Be-monster not thy feature. Were’t my fitness
To let these hands obey my blood,
65
They are apt enough to dislocate and tear
Thy flesh and bones. Howe’er thou art a fiend,
A woman’s shape doth shield thee.
GONERIL Marry, your manhood, mew! –Q
Enter a Messenger.
QALBANY What news?Q
70
MESSENGER
O my good lord, the Duke of Cornwall’s dead,
Slain by his servant, going to put out
The other eye of Gloucester.
ALBANY Gloucester’s eyes?
MESSENGER
A servant that he bred, thrilled with remorse,
Opposed against the act, bending his sword
75
To his great master, who, thereat enraged,
Flew on him and amongst them felled him dead;
But not without that harmful stroke which since
Hath plucked him after.
ALBANY This shows you are above,
You justicers, that these our nether crimes
80
So speedily can venge. But, O, poor Gloucester,
Lost he his other eye?
MESSENGER Both, both, my lord.
[to Goneril] This letter, madam, craves a speedy answer;
’Tis from your sister.
GONERIL [aside] One way I like this well;
But being widow, and my Gloucester with her,
85
May all the building in my fancy pluck
Upon my hateful life. Another way
The news is not so tart.
[to the Messenger] I’ll read and answer. Q Exit.Q
ALBANY
Where was his son when they did take his eyes?
MESSENGER Come with my lady hither.
ALBANY He is not here.
90
MESSENGER No, my good lord; I met him back again.
ALBANY Knows he the wickedness?
MESSENGER
Ay, my good lord, ’twas he informed against him
And quit the house on purpose that their punishment
Might have the freer course.
ALBANY Gloucester, I live
95
To thank thee for the love thou showd’st the King
And to revenge thine eyes. Come hither, friend,
Tell me what more thou knowst.
Exeunt.
4.3 Q Enter KENT[, disguised,] and a Gentleman.
KENT Why the King of France is so suddenly gone
back, know you no reason?
GENTLEMAN Something he left imperfect in the state
which since his coming forth is thought of, which
imports to the kingdom so much fear and danger that
5
his personal return was most required and necessary.
KENT Who hath he left behind him General?
GENTLEMAN The Marshal of France, Monsieur la Far.
KENT Did your letters pierce the queen to any demonstration of grief?
10
GENTLEMAN
Ay, sir. She took them, read them in my presence,
And now and then an ample tear trilled down
Her delicate cheek. It seemed she was a queen
Over her passion, who, most rebel-like,
Sought to be king o’er her.
KENT O, then, it moved her?
15
GENTLEMAN Not to a rage; patience and sorrow strove
Who should express her goodliest. You have seen
Sunshine and rain at once, her smiles and tears
Were like a better way. Those happy smilets
That played on her ripe lip seemed not to know
20
What guests were in her eyes, which parted thence
As pearls from diamonds dropped. In brief,
Sorrow would be a rarity most beloved
If all could so become it.
KENT Made she no verbal question?
25
GENTLEMAN
Faith, once or twice she heaved the name of father
Pantingly forth as if it pressed her heart;
Cried ‘Sisters, sisters, shame of ladies, sisters!
Kent, father, sisters! What, i’the storm, i’the night?
Let pity not be believed!’ There she shook
30
The holy water from her heavenly eyes,
And clamour mastered her; then away she started,
To deal with grief alone.
KENT It is the stars,
The stars above us govern our conditions,
Else one self mate and make could not beget
35
Such different issues. You spoke not with her since?
GENTLEMAN No.
KENT Was this before the King returned?
GENTLEMAN No, since.
KENT Well, sir, the poor distressed Lear’s i’the town,
Who sometime in his better tune remembers
40
What we are come about, and by no means
Will yield to see his daughter.
GENTLEMAN Why, good sir?
KENT
A sovereign shame so elbows him. His own unkindness
That stripped her from his benediction, turned her
To foreign casualties, gave her dear rights
45
To his dog-hearted daughters, these things sting
His mind so venomously that burning shame
Detains him from Cordelia.
GENTLEMAN Alack, poor gentleman.
KENT
Of Albany’s and Cornwall’s powers you heard not?
GENTLEMAN ’Tis so; they are afoot.
50
KENT Well, sir, I’ll bring you to our master, Lear,
And leave you to attend him. Some dear cause
Will in concealment wrap me up awhile.
When I am known aright, you shall not grieve,
Lending me this acquaintance.
55
I pray you, go along with me. Exeunt.Q
4.4 Enter Fwith drum and coloursF CORDELIA Gentleman, [officer] Fand soldiers.F
CORDELIA Alack, ’tis he. Why, he was met even now
As mad as the vexed sea, singing aloud,
Crowned with rank fumiter and furrow-weeds,
With burdocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers,
Darnel and all the idle weeds that grow
5
In our sustaining corn.
