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King Lear - Act 4, scene 7
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King Lear - Act 4, scene 7Act 4, scene 7
Scene 7
Synopsis:
In the French camp, Lear is waked by the doctor treating him and is reunited with Cordelia.
Enter Cordelia, Kent ⌜in disguise,⌝ ⟨Doctor,⟩ andGentleman.
CORDELIA
3049 O, thou good Kent, how shall I live and work
3050 To match thy goodness? My life will be too short,
3051 And every measure fail me.
KENT
3052 To be acknowledged, madam, is o’erpaid.
p.
217
3053
5 All my reports go with the modest truth,3054 Nor more, nor clipped, but so.
CORDELIA 3055 Be better suited.
3056 These weeds are memories of those worser hours.
3057 I prithee put them off.
KENT 3058 10 Pardon, dear madam.
3059 Yet to be known shortens my made intent.
3060 My boon I make it that you know me not
3061 Till time and I think meet.
CORDELIA
3062 Then be ’t so, my good lord.—How does the King?
⟨DOCTOR⟩ 3063 15Madam, sleeps still.
CORDELIA 3064 O, you kind gods,
3065 Cure this great breach in his abusèd nature!
3066 Th’ untuned and jarring senses, O, wind up,
3067 Of this child-changèd father!
⟨DOCTOR⟩ 3068 20 So please your Majesty
3069 That we may wake the King? He hath slept
3070 long.
CORDELIA
3071 Be governed by your knowledge, and proceed
3072 I’ th’ sway of your own will. Is he arrayed?
Enter Lear in a chair carried by Servants.
GENTLEMAN
3073 25 Ay, madam. In the heaviness of sleep,
3074 We put fresh garments on him.
⌜DOCTOR⌝
3075 Be by, good madam, when we do awake him.
3076 I doubt ⟨not⟩ of his temperance.
⟨CORDELIA 3077 Very well.
⌜Music.⌝
DOCTOR
3078 30 Please you, draw near.—Louder the music there.⟩
CORDELIA, ⌜kissing Lear⌝
3079 O, my dear father, restoration hang
p.
219
3080
Thy medicine on my lips, and let this kiss3081 Repair those violent harms that my two sisters
3082 Have in thy reverence made.
KENT 3083 35 Kind and dear princess.
CORDELIA
3084 Had you not been their father, these white flakes
3085 Did challenge pity of them. Was this a face
3086 To be opposed against the jarring winds?
3087 ⟨To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder,
3088 40 In the most terrible and nimble stroke
3089 Of quick cross-lightning? To watch, poor perdu,
3090 With this thin helm?⟩ Mine enemy’s dog,
3091 Though he had bit me, should have stood that night
3092 Against my fire. And wast thou fain, poor father,
3093 45 To hovel thee with swine and rogues forlorn
3094 In short and musty straw? Alack, alack,
3095 ’Tis wonder that thy life and wits at once
3096 Had not concluded all.—He wakes. Speak to him.
⟨DOCTOR⟩ 3097 Madam, do you; ’tis fittest.
CORDELIA
3098 50 How does my royal lord? How fares your Majesty?
LEAR
3099 You do me wrong to take me out o’ th’ grave.
3100 Thou art a soul in bliss, but I am bound
3101 Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears
3102 Do scald like molten lead.
CORDELIA 3103 55 Sir, do you know me?
LEAR
3104 You are a spirit, I know. Where did you die?
CORDELIA 3105 Still, still, far wide.
⟨DOCTOR⟩
3106 He’s scarce awake. Let him alone awhile.
LEAR
3107 Where have I been? Where am I? Fair daylight?
3108 60 I am mightily abused; I should e’en die with pity
p.
221
3109
To see another thus. I know not what to say.3110 I will not swear these are my hands. Let’s see.
3111 I feel this pinprick. Would I were assured
3112 Of my condition!
CORDELIA 3113 65 O, look upon me, sir,
3114 And hold your hand in benediction o’er me.
3115 ⟨No, sir,⟩ you must not kneel.
LEAR 3116 Pray do not mock:
3117 I am a very foolish fond old man,
3118 70 Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less,
3119 And to deal plainly,
3120 I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
3121 Methinks I should know you and know this man,
3122 Yet I am doubtful, for I am mainly ignorant
3123 75 What place this is, and all the skill I have
3124 Remembers not these garments; nor I know not
3125 Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me,
3126 For, as I am a man, I think this lady
3127 To be my child Cordelia.
CORDELIA, ⌜weeping⌝ 3128 80And so I am; I am.
LEAR
3129 Be your tears wet? Yes, faith. I pray, weep not.
3130 If you have poison for me, I will drink it.
3131 I know you do not love me, for your sisters
3132 Have, as I do remember, done me wrong.
3133 85 You have some cause; they have not.
CORDELIA 3134 No cause, no
3135 cause.
LEAR 3136 Am I in France?
KENT 3137 In your own kingdom, sir.
LEAR 3138 90Do not abuse me.
⟨DOCTOR⟩
3139 Be comforted, good madam. The great rage,
3140 You see, is killed in him, ⟨and yet it is danger
3141 To make him even o’er the time he has lost.⟩
p.
223
3142
Desire him to go in. Trouble him no more3143 95 Till further settling.
CORDELIA 3144 Will ’t please your Highness walk?
LEAR 3145 You must bear with me.
3146 Pray you now, forget, and forgive. I am old and
3147 foolish.⟨They exit. Kent and Gentleman remain.⟩
⟨GENTLEMAN 3148 100Holds it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall
3149 was so slain?
KENT 3150 Most certain, sir.
GENTLEMAN 3151 Who is conductor of his people?
KENT 3152 As ’tis said, the bastard son of Gloucester.
GENTLEMAN 3153 105They say Edgar, his banished son, is with
3154 the Earl of Kent in Germany.
KENT 3155 Report is changeable. ’Tis time to look about.
3156 The powers of the kingdom approach apace.
GENTLEMAN 3157 The arbitrament is like to be bloody. Fare
3158 110 you well, sir.⌜He exits.⌝
KENT
3159 My point and period will be throughly wrought,
3160 Or well, or ill, as this day’s battle’s fought.
He exits.⟩