Corn. Why art thou angry? Kent. That such a slave as this should wear a sword, Which are too intrinse t' unloose; smooth every passion Bring oil to fire, snow to their colder moods; Say that. How fell you out? Kent. No contraries hold more antipathy Than I and such a knave. Corn. Why dost thou call him knave? What is his fault? 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 Corn. This is some fellow Who, having been prais'd 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! These kind of knaves I know, which in this plainness That stretch their duties nicely. Kent. Sir, in good faith, in sincere verity, Under the allowance of your great aspect, Whose influence, like the wreath of radiant fire 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. Corn. What was the offence you gave him? I never gave him nay: It pleas'd the king his master very late To strike at me, upon his misconstruction; Kent. But Ajax is their fool. None of these rogues and cowards Fetch forth the stocks! You stubborn ancient knave, you reverend braggart, Kent. Sir, I am too old to learn: Call not your stocks for me: I serve the king Fetch forth the stocks! Corn. Reg. [Stocks brought out. Glo. Let me beseech your grace not to do so: I'll answer that. Corn. For following her affairs.-Put in his legs. [KENT is put in the stocks. Come, my lord, away. [Exeunt all but GLOSTER and KENT. Glo. I am sorry for thee, friend; 'tis the duke's pleasure, Whose disposition, all the world well knows, Will not be rubb'd nor stopp'd: I'll entreat for thee. Kent. Pray, do not, sir: I have watch'd, and travell'd hard; Some time I shall sleep out, the rest I'll whistle. A good man's fortune may grow out at heels: Give you good-morrow! Glo. The duke's to blame in this; 'twill be ill taken. [Exit. Kent. Good king, that must approve the common saw,— Thou out of heaven's benediction com'st To the warm sun! Approach, thou beacon to this under globe, That by thy comfortable beams I may Peruse this letter! -Nothing almost sees miracles Who hath most fortunately been inform'd Of my obscured course; and shall find time Losses their remedies,-All weary and o'er-watch'd, This shameful lodging. Fortune, good-night: smile once more; turn thy wheel! SCENE III.-The open Country. Enter EDGAR. Edg. I heard myself proclaim'd; And by the happy hollow of a tree Escap'd the hunt. No port is free; no place, That guard and most unusual vigilance Does not attend my taking. While I may scape To take the basest and most poorest shape That ever penury, in contempt of man, [He sleeps Brought near to beast: my face I'll grime with filth; And with presented nakedness outface Enforce their charity.-Poor Turlygod! poor Tom! [Exit. SCENE IV.-Before GLOSTER's Castle. KENT in the Stocks. Enter LEAR, Fool, and Gentleman. Lear. 'Tis strange that they should so depart from home, And not send back my messenger. Gent. As I learn'd, The night before there was no purpose in them Of this remove. Kent. Lear. Ha! Hail to thee, noble master! Mak'st thou this shame thy pastime? Kent. No, my lord. Fool. Ha, ha! he wears cruel garters. Horses are tied by the head; dogs and bears by the neck, monkeys by the loins, and men by the legs: when a man is over-lusty at legs, then he wears wooden nether-stocks. Lear. What's he that hath so much thy place mistook To set thee here? They could not, would not do't; tis worse than murder, To do upon respect such violent outrage: Resolve me, with all modest haste, which way Thou might'st deserve or they impose this usage, Kent. Which presently they read: on whose contents They summon'd up their meiny, straight took horse; The leisure of their answer; gave me cold looks: Whose welcome I perceiv'd had poison'd mine,-- Display'd so saucily against your highness,- Fool. Winter's not gone yet, if the wild-geese fly that way. Fathers that wear rags Do make their children blind; But fathers that bear bags Shall see their children kind. Ne'er turns the key to the poor.— But, for all this, thou shalt have as many dolours for thy daughters as thou can'st tell in a year. Lear. O, how this mother swells up toward my heart! Hysterica passio,-down, thou climbing sorrow, Thy element's below!-Where is this daughter? Kent. With the earl, sir, here within. Lear. Stay here. Follow me not; [Exit. Gent. Made you no more offence but what you speak of? Kent. None. How chance the king comes with so small a number? Fool. An 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 labouring in 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. |