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King Lear (Modern, Extended Folio)
17763.4
1777Enter Lear, Kent [disguised], and Fool.
1778Kent
Here is the place, my lord. Good my lord, enter.
1779The tyranny of the open night's too rough
1780For nature to endure.
Storm still
1781Lear
Let me alone.
1782Kent
Good my lord, enter here.
1783Lear
Wilt break my heart?
1784Kent
I had rather break mine own. 1785Good my lord, enter.
1786Lear
Thou think'st 'tis much that this contentious storm
1787Invades us to the skin. So 'tis to thee;
1788But where the greater malady is fixed
1789The lesser is scarce felt. Thou'dst shun a bear,
1790But if thy flight lay toward the roaring sea
1791Thou'dst meet the bear i'th'mouth. When the mind's free
1792The body's delicate. The tempest in my mind
1793Doth from my senses take all feeling else
1794Save what beats there. Filial ingratitude!
1795Is it not as this mouth should tear this hand
1798To shut me out? Pour on. I will endure.
1802No more of that.
Good my lord, enter here.
1804Lear
Prithee go in thyself, seek thine own ease.
1805This tempest will not give me leave to ponder
1806On things would hurt me more. But I'll go in.
1807[To the Fool] In boy, go first. You houseless poverty--
1808Nay get thee in.
Exit [the Fool].
30I'll pray, and then I'll sleep.
1809Poor naked wretches, wheresoe'er you are
1810That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,
1811How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,
1812Your looped and windowed raggedness, defend you
1813From seasons such as these? Oh, I have ta'en
1814Too little care of this. Take physic, pomp.
1815Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel
1816That thou mayst shake the superflux to them
1817And show the heavens more just.
1819Edgar
Fathom and half, fathom and half! Poor Tom.
1820Fool
Come not in here, nuncle, here's a spirit. Help 1821me, help me!
1822Kent
Give me thy hand. Who's there?
1823Fool
A spirit, a spirit. He says his name's Poor 1824Tom.
1825Kent
What art thou that dost grumble there i'th'1826straw? Come forth.
[Edgar comes forward.]
1827Edgar
Away, the foul fiend follows me. Through the 1828sharp hawthorn blow the winds. Humh, go to thy 1829bed and warm thee.
1830Lear
Did'st thou give all to thy daughters? And art 1831thou come to this?
1832Edgar
Who gives anything to poor Tom, whom 1833the foul fiend hath led though fire and through flame, 1834through ford and whirlpool, o'er bog and 1835quagmire; that hath laid knives under his pillow and halters 1836in his pew, set ratsbane by his porridge; made him 1837proud of heart, to ride on a bay trotting-horse over four-1838inched bridges; to course his own shadow for a traitor. 1839Bless thy five wits. Tom's a'cold. O do, de, do, de, do de. 1840Bless thee from whirlwinds, star-blasting, and 1841taking. Do poor Tom some charity, whom the foul fiend 1842vexes. There could I have him now, and there, and there 1843again, and there.
Storm still
1844Lear
Have his daughters brought him to this pass? 1845Couldst thou save nothing? Wouldst thou give 'em all?
1846Fool
Nay, he reserved a blanket, else we had been all 1847shamed.
1848Lear
Now all the plagues that in the pendulous air
1849Hang fated o'er men's faults light on thy daughters.
1850Kent
He hath no daughters, sir.
1851Lear
Death, traitor! Nothing could have subdued nature
1852To such a lowness but his unkind daughters.
1853Is it the fashion that discarded fathers
1854Should have thus little mercy on their flesh?
1855Judicious punishment. 'Twas this flesh begot
1856Those pelican daughters.
1857Edgar
Pillicock sat on Pillicock hill. Alow, alow, loo, loo.
1858Fool
This cold night will turn us all to fools and 1859madmen.
1860Edgar
Take heed o'th'foul fiend, obey thy 1861parents, keep thy word's justice, swear not, commit not 1862with man's sworn spouse, set not thy sweetheart on 1863proud array. Tom's a-cold.
1864Lear
What hast thou been?
1865Edgar
A servingman, proud in heart and mind, that 1866curled my hair, wore gloves in my cap, served the lust 1867of my mistress' heart and did the act of darkness with 1868her; swore as many oaths as I spake words, and broke 1869them in the sweet face of heaven. One that slept in the 1870contriving of lust and waked to do it. Wine loved I 1871dearly, dice dearly, and in woman out-paramoured 1872the Turk; false of heart, light of ear, bloody of hand; 1873hog in sloth, fox in stealth, wolf in greediness, dog 1874in madness, lion in prey. Let not the creaking of shoes 1875nor the rustling of silks betray thy poor heart to wo1876man. Keep thy foot out of brothels, thy hand out of 1877plackets, thy pen from lenders' books, and defy the 1878foul fiend. Still through the hawthorn blows the 1879cold wind. Says suum, mun, nonny, dolphin my boy, 1880boy sesey. Let him trot by.
