The First Web Folio Edition of Shakespeare's Works
Gloucester's castle. |
[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] |
REGAN | Hang him instantly. |
GONERIL | Pluck out his eyes. | 5 |
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 | 10 | ||
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? |
OSWALD | My lord of Gloucester hath convey'd him hence: | 15 | |
Some five or six and thirty of his knights, | |||
Hot questrists after him, met him at gate; | |||
Who, with some other of the lords dependants, | |||
Are gone with him towards Dover; where they boast | |||
To have well-armed friends. | 20 |
CORNWALL | Get horses for your mistress. |
GONERIL | 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. | 25 | ||
[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] |
REGAN | Ingrateful fox! 'tis he. | 30 |
CORNWALL | Bind fast his corky arms. |
GLOUCESTER | What mean your graces? Good my friends, consider | ||
You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends. |
CORNWALL | Bind him, I say. | ||
[Servants bind him] |
REGAN | Hard, hard. O filthy traitor! |
GLOUCESTER | Unmerciful lady as you are, I'm none. | 35 |
CORNWALL | To this chair bind him. Villain, thou shalt find-- | ||
[REGAN plucks his beard] |
GLOUCESTER | By the kind gods, 'tis most ignobly done | ||
To pluck me by the beard. |
REGAN | So white, and such a traitor! |
GLOUCESTER | Naughty lady, | 40 | |
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? |
CORNWALL | Come, sir, what letters had you late from France? | 45 |
REGAN | Be simple answerer, for we know the truth. |
CORNWALL | And what confederacy have you with the traitors | ||
Late footed in the kingdom? |
REGAN | To whose hands have you sent the lunatic king? Speak. |
GLOUCESTER | I have a letter guessingly set down, | 50 | |
Which came from one that's of a neutral heart, | |||
And not from one opposed. |
CORNWALL | Cunning. |
REGAN | And false. |
CORNWALL | Where hast thou sent the king? | 55 |
GLOUCESTER | To Dover. |
REGAN | Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charged at peril-- |
CORNWALL | Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer that. |
GLOUCESTER | I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course. |
REGAN | Wherefore to Dover, sir? | 60 |
GLOUCESTER | Because I would not see thy cruel nails | ||
Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister | |||
In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs. | |||
The sea, with such a storm as his bare head | |||
In hell-black night endured, would have buoy'd up, | 65 | ||
And quench'd the stelled fires: | |||
Yet, poor old heart, he holp the heavens to rain. | |||
If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that stern time, | |||
Thou shouldst have said 'Good porter, turn the key,' | |||
All cruels else subscribed: but I shall see | 70 | ||
The winged vengeance overtake such children. |
CORNWALL | See't shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair. | ||
Upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot. |
GLOUCESTER | He that will think to live till he be old, | ||
Give me some help! O cruel! O you gods! | 75 |
REGAN | One side will mock another; the other too. |
CORNWALL | If you see vengeance,-- |
First Servant | Hold your hand, my lord: | ||
I have served you ever since I was a child; | |||
But better service have I never done you | 80 | ||
Than now to bid you hold. |
REGAN | How now, you dog! |
First Servant | If you did wear a beard upon your chin, | ||
I'd shake it on this quarrel. What do you mean? |
CORNWALL | My villain! | 85 | |
[They draw and fight] |
First Servant | Nay, then, come on, and take the chance of anger. |
REGAN | Give me thy sword. A peasant stand up thus! | ||
[Takes a sword, and runs at him behind] |
First Servant | O, I am slain! My lord, you have one eye left | ||
To see some mischief on him. O! | |||
[Dies] |
CORNWALL | Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly! | 90 | |
Where is thy lustre now? |
GLOUCESTER | All dark and comfortless. Where's my son Edmund? | ||
Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature, | |||
To quit this horrid act. |
REGAN | Out, treacherous villain! | 95 | |
Thou call'st on him that hates thee: it was he | |||
That made the overture of thy treasons to us; | |||
Who is too good to pity thee. |
GLOUCESTER | O my follies! then Edgar was abused. | ||
Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him! | 100 |
REGAN | Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell | ||
His way to Dover. | |||
[Exit one with GLOUCESTER] | |||
How is't, my lord? how look you? |
CORNWALL | I have received a hurt: follow me, lady. | ||
Turn out that eyeless villain; throw this slave | 105 | ||
Upon the dunghill. Regan, I bleed apace: | |||
Untimely comes this hurt: give me your arm. | |||
[Exit CORNWALL, led by REGAN] |
Second Servant | I'll never care what wickedness I do, | ||
If this man come to good. |
Third Servant | If she live long, | 110 | |
And in the end meet the old course of death, | |||
Women will all turn monsters. |
Second Servant | Let's follow the old earl, and get the Bedlam | ||
To lead him where he would: his roguish madness | |||
Allows itself to any thing. | 115 |
Third Servant | Go thou: I'll fetch some flax and whites of eggs | ||
To apply to his bleeding face. Now, heaven help him! | |||
[Exeunt severally] |
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