Come, sit thou here, most learned justicer; - [TO EDGAR. Edg. The foul fiend haunts poor Tom in the voice of a nightingale. Hopdance cries in Tom's belly for two white herring. Croak not, black angel; I have no food for thee. Kent. How do you, Sir? Stand you not so amaz’d: Will you lie down and rest upon the cushions? Lear. I'll see their trial first. Thou robed man of justice, take thy place; And thou, his yoke-fellow of equity. Bring in the evidence. [TO EDGAR. [To the Fool. Bench by his side. You are o' the commission, [TO KENT. Sit you too. Edg. Let us deal justly. Sleepest, or wakest thou, jolly shepherd? Thy sheep be in the corn; And for one blast of thy minikin mouth, Thy sheep shall take no harm. Pur! the cat is grey. Lear. Arraign her first; 't is Goneril. I here take my oath before this honourable assembly, she kicked the poor king her father. Fool. Come hither, mistress. Is your name Goneril? Lear. She cannot deny it. Fool. Cry you mercy, I took you for a joint-stool. Lear. And here's another, whose warp'd looks proclaim What store her heart is made on. Arms, arms, sword, fire! Stop her there! False justicer, why hast thou let her 'scape? Kent. O pity! Sir, where is the patience now, That you so oft have boasted to retain? Edg. [Aside.] My tears begin to take his part so much, They 'll mar my counterfeiting. Lear. The little dogs and all, Tray, Blanch, and Sweet-heart, see, they bark at me. curs! Be thy mouth or black or white, Mastiff, greyhound, mongrel, grim, Avaunt, you Do, de, de, de. See, see! Come, march to wakes and fairs, and market towns. Poor Tom, thy horn is dry. Lear. Then, let them anatomize Regan, see what breeds about her heart. Is there any cause in nature, that makes these hard hearts? You, Sir, [To EDGAR.] I entertain you for one of my hundred; only, I do not like the fashion of your garments: you will say, they are Persian attire; but let them be changed. Kent. Now, good my lord, lie here, and rest awhile. Lear. Make no noise, make no noise: draw the curtains. So, so, so we 'll go to supper i' the morning: so, so, so. Fool. And I'll go to bed at noon. Re-enter GLoster. Glo. Come hither, friend: where is the king my master? I have o'er-heard a plot of death upon him. There is a little ready; lay him in 't, And drive toward Dover, friend, where thou shalt meet With thine, and all that offer to defend him, Kent. Oppress'd nature sleeps: This rest might yet have balm'd thy broken senses, 61 Stand in hard cure. Come, help to bear thy master; [To the Fool. Glo. Come, come, away. [Exeunt KENT, GLOSTER, and the Fool, bearing off the King. Edg. When we our betters see bearing our woes, We scarcelly think our miseries our foes. Who alone suffers, suffers most i' the mind, When that which makes me bend, makes the king bow: When false opinion, whose wrong thought defiles thee, What will hap more to-night, safe 'scape the king! SCENE VII. A Room in GLOSTER'S Castle. [Exit. Enter CORNWALL, Regan, GonerIL, EDMUND, and Servants. Corn. Post speedily to my lord your husband; show him this letter: Gloster. the army of France is landed. Reg. Hang him instantly, Gon. Pluck out his eyes. Seek out the traitor [Exeunt some of the Servants. Corn. Leave him to my displeasure. — Edmund, keep you VI. 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 Gloster. Enter Oswald. How now! Where's the king? Osw. My lord of Gloster 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 lord's dependants, Corn. Get horses for your mistress. Gon. Farewell, sweet lord, and sister. [Exeunt GONERIL, EDMUND, and OSWALD. Corn. Edmund, farewell. — Go, seek the traitor Gloster, Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us. [Exeunt other Servants. Though well we may not pass upon his life May blame, but not control. Who's there? The traitor? Re-enter Servants, with GLOster. Reg. Ingrateful fox! 't is he. Corn. Bind fast his corky arms. Glo. What mean your graces? — Good my friends, consider You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends. Corn. Bind him, I say. Hard, hard. - [Servants bind him. O filthy traitor! Reg. - Villain, thou shalt find Glo. By the kind gods, 't is most ignobly done To pluck me by the beard. Reg. So white, and such a traitor! Naughty lady, Glo. These hairs, which thou dost ravish from my chin, Corn. Come, Sir, what letters had you late from France? Corn. And what confederacy have you with the traitors Late footed in the kingdom? To whose hands Reg. Glo. I have a letter guessingly set down, Corn. Wherefore to Dover? Let him answer that. Glo. I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course. Reg. Wherefore to Dover? Glo. Because I would not see thy cruel nails Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister The sea, with such a storm as his bare head In hell-black night endured, would have buoy'd up, Yet, poor old heart, he holp the heavens to rain. Good porter, turn the key," All cruels else subscrib'd: but I shall see Corn. See it shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair. |