Osw. Why dost thou use me thus ? I know thee not.

Kent. Fellow, I know thee.

Osw. What dost thou know me for ?

Kent. A knave; a rascal; an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, hundred-pound, filthy, worsted-stocking knave; a lil-livered, actiontaking knave, a whoreson, glass-gazing, superserviceable, finical rogue; one-trunk-inheriting slave; one that wouldst be a bawd, in way of good service, and art nothing but the conposition of a knave, beggar, coward, pandar, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch: one whom I will beat into clamorous whining, if thou deniest the least syllable of thy addition.

Osw. Why, what a monstrous fellow art thou, thus to rail on one that is neither known of thee nor knows thee !

29

Kent. What a brazen-faced varlet art thou, to deny thou knowest me! Is it two days ago since I tripped up thy heels, and beat thee before the king? Draw, you rogue: for, though it be night, yet the moon shines; I'll make a sop o' the moonshine of you: draw, you whoreson cullionly barber-monger, draw.

[Drawing his sword. Osw. Away! I have nothing to do with thee

Kent. Draw, you rascal: you come with etters 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

Osw. Help, ho! murder! help!

Kent. Strike, you slave; stand, rogue, stand; you neat slave, strike. [Beating him. Osw. Help, ho! murder! murder ! Enter EDMUND, with his rapier drawn, CORNWALL, REGAN, GLOUCESTER, and Servants. Edm. How now! What's the matter? Kent. With you, goodman boy, an you please come, I'll flesh ye; come on, young

master.

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. Osw. I am scarce in breath, my lord. Kent. No marvel, you have so bestirred your valor. You cowardly rascal, nature disclaims in thee: a tailor made thee. 60

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 he had been but two hours at the trade.

Corn. Speak yet, how grew your quarrel? Osw. This ancient ruffian, sir, whose life I have spared at suit of his gray beard,

Kent. Thou whoreson zed! thou unneces sary letter! My lord, if you will give me leave, I will tread this unbolted villain into mortar, and dau the wall of a jakes with him. Spare my gray beard, you wagtail? Corn. Peace, sirrah!

You beastly knave, know you no reverence? Kent. Yes, sir; but anger hath a privilege. Corn. Why art thou angry?

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 a-twain 80 Which are too intrinse t' unloose; smooth

every passion

That in the natures of their lords rebel;
Bring oil to fire, snow to their colder moods;
Renege, affirm, and turn their halcyon beaks
With every gale and vary of their masters,
Knowing nought, like ags, but following.
A plague upon your epileptic visage!
Smile you my speeches, as I were a fool?
Goose, if I had you upon Sarum plain,
I'ld drive ye cackling home to Camelot.
Corn. What, art thou mad, old fellow?
Glou. How fell you out? say that.
Kent. No contraries hold more antipathy
Than I and such a knave.

90

Corn. Why dost thou call him knave? What's his offence?

Kent. His countenance likes me not. Corn. No more, perchance, does mine, nor his, nor hers.

Kent. Sir, 'tis my occupation to be plain: I have seen better faces in my time Than stands on any shoulder that I see 100 Before me at this instant. Corn. This is some fellow, Who, having been praised for bluntness, doth affect

A saucy roughness, and constrains the garb Quite from his nature: he cannot flatter, he, An honest mind and plain, he must speak

truth!

An they will take it, so; if not, he's plain. These kind of knaves I know, which in this plainness

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 't. 120

Corn. What was the offence you gave him?
Osw. I never gave him any :

It pleased the king his master very late
To strike at me, upon his misconstruction;
When he, conjunct, and flattering his dis-
pleasure,

Tripp'd me behind; being down, insulted, rail'd,

And put upon him such a deal of man,
That worthied him, got praises of the king
For him attempting who was self-subdued ;
And, in the fleshment of this dread exploit,
Drew on me here again.

Kent.

131 None of these rogues and cowards But Ajax is their fool. Corn.

Fetch forth the stocks!

common saw,

Thou out of heaven's benediction comest
To the warm sun!

