most, and thought to set my rest 124

To Cordelia

On her kind nursery.— Hence, and avoid 125my sight!—

So be my grave my peace, as here I give

Her father’s heart from her. Call France. Who stirs? 127

Call Burgundy.— Cornwall and Albany,

[Exit Attendant]

With my two daughters’ dowers digest 129the third.

Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her 130.

I do invest you jointly with my power,

Pre-eminence, and all the large effects 132

That troop with 133majesty. Ourself by monthly course,

With reservation of 134an hundred knights

By you to be sustained 135, shall our abode

Make with you by due turn: only we shall retain

The name and all th’addition to a king: the sway 137,

Revenue, execution of the rest,

Belovèd sons, be yours, which to confirm,

This coronet part between you.

Gives them coronet to break in half

KENT Royal Lear,

Whom I have ever honoured as my king,

Loved as my father, as my master followed,

As my great patron thought on in my prayers—

LEAR The bow is bent and drawn, make from the shaft 145.

KENT Let it fall rather, though the fork 146invade

The region of my heart: be Kent unmannerly

When Lear is mad. What wouldst thou 148do, old man?

Think’st thou that duty shall have dread to speak

When power to flattery bows? To plainness honour’s bound

When majesty falls to folly. Reserve thy state 151,

And in thy best consideration 152check

This hideous rashness. Answer my life my judgement 153:

Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least,

Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sounds

Reverb no hollowness 156.

LEAR Kent, on thy life, no more.

KENT My life I never held but as pawn 158

To wage 159against thine enemies, ne’er fear to lose it,

Thy safety being motive.

LEAR Out of my sight!

KENT See better, Lear, and let me still remain

The true blank 163of thine eye.

LEAR Now, by Apollo 164—

KENT Now, by Apollo, king,

Thou swear’st thy gods in vain.

LEAR O, vassal! Miscreant 167!

Puts his hand on his sword or attacks Kent

ALBANY AND CORDELIA Dear sir, forbear 168.

KENT Kill thy physician, and thy fee bestow 169

Upon the foul disease 170. Revoke thy gift,

Or whilst I can vent clamour from my throat,

I’ll tell thee thou dost evil.

LEAR Hear me, recreant 173, on thine allegiance hear me!

That 174thou hast sought to make us break our vows,

Which we durst never yet, and with strained 175pride

To come betwixt our sentences 176and our power,

Which nor our nature nor our place 177can bear,

Our potency made good 178, take thy reward:

Five days we do allot thee for provision

To shield thee from disasters 180of the world,