But other of your insolent retinue
Do hourly carp and quarrel, breaking forth
In rank and not to be endured riots. Sir,
I had thought by making this well known unto you
195
To have found a safe redress, but now grow fearful
By what yourself too late have spoke and done,
That you protect this course and put FitF on
By your allowance; which if you should, the fault
Would not scape censure, nor the redresses sleep,
200
Which in the tender of a wholesome weal
Might in their working do you that offence
Which else were shame, that then necessity
Will call discreet proceeding.
FOOL For you know, nuncle,
205
The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long
That it’s had it head bit off by it young.
So out went the candle and we were left darkling.
LEAR Are you our daughter?
GONERIL QCome, sir,Q
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I would you would make use of your good wisdom,
Whereof I know you are fraught, and put away
These dispositions, which of late transport you
From what you rightly are.
FOOL May not an ass know when the cart draws the
215
horse? Whoop, Jug, I love thee.
LEAR
Does any here know me? QWhyQ, this is not Lear.
Does Lear walk thus, speak thus? Where are his eyes?
Either his notion weakens, Q orQ his discernings are
lethargied – Ha! Qsleeping orQ waking? QSureQ’tis not
220
so. Who is it that can tell me who I am?
FFOOLF Lear’s shadow.
QLEAR I would learn that, for by the marks of
sovereignty, knowledge and reason, I should be false
persuaded I had daughters.
225
FOOL Which they will make an obedient father.Q
LEAR Your name, fair gentlewoman?
GONERIL This admiration, sir, is much o’the savour
Of other your new pranks. I do beseech you
FToF understand my purposes aright:
230
As you are old and reverend, should be wise.
Here do you keep a hundred knights and squires,
Men so disordered, so debauched and bold,
That this our court, infected with their manners,
Shows like a riotous inn. Epicurism and lust
235
Makes FitF more like a tavern or a brothel
Than a graced palace. The shame itself doth speak
For instant remedy. Be then desired,
By her that else will take the thing she begs,
A little to disquantity your train,
240
And the remainders that shall still depend
To be such men as may besort your age,
Which know themselves, and you.
LEAR Darkness and devils!
Saddle my horses; call my train together.
Degenerate bastard, I’ll not trouble thee:
245
Yet have I left a daughter.
GONERIL
You strike my people, and your disordered rabble
Make servants of their betters.
Enter ALBANY.
LEAR
Woe that too late repents! – QO sir, are you come?Q
Is it your will? Speak, sir. – Prepare my horses.
250
[Exit a Knight.]
Ingratitude, thou marble-hearted fiend,
More hideous when thou show’st thee in a child
Than the sea-monster.
FALBANY Pray, sir, be patient.
LEARF [to Goneril] Detested kite, thou liest.
My train are men of choice and rarest parts
255
That all particulars of duty know,
And in the most exact regard support
The worships of their name. O most small fault,
How ugly didst thou in Cordelia show,
Which like an engine wrenched my frame of nature
260
From the fixed place, drew from my heart all love
And added to the gall. O Lear, LearF, LearF!
[striking his head] Beat at this gate that let thy folly in
And thy dear judgement out. Go, go, my people.
[Exeunt Kent, Knights and attendants.]
ALBANY My lord, I am guiltless as I am ignorant
265
FOf what hath moved you.F
LEAR It may be so, my lord.
Hear, Nature, hear, dear goddess, FhearF:
Suspend thy purpose if thou didst intend
To make this creature fruitful.
Into her womb convey sterility,
270
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.
275
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
280
To have a thankless child. Away, away!
ExeuntF [Lear and Fool]
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 gives it.
285
FEnter LEARF, followed by the Fool.
LEAR What, fifty of my followers at a clap?
Within a fortnight?
ALBANY What’s the matter, sir?
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,
290
Should make thee worth them. Blasts and fogs upon FtheeF!
Th’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 loose
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To temper clay. QYea, is’t come to this?Q
FHa? Let it be so.F I have another 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
300
That I’ll resume the shape which thou dost think
I have cast off for ever. Q Thou shalt, I warrant thee.Q
FExitF.
GONERIL Do you mark that, Qmy lordQ?
ALBANY I cannot be so partial, Goneril,
To the great love I bear you –
GONERIL FPray you, content.F
305
QCome, sir, no moreQ. FWhat, Oswald, ho?F
[to the Fool] You, Fsir,F more knave than fool, after your master.
FOOL Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, QandQ take the fool with Fthee:F
A fox when one has caught her,
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And such a daughter,
Should sure to the slaughter,
If my cap would buy a halter;
So the fool follows after. FExitF.
GONERIL
FThis man hath had good counsel – a hundred knights!
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’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,
&n
bsp; He may enguard his dotage with their powers
And hold our lives in mercy. Oswald, I say!
320
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 uttered I have writ my sister.
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If she sustain him and his hundred knights
When I have showed th’unfitness –F
FEnter OSWALD.F
QOSWALD Here, madam.Q
GONERIL FHow now, Oswald?F What, have you writ
that letter to my sister?
330
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 it more. Get you gone,
335
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 attasked for want of wisdom
Than praised for harmful mildness.
340
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. Exeunt.
1.5 Enter LEAR, FKENT[, disguised,] and Fool.F
LEAR [to Kent] Go you before to Gloucester with these
letters. Acquaint my daughter no further with
anything you know than comes from her demand out
of the letter. If your diligence be not speedy, I shall be
there afore you.
5
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?
LEAR Ay, boy.
10
FOOL Then I prithee be merry; thy wit shall not go
slipshod.
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
15
I can tell what I can tell.
LEAR QWhy,Q what canst QthouQ tell, QmyQ boy?
FOOL She will taste as like this as a crab does to a crab.
Thou canst QnotQ tell why one’s nose stands i’the
middle on’s face?
20
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.
LEAR I did her wrong.
FOOL Canst tell how an oyster makes his shell?
25
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.
30
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.
LEAR Because they are not eight.
35
FOOL Yes Findeed,F thou wouldst make a good fool.
LEAR To take’t again perforce – monster ingratitude!
FOOL If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I’d have thee beaten
for being old before thy time.
LEAR How’s that?
40
FOOL Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst
been wise.
LEAR O let me not be mad, Fnot madF, sweet heaven! QI would not be mad.Q
Keep me in temper, I would not be mad.
45
[Enter a Gentleman.]
FHow now,F are the horses ready?
GENTLEMAN Ready, my lord.
LEAR Come, boy. QExeuntQ [Lear and Gentleman].
FOOL
She that’s a maid now, and laughs at my departure,
Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut shorter.
50
Exit.
2.1 Enter EDMUND and CURAN, severally.
EDMUND Save thee, Curan.
CURAN And you, sir. I have been with your father and
given him notice that the Duke of Cornwall and
FReganF his Duchess will be here with him this
night.
5
EDMUND How comes that?
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 278