King Lear

stealing, Modo of murder, Flibbertigibbet of mopping and¹³¹

mowing, who since possesses chambermaids and waiting-

women. So, bless thee, master.

Following 4.2.35:

I fear your disposition:

That nature, which contemns i’th’origin¹³⁵

Cannot be bordered certain¹³⁶ in itself.

She that herself will sliver and disbranch¹³⁷

From her material sap perforce¹³⁸ must wither

And come to deadly use¹³⁹.

GONERIL    No more, the text¹⁴⁰ is foolish.

ALBANY    Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile:

Filths savour but¹⁴² themselves. What have you done?

Tigers, not daughters, what have you performed?

A father, and a gracious¹⁴⁴ agèd man,

Whose reverence even the head-lugged¹⁴⁵ bear would lick,

Most barbarous, most degenerate, have you madded¹⁴⁶. Could

my good brother suffer¹⁴⁷ you to do it?

A man, a prince, by him so benefited!

If that the heavens do not their visible spirits¹⁴⁹

Send quickly down to tame¹⁵⁰ the vile offences, it will come,

Humanity must perforce prey on itself,

Like monsters of the deep.

Following 4.2.39:

that not know’st

Fools do those villains pity who are punished¹⁵⁴

Ere they have done their mischief. Where’s thy drum?

France spreads his banners in our noiseless¹⁵⁶ land,

With plumèd helm, thy state begins threat¹⁵⁷,

Whilst thou, a moral¹⁵⁸ fool, sits still and cries

‘Alack, why does he so?’

Following 4.2.43:

ALBANY    Thou changèd and self-covered¹⁶⁰ thing, for shame

Bemonster not thy feature. Were’t my fitness¹⁶¹

To let these hands obey my blood¹⁶²,

They are apt enough to dislocate and tear

Thy flesh and bones: howe’er¹⁶⁴ thou art a fiend,

A woman’s shape doth shield thee.

GONERIL    Marry, your manhood mew¹⁶⁶—

Enter a Gentleman

ALBANY    What news?

Following 4.2.77:

Enter Kent and a Gentleman

KENT    Why the King of France is so suddenly gone back¹⁶⁸,

know you no reason?

GENTLEMAN    Something he left imperfect¹⁷⁰ in the state, which

since his coming forth is thought of, which imports¹⁷¹ to the

kingdom so much fear and danger that his personal return

was most required and necessary.

KENT    Who hath he left behind him general?

GENTLEMAN    The Marshal of France, Monsieur La Far.

KENT    Did your letters pierce the queen to any

demonstration of grief?

GENTLEMAN    Ay, sir, she took them, read them in my presence,

And now and then an ample tear trilled¹⁷⁹ down

Her delicate cheek: it seemed she was a queen over

Her passion¹⁸¹, who, most rebel-like,

Sought to be king o’er her.

KENT    O, then it moved her.

GENTLEMAN    Not to a rage: patience and sorrow strove

Who should express her goodliest¹⁸⁵. You have seen

Sunshine and rain at once: her smiles and tears

Were like a better way: those happy smilets¹⁸⁷,

That played on her ripe lip seem not to know

What guests were in her eyes, which, parted thence,

As pearls from diamonds dropped. In brief,

Sorrow would be a rarity most beloved,

If all could so become it¹⁹².

KENT    Made she no verbal question?

GENTLEMAN    Faith, once or twice she heaved the name of ‘father’

Pantingly forth, as if it pressed her heart:

Cried ‘Sisters, sisters! Shame of ladies, sisters!

Kent, father, sisters! What, i’th’storm, i’th’night?

Let pity not be believed¹⁹⁸!’ There she shook

The holy water from her heavenly eyes,

And clamour moistened her: then away she started²⁰⁰

To deal with grief alone.

KENT    It is the stars,

The stars above us, govern our conditions,

Else one self mate and make²⁰⁴ could not beget

Such different issues²⁰⁵. You spoke not with her since?

GENTLEMAN    No.

KENT    Was this before the king returned?

GENTLEMAN    No, since.

KENT    Well, sir, the poor distressèd Lear’s i’th’town;

Who sometime, in his better tune²¹⁰, remembers

What we are come about, and by no means

Will yield to see his daughter.

GENTLEMAN    Why, good sir?

KENT    A sovereign shame so elbows²¹⁴ him: his own unkindness,

That stripped her from his benediction, turned her

To foreign casualties²¹⁶, gave her dear rights

To his dog-hearted daughters: these things sting

His mind so venomously, that burning shame

Detains him from Cordelia.

GENTLEMAN    Alack, poor gentleman!

KENT    Of Albany’s and Cornwall’s powers you heard not?

GENTLEMAN    ’Tis so, they are afoot²²².

KENT    Well, sir, I’ll bring you to our master Lear,

And leave you to attend him: some dear cause²²⁴

Will in concealment wrap me up awhile.

When I am known aright, you shall not grieve²²⁶

Lending me this acquaintance. I pray you go

Along with me.

Exeunt

Following 4.6.27:

CORDELIA    Very well.

DOCTOR    Please you, draw near.— Louder the music there!

Following 4.6.35:

To stand against the deep dread-bolted²³¹ thunder,

In the most terrible and nimble stroke

Of quick cross lightning? To watch — poor perdu²³⁴!—

With this thin helm²³⁴?

Following 4.6.89:

GENTLEMAN    Holds it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall was so

slain?

KENT    Most certain, sir.