GONERIL Never afflict yourself to know more of it,
But let his disposition have that scope
As dotage266 gives it.
Enter Lear
LEAR What, fifty of my followers at a clap267?
Within a fortnight?
ALBANY What’s the matter, sir?
To Goneril
LEAR I’ll tell thee:— Life and death! I am ashamed
That thou hast power to shake my manhood thus,
That these hot tears, which break from me perforce272,
Should make thee worth them. Blasts273 and fogs upon thee!
Th’untented274 woundings of a father’s curse
Pierce every sense about thee! Old fond275 eyes,
Beweep this cause again, I’ll pluck ye out
And cast you, with the waters that you loose277,
To temper clay278. Ha? Let it be so.
I have another daughter,
Who, I am sure, is kind and comfortable280:
When she shall hear this of thee, with her nails
She’ll flay thy wolvish visage282. Thou shalt find
That I’ll resume the shape which thou dost think
I have cast off for ever.
Exeunt [Lear, perhaps with Kent and Knights]
GONERIL Do you mark that?
ALBANY I cannot be so partial286, Goneril,
To the great love I bear you—
GONERIL Pray you, content288.— What, Oswald, ho!—
To Fool
You, sir, more knave than fool, after your master.
FOOL Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, take the fool with
thee.
Sings
A fox, when one has caught her,
And such a daughter
Should sure to the slaughter,
If my cap would buy a halter295:
So the fool follows after.
Exit
GONERIL This man hath had good counsel. A hundred knights?
’Tis politic298 and safe to let him keep
At point a hundred knights: yes, that299 on every dream,
Each buzz, each fancy300, each complaint, dislike,
He may enguard301 his dotage with their powers
And hold our lives in302 mercy.— Oswald, I say!
ALBANY Well, you may fear too far.
GONERIL Safer than trust too far:
Let me still305 take away the harms I fear,
Not fear still to be taken306. I know his heart.
What he hath uttered I have writ my sister:
If she sustain him and his hundred knights
When I have showed th’unfitness—
Enter Steward [Oswald]
How now, Oswald?
What, have you writ that letter to my sister?
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 compact315 it more. Get you gone,
And hasten your return.—
[Exit Oswald]
No, no, my lord,
This milky gentleness and course of yours
Though I condemn not, yet, under pardon318,
You are much more at task319 for want of wisdom
Than praised for harmful mildness.
ALBANY How far your eyes may pierce I cannot telclass="underline"
Striving to better, oft we mar what’s well.
GONERIL Nay, then—
ALBANY Well, well, th’event324.
Exeunt
Act 1 Scene 5
running scene 3 continues
Kent disguised as Caius
Enter Lear, Kent, Gentleman and Fool
To Kent
LEAR Go you before1 to Gloucester with these letters.
Acquaint my daughter no further with anything you know
than comes from her demand out of3 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 your
letter.
Exit
FOOL If a man’s brains were in’s heels, were’t not in
danger of kibes8?
LEAR Ay, boy.
FOOL Then, I prithee be merry: thy wit shall not go slip-10
shod.
LEAR Ha, ha, ha!
FOOL Shalt13 see thy other daughter will use thee kindly, for
though she’s as like this as a crab’s14 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 crab.
Thou canst tell why one’s nose stands i’th’middle on’s18 face?
LEAR No.
FOOL Why, to keep one’s eyes of either side’s20 nose, that
what a man cannot smell out he may spy into.
LEAR I did her22 wrong—
FOOL Canst tell how an oyster makes his shell?
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.
LEAR I will forget my nature. So kind a father!— Be my
horses ready?
FOOL Thy asses are gone about ’em. The reason why the31
seven stars are no more than seven is a pretty32 reason.
LEAR Because they are not eight.
FOOL Yes, indeed: thou wouldst make a good fool.
LEAR To take’t again35 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?
FOOL Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst
been wise.
LEAR O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven!
Keep me in temper42: I would not be mad!—
To Gentleman
How now, are the horses ready?
GENTLEMAN Ready, my lord.
LEAR Come, boy.
FOOL She that’s a maid46 now, and laughs at my departure,
Shall not be a maid long, unless things47 be cut shorter.
Exeunt
Act 2 Scene 1
running scene 4
Enter Bastard [Edmund] and Curan, severally
EDMUND Save thee1, Curan.
CURAN And you, sir. I have been with your father, and given
him notice that the Duke of Cornwall and Regan his duchess
will be here with him this night.
EDMUND How comes that?
CURAN Nay, I know not. You have heard of the news
abroad: I mean the whispered ones, for they are yet but ear-7
kissing arguments?
EDMUND Not I: pray you, what are they?
CURAN Have you heard of no likely wars toward10 ’twixt the
dukes of Cornwall and Albany?
EDMUND Not a word.
CURAN You may do then in time. Fare you well, sir.
Exit
EDMUND The duke be here tonight? The better — best!
This weaves itself perforce15 into my business.
My father hath set guard to take16 my brother,
And I have one thing, of a queasy question17,
Which I must act. Briefness and fortune, work!—
Enter Edgar
Appears above and then enters below
Brother, a word: descend, brother, I say!
My father watches20: O sir, fly this place.
Intelligence21 is given where you are hid;