King Lear, William Shakespeare [good book recommendations TXT] 📗

to defend him,
Stand in assured loss: take up, take up;
And follow me, that will to some provision
Give thee quick conduct. Kent

Oppressed nature sleeps:
This rest might yet have balm’d thy broken senses,
Which, if convenience will not allow,
Stand in hard cure.
To the Fool. Come, help to bear thy master;
Thou must not stay behind.

Gloucester

Come, come, away. Exeunt all but Edgar.

Edgar

When we our betters see bearing our woes,
We scarcely think our miseries our foes.
Who alone suffers suffers most i’ the mind,
Leaving free things and happy shows behind:
But then the mind much sufferance doth o’er skip,
When grief hath mates, and bearing fellowship.
How light and portable my pain seems now,
When that which makes me bend makes the king bow,
He childed as I father’d! Tom, away!
Mark the high noises; and thyself bewray,
When false opinion, whose wrong thought defiles thee,
In thy just proof, repeals and reconciles thee.
What will hap more to-night, safe ’scape the king!
Lurk, lurk. Exit.

Scene VII

Gloucester’s castle.

Enter Cornwall, Regan, Goneril, Edmund, and Servants. Cornwall Post speedily to my lord your husband; show him this letter: the army of France is landed. Seek out the villain Gloucester. Exeunt some of the Servants. Regan Hang him instantly. Goneril Pluck out his eyes. Cornwall Leave him to my displeasure. Edmund, keep you our sister company: the revenges we are bound to take upon your traitorous father are not fit for your beholding. Advise the duke, where you are going, to a most festinate preparation: we are bound to the like. Our posts shall be swift and intelligent betwixt us. Farewell, dear sister: farewell, my lord of Gloucester. Enter Oswald. How now! where’s the king? Oswald

My lord of Gloucester hath convey’d him hence:
Some five or six and thirty of his knights,
Hot questrists after him, met him at gate;
Who, with some other of the lords dependants,
Are gone with him towards Dover; where they boast
To have well-armed friends.

Cornwall Get horses for your mistress. Goneril Farewell, sweet lord, and sister. Cornwall

Edmund, farewell. Exeunt Goneril, Edmund, and Oswald.
Go seek the traitor Gloucester,
Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us. Exeunt other Servants.
Though well we may not pass upon his life
Without the form of justice, yet our power
Shall do a courtesy to our wrath, which men
May blame, but not control. Who’s there? the traitor?

Enter Gloucester, brought in by two or three. Regan Ingrateful fox! ’tis he. Cornwall Bind fast his corky arms. Gloucester

What mean your graces? Good my friends, consider
You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends.

Cornwall Bind him, I say. Servants bind him. Regan Hard, hard. O filthy traitor! Gloucester Unmerciful lady as you are, I’m none. Cornwall

To this chair bind him. Villain, thou shalt find⁠—Regan plucks his beard.

Gloucester

By the kind gods, ’tis most ignobly done
To pluck me by the beard.

Regan

So white, and such a traitor!

Gloucester

Naughty lady,
These hairs, which thou dost ravish from my chin,
Will quicken, and accuse thee: I am your host:
With robbers’ hands my hospitable favours
You should not ruffle thus. What will you do?

Cornwall

Come, sir, what letters had you late from France?

Regan

Be simple answerer, for we know the truth.

Cornwall

And what confederacy have you with the traitors
Late footed in the kingdom?

Regan

To whose hands have you sent the lunatic king? Speak.

Gloucester

I have a letter guessingly set down,
Which came from one that’s of a neutral heart,
And not from one opposed.

Cornwall Cunning. Regan And false. Cornwall Where hast thou sent the king? Gloucester To Dover. Regan Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charged at peril⁠— Cornwall Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer that. Gloucester I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course. Regan Wherefore to Dover, sir? Gloucester

Because I would not see thy cruel nails
Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister
In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.
The sea, with such a storm as his bare head
In hell-black night endured, would have buoy’d up,
And quench’d the stelled fires:
Yet, poor old heart, he holp the heavens to rain.
If wolves had at thy gate howl’d that stern time,
Thou shouldst have said “Good porter, turn the key,”
All cruels else subscribed: but I shall see
The winged vengeance overtake such children.

Cornwall

See’t shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair.
Upon these eyes of thine I’ll set my foot.

Gloucester

He that will think to live till he be old,
Give me some help! O cruel! O you gods!

Regan

One side will mock another; the other too.

Cornwall

If you see vengeance⁠—

First servant

Hold your hand, my lord:
I have served you ever since I was a child;
But better service have I never done you
Than now to bid you hold.

Regan

How now, you dog!

First servant

If you did wear a beard upon your chin,
I’d shake it on this quarrel. What do you mean?

Cornwall My villain! They draw and fight. First servant Nay, then, come on, and take the chance of anger. Regan Give me thy sword. A peasant stand up thus! Takes a sword, and runs at him behind. First servant

O, I am slain! My lord, you have one eye left
To see some mischief on him. O! Dies.

Cornwall

Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly!
Where is thy lustre now?

Gloucester

All dark and comfortless. Where’s my son Edmund?
Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature,
To quit this horrid act.

Regan

Out, treacherous villain!
Thou call’st on him that hates thee: it was he
That made the overture of thy treasons to us;
Who is too good to pity thee.

Gloucester

O my follies! then Edgar was abused.
Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him!

Regan

Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell
His way to Dover. Exit one with Gloucester.
How is’t, my lord? how look you?

Cornwall

I have received a hurt: follow me, lady.
Turn out that eyeless villain; throw this slave
Upon the dunghill. Regan, I bleed apace:
Untimely comes this hurt: give me your arm.