They have travelled all the night? Mere fetches275,
The images of revolt and flying off276.
Fetch me a better answer.
GLOUCESTER My dear lord,
You know the fiery quality of the duke,
How unremovable and fixed he is
In his own course.
LEAR Vengeance, plague, death, confusion282!
Fiery? What quality? Why, Gloucester, Gloucester,
I’d speak with the Duke of Cornwall and his wife.
GLOUCESTER Well, my good lord, I have informed them so.
LEAR Informed them? Dost thou understand me, man?
GLOUCESTER Ay, my good lord.
LEAR The king would speak with Cornwalclass="underline" the dear father
Would with his daughter speak, commands, tends289, service.
Are they informed of this? My breath and blood!
Fiery? The fiery duke? Tell the hot duke that —
No, but not yet: maybe he is not well.
Infirmity doth still neglect all office293
Whereto our health is bound: we are not ourselves
When nature, being oppressed295, commands the mind
To suffer with the body. I’ll forbear,
And am fallen out with my more headier will297,
To take the indisposed and sickly fit
Sees Kent
For the sound man. Death on my state299! Wherefore
Should he sit here? This act persuades me
That this remotion301 of the duke and her
Is practice only. Give me my servant forth302.
Go tell the duke and’s303 wife I’d speak with them,
Now, presently: bid them come forth and hear me,
Or at their chamber-door I’ll beat the drum
Till it cry sleep to death.
GLOUCESTER I would have all well betwixt you.
Exit
LEAR O me, my heart, my rising heart! But, down!
FOOL Cry to it, nuncle, as the cockney309 did to the eels when
she put ’em i’th’paste alive: she knapped ’em o’th’coxcombs310
with a stick and cried ‘Down, wantons311, down!’ ’Twas her
brother that, in pure kindness to his horse, buttered his hay312.
Enter Cornwall, Regan, Gloucester, Servants
LEAR Good morrow to you both.
CORNWALL Hail to your grace!
Kent here set at liberty
REGAN I am glad to see your highness.
LEAR Regan, I think you are. I know what reason
I have to think so: if thou shouldst not be glad,
I would divorce me from thy mother’s tomb,
To Kent
Sepulch’ring an adult’ress319.— O, are you free?
Some other time for that.— Belovèd Regan,
Thy sister’s naught321: O Regan, she hath tied
Sharp-toothed unkindness, like a vulture322, here.
Points to his heart
I can scarce speak to thee. Thou’lt not believe
With how depraved a quality — O Regan!
REGAN I pray you, sir, take patience: I have hope
You less know how to value her desert326
Than she to scant her duty.
LEAR Say? How is that?
REGAN I cannot think my sister in the least
Would fail her obligation: if, sir, perchance
She have restrained the riots of your followers,
’Tis on such ground and to such wholesome end
As clears her from all blame.
LEAR My curses on her!
REGAN O, sir, you are old:
Nature in you stands on the very verge336
Of her confine: you should be ruled and led
By some discretion that discerns your state338
Better than you yourself. Therefore, I pray you,
That to our sister you do make return:
Say you have wronged her.
LEAR Ask her forgiveness?
Do you but mark how this becomes the house343:
Dear daughter, I confess that I am old;
Kneels
Age is unnecessary345. On my knees I beg
That you’ll vouchsafe me raiment346, bed and food.
REGAN Good sir, no more: these are unsightly tricks:
Return you to my sister.
Rises
LEAR Never, Regan:
She hath abated350 me of half my train,
Looked black upon me, struck me with her tongue
Most serpent-like upon the very heart.
All the stored vengeances of heaven fall
On her ingrateful top354! Strike her young bones,
You taking355 airs, with lameness—
CORNWALL Fie, sir, fie!
LEAR You nimble lightnings, dart your blinding flames
Into her scornful eyes! Infect her beauty,
You fen-sucked fogs drawn by the powerful sun359
To fall and blister!
REGAN O the blest gods! So will you wish on me
When the rash mood is on.
LEAR No, Regan, thou shalt never have my curse:
Thy tender-hafted364 nature shall not give
Thee o’er to harshness. Her eyes are fierce, but thine
Do comfort and not burn. ’Tis not in thee
To grudge my pleasures, to cut off my train,
To bandy hasty words, to scant my sizes368,
And, in conclusion, to oppose the bolt369
Against my coming in: thou better know’st
The offices of nature371, bond of childhood,
Effects372 of courtesy, dues of gratitude:
Thy half o’th’kingdom hast thou not forgot,
Wherein I thee endowed.
Tucket within
REGAN Good sir, to th’purpose375.
LEAR Who put my man i’th’stocks?
Enter Steward [Oswald]
CORNWALL What trumpet’s that?
REGAN I know’t my sister’s: this approves378 her letter,
To Oswald
That she would soon be here.— Is your lady come?
LEAR This is a slave, whose easy-borrowed380 pride
Dwells in the sickly grace381 of her he follows.—
Out, varlet, from my sight!
CORNWALL What means your grace?
Enter Goneril
LEAR Who stocked my servant? Regan, I have good hope
Thou didst not know on’t385. Who comes here? O heavens,
If you do love old men, if your sweet sway386
Allow387 obedience, if you yourselves are old,
Make it your cause, send down, and take my part!—
To Goneril
Art not ashamed to look upon this beard389?—
O Regan, will you take her by the hand?
Regan and Goneril join hands
GONERIL Why not by th’hand, sir? How have I offended?
All’s not offence that indiscretion392 finds
And dotage terms so.
LEAR O sides394, you are too tough!
Will you yet hold?— How came my man i’th’stocks?
CORNWALL I set him there, sir: but his own disorders396
Deserved much less advancement397.
LEAR You? Did you?
REGAN I pray you, father, being weak, seem so.
If till the expiration of your month,
You will return and sojourn with my sister,
Dismissing half your train, come then to me:
I am now from home, and out of that provision
Which shall be needful for your entertainment404.
LEAR Return to her? And fifty men dismissed?
No, rather I abjure406 all roofs, and choose
To wage against the enmity o’th’air407,
To be a comrade with the wolf and owl,
Necessity’s409 sharp pinch! Return with her?
Why, the hot-blooded France, that dowerless took