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Before Gloucester's castle.
[Enter KENT and OSWALD, severally]
OSWALD
Good dawning to thee friend, art of this house?
KENT
Aye.
OSWALD
Where may we set our horses?
KENT
In the mire.
OSWALD
Prithee, if thou lovst me, tell me.
KENT
I love thee not.
OSWALD
Why then I care not for thee.
KENT
If I had thee in Lipsbury pinfold, I would make thee care for me.
OSWALD
Why dost thou use me thus? I know thee not.
KENT
Fellow I know thee.
OSWALD
What dost thou know me for?
KENT
A knave, a rascal, an eater of broken meats, a base, proud, shallow,
beggarly, three-suited-hundred-pound, filthy worsted-stocking knave, a
lily-livered, action-taking, whoreson glass-gazing super-serviceable finical
rogue, one-trunk-inheriting slave, one that wouldst be a bawd in way of good
service, and art nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, coward,
pandar, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch, one whom I will beat into
clamorous whining, if thou deniest the least syllable of thy addition.
OSWALD
Why, what a monstrous fellow art thou, thus to rail on one, that is neither
known of thee, nor knows thee?
KENT
What a brazen-faced varlet art thou, to deny thou knowest me? Is it two days
ago since I tripped up thy heels, and beat thee before the king? Draw you
rogue, for though it be night, yet the moon shines, I'll make a sop of the
moonshine of you, you whoreson cullionly barber-monger, draw.
OSWALD
Away, I have nothing to do with thee.
KENT
Draw you rascal, you come with letters against the king, and take vanity the
puppet's part, against the royalty of her father: draw you rogue, or I'll so
carbonado your shanks, draw you rascal, come your ways.
OSWALD
Help, ho, murder, help.
KENT
Strike you slave: stand rogue, stand you neat slave, strike.
OSWALD
Help ho, murder, murder.
[Enter EDMUND, with his rapier drawn, CORNWALL, REGAN, GLOUCESTER, and
Servants]
EDMUND
How now, What's the matter? Part.
KENT
With you goodman boy, if you please, come, I'll flesh ye, come on young
master.
GLOUCESTER
Weapons? Arms? What's the matter here?
CORNWALL
Keep peace upon your lives, he dies that strikes again, what is the matter?
REGAN
The messengers from our sister, and the king?
CORNWALL
What is your difference, speak?
OSWALD
I am scarce in breath my lord.
KENT
No marvel, you have so bestirred your valor. You cowardly rascal, nature
disclaims in thee: a tailor made thee.
CORNWALL
Thou art a strange fellow, a tailor make a man?
KENT
A tailor sir, a stone-cutter, or painter, could not have made him so ill,
though he had been but two hours at the trade.
CORNWALL
Speak yet, how grew your quarrel?
OSWALD
This ancient ruffian sir, whose life I have spared at suit of his gray
beard.
KENT
Thou whoreson zed, thou unnecessary letter: my lord, if you will give me
leave, I will tread this unbolted villain into mortar, and daub the wall of
a jakes with him. Spare my gray beard, you wagtail?
CORNWALL
Peace sirrah,
You beastly knave, know you no reverence?
KENT
Yes sir, but anger hath a privilege.
CORNWALL
Why art thou angry?
KENT
,
, , ,
,
That such | a slave | as this | should wear | a
sword,
,
, ,
, ,
,
Who wears | no^hon|esty:| such^smi|ling rogues |
as these,
T T T
, ,
, ,
Like rats oft | bite the | holy | cords a-|twain,
(hex with prev)
<- ,
, 2 ,
, 2 ,
Which || are too | intrinse,| too^unloose:|
smooth *every | passion ??