Approach, thou beacon to this under globe, 170
That by thy comfortable beams I may
Peruse this letter! Nothing almost sees
miracles

But misery: I know 'tis from Cordelia,
Who hath most fortunately been inform'd
Of my obscured course; and shall find time
†From this enormous state, seeking to give
Losses their remedies. All weary and o'er-
watch'd,

Take vantage, heavy eyes, not to behold
This shameful lodging.

Fortune, good night: smile once more: turn thy wheel!

SCENE III. A wood.

Enter EDGAR.

[Sleeps. 180

I will preserve myself: and am bethought
To take the basest and most poorest shape
That ever penury, in contempt of man,
Brought near to beast: my face I'll grime with
filth;

11

Blanket my loins: elf all my hair in knots;
And with presented nakedness out-face
The winds and persecutions of the sky.
The country gives me proof and precedent
Of Bedlam beggars, who, with roaring voices,
Strike in their numb'd and mortified bare arms
Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of rosemary;
And with this horrible object, from low farms,
Poor pelting villages, sheep-cotes, and mills,
Sometime with lunatic bans, sometime with
prayers,

Enforce their charity. Poor Turlygod! poor
Tom!

20 That's something yet: Edgar I nothing am. Exit

How chance the king comes with so small a train?

Fool. And thou hadst been set i' the stocks for that question, thou hadst well deserved it. Kent. Why, fool?

Fool. We'll set thee to school to an ant, to teach thee there's no laboring i' the winter.' All that follow their noses are led by their eyes but blind men; and there's not a nose among twenty but can smell him that's stinking. Let go thy hold when a great wheel runs down a hill, lest it break thy neck with following it but the great one that goes up the hill, let him draw thee after. When a wise man gives thee better counsel, give me mine again I would have none but knaves follow it, since a fool gives it.

That sir which serves and seeks for gain,
And follows but for form,
Will pack when it begins to rain,
And leave thee in the storm.

But I will tarry; the fool will stay,
And let the wise man fly :

The knave turns fool that runs away;

The fool no knave, perdy.

Kent. Where learned you this, fool?
Fool. Not i' the stocks, fool.

Re-enter LEAR, with GLOUCESTER.

Lear. Deny to speak with me? They are sick? they are weary?

They have travell'd all the night? Mere

fetches;

90

80

Now, presently

hear me,

bid them come forth and

Or at their chamber-door I'll beat the drum Till it cry sleep to death.

120 Glou. I would have all well betwixt you. [Exit. Lear. O me, my heart, my rising heart! but, down!

Fool. Cry to it, nuncle, as the cockney did to the eels when she put 'em i' the paste alive; she knapped 'em o' the coxcombs with a stick, and cried 'Down, wantons, down!' 'Twas her brother that, in pure kindness to his horse, buttered his hay.

Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, GLOUCESTER, and
Servants.
Good morrow to you both.

Lear. Corn.

Hail to your grace! [Kent is set at liberty. Reg. I am glad to see your highness. Lear. Regan, I think you are; I know what reason

130

I have to think so: if thou shouldst not be glad, I would divorce me from thy mother's tomb. Sepulchring an adultress. [To Kent] O, are you free?

Some other time for that. Beloved Regan, Thy sister's naught: O Regan, she hath tied Sharp-tooth'd unkindness, like a vulture, here: [Points to his heart.

I can scarce speak to thee; thou'lt not believe With how depraved a quality-O Regan!

Reg. I pray you, sir, take patience: I have hope. 140

You less know how to value her desert

Than she to scant her duty.

Lear.

Say, how is that?

Reg. I cannot think my sister in the least

149

As clears her from all blame.
Lear. My curses on her!
Reg.
O, sir, you are old;
Nature in you stands on the very verge
Of her confine you should be ruled and led
By some discretion, that discerns your state
Better than you yourself. Therefore, I pray
you,

That to our sister you do make return;
Say you have wrong'd her, sir.

Lear. Ask her forgiveness? Do you but mark how this becomes the house: 'Dear daughter, I confess that I am old; [Kneeling. Age is unnecessary: on my knees I beg That you'll vouchsafe me raiment, bed, and

food.'

