The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 564
nightingale. Hopdance cries in Tom's belly for two
white herring. Croak not, black angel; I have no
food for thee.
The devil haunts poor Tom with the voice of a
nightingale. Hoppedance is in Tom's belly, pleading
for two pickled herrings. Don't rumble, stomach; I have no
food for you.
KENT
How do you, sir? Stand you not so amazed:
Will you lie down and rest upon the cushions?
How are you, sir? Don't stand there dumbfounded:
won't you lie down and rest on the cushions?
KING LEAR
I'll see their trial first. Bring in the evidence.
To EDGAR
Thou robed man of justice, take thy place;
To the Fool
And thou, his yoke-fellow of equity,
Bench by his side:
To KENT
you are o' the commission,
Sit you too.
I'll see their trial first. Bring in the evidence.
You robed judge, take your place;
And you, his equal partner,
sit next to him on the bench:
you're one of the board,
you sit down too.
EDGAR
Let us deal justly.
Sleepest or wakest thou, jolly shepherd?
Thy sheep be in the corn;
And for one blast of thy minikin mouth,
Thy sheep shall take no harm.
Pur! the cat is gray.
Let us act with justice.
Are you asleep or awake, Johnny Shepherd?
Your sheep are in the cornfield;
and for one song from you,
your sheep will come to no harm.
Purr! It's a grey cat.
KING LEAR
Arraign her first; 'tis Goneril. I here take my
oath before this honourable assembly, she kicked the
poor king her father.
Charge her first; it is Goneril. I will now
swear in front of this honourable meeting, she kicked
the poor King her father.
Fool
Come hither, mistress. Is your name Goneril?
Come here, lady. Is your name Goneril?
KING LEAR
She cannot deny it.
She can't deny it.
Fool
Cry you mercy, I took you for a joint-stool.
I beg your pardon, I thought you were a footstool.
KING LEAR
And here's another, whose warp'd looks proclaim
What store her heart is made on. Stop her there!
Arms, arms, sword, fire! Corruption in the place!
False justicer, why hast thou let her 'scape?
And here's another one, whose twisted face shows
what she has in her heart. Stop her there!
Arms, arms, sword, fire! There is corruption here!
False judge, why have you let her escape?
EDGAR
Bless thy five wits!
Bless your five wits!
KENT
O pity! Sir, where is the patience now,
That thou so oft have boasted to retain?
I pity you! Sir, where is your temper now,
that you used to be so proud of keeping?
EDGAR
[Aside] My tears begin to take his part so much,
They'll mar my counterfeiting.
I begin to cry so much for him,
it'll give away my disguise.
KING LEAR
The little dogs and all, Tray, Blanch, and
Sweet-heart, see, they bark at me.
The little dogs and all, Tray, Blanch and
Sweetheart, look they bark at me.
EDGAR
Tom will throw his head at them. Avaunt, you curs!
Be thy mouth or black or white,
Tooth that poisons if it bite;
Mastiff, grey-hound, mongrel grim,
Hound or spaniel, brach or lym,
Or bobtail tike or trundle-tail,
Tom will make them weep and wail:
For, with throwing thus my head,
Dogs leap the hatch, and all are fled.
Do de, de, de. Sessa! Come, march to wakes and
fairs and market-towns. Poor Tom, thy horn is dry.
Tom will drive them off. Away, you curs!
Whether your mouth is black or white
the bite of your teeth is poison;
mastiff, greyhound, grim mongrel,
hound or spaniel, beagle or bloodhound,
short or long tailed,
Tom will make them weep and wail:
for as I charge at them
the dogs leap through the door, and they are all gone.
Do, de, de, de. Off you go! Come, let's march to funerals
fairs and market towns. Poor Tom, your glass is empty.
KING LEAR
Then let them anatomize Regan; see what breeds
about her heart. Is there any cause in nature that
makes these hard hearts?
To EDGAR
You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred; only I
do not like the fashion of your garments: you will
say they are Persian attire: but let them be changed.
Then let them dissect Regan; let's see what
her heart is made of. Is there anything in nature
that causes these hard hearts?
