Shakespeare Portal

Act 4, Scene 7

A Tent in the French Camp. Lear on a bed, asleep, soft

  1. [Enter Cordelia, and Kent.]
  2. Cordelia
  3. 2795 O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work
  4. 2796 To match thy goodness? My life will be too short
  5. 2797 And every measure fail me.
  6. Kent
  7. 2798 To be acknowledg'd, madam, is o'erpaid.
  8. 2799 All my reports go with the modest truth;
  9. 2800 Nor more nor clipp'd, but so.
  10. Cordelia
  11. 2801 Be better suited:
  12. 2802 These weeds are memories of those worser hours:
  13. 2803 I pr'ythee, put them off.
  14. Kent
  15. 2804 Pardon, dear madam;
  16. 2805 Yet to be known shortens my made intent:
  17. 2806 My boon I make it that you know me not
  18. 2807 Till time and I think meet.
  19. Cordelia
  20. 2808 Then be't so, my good lord.
  21. [To the Physician.]
  22. Cordelia
  23. 2809 How, does the
  24. 2810 king?
  25. Doctor
  26. 2811 Madam, sleeps still.
  27. Cordelia
  28. 2812 O you kind gods,
  29. 2813 Cure this great breach in his abused nature!
  30. 2814 The untun'd and jarring senses, O, wind up
  31. 2815 Of this child-changed father!
  32. Doctor
  33. 2816 So please your majesty
  34. 2817 That we may wake the king: he hath slept long.
  35. Cordelia
  36. 2818 Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed
  37. 2819 I' the sway of your own will. Is he array'd?
  38. Gentleman
  39. 2820 Ay, madam. In the heaviness of sleep
  40. 2821 We put fresh garments on him.
  41. Doctor
  42. 2822 Be by, good madam, when we do awake him;
  43. 2823 I doubt not of his temperance.
  44. Cordelia
  45. 2824 Very well.
  46. Doctor
  47. 2825 Please you draw near.—Louder the music there!
  48. Cordelia
  49. 2826 O my dear father! Restoration hang
  50. 2827 Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss
  51. 2828 Repair those violent harms that my two sisters
  52. 2829 Have in thy reverence made!
  53. Kent
  54. 2830 Kind and dear princess!
  55. Cordelia
  56. 2831 Had you not been their father, these white flakes
  57. 2832 Had challeng'd pity of them. Was this a face
  58. 2833 To be oppos'd against the warring winds?
  59. 2834 To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder?
  60. 2835 In the most terrible and nimble stroke
  61. 2836 Of quick cross lightning? to watch—, poor perdu!—
  62. 2837 With this thin helm? Mine enemy's dog,
  63. 2838 Though he had bit me, should have stood that night
  64. 2839 Against my fire; and wast thou fain, poor father,
  65. 2840 To hovel thee with swine and rogues forlorn,
  66. 2841 In short and musty straw? Alack, alack!
  67. 2842 'Tis wonder that thy life and wits at once
  68. 2843 Had not concluded all.—He wakes; speak to him.
  69. Doctor
  70. 2844 Madam, do you; 'tis fittest.
  71. Cordelia
  72. 2845 How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty?
  73. King Lear
  74. 2846 You do me wrong to take me out o' the grave:—
  75. 2847 Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound
  76. 2848 Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears
  77. 2849 Do scald like molten lead.
  78. Cordelia
  79. 2850 Sir, do you know me?
  80. King Lear
  81. 2851 You are a spirit, I know: when did you die?
  82. Cordelia
  83. 2852 Still, still, far wide!
  84. Doctor
  85. 2853 He's scarce awake: let him alone awhile.
  86. King Lear
  87. 2854 Where have I been? Where am I?—Fair daylight,—
  88. 2855 I am mightily abus'd.—I should e'en die with pity,
  89. 2856 To see another thus.—I know not what to say.—
  90. 2857 I will not swear these are my hands:—let's see;
  91. 2858 I feel this pin prick. Would I were assur'd
  92. 2859 Of my condition!
  93. Cordelia
  94. 2860 O, look upon me, sir,
  95. 2861 And hold your hands in benediction o'er me.—
  96. 2862 No, sir, you must not kneel.
  97. King Lear
  98. 2863 Pray, do not mock me:
  99. 2864 I am a very foolish fond old man,
  100. 2865 Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less;
  101. 2866 And, to deal plainly,
  102. 2867 I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
  103. 2868 Methinks I should know you, and know this man;
  104. 2869 Yet I am doubtful: for I am mainly ignorant
  105. 2870 What place this is; and all the skill I have
  106. 2871 Remembers not these garments; nor I know not
  107. 2872 Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me;
  108. 2873 For, as I am a man, I think this lady
  109. 2874 To be my child Cordelia.
  110. Cordelia
  111. 2875 And so I am. I am.
  112. King Lear
  113. 2876 Be your tears wet? yes, faith. I pray, weep not:
  114. 2877 If you have poison for me, I will drink it.
  115. 2878 I know you do not love me; for your sisters
  116. 2879 Have, as I do remember, done me wrong:
  117. 2880 You have some cause, they have not.
  118. Cordelia
  119. 2881 No cause, no cause.
  120. King Lear
  121. 2882 Am I in France?
  122. Kent
  123. 2883 In your own kingdom, sir.
  124. King Lear
  125. 2884 Do not abuse me.
  126. Doctor
  127. 2885 Be comforted, good madam: the great rage,
  128. 2886 You see, is kill'd in him: and yet it is danger
  129. 2887 To make him even o'er the time he has lost.
  130. 2888 Desire him to go in; trouble him no more
  131. 2889 Till further settling.
  132. Cordelia
  133. 2890 Will't please your highness walk?
  134. King Lear
  135. 2891 You must bear with me:
  136. 2892 Pray you now, forget and forgive: I am old and foolish.
  137. [Exeunt Lear, Cordelia, Physician, and Attendants.]
  138. Gentleman
  139. 2893 Holds it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall was so slain?
  140. Kent
  141. 2894 Most certain, sir.
  142. Gentleman
  143. 2895 Who is conductor of his people?
  144. Kent
  145. 2896 As 'tis said, the bastard son of Gloster.
  146. Gentleman
  147. 2897 They say Edgar, his banished son, is with the Earl of Kent
  148. 2898 in Germany.
  149. Kent
  150. 2899 Report is changeable. 'Tis time to look about; the powers of
  151. 2900 the kingdom approach apace.
  152. Gentleman
  153. 2901 The arbitrement is like to be bloody.
  154. 2902 Fare you well, sir.
  155. [Exit.]
  156. Kent
  157. 2903 My point and period will be throughly wrought,
  158. 2904 Or well or ill, as this day's battle's fought.
  159. [Exit.]