KING LEAR. William Shakespeare
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Edg.
Poor Tom’s a-cold.
Glou.
Go in with me: my duty cannot suffer
To obey in all your daughters’ hard commands;
Though their injunction be to bar my doors,
And let this tyrannous night take hold upon you,
Yet have I ventur’d to come seek you out
And bring you where both fire and food is ready.
Lear.
First let me talk with this philosopher.—
What is the cause of thunder?
Kent.
Good my lord, take his offer; go into the house.
Lear.
I’ll talk a word with this same learned Theban.—
What is your study?
Edg.
How to prevent the fiend and to kill vermin.
Lear.
Let me ask you one word in private.
Kent.
Importune him once more to go, my lord;
His wits begin to unsettle.
Glou.
Canst thou blame him?
His daughters seek his death:—ah, that good Kent!—
He said it would be thus,—poor banish’d man!—
Thou say’st the king grows mad; I’ll tell thee, friend,
I am almost mad myself: I had a son,
Now outlaw’d from my blood; he sought my life
But lately, very late: I lov’d him, friend,—
No father his son dearer: true to tell thee,
[Storm continues.]
The grief hath craz’d my wits.—What a night’s this!—
I do beseech your grace,—
Lear.
O, cry you mercy, sir.—
Noble philosopher, your company.
Edg.
Tom’s a-cold.
Glou.
In, fellow, there, into the hovel; keep thee warm.
Lear.
Come, let’s in all.
Kent.
This way, my lord.
Lear.
With him;
I will keep still with my philosopher.
Kent.
Good my lord, soothe him; let him take the fellow.
Glou.
Take him you on.
Kent.
Sirrah, come on; go along with us.
Lear.
Come, good Athenian.
Glou.
No words, no words: hush.
Edg.
Child Rowland to the dark tower came,
His word was still—Fie, foh, and fum,
I smell the blood of a British man.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE V. A Room in Gloster’s Castle.
[Enter Cornwall and Edmund.]
Corn.
I will have my revenge ere I depart his house.
Edm. How, my lord, I may be censured, that nature thus gives way to loyalty, something fears me to think of.
Corn. I now perceive it was not altogether your brother’s evil disposition made him seek his death; but a provoking merit, set a-work by a reproveable badness in himself.
Edm. How malicious is my fortune, that I must repent to be just! This is the letter he spoke of, which approves him an intelligent party to the advantages of France. O heavens! that this treason were not—or not I the detector!
Corn.
Go with me to the duchess.
Edm. If the matter of this paper be certain, you have mighty business in hand.
Corn. True or false, it hath made thee earl of Gloster. Seek out where thy father is, that he may be ready for our apprehension.
Edm. [Aside.] If I find him comforting the king, it will stuff his suspicion more fully.—I will persever in my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore between that and my blood.
Corn. I will lay trust upon thee; and thou shalt find a dearer father in my love.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE VI. A Chamber in a Farmhouse adjoining the Castle.
[Enter Gloster, Lear, Kent, Fool, and Edgar.]
Glou. Here is better than the open air; take it thankfully. I will piece out the comfort with what addition I can: I will not be long from you.
Kent. All the power of his wits have given way to his impatience:— the gods reward your kindness!
[Exit Gloster.]
Edg. Frateretto calls me; and tells me Nero is an angler in the lake of darkness.—Pray, innocent, and beware the foul fiend.
Fool. Pr’ythee, nuncle, tell me whether a madman be a gentleman or a yeoman.
Lear.
A king, a king!
Fool. No, he’s a yeoman that has a gentleman to his son; for he’s a mad yeoman that sees his son a gentleman before him.
Lear.
To have a thousand with red burning spits
Come hissing in upon ‘em,—
Edg.
The foul fiend bites my back.
Fool. He’s mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a horse’s health, a boy’s love, or a whore’s oath.
Lear.
It shall be done; I will arraign them straight.—
[To Edgar.] Come, sit thou here, most learned justicer—
[To the Fool.] Thou, sapient sir, sit here. Now, you she-foxes!—
Edg.
Look, where he stands and glares!—Want’st thou eyes at trial,
madam?
Come o’er the bourn, Bessy, to me,—
Fool.
Her boat hath a leak,
And she must not speak
Why she dares not come over to thee.
Edg.
The foul fiend haunts poor Tom in the voice of a nightingale.
Hoppedance 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.—Bring in their evidence.
[To Edgar.] Thou, robed man of justice, take thy place;—
[To the Fool.] And