King Lear

And found him pight to do it, with curst⁷⁰ speech

I threatened to discover⁷¹ him: he replied,

’Thou unpossessing⁷² bastard, dost thou think,

If I would stand against thee, would the reposal⁷³

Of any trust, virtue, or worth in thee

Make thy words faithed⁷⁵? No: what should I deny —

As this I would, though thou didst produce

My very character⁷⁷ — I’d turn it all

To thy suggestion, plot, and damnèd practice⁷⁸,

And thou must make a dullard of the world⁷⁹,

If they not thought the profits⁸⁰ of my death

Were very pregnant and potential spirits⁸¹

Tucket within

To make thee seek it.’

GLOUCESTER    O, strange and fastened⁸³ villain!

Would he deny his letter, said he?

Hark, the duke’s trumpets! I know not where⁸⁵ he comes.

All ports⁸⁶ I’ll bar: the villain shall not scape:

The duke must grant me that. Besides, his picture⁸⁷

I will send far and near, that all the kingdom

May have due note of him, and of my land,

Loyal and natural boy, I’ll work the means⁹⁰

To make thee capable⁹¹.

Enter Cornwall, Regan and Attendants

CORNWALL    How now, my noble friend? Since I came hither —

Which I can call but now — I have heard strangeness.

REGAN    If it be true, all vengeance comes too short

Which can pursue th’offender. How dost, my lord?

GLOUCESTER    O, madam, my old heart is cracked, it’s cracked!

REGAN    What, did my father’s godson seek your life?

He whom my father named? Your Edgar?

GLOUCESTER    O, lady, lady, shame would have it hid!

REGAN    Was he not companion with the riotous knights

That tended upon¹⁰¹ my father?

GLOUCESTER I know not, madam: ’tis too bad, too bad.

EDMUND    Yes, madam, he was of that consort¹⁰³.

REGAN    No marvel, then, though he were ill affected¹⁰⁴:

’Tis they have put him on¹⁰⁵ the old man’s death,

To have th’expense¹⁰⁶ and waste of his revenues.

I have this present evening from my sister

Been well informed of them, and with such cautions

That if they come to sojourn at my house,

I’ll not be there.

CORNWALL    Nor I, assure thee, Regan.—

Edmund, I hear that you have shown your father

A child-like office¹¹³.

EDMUND    It was my duty, sir.

To Cornwall

GLOUCESTER    He did bewray his practice¹¹⁵ and received

This hurt you see striving to apprehend him.

CORNWALL    Is he pursued?

GLOUCESTER    Ay, my good lord.

CORNWALL    If he be taken, he shall never more

Be feared of doing harm: make your own purpose,¹²⁰

How in my strength you please. For¹²¹ you, Edmund,

Whose virtue and obedience doth this instant

So much commend itself, you shall be ours¹²³:

Natures of such deep trust we shall much need:

You we first seize on¹²⁵.

EDMUND    I shall serve you, sir, truly, however else.

GLOUCESTER    For him I thank your grace.

CORNWALL    You know not why we came to visit you?

REGAN    Thus out of season, threading dark-eyed¹²⁹ night:

Occasions, noble Gloucester, of some prize¹³⁰,

Wherein we must have use of your advice:

Our father he hath writ, so hath our sister,

Of differences¹³³, which I best thought it fit

To answer from¹³⁴ our home: the several messengers

From hence attend dispatch¹³⁵. Our good old friend,

Lay comforts to your bosom, and bestow

Your needful counsel to our businesses,

Which craves the instant use¹³⁸

GLOUCESTER    I serve you, madam:

Your graces are right welcome.

Exeunt. Flourish

Act 2 Scene 2

running scene 5

Enter Kent and Steward [Oswald], severally

Kent disguised as Caius

OSWALD    Good dawning¹ to thee, friend: art of this house?

KENT    Ay².

OSWALD    Where may we set³ our horses?

KENT    I’th’mire⁴.

OSWALD    Prithee, if thou lov’st me, tell me⁵.

KENT    I love thee not.

OSWALD    Why then, I care not for thee.

KENT    If I had thee in Lipsbury pinfold⁸, I would make thee

care for me.

OSWALD    Why dost thou use¹⁰ me thus? I know thee not.

KENT    Fellow, I know thee.

OSWALD    What dost thou know me for¹²?

KENT    A knave, a rascal, an eater of broken meats¹³, a base,

proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, hundred-pound¹⁴,

filthy, worsted-stocking knave, a lily-livered, action-taking¹⁵,

whoreson, glass-gazing, super-serviceable finical¹⁶ rogue:

one-trunk-inheriting slave: one that wouldst be a bawd¹⁷ in

way of good service, and art nothing but the composition¹⁸ of

a knave, beggar, coward, pander¹⁹, and the son and heir of a

mongrel bitch: one whom I will beat into clamorous

whining if thou deny’st the least syllable of thy addition²¹.

OSWALD    Why, what a monstrous fellow art thou thus to rail²²

on one that is neither known of thee nor knows thee!

KENT    What a brazen-faced varlet²⁴ art thou to deny thou

knowest me! Is it two days since I tripped up thy heels and beat

thee before the king? Draw²⁶, you rogue, for though it be night,

yet the moon shines: I’ll make a sop o’th’moonshine²⁷ of you,

you whoreson cullionly barber-monger²⁸. Draw.

Draws his sword

OSWALD    Away! I have nothing to do with thee.