[Enter Lear, Fool, and Gentleman.]
LEAR
’Tis strange that they should so depart from home
And not send back my messenger.
GENTLEMAN As I learned,
The night before there was no purpose in them
[5] Of this remove.
KENT , [waking] Hail to thee, noble master.
LEAR Ha?
Mak’st thou this shame thy pastime?
KENT No, my lord.
[10]FOOL Ha, ha, he wears cruel garters. Horses are tied
by the heads, dogs and bears by th’ neck, monkeys
by th’ loins, and men by th’ legs. When a man’s
overlusty at legs, then he wears wooden
netherstocks.
[15]LEAR
What’s he that hath so much thy place mistook
To set thee here?
KENT It is both he and she,
Your son and daughter.
LEAR No.
[20]KENT Yes.
LEAR No, I say.
KENT I say yea.
LEAR By Jupiter, I swear no.
KENT By Juno, I swear ay.
[25]LEAR They durst not do ’t.
They could not, would not do ’t. ’Tis worse than
murder
To do upon respect such violent outrage.
Resolve me with all modest haste which way
[30] Thou might’st deserve or they impose this usage,
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 showed
[35] My duty kneeling, came there a reeking post,
Stewed in his haste, half breathless, panting forth
From Goneril his mistress salutations;
Delivered letters, spite of intermission,
Which presently they read; on whose contents
[40] They summoned up their meiny, straight took
horse,
Commanded me to follow and attend
The leisure of their answer, gave me cold looks;
And meeting here the other messenger,
[45] Whose welcome, I perceived, had poisoned mine,
Being the very fellow which of late
Displayed so saucily against your Highness,
Having more man than wit about me, drew.
He raised the house with loud and coward cries.
[50] Your son and daughter found this trespass worth
The shame which here it suffers.
FOOL Winter’s not gone yet if the wild geese fly that
way.
Fathers that wear rags
[55] Do make their children blind,
But fathers that bear bags
Shall see their children kind.
Fortune, that arrant whore,
Ne’er turns the key to th’ poor.
[60] But, for all this, thou shalt have as many dolors for
thy daughters as thou canst tell in a year.
LEAR
O, how this mother swells up toward my heart!
Hysterica passio, down, thou climbing sorrow!
Thy element’s below.—Where is this daughter?
[65]KENT With the Earl, sir, here within.
LEAR , [to Fool and Gentleman] Follow me not. Stay
here. [He exits.]
GENTLEMAN
Made you no more offense but what you speak of?
KENT None.
[70] How chance the King comes with so small a number?
FOOL An thou hadst been set i’ th’ stocks for that
question, thou ’dst well deserved it.
KENT Why, Fool?
FOOL We’ll set thee to school to an ant to teach thee
[75] there’s no laboring i’ th’ winter. All that follow
their noses are led by their eyes but blind men, and
there’s not a nose among twenty but can smell him
that’s stinking. Let go thy hold when a great wheel
runs down a hill lest it break thy neck with following;
[80] but the great one that goes upward, let him
draw thee after. When a wise man 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,
[85] And follows but for form,
Will pack when it begins to rain
And leave thee in the storm.
But I will tarry; the Fool will stay,
And let the wise man fly.
[90] The knave turns fool that runs away;
The Fool no knave, perdie.
KENT Where learned you this, Fool?
FOOL Not i’ th’ stocks, fool.
[Enter Lear and Gloucester.]
LEAR
Deny to speak with me? They are sick? They are
[95] weary?
They have traveled all the night? Mere fetches,
The images of revolt and flying off.
Fetch me a better answer.
GLOUCESTER My dear lord,
[100] You know the fiery quality of the Duke,
How unremovable and fixed he is
In his own course.
LEAR
Vengeance, plague, death, confusion!
“Fiery”? What “quality”? Why Gloucester,
[105] Gloucester,
I’d speak with the Duke of Cornwall and his wife.
GLOUCESTER
Well, my good lord, I have informed them so.
LEAR
“Informed them”? Dost thou understand me,
man?
[110]GLOUCESTER Ay, my good lord.
LEAR
The King would speak with Cornwall. The dear
father
Would with his daughter speak, commands, tends
service.
