Puslapio vaizdai
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And thy dear judgment out. Go, go,, my people. : Alb. My Lord, I'm guiltless, as I'm ignorant

Of what hath moved you.

Lear. It may be so, my Lord

Hear, Nature, hear, dear Goddess, hear a father-
Suspend thy purpose, if thou didst intend
To make this creature fruitful:

Into her womb convey fterility,
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 disnatur'd 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 ferpent's tooth it is,

To have a thankless child. -Go, go, my people.

Alb. Now, Gods, that we adore, whereof comes this?

Gon. Never afflict your self to know of what,

But let his disposition have that scope

As dotage gives it.

Lear. What fifty of my followers at a clap? Within a fortnight?

Alb: What's the matter, Sir?

Lear. I'll tell thee - life and death! I am ashamed

That thou haft 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!
Th' untented woundings of a father's curse
Pierce every sense about thee! Old fond eyes,
Beweep her once again, I'll pluck ye out,
And cast you with the waters that you lose
To temper clay. Ha! is it come to this?
Let it be so: I have another daughter,
Who I am sure is kind and comfortable;
When she shall hear this of thee, with her nails
She'll flea thy wolvish visage, Thou shalt find,

That

That I'll refume the shape which thou dost think
I have caft off for ever. [Ex. Lear, and Attendants.

SCENE XVI.

Gon. Do you mark that ?

Alb. I cannot be so partial, Gonerill,

To the great love I bear you

Gon. Pray you, becontent. What, Oswald, ho!

You, Sir, more knave than fool, after your master.

Fool. Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, take the fool

with thee:

A Fox, when one has caught her,

And fuch a daughter,

Should sure to the laughter,

If my cap would buy a halter;

So the fool follows after.

[Exit.

Gon. This, man! hath had good counsel, - a hundred

Knights!

Is't politick and safe to let him keep

A hundred Knights? yes, that on ev'ry dream,
Each buz, each fancy, each complaint, dislike,
He may enguard his dotage with their pow'rs,
And hold our lives at mercy. Oswald, I say.
Alb. Well, you may fear too far;-
Gon. Safer than trust too far.

Let me still take away the harms I fear,
Not fear still to be harm'd. I know his heart;
What he hath utter'd, I have writ my fister;
If she'll sustain him and his hundred Knights,
When I have shew'd th' unfitness

How now, Ofwald?

Enter Steward.

What, have you writ that letter to my fister?

Stew. Ay, Madam.

Gon. Take you some company, away to horfe,

Inform her full of my particular fears,
And thereto add such reasons of your own

As may compact it more. So get you gone,

And haften your return.

No, no, my Lord,

This milky gentleness and course of yours,

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[Exit Steward.

Though

Though I condemn it not, yet under pardon
You are much more at task for want of wisdom,

Than prais'd for harmless mildness.

Alb. How far your eyes may pierce I cannot tell;

Striving to better oft we mar what's well.

Gon. Nay then

Alt. Well, well, th event.

SCENE XVII.

[Exeunt.

Re-enter Lear, Kent, Gentleman and Fool. Lear. Go you before to Glo'ster 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 [Exit.

your letter.

Fool. If a man's brain were in his heels, wer't not in

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Lear. Ay, boy.

Fool. Then, I pr'ythee, be merry, thy wit shall not go

flipshod.

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.

Lear. What canst tell, boy ?

Fool. She will taste as like this, as a crab does to a craba Canst thou tell why one's nose stands i'th' middle of one's face?

Lear. No.

Fool. Why, to keep one's eyes of either fide one'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?

Lear. No.

Fool. Nor Ineither; 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 cafe.

Lear. I will forget my nature: so kind a father! be my

horses ready?

Fool.

Fool. Thy affes are gone about 'em; the reafon why the

Teven stars are no more than seven, is a pretty reason.
Lear. Because they are not eight.

Fool. Yes indeed; thou would'st make a good fool.
Lear. To take't again perforce! - monster ingratitude!
Fool. If you were my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten

for being old before thy time.

Lear. How's that?

Fool. Thou should'st not have been old, 'till thou hadst been wife.

Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heav'n!

Keep me in temper, I would not be mad.

How now, are the horses ready?

Gent. Ready, my Lord.

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.

Baft.

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A Castle belonging to the Earl of Glo'fter.
Enter Bastard and Curan, feverally.

Ave thee, Curan.

SAV

[Exeunt

Cur. And you, Sir. I have been with your father, and given him notice that the Duke of Cornwall, and Regan his Dutchess, will be here with him this night. Baft. How comes that?

Cur. Nay, I know not; you have heard of the news abroad, I mean the whisper'd ones, for they are yet but earkiffing arguments.

Baft. Not I; pray you, what are they?

Cur. Have yon heard of no likely wars toward, 'twixt the Dukes of Cornwall and Aibany?

Baft. Not a word.

Cur. You may then in time. Fare you well, Sir. [Exita

SCENE И.

Baft. The Duke be here to-night! the better! best!

This weaves it self perforce into my business.

My father hath set guard to take my brother,

And I have one thing of a queazy question

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Whick

Which I must act; briefness, and fortune work!
Brother, a word: descend, brother, I say.

To him, Enter Edgar.
My father watches; O Sir, fly this place,
Intelligence is giv'n where you are hid;
You've now the good advantage of the night-
Have you not spoken 'gainst the Duke of Cornwall &
He's coming hither, now i'th' night, in haste,
And Regan with him; have you nothing said
Upon his party 'gainst the Duke of Albany ? *
Advise your felf.

Edg. I'm sure on't, not a word.

Baft. I hear my father coming. Pardon meIn cunning I must draw my sword upon you Draw, seem to defend your self.

Now quit you well

Yield come before my father-light hoa, here, -
Fly, brother - Torches ! - so, farewel- [Ex. Edg.
Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion (Wounds bisarm.
Of my more fierce endeavour. I've seen drunkards
Do more than this in sport. Father! father!

Stop, stop, no help?

SCENE III.

To bim, Enter Glo'ster, and Servants with torches. Glo. Now, Edmund, where's the villain ?

Baft. Here stood he in the dark, his sharp sword out,

Mumbling of wicked charms, conj'ring the moon
To stand his aufpicious mistress.
Glo. But where is he?

Baft. Look, Sir, I bleed.

Gb. Where is the villain, Edmund ?

Baft. Fled this way, Sir, when by no means he could
Glo. Pursue him, ho! go after. By no means, what?-
Baft. Perfuade me to the murther of your Lordship;

But that I told him the revenging Gods
Gainst parricides did all the thunder bend,
Spoke with how manifold and strong a bond
The child was bound to th' father. Sir, in fine,

* Meaning, upon the party engaged by him against the Duke of

Albany.

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