, ,
, , ,
That in | the na|tures of | their lords | rebel,
T T . T
, , ,
Bring oil to fire,| snow to | their cold|er
moods,
,
, , , 2
,
Revenge,| affirm,| and turn | their hal|cyon
beaks
, ,
, , 2 ,
With eve|ry gall,| and va/ry of their | masters,
,
T T T
, ,
Knowing | nought (like dogs)| but fol|lowing:
, ,
, , ,
->
A plague | upon | your ep|ilep|tic vis||age,
, 2
, ,
, ,
Smile | you my speech|es, as | I were | a fool?
,
, ,
, ,
Goose, if | I had | you u/pon Sar|um plain,
, ,
, , ,
I'd drive | ye cack|ling home | to Cam|elot.
CORNWALL
What art thou mad old fellow?
GLOUCESTER
How fell you out, say that?
KENT
, ,
T T . T ,
No con|traries | hold more anti|pathy,
, ,
,
Than I,| and such | a knave.
CORNWALL
, ,
2 ,
Why dost | thou call | him a knave? (tri
with prev)
,
,
What is | his fault?
KENT
, 2 ,
,
His count|enance likes | me not.
CORNWALL
, ,
, ,
,
No more | perchance | does^mine,| nor his,| nor
hers.
KENT
___ ,
, , 2
,
Sir,| 'tis my | occu|pation | to be plain,
2 , ,
, ,
,
I have / seen bet|ter fac|es in | my time,
,
, ,
, ,
Than stands | on an|y shoul|der that | I see
, ,
2 ,
Before | me, at this | instant.
CORNWALL
2 , ,
This is some | fellow,
, 2
, , ,
,
Who^hav|ing been praised | for blunt|ness, doth |
affect
,
, , ,
,
A sau|cy rough|ness, and | constrains | the garb
,
2 , ,
, ,
Quite from his | nature.| He can|not flat|ter he,
, ,
, . T T T
An hon|est mind | and plain,| he must speak
truth,
, ,
, ,
,
And they | will take | it so,| if not,|
he's^plain.
, ,
, , 2
,
These kind | of knaves | I know,| which in this |
plainness
,
, ,
, ,
Harbor | more* craft,| and more | corrup|ter
ends,
,
, ,
, ,
Than twen|ty sil|ly duck|ing ob|servants,
,
, ,
That stretch | their dut|ies nice|ly. \\
KENT
T . T
T , ,
,
Sir, in good faith,| in sin/cere ver|ity,|
,
2 , ,
, ,
Under | the allow|ance of your // great aspect,
, 2
, ,
, 2 ,
Whose^in|fluence like | the wreath | of rad|iant
fire
,
, ,
On flick|ing Phoe|bus' front.
CORNWALL
, ,
What meanst | 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 it.
CORNWALL
,
2 ,
, ->
What was | the offense | you gave || him?
OSWALD
x
, ,
I never | gave him | any: (tri with
prev)
, ,
, , ,
It pleased | the king | his mast|er ve|ry late
, , x
, ,
To strike | at me | upon his | miscon|struction,
,
, , 2 ,
, ->
When he | compact,| and flat|tering his |
displea||sure
, 2
, 2 ,
, ,
Tripped | me behind:| being down,| insul|ted,
railed,
, ,
, ,
,
And put | upon | him such | a deal | of man,
,
, , ,
,
That worth|ied him,| got prais/es of | the king,
,
, ,
, ,
For him | attempt|ing, who | was self-|subdued,
,
, ,
, ,
And in | the flesh|ment of this // dread exploit,
, ,
,
Drew on | me here | again. \\
KENT
, 2 ,
,
None of these^|rogues, and | cowards (tri
with prev?)
, ,
,
But A|jax is | their fool.
CORNWALL
T T . T
Fetch forth the stocks?
, ,
, , x
You stub|born an|cient knave,| you reve|rend
braggart, ??
,
We'll teach | you.
KENT
, ,
, ,
Sir,| I am / too old | to learn:
, ,
, , ,
Call^not | your stocks | for me,| I serve | the
king.
