GON. You strike my people; and your disorder'd rabble Make servants of their betters. Enter ALBANY. LEAR. Woe, that too late repents,—O, sir, are you come? Is it your will? [To ALB.] Speak, sir.-Prepare my horses. Ingratitude! thou marble-hearted fiend, More hideous, when thou show'st thee in a child. Than the sea-monster ! ALB. Pray, sir, be patient. LEAR. Detested kite! thou liest: My train are men of choice and rarest parts, And in the most exact regard support [To GONERIL The worships of their name.-O most small fault, Which, like an engine, wrench'd my frame of nature [Striking his head. And thy dear judgment out!-Go, go, my people. ALB. My lord, I am guiltless, as I am ignorant Of what hath mov'd you. LEAR. It may be so, my lord,— Hear, nature, hear; dear goddess, hear! Into her womb convey sterility! ALB. Now, gods, that we adore, whereof comes this ? [Exit. GON. Never afflict yourself to know more of it; But let his disposition have that scope As dotage gives it. Re-enter LEAR. 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 asham'd That thou hast power to shake my manhood thus: [To GONERIL. Pierce every sense about thee !-Old fond eyes, And cast you, with the waters that you lose, Who, I am sure, is kind and comfortable; When she shall hear this of thee, with her nails [Exeunt LEAR, KENT, and Attendants. GON. Do you mark that? ALB. I cannot be so partial, Goneril, To the great love I bear you, GON. Pray you, content.-What, Oswald, ho! You, sir, more knave than fool, after your master. [To the Fool. FOOL. Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry; take the fool with thee. A fox when one has caught her, Should sure to the slaughter, So the fool follows after. GON. This man hath had good counsel: :- - A hundred knights! "T is politic, and safe, to let him keep At point a hundred knights! Yes, that on every dream, He may enguard his dotage with their powers, GON. Safer than trust too far. Let me still take away the harms I fear, When I have show'd the unfitness-How now, Oswald ? Enter Steward. What, have you writ that letter to my sister? STEW. Ay, madam. GON. 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 compact it more. And hasten your return. Get you gone; [Exit Steward.] No, no, my lord This milky gentleness, and course of yours, ALB. How far your eyes may pierce I cannot tell; LEAR. Go you before to Gloster with these letters: acquaint my daughter no further with anything 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 your letter. [Exit. FOOL. If a man's brains were in his heels, were 't not in danger of kibes ? LEAR. Ay, boy. FOOL. Then, I prithee, be merry; thy wit shall not go slip-shod. 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 crab. Thou canst tell why one's nose stands i' the middle of one's face? LEAR. NO. FOOL. Why, to keep one's eyes of either side 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? FOOL. Nor I neither; but I can tell why a snail has a house. FOOL. Why, to put his 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 the seven stars are no mo than seven is a pretty reason. LEAR. Because they are not eight? FOOL. Yes, indeed: Thou wouldst make a good fool. LEAK. To take it again 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 temper; I would not be mad! Enter Gentleman. How now! are the horses ready? GENT. Ready, my lord. LEAR. Come, boy. FOOL. She that's a maid now, and laughs at my depar ture, Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut shorter. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I-A Court within the Castle of the Earl of Gloster. Enter EDMUND and CURAN, meeting. EDM. Save thee, Curan. CUR. 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. EDM. How comes that? CUR. Nay, I know not: You have heard of the news abroad; I mean, the whispered ones, for they are yet but ear-kissing arguments? EDM. Not I. 'Pray you, what are they? CUR. Have you heard of no likely wars toward, 'twixt the dukes of Cornwall and Albany ? EDM. Not a word. CUR. You may do then, in time. Fare you well, sir. [Exit. EDM. The duke be here to-night! The better, best! This weaves itself perforce into my business! Enter EDGAR. My father watches :-O sir, fly this place; |