The First Web Folio Edition of Shakespeare's Works
A tent in the French camp. LEAR on a bed asleep, soft music playing; Gentleman, and others attending. |
[Enter CORDELIA, KENT, and Doctor] |
CORDELIA | O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work, | ||
To match thy goodness? My life will be too short, | |||
And every measure fail me. |
KENT | To be acknowledged, madam, is o'erpaid. | ||
All my reports go with the modest truth; | 5 | ||
Nor more nor clipp'd, but so. |
CORDELIA | Be better suited: | ||
These weeds are memories of those worser hours: | |||
I prithee, put them off. |
KENT | Pardon me, dear madam; | 10 | |
Yet to be known shortens my made intent: | |||
My boon I make it, that you know me not | |||
Till time and I think meet. |
CORDELIA | Then be't so, my good lord. | ||
[To the Doctor] | |||
How does the king? | 15 |
Doctor | Madam, sleeps still. |
CORDELIA | O you kind gods, | ||
Cure this great breach in his abused nature! | |||
The untuned and jarring senses, O, wind up | |||
Of this child-changed father! | 20 |
Doctor | So please your majesty | ||
That we may wake the king: he hath slept long. |
CORDELIA | Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed | ||
I' the sway of your own will. Is he array'd? |
Gentleman | Ay, madam; in the heaviness of his sleep | 25 | |
We put fresh garments on him. |
Doctor | Be by, good madam, when we do awake him; | ||
I doubt not of his temperance. |
CORDELIA | Very well. |
Doctor | Please you, draw near. Louder the music there! | 30 |
CORDELIA | O my dear father! Restoration hang | ||
Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss | |||
Repair those violent harms that my two sisters | |||
Have in thy reverence made! |
KENT | Kind and dear princess! | 35 |
CORDELIA | Had you not been their father, these white flakes | ||
Had challenged pity of them. Was this a face | |||
To be opposed against the warring winds? | |||
To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder? | |||
In the most terrible and nimble stroke | 40 | ||
Of quick, cross lightning? to watch--poor perdu!-- | |||
With this thin helm? Mine enemy's dog, | |||
Though he had bit me, should have stood that night | |||
Against my fire; and wast thou fain, poor father, | |||
To hovel thee with swine, and rogues forlorn, | 45 | ||
In short and musty straw? Alack, alack! | |||
'Tis wonder that thy life and wits at once | |||
Had not concluded all. He wakes; speak to him. |
Doctor | Madam, do you; 'tis fittest. |
CORDELIA | How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty? | 50 |
KING LEAR | You do me wrong to take me out o' the grave: | ||
Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound | |||
Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears | |||
Do scald like moulten lead. |
CORDELIA | Sir, do you know me? | 55 |
KING LEAR | You are a spirit, I know: when did you die? |
CORDELIA | Still, still, far wide! |
Doctor | He's scarce awake: let him alone awhile. |
KING LEAR | Where have I been? Where am I? Fair daylight? | ||
I am mightily abused. I should e'en die with pity, | 60 | ||
To see another thus. I know not what to say. | |||
I will not swear these are my hands: let's see; | |||
I feel this pin prick. Would I were assured | |||
Of my condition! |
CORDELIA | O, look upon me, sir, | ||
And hold your hands in benediction o'er me: | 65 | ||
No, sir, you must not kneel. |
KING LEAR | Pray, do not mock me: | ||
I am a very foolish fond old man, | |||
Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less; | |||
And, to deal plainly, | 70 | ||
I fear I am not in my perfect mind. | |||
Methinks I should know you, and know this man; | |||
Yet I am doubtful for I am mainly ignorant | |||
What place this is; and all the skill I have | |||
Remembers not these garments; nor I know not | 75 | ||
Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me; | |||
For, as I am a man, I think this lady | |||
To be my child Cordelia. |
CORDELIA | And so I am, I am. |
KING LEAR | Be your tears wet? yes, 'faith. I pray, weep not: | 80 | |
If you have poison for me, I will drink it. | |||
I know you do not love me; for your sisters | |||
Have, as I do remember, done me wrong: | |||
You have some cause, they have not. |
CORDELIA | No cause, no cause. | 85 |
KING LEAR | Am I in France? |
KENT | In your own kingdom, sir. |
KING LEAR | Do not abuse me. |
Doctor | Be comforted, good madam: the great rage, | ||
You see, is kill'd in him: and yet it is danger | |||
To make him even o'er the time he has lost. | 90 | ||
Desire him to go in; trouble him no more | |||
Till further settling. |
CORDELIA | Will't please your highness walk? |
KING LEAR | You must bear with me: | ||
Pray you now, forget and forgive: I am old and foolish. | 95 | ||
[Exeunt all but KENT and Gentleman] |
Gentleman | Holds it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall was so slain? |
KENT | Most certain, sir. |
Gentleman | Who is conductor of his people? |
KENT | As 'tis said, the bastard son of Gloucester. |
Gentleman | They say Edgar, his banished son, is with the Earl | 100 | |
of Kent in Germany. |
KENT | Report is changeable. 'Tis time to look about; the | ||
powers of the kingdom approach apace. |
Gentleman | The arbitrement is like to be bloody. Fare you | ||
well, sir. | 105 | ||
[Exit] |
KENT | My point and period will be throughly wrought, | ||
Or well or ill, as this day's battle's fought. | |||
[Exit] |
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