Storm still
1881Lear
Thou wert better in a grave than to answer 1882with thy uncovered body this extremity of the skies. Is 1883man no more than this? Consider him well. Thou owest 1884the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no 1885wool, the cat no perfume. Ha? Here's three on's are 1886sophisticated; thou art the thing itself. 1887Unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked 1888animal as thou art. Off, off you lendings. [Attempts to take off his clothes] Come, un1889button here.
1891Fool
Prithee nuncle be contented. 'Tis a naughty 1892night to swim in. Now a little fire in a wild field 1893were like an old letcher's heart, a small spark, all the rest 1894on's body cold. Look, here comes a walking fire.
1890Enter Gloucester with a torch.
1895Edgar
This is the foul Flibbertigibet. He begins at 1896curfew and walks at first cock. He gives the web 1897and the pin, squints the eye, and makes the harelip; 1898mildews the white wheat and hurts the poor 1899creature of earth.
[Sings.]
1901He met the nightmare and her ninefold,
1902Bid her alight
And her troth plight,
1903And aroint thee witch, aroint thee.
1904Kent
How fares your grace?
1905Lear
What's he?
1906Kent
Who's there? What is't you seek?
1907Gloucester
What are you there? Your names?
1908Edgar
Poor Tom, that eats the swimming frog, the 1909toad, the tadpole, the wall-newt, and the water; that 1910in the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend rages, eats 1911cow dung for salads, swallows the old rat and the 1912ditch dog; drinks the green mantle of the standing 1913pool; who is whipped from tithing to tithing, and 1914stocked, punished, and imprisoned; who hath three suits 1915to his back, six shirts to his body.
1916Horse to ride, and weapon to wear,
1917But mice and rats, and such small deer
1918Have been Tom's food for seven long year.
1919Beware my follower. Peace, Smolking, peace thou fiend!
1920Gloucester
What, hath your grace no better company?
1921Edgar
The Prince of Darkness is a gentleman. Modo, 1922he's called, and Mahu.
1923Gloucester
Our flesh and blood, my lord, is grown so
1924Vile that it doth hate what gets it.
1925Edgar
Poor Tom's a-cold.
1926Gloucester
[To Lear] Go in with me. My duty cannot suffer
1927T'obey in all your daughters' hard commands.
1928Though their injunction be to bar my doors
1929And let this tyrannous night take hold upon you,
1930Yet have I ventured to come seek you out
1931And bring you where both fire and food is ready.
1932Lear
First let me talk with this philosopher.
1933What is the cause of thunder?
1934Kent
Good my lord, take his offer. 1935Go into th'house.
1936Lear
I'll talk a word with this same learnèd Theban.
1937What is your study?
1938Edgar
How to prevent the fiend, and to kill vermin.
1939Lear
Let me ask you one word in private.
1940Kent
[To Gloucester] Importune him once more to go, my lord.
1941His wits begin t'unsettle.
1942Gloucester
Canst thou blame him?
Storm still
1943His daughters seek his death. Ah, that good Kent,
1944He said it would be thus, poor banished man.
1945Thou say'st the King grows mad. I'll tell thee, friend,
1946I am almost mad myself. I had a son
1947Now outlawed from my blood. He sought my life
1948But lately; very late. I loved him, friend,
1949No father his son dearer. True to tell thee
1950The grief hath crazed my wits. What a night's this?
1951[To Lear] I do beseech your grace--
1952Lear
Oh, cry you mercy, sir.
1953Noble philosopher, your company.
1954Edgar
Tom's a-cold.
1955Gloucester
In fellow. There, into th'hovel; keep thee warm.
1956Lear
Come, let's in all.
1957Kent
This way, my lord.
1958Lear
With him.
1959I will keep still with my philosopher.
1960Kent
[To Gloucester] Good my lord, soothe him. 1961Let him take the fellow.
1962Gloucester
Take him you on.
1963Kent
Sirrah, come on. Go along with us.
1964Lear
Come, good Athenian.
1965Gloucester
No words, no words, hush.
1966Edgar
Childe Rowland to the dark tower came,
1967His word was still "Fie, foh, and fum,
1968I smell the blood of a British man."
33Exeunt.