That thou hast power to shake my manhood thus: The untented woundings' of a father's curse Gon. Do you mark that, my lord? Alb. I cannot be so partial, Goneril, To the great love I bear you, Gon. Pray you, content.-What, Oswald, ho! You, sir, more knave than fool, after your master. [To the Fool. Fool. Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, and take the fool with thee. A fox, when one has caught her, Should sure to the slaughter, If my cap would buy a halter; So the fools follow after. Gon. This man hath had good hundred knights! "Tis politick, and safe, to let him keep [Exit. counsel -A 5 The untented woundings-] Untented wounds, means wounds in their worst state, not having a tent in them to digest them; and may possibly signify here such as will not admit of having a tent put into them for that purpose. At point, a hundred knights. Yes, that on every dream, Each buz, each fancy, each complaint, dislike, Gon. Enter Steward. What, have you writ that letter to my sister? Gon. Take you some company, and away to horse: Inform her full of my particular fear; And thereto add such reasons of your own, As may compact it more. Get you gone; This milky gentleness, and course of yours, Alb. How far your eyes may pierce, I cannot tell; Striving to better, oft we mar what's well. Gon. Nay, then Alb. Well, well; the event. [Exeunt. At point,] Completely armed, and consequently ready at appointment or command on the slightest notice. 7 compact it more.] Unite one circumstance with another, so as to make a consistent account. 8 more attask'd-] To be at task, is to be liable to reprehension and correction. SCENE V. Court before the same. Enter LEAR, KENT, and Fool. Lear. Go you before to Gloster with these letters acquaint my daughter no further with any thing you know, than comes from her demand out of the letter: If your diligence be not speedy, I shall be there before you,? Kent. I will not sleep, my lord, till I have delivered your letter. [Exit. Fool. If a man's brains were in his heels, were't not in danger of kibes? Lear. Ay, boy. Fool. Then, I pr'ythee, be merry; thy wit shall not go slip-shod. Lear. Ha, ha, ha! Fool. Shalt see, thy other daughter will use thee kindly for though she's as like this as a crab is like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell, Lear. Why, what canst thou tell, my boy? Fool. She will taste as like this, as a crab does to a crab. Thou canst tell, why one's nose stands i'the middle of his face? Lear. No. Fool. Why, to keep his eyes on either side his nose; that what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into, Lear, I did her wrong: there before you.] He means the town of Gloster. thy other daughter will use thee kindly:] The Fool uses the word kindly here in two senses; it means affectionately, and like the rest of her kind. 2 I did her wrong:] He is musing on Cordelia, Fool. Can'st tell how an oyster makes his shell? Lear. No. Fool. Nor I neither; but I can tell why a snail has a house. Lear. Why? Fool. Why, to put his head in; not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horns without a case. Lear. I will forget my nature. So kind a father!-Be my horses ready? Fool. Thy asses are gone about 'em. The reason why the seven stars are no more than seven, is a pretty reason. Lear. Because they are not eight? Fool. Yes, indeed: Thou wouldest make a good fool. Lear. To take it again perforce !3-Monster ingratitude! Fool. If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time. Lear. How's that? Fool. Thou should'st not have been old, before thou hadst been wise. Lear. O let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! Keep me in temper; I would not be mad! Enter Gentleman. How now! are the horses ready? Gent. Ready, my lord. Lear. Come, boy. 3 To take it again perforce !] The subject of Lear's meditation is the resumption of that moiety of the kingdom which he had given to Goneril. Fool. She that is maid now, and laughs at my departure, Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut shorter. [Exeunt. ACT II. SCENE I. A Court within the Castle of the Earl of Gloster. Enter EDMUND and CURAN, meeting. Edm. Save thee, Curan. Cur. And you, sir. I have been with your father; and given him notice, that the duke of Cornwall, and Regan his duchess, will be here with him to-night. Edm. How comes that? Cur. Nay, I know not; You have heard of the news abroad; I mean, the whispered ones, for they are yet but ear-kissing arguments? Edm. Not I; 'Pray you, what are they? Cur. Have you heard of no likely wars toward, 'twixt the dukes of Cornwall and Albany? Edm. Not a word. Cur. You may then, in time. Fare you well, sir. [Exit. Edm. The duke be here to-night? The better! Best! This weaves itself perforce into my business! 4 queazy question,] Queazy, means, delicate, unsettled, what requires to be handled nicely. |