,
, ,
, ,
On whose | employ|ment I | was sent | to you,
2 , T
. T T T T
Tx
You shall do | small respect, show | too bold
malice ??
, ,
, 2 , ,
Against | the grace,| and pers|on of my | master,
,
, ,
Stocking | his mes|senger.
CORNWALL
T T .
T
Fetch forth the stocks;
3 3 ,
, ,
2 , ,
As I have life | and hon|or, there | shall he sit
| till noon.
REGAN
, ,
, . T T T
Till^noon?| Till^night | my lord,| and all night
too.
KENT
, , ,
, ,
Why mad|am, if | I were | your fath|er's dog,
, ,
,
You should | not use | me so.
REGAN
, 2
, ,
Sir, being | his knave,| I will. (tri with
prev)
CORNWALL
, 2
, , , ,
This is a | fellow | of the / self-same | color,
,
, ,
2 , ,
Our sis|ter speaks | of. Come,| bring^away | the
stocks.
GLOUCESTER
, ,
, T . T T
Let me | beseech | your grace,| not to do so,
, ,
2 , ,
,
His fault | is much,| and the good | king his |
master
,
x ,
, ,
2->
Will check | him for it:| your pur|posed low |
correc||tion
, ,
, ,
, 2->
Is such | as bas|est and | contem|nedst
wretch||es
, 2
, , , ,
For pil|ferings and / most com|mon tres|passes
, ,
, ,
,
Are pun|ished with:| the king | must^take | it
ill,
,
, , , 2
, 2
That he | so* slight|ly val|ued in his |
messenger, ??
, ,
,
Should have | him thus | restrained.
CORNWALL
, ,
I'll ans|wer that.
REGAN
, ,
x T T T
My sis|ter may | receive it | much more worse,
, x ,
, ,
To have | her gentle|man a|bused, as|saulted,
, 2
, , ,
,
For fol|lowing her | affairs.| Put in | his legs.
CORNWALL
Come my lord, away.
[Exeunt all but GLOUCESTER and KENT]
GLOUCESTER
2 ,
, ,
2 , ,
I am sor|ry for | thee friend,| 'tis the duke's |
pleasure,
, ,
, . T T
T
Whose^dis|posi|tion all | the world well knows
, ,
, 2 ,
,
Will not | be rubbed | nor stopped,| I'll entreat
| for thee.
KENT
,
, 2
, ,
,
Pray do | not sir,| I have watched | and
trav|elled hard,
,
, , ,
x
Some* time | I shall / sleep out,| the rest |
I'll whistle:
. T T T
, ,
,
A good man's for|tune may / grow out | at heels:
,
, 2
Give you | good mor|row.
GLOUCESTER
, ,
,
The duke's | to blame | in this,
T T T ,
'Twill be ill | taken. \\
[Exit]
KENT
, ,
, , ,
Good* king,| that must | approve | the com|mon
saw,
, ,
, , ,
Thou^out | of heav|en's ben|edic|tion comst
, ,
To the / warm sun. \\
, , ,
, ,
Approach | thou bea/con to | this und|er globe,
,
, , ,
,
That by | thy com|fortab|le beams | I may
, x
, ,
, ,
Peruse | this letter.| Nothing | almost | sees
mir/acles
, ,
, , ,
,
But mis|ery.| I know |'tis from | Corde|lia,
(hex with prev)
, , ,
, ,
Who hath | most for/tunate|ly been | informed
, ,
, , ,
Of my | obscu|red course.| And shall / find time
,
, ,
, ,
From this | enor|mous state,| seeking | to give
,
, , , ,
, ,
Losses their remedies. All weary and orewatched,
????
,
, , ,
,
Take^vant|age heav|y eyes,| not to | behold
??
,
, ,
, ___
This shame|ful lod|ging. For|tune good | night,
T T
T T T T
oo
Smile once more,| turn thy wheel.|
[Sleeps]