You, sir, I welcome as one of my knights; only I
don't like the way you are dressed: you will
say they are Persian clothes: but change them.
KENT
Now, good my lord, lie here and rest awhile.
Now, my good lord, lie here and rest for a while.
KING LEAR
Make no noise, make no noise; draw the curtains:
so, so, so. We'll go to supper i' he morning. So, so, so.
Keep quiet, keep quiet; draw the curtains:
there, there, there. We'll go to supper in the morning. There, there, there.
Fool
And I'll go to bed at noon.
Re-enter GLOUCESTER
And I'll go to bed at noon.
GLOUCESTER
Come hither, friend: where is the king my master?
Come here, friend: where is my master the King?
KENT
Here, sir; but trouble him not, his wits are gone.
Here, sir; but do not bother him, he's lost his mind.
GLOUCESTER
Good friend, I prithee, take him in thy arms;
I have o'erheard a plot of death upon him:
There is a litter ready; lay him in 't,
And drive towards Dover, friend, where thou shalt meet
Both welcome and protection. Take up thy master:
If thou shouldst dally half an hour, his life,
With thine, and all that offer to defend him,
Stand in assured loss: take up, take up;
And follow me, that will to some provision
Give thee quick conduct.
Please, good friend, pick him up in your arms;
I have overheard a plot to kill him:
I have a litter ready; put him in it
and drive towards Dover, friend, where you shall find
both welcome and protection. Pick up your master:
if you delay half an hour, his life,
and yours, and those of everyone who tries to defend him,
will certainly be lost: pick him up, pick him up;
and follow me, I will take you quickly
to the things I have ready.
KENT
Oppressed nature sleeps:
This rest might yet have balm'd thy broken senses,
Which, if convenience will not allow,
Stand in hard cure.
To the Fool
Come, help to bear thy master;
Thou must no
t stay behind.
His troubled soul sleeps:
this rest still might have healed your damaged mind,
which, if it hasn't happened now,
will be almost impossible to cure.
Come on, help carry your master;
you mustn't stay behind.
GLOUCESTER
Come, come, away.
Exeunt all but EDGAR
Come on, come on, let's go.
EDGAR
When we our betters see bearing our woes,
We scarcely think our miseries our foes.
Who alone suffers suffers most i' the mind,
Leaving free things and happy shows behind:
But then the mind much sufferance doth o'er skip,
When grief hath mates, and bearing fellowship.
How light and portable my pain seems now,
When that which makes me bend makes the king bow,
He childed as I father'd! Tom, away!
Mark the high noises; and thyself bewray,
When false opinion, whose wrong thought defiles thee,
In thy just proof, repeals and reconciles thee.
What will hap more to-night, safe 'scape the king!
Lurk, lurk.
Exit
When we see our betters enduring our sorrows,
we hardly think of our miseries as enemies.
The one who suffers alone suffers mostly in the mind,
forgetting carefree things and happy sights:
but the mind can cope with much suffering,
when grief has friends, and suffering is shared.
How light and bearable my pain now seems,
when the thing I suffer from is worse for the King,
he has cruel children as I have a cruel father! Tom, away!
Look at the great events; throw off your disguise,
when those who think wrongly of you
can see the real evidence, repeal your sentence and reconcile you with your father.
Whatever else happens tonight, may the king escape safely!
I'll hide and bide my time.
Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, GONERIL, EDMUND, and Servants
CORNWALL
Post speedily to my lord your husband; show him
this letter: the army of France is landed. Seek
out the villain Gloucester.
Exeunt some of the Servants
Send quickly to my lord, your husband; show him
this letter: the French army has landed. Find
the villain Gloucester.
REGAN
Hang him instantly.
Hang him at once.
GONERIL
Pluck out his eyes.
Tear out his eyes.
CORNWALL
Leave him to my displeasure. Edmund, keep you our
sister company: the revenges we are bound to take
upon your traitorous father are not fit for your
beholding. Advise the duke, where you are going, to
a most festinate preparation: we are bound to the
like. Our posts shall be swift and intelligent
betwixt us. Farewell, dear sister: farewell, my
lord of Gloucester.
