Kent. Draw, you rascal: you come with letters against the king; and take vanity the puppet's part, against the royalty of her father: Draw, you rogue, or I'll so carbonado your shanks:-draw, you rascal: come your ways. Stew. Help ho! murder! help! Kent. Strike, you slave; stand, rogue, stand; you neat slave, strike. [Beating him. Stew. Help, ho! murder! murder! Enter EDMUND, CORNWALL, REGAN, GLOSTER, and Servants. Edm. How now? What's the matter? Part. Kent. With you, goodman boy, if you please; come, I'll flesh you; come on, young master. Glo. Weapons! arms! What's the matter here? Corn. Keep peace, upon your lives; He dies, that strikes again: What is the matter? Reg. The messengers from our sister and the king. Corn. What is your difference? speak. Stew. I am scarce in breath, my lord. Kent. No marvel, you have so bestirr'd your valour. You cowardly rascal, nature disclaims in thee; a tailor made thee. Corn. Thou art a strange fellow: a tailor make a man? Kent. Ay, a tailor, sir; a stone-cutter, or a painter, could not have made him so ill, though they had been but two hours at the trade. Corn. Speak yet, how grew your quarrel? Stew. This ancient ruffian, sir, whose life I have spar'd, At suit of his gray beard,— Kent. Thou whorson zed! thou unnecessary letter!-My lord, if you will give me leave, I will tread this unbolted villain into mortar, and daub the wall of a jakes with him.-Spare my gray beard, you wagtail? Corn. Peace, sirrah! You beastly knave, know you no reverence? Kent. That such a slave as this should wear a sword, [as these, Who wears no honesty. Such smiling rogues Like rats, oft bite the holy cords atwain That in the natures of their lords rebels; Kent. No contraries hold more antipathy, Corn. Why dost thou call him knave? What's his offence? Kent. His countenance likes me not. Corn. No more, perchance, does mine, or his, or hers. Kent. Sir, 'tis my occupation to be plain; Than stands on any shoulder that I see Corn. A saucy roughness; and constrains the garb, Harbour more craft, and more corrupter ends, Kent. Sir, in good sooth, in sincere verity, Under the allowance of your grand aspect, Whose influence, like the wreath of radiant fire On flickering Phoebus' front, Corn. What mean'st by this? Kent. To go out of my dialect, which you discommend so much. I know, sir, I am no flatterer: he that beguiled you, in a plain accent, was a plain knave; which, for my part, I will not be, though I should win your displeasure to entreat me to it. Corn. What was the offence you gave him? Stew. Never any: It pleas'd the king his master, very late, To strike at me, upon his misconstruction: When he, conjunct, and flattering his displeasure, Tripp'd me behind; being down, insulted, rail'd, That worthy'd him, got praises of the king Kent. None of these rogues, and cowards, But Ajax is their fool. Corn. Fetch forth the stocks, bo! You stubborn ancient knave, you reverend braggart, We'll teach you Kent. Sir, I am too old to learn: Call not your stocks for me: I serve the king; lice Against the grace and person of my master, Corn. Fetch forth the stocks: As I've life and honour, there shall he sit till noon. Reg. Till noon! till night, my lord; and all night too. Kent. Why, madam, if I were your father's dog, You should not use me so. Reg. Sir, being his knave, I will. [Stocks brought out. Corn. This is a fellow of the selfsame colour Our sister speaks of:-Come, bring away the stocks. Glo. Let me beseech your grace not to do so: His fault is much, and the good king his master Will check him for't: your purpos'd low cor rection Is such, as basest and contemned'st wretches, For pilferings and most common trespasses, Corn. Reg. My sister may receive it much more worse, To have her gentleman abus'd, assaulted, For following her affairs.-Put in his legs.[KENT is put in the Stocks. Come, my good lord; away. [Exeunt REGAN and CORNWALL. Glo. I am sorry for thee, friend; 'tis the duke's pleasure, Whose disposition, all the world well knows, Will not be rubb'd, nor stopp'd; I'll entreat for thee. Kent. 'Pray, do not, sir: I have watch'd, and travell'd hard; Some time I shall sleep out, the rest I'll whistle. A good man's fortune may grow out at heels: Give you good morrow! Glo. The duke's to blame in this; 'twill be ill taken. [Exit. Kent. Good king, that must approve the com mon saw! Thou out of heaven's benediction com'st Approach, thou beacon to this under globe, But misery;-I know 'tis from Cordelia; Take vantage, heavy eyes, not to behold Fortune, good night; smile once more; turn thy wheel! [He sleeps. SCENE III. A Part of the Heath. Enter EDGAR. Edg. I heard myself proclaim'd; And, by the happy hollow of a tree, Escap'd the hunt. No port is free; no place, That guard, and most unusual vigilance, Does not attend my taking. While may scape, I will preserve myself: and am bethought Blanket my loins; elf all my hair in knots; Enforce their charity.-Poor Turlygood! poor Tom! That's something yet; Edgar I nothing am. SCENE IV. Before Gloster's Castle. Enter LEAR, Fool, and Gentleman. [Exit. Lear. "Tis strange, that they should so depart from home, Lear. How! Hail to thee, noble master! Mak'st thou this shame thy pastime? Kent. No, my lord. Fool. Ha, ha; look! he wears cruel garters! Horses are tied by the heads; dogs, and bears, by the neck; monkeys by the loins, and men |