You taking airs, with lameness!

Corn.
Fie, sir, fie!
Lear. You nimble lightnings, dart your
blinding flames

Into her scornful eyes! Infect her beauty,
You fen-suck'd fogs, drawn by the powerful

[curse:

Lear. No, Regan, thou shalt never have my
Thy tender-hefted nature shall not give
Thee o'er to harshness: her eyes are fierce ;
but thine

Do comfort and not burn. 'Tis not in thee
To grudge my pleasures, to cut off my train,
To bandy hasty words, to scant my sizes,
And in conclusion to oppose the bolt
Against my coming in: thou better know'st
The offices of nature, bond of childhood, 181
Effects of courtesy, dues of gratitude;
Thy half o' the kingdom hast thou not forgot,
Wherein I thee endow'd.

Reg.

Good sir, to the purpose. Lear. Who put my man i' the stocks?

Corn.

[Tucket within.

What trumpet's that?

Reg. I know't, my sister's: this approves

her letter, That she would soon be here.

Enter OSWALD.

Is your lady come?

Lear. This is a slave, whose easy-borrow'd pride

Dwells in the fickle grace of her he follows.
Out, varlet, from my sight!

Corn.
What means your grace? 190
Lear. Who stock'd my servant? Regan, I
have good hope

Thou didst not know on't. Who comes here?
O heavens,

Enter GONERIL.

If you do love old men, if your sweet sway
Allow obedience, if yourselves are old,

Make it your cause; send down, and take my part!

[To Gon.] Art not ashamed to look upon this beard ?

O Regan, wilt thou take her by the hand?
Gon. Why not by the hand, sir? How have
I offended?

All's not offence that indiscretion finds
And dotage terms so.

Lear. O sides, you are too tough; 200 Will you yet hold? How came my man j' the stocks? Corn. I set him disorders.

there, sir: but his own

No, rather I abjure all roofs, and choose
To wage against the enmity o' the air;
To be a comrade with the wolf and owl,-
Necessity's sharp pinch! Return with her?
Why, the hot-blooded France, that dowerless
took

Our youngest born, I could as well be brought To knee his throne, and, squire-like; pension beg

To keep base life afoot. Return with her?
Persuade me rather to be slave and sumpter
To this detested groom. [Pointing at Oswald.
Gon.
At your choice, sir. 220
Lear. I prithee, daughter, do not make
me mad :

I will not trouble thee, my child; farewell :
We'll no more meet, no more cee one another:
But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daugh-
ter;

Or rather a disease that's in my flesh, Which I must needs call mine: thou art a boil, A plague-sore, an embossed carbuncle, In my corrupted blood. But I'll not chide thee; Let shame come when it will, I do not call it : .I do not bid the thunder-bearer shoot,

230

Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove : Mend when thou canst; be better at thy leisure: Jcan be patient; I can stay with Regan,

Is this well spoken? Reg. I dare avouch it, sir: what, fifty followers?

240

Is it not well? What should you need of more?

Yea, or so many, sith that both charge and danger

Speak 'gainst so great a number? How, in one house,

Should many people, under two commands, Hold amity? 'Tis hard; almost impossible. Gon. Why might not you, my lord, receive attendance

From those that she calls servants or from mine ?

Reg. Why not, my lord? If then they chanced to slack you,

We could control them. If you will come to

Lear. Those wicked creatures yet do look well-favor'd,

When others are more wicked: not being the worst 260

Stands in some rank of praise. [To Gon.] I'll go with thee :

Thy fifty yet doth double five and twenty,
And thou art twice her love.
Gon.
Hear me, my lord;
What need you five and twenty, ten, or five,
To follow in a house where twice so many
Have a command to tend you?
Reg.

What need one? Lear. O, reason not the need

beggars

our basest

Are in the poorest thing superfluous : Allow not nature more than nature needs, Man's life's as cheap as beast's thou art a lady; 270

If only to go warm were gorgeous, Why, nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear'st,

Which scarcely keeps thee warm. But, for true need,

You heavens, give me that patience, patience I need!