Enter OSWALD
How now! where's the king?
Leave his punishment to me. Edmund, you keep
my sister company: the punishment we are going to have to give
your traitorous father is not fit for you to see.
Tell the Duke, to whom you are going, to hurry
and get ready for war: we are doing the same.
The information will fly quickly between us.
Farewell, dear sister: farewell, my lord of Gloucester.
Hello there! Where's the King?
OSWALD
My lord of Gloucester hath convey'd him hence:
Some five or six and thirty of his knights,
Hot questrists after him, met him at gate;
Who, with some other of the lord's dependants,
Are gone with him towards Dover; where they boast
To have well-armed friends.
My lord of Gloucester has carried him away:
thirty-five or thirty-six of his knights,
who had been urgently seeking him, met him at the gate;
they, with some of the other servants of Gloucester,
have gone with him towards Dover; they say
they have well armed friends there.
CORNWALL
Get horses for your mistress.
Get horses for your mistress.
GONERIL
Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.
Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.
CORNWALL
Edmund, farewell.
Exeunt GONERIL, EDMUND, and OSWALD
Go seek the traitor Gloucester,
Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us.
Exeunt other Servants
Though well we may not pass upon his life
Without the form of justice, yet our power
Shall do a courtesy to our wrath, which men
May blame, but not control. Who's there? the traitor?
Enter GLOUCESTER, brought in by two or three
Edmund, farewell.
Go and find the traitor Gloucester,
tie him like a thief, and bring him to me.
Though we should not execute him
without a fair trial, my position
will give way to my anger, which men
may blame, but not control. Who's there? The traitor?
REGAN
Ingrateful fox! 'tis he.
The ungrateful fox! It's him.
CORNWALL
Bind fast his corky arms.
Tie up his withered arms.
GLOUCESTER
What mean your graces? Good my friends, consider
You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends.
What is the meaning of this, your graces? My good friends,
remember that you are my guests: do not harm me, friends.
CORNWALL
Bind him, I say.
Servants bind him
Tie him up, I said.
REGAN
Hard, hard. O filthy traitor!
Make those knots tight. You filthy traitor!
GLOUCESTER
Unmerciful lady as you are, I'm none.
You are a merciless lady, but I'm no traitor.
CORNWALL
To this chair bind him. Villain, thou shalt find--
REGAN plucks his beard
Tie him to this chair. Villain, you will find–
GLOUCESTER
By the kind gods, 'tis most ignobly done
To pluck me by the beard.
By the kind gods, it is an undignified thing,
to pull at my beard.
REGAN
So white, and such a traitor!
So white, and such a traitor!
GLOUCESTER
Naughty lady,
These hairs, which thou dost ravish from my chin,
Will quicken, and accuse thee: I am your host:
With robbers' hands my hospitable favours
You should not ruffle thus. What will you do?
You bad lady,
these hairs, which you pull from my chin,
will come to life, and accuse you: I am your host:
you should not be so violent to your host's face
with your robbing hands. What do you want?
CORNWALL
Come, sir, what letters had you late from France?
Now, sir, what letters did you recently have from France?
REGAN
Be simple answerer, for we know the truth.
Give us a straight answer, because we know the truth.
CORNWALL
And what confederacy have you with the traitors
Late footed in the kingdom?
And what are your links with the traitors
who
have recently landed in the kingdom?
REGAN
To whose hands have you sent the lunatic king? Speak.
Where have you sent the lunatic king? Speak.
GLOUCESTER
I have a letter guessingly set down,
Which came from one that's of a neutral heart,
And not from one opposed.
I have a speculative letter,
which came from someone who is neutral,
not an enemy.
CORNWALL
Cunning.
Cunning.
REGAN
And false.
And a lie.
CORNWALL
Where hast thou sent the king?
Where have you sent the King?
GLOUCESTER
To Dover.
To Dover.
REGAN
Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charged at peril--
Why to Dover? Were you not ordered on pain of death–
CORNWALL
Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer that.
Why to Dover? Let him answer that first.
GLOUCESTER
I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course.