That,like an engine,wrench'd my frame of nature From the fix'd place;drew from heart all love,And added to the gall.O Lear,Lear,Lear!
Beat at this gate,that let thy folly in,Striking his head And thy dear judgment out!Go,go,my people.ALBANY My lord,I am guiltless,as I am ignorant Of what hath moved you.KING 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;
And from her derogate body never spring A babe to honour her!If she must teem,Create her child of spleen;that it may live,And be a thwart disnatured torment to her!
Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth;
With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks;Turn all her mother's pains and benefits 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 ALBANY Now,gods that we adore,whereof comes this?GONERIL Never afflict yourself to know the cause;But let his disposition have that scope That dotage gives it.
Re-enter KING LEAR KING LEAR What,fifty of my followers at a clap!
Within a fortnight!ALBANY What's the matter,sir?KING LEAR I'll tell thee:
To GONERIL
Life and death!I am ashamed That thou hast power to shake my manhood thus;That these hot tears,which break from me perforce,Should make thee worth them.Blasts and fogs upon thee!
The untented woundings of a father's curse Pierce every sense about thee!Old fond eyes,Beweep this cause again,I'll pluck ye out,And cast you,with the waters that you lose,To temper clay.Yea,it is come to this?
Let is be so:yet have I left a daughter,Who,I am sure,is kind and comfortable:
When she shall hear this of thee,with her nails She'll flay thy wolvish visage.Thou shalt find That I'll resume the shape which thou dost think I have cast off for ever:thou shalt,I warrant thee.
Exeunt KING LEAR,KENT,and Attendants GONERIL Do you mark that,my lord?ALBANY I cannot be so partial,Goneril,To the great love I bear you,--GONERIL Pray you,content.What,Oswald,ho!
To the Fool You,sir,more knave than fool,after your master.Fool Nuncle Lear,nuncle Lear,tarry and take the fool with thee.
A fox,when one has caught her,And such a daughter,Should sure to the slaughter,If my cap would buy a halter:
So the fool follows after.
Exit GONERIL This man hath had good counsel:--a hundred knights!
'Tis politic and safe to let him keep At point a hundred knights:yes,that,on every dream,Each buzz,each fancy,each complaint,dislike,He may enguard his dotage with their powers,And hold our lives in mercy.Oswald,I say!ALBANY Well,you may fear too far.GONERIL Safer than trust too far:
Let me still take away the harms I fear,Not fear still to be taken:I know his heart.
What he hath utter'd I have writ my sister If she sustain him and his hundred knights When I have show'd the unfitness,--Re-enter OSWALD
How now,Oswald!
What,have you writ that letter to my sister?OSWALD Yes,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 it 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,You are much more attask'd for want of wisdom Than praised for harmful mildness.ALBANY How far your eyes may pierce I can not tell:
Striving to better,oft we mar what's well.GONERIL Nay,then--ALBANY Well,well;the event.
Exeunt
SCENE V.Court before the Duke of Albany's Palace
Enter KING LEAR,KENT,and Fool KING LEAR Go you before to Gloucester with these letters.
Acquaint my daughter no further with any thing you know than comes from her demand out of the 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?KING LEAR Ay,boy.Fool Then,I prithee,be merry;thy wit shall ne'er go slip-shod.KING LEAR Ha,ha,ha!Fool Shalt see thy other daughter will use thee kindly;for though she's as like this as a crab's like an apple,yet I can tell what I can tell.KING LEAR Why,what canst thou tell,my boy?Fool She will taste as like this as a crab does to a crab.Thou canst tell why one's nose stands i'
the middle on's face?KING LEAR No.Fool Why,to keep one's eyes of either side's nose;that what a man cannot smell out,he may spy into.KING LEAR I did her wrong--Fool Canst tell how an oyster makes his shell?KING LEAR No.Fool Nor I neither;but I can tell why a snail has a house.KING LEAR Why?Fool Why,to put his head in;not to give it away to his daughters,and leave his horns without a case.KING 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 seven stars are no more than seven is a pretty reason.KING LEAR Because they are not eight?Fool Yes,indeed:thou wouldst make a good fool.KING LEAR To take 't again perforce!Monster ingratitude!Fool If thou wert my fool,nuncle,I'ld have thee beaten for being old before thy time.KING LEAR How's that?Fool Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise.KING LEAR O,let me not be mad,not mad,sweet heaven Keep me in temper:I would not be mad!
Enter Gentleman How now!are the horses ready?Gentleman Ready,my lord.KING LEAR Come,boy.Fool She that's a maid now,and laughs at my departure,Shall not be a maid long,unless things be cut shorter.
Exeunt