[to officer] A century send forth;
Search every acre in the high-grown field
And bring him to our eye. What can man’s wisdom
In the restoring his bereaved sense,
He that helps him take all my outward worth.
10
[Exit officer, with soldiers.]
GENTLEMAN There is means, madam.
Our foster nurse of nature is repose,
The which he lacks: that to provoke in him
Are many simples operative, whose power
Will close the eye of anguish.
CORDELIA All blest secrets,
15
All you unpublished virtues of the earth,
Spring with my tears. Be aidant and remediate
In the good man’s distress. Seek, seek for him,
Lest his ungoverned rage dissolve the life
That wants the means to lead it.
Enter Messenger.
MESSENGER News, madam:
20
The British powers are marching hitherward.
CORDELIA ’Tis known before. Our preparation stands
In expectation of them. O dear father,
It is thy business that I go about;
Therefore great France
25
My mourning and important tears hath pitied.
No blown ambition doth our arms incite,
But love, dear love, and our aged father’s right:
>
Soon may I hear and see him. Exeunt.
4.5 Enter REGAN and OSWALD.
REGAN But are my brother’s powers set forth?
OSWALD Ay, madam.
REGAN Himself in person FthereF?
OSWALD Madam, with much ado; your sister is the better soldier.
5
REGAN Lord Edmund spake not with your lord at home?
OSWALD No, madam.
REGAN What might import my sister’s letter to him?
OSWALD I know not, lady.
REGAN Faith, he is posted hence on serious matter.
10
It was great ignorance, Gloucester’s eyes being out,
To let him live. Where he arrives he moves
All hearts against us. Edmund, I think, is gone
In pity of his misery to dispatch
His nighted life; moreover to descry
15
The strength o’th’ enemy.
OSWALD I must needs after him, Fmadam,F with my letter.
REGAN
Our troops set forth tomorrow; stay with us.
The ways are dangerous.
OSWALD I may not, madam;
My lady charged my duty in this business.
20
REGAN
Why should she write to Edmund? Might not you
Transport her purposes by word? Belike –
Some things, I know not what – I’ll love thee much;
Let me unseal the letter.
OSWALD Madam, I had rather –
REGAN I know your lady does not love her husband,
25
I am sure of that; and at her late being here
She gave strange oeillades and most speaking looks
To noble Edmund. I know you are of her bosom.
OSWALD I, madam?
REGAN I speak in understanding; y’are, I know’t.
30
Therefore I do advise you take this note.
My lord is dead; Edmund and I have talked,
And more convenient is he for my hand
Than for your lady’s. You may gather more.
If you do find him, pray you give him this;
35
And when your mistress hears thus much from you,
I pray desire her call her wisdom to her.
So fare FyouF well.
If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor,
Preferment falls on him that cuts him off.
40
OSWALD
Would I could meet Q himQ, madam, I should show
What party I do follow.
REGAN Fare thee well. Exeunt.
4.6 Enter GLOUCESTER and EDGAR[, in peasant’s clothing and with a staff].
GLOUCESTER
When shall I come to the top of that same hill?
EDGAR You do climb up it now. Look how we labour.
GLOUCESTER Methinks the ground is even.
EDGAR Horrible steep.
Hark, do you hear the sea?
GLOUCESTER No, truly.
EDGAR Why then, your other senses grow imperfect
5
By your eyes’ anguish.
GLOUCESTER So may it be indeed.
Methinks thy voice is altered and thou speak’st
In better phrase and matter than thou didst.
EDGAR You’re much deceived; in nothing am I changed
But in my garments.
GLOUCESTER Methinks you’re better spoken.
10
EDGAR
Come on, sir, here’s the place. Stand still: how fearful
And dizzy ’tis to cast one’s eyes so low.
The crows and choughs that wing the midway air
Show scarce so gross as beetles. Half-way down
Hangs one that gathers samphire, dreadful trade;
15
Methinks he seems no bigger than his head.
The fishermen that walk upon the beach
Appear like mice, and yon tall anchoring barque
Diminished to her cock, her cock a buoy
Almost too small for sight. The murmuring surge
20
That on th’unnumbered idle pebble chafes,
Cannot be heard so high. I’ll look no more,
Lest my brain turn and the deficient sight
Topple down headlong.
GLOUCESTER Set me where you stand.
EDGAR Give me your hand: you are now within a foot
25
Of th’extreme verge. For all beneath the moon
Would I not leap upright.
GLOUCESTER Let go my hand.
Here, friend, ‘s another purse, in it a jewel
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 286