[115] Are they “informed” of this? My breath and
blood!
“Fiery”? The “fiery” duke? Tell the hot duke that—
No, but not yet. Maybe he is not well.
Infirmity doth still neglect all office
[120] Whereto our health is bound. We are not ourselves
When nature, being oppressed, commands the mind
To suffer with the body. I’ll forbear,
And am fallen out with my more headier will,
To take the indisposed and sickly fit
[125] For the sound man. [Noticing Kent again.] Death on
my state! Wherefore
Should he sit here? This act persuades me
That this remotion of the Duke and her
Is practice only. Give me my servant forth.
[130] Go tell the Duke and ’s wife I’d speak with them.
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.
GLOUCESTER I would have all well betwixt you.
[He exits.]
[135]LEAR
O me, my heart, my rising heart! But down!
FOOL Cry to it, nuncle, as the cockney did to the eels
when she put ’em i’ th’ paste alive. She knapped
’em o’ th’ coxcombs with a stick and cried “Down,
wantons, down!” ’Twas her brother that in pure
[140] kindness to his horse buttered his hay.
[Enter Cornwall, Regan, Gloucester, Servants.]
LEAR Good morrow to you both.
CORNWALL Hail to your Grace.
[Kent here set at liberty.]
REGAN I am glad to see your Highness.
LEAR
Regan, I think you are. I know what reason
[145] I have to think so: if thou shouldst not be glad,
I would divorce me from thy mother’s tomb,
Sepulch’ring an adult’ress. [To Kent.] O, are you
free?
Some other time for that.—Belovèd Regan,
[150] Thy sister’s naught. O Regan, she hath tied
Sharp-toothed unkindness, like a vulture, here.
I can scarce speak to thee. Thou ’lt not believe
With how depraved a quality—O Regan!
REGAN
I pray you, sir, take patience. I have hope
[155] You less know how to value her desert
Than she to scant her duty.
LEAR Say? How is that?
REGAN
I cannot think my sister in the least
Would fail her obligation. If, sir, perchance
[160] She have restrained the riots of your followers,
’Tis on such ground and to such wholesome end
As clears her from all blame.
LEAR My curses on her.
REGAN O sir, you are old.
[165] Nature in you stands on the very verge
Of his confine. You should be ruled and led
By some discretion that discerns your state
Better than you yourself. Therefore, I pray you
That to our sister you do make return.
[170] Say you have wronged her.
LEAR Ask her forgiveness?
Do you but mark how this becomes the house:
[He kneels.]
“Dear daughter, I confess that I am old.
Age is unnecessary. On my knees I beg
[175] That you’ll vouchsafe me raiment, bed, and food.”
REGAN
Good sir, no more. These are unsightly tricks.
Return you to my sister.
LEAR , [rising] Never, Regan.
She hath abated me of half my train,
[180] Looked black upon me, struck me with her tongue
Most serpentlike upon the very heart.
All the stored vengeances of heaven fall
On her ingrateful top! Strike her young bones,
You taking airs, with lameness!
[185]CORNWALL Fie, sir, fie!
LEAR
You nimble lightnings, dart your blinding flames
Into her scornful eyes! Infect her beauty,
You fen-sucked fogs drawn by the powerful sun
To fall and blister!
[190]REGAN
O, the blest gods! So will you wish on me
When the rash mood is on.
LEAR
No, Regan, thou shalt never have my curse.
Thy tender-hefted nature shall not give
Thee o’er to harshness. Her eyes are fierce, but
[195] thine
Do comfort and not burn. ’Tis not in thee
To grudge my pleasures, to cut off my train,
To bandy hasty words, to scant my sizes,
And, in conclusion, to oppose the bolt
[200] Against my coming in. Thou better know’st
The offices of nature, bond of childhood,
Effects of courtesy, dues of gratitude.
Thy half o’ th’ kingdom hast thou not forgot,
Wherein I thee endowed.
[205]REGAN Good sir, to th’ purpose.
[Tucket within.]
LEAR
Who put my man i’ th’ stocks?
CORNWALL What trumpet’s that?
REGAN
I know ’t—my sister’s. This approves her letter,
That she would soon be here.