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King Lear

Act IV, Scene 7

A tent in the French camp. LEAR on a bed asleep,
 
[Soft music playing; Gentleman, and others attending. Enter CORDELIA, KENT, and Doctor]
 
CORDELIA
      T   T    T     __
      O thou good | Kent,
       ,              ,          ,
      How shall | I live | and work
           ,          ,         o
      To match | thy good|ness?
           ,          ,          ,
      My life | will be | too* short,
           ,      ,         ,       2->
      And eve|ry meas|ure fail || me.  (tri with prev four)
 
KENT
          ,       ,          ,           ,   ,
      To be | acknow|ledged mad|am is / orepaid,
       ,           ,      ,             ,        ,
      All my | reports | go with | the mod|est truth,
            ,           ,           ,
      Nor more,| nor clipped,| but so.
 
CORDELIA
                                             x      ,
                                      Be* better | suited,
              ,          ,     ,      2        ,       ,
      These weeds | are mem|ories | of those^wors|er hours:
          ,       ,          ,
      I prith|ee put | them off.
 
KENT
                                   x           ,
                                Pardon dear*| madam,
           ,        ,       ,             ,        ,
      Yet to | be known | shortens | my made | intent,
           ,        ,          ,          ,        ,
      My boon | I make | it, that | you know | me not,
             ,        ,           ,
      Till time | and I,| think meet.
 
CORDELIA
             x      ,             ,
      Then be it | so my | good lord:  (tri with prev)
            ,          ,
      How does | the king?  \\
 
DOCTOR
       ,         T     T
      Madam | sleeps still.
 
CORDELIA
                            T    T    T    T
                            O | you kind gods!
        ,           ,      ,                 ,      ,
      Cure this | great breach / in his | abused | nature,
         2    ,          ,        ,       ,         ,
      The untuned | and jar|ring sens|es, O | wind^up,
        2       ,       ,      ,
      Of this child-|changed fath/er.
 
DOCTOR
                                              ,           ,  2
                                      So | please your | majesty*,
            ,         ,          ,                ,     ,
      That we | may wake | the king,| he hath / slept long?
 
CORDELIA
          ,         ,          ,          ,         ,
      Be gov|erned by | your know|ledge, and | proceed
        2      ,               ,    ,     ,       ,
      In the sway | of your / own will:| is he | arrayed?
 
GENTLEMAN
       ,   ,                ,      ,         ,
      Aye mad/am: in | the hea|viness | of sleep,
       T  T    T       ,         ,       oo
      We put fresh | garments | on him.|
           ,          ,       ,        ,        x
      Be* by | good* mad|am when | we do | awake him,
          ,       2      ,
      I doubt | of his tempe|rance.  \\
 
CORDELIA
      ,        ,    ,             ,        ,
      O my | dear fath/er, re|stora|tion hang
           ,   2     ,        ,         ,           ,
      Thy med|icine on | my lips,| and let | this kiss
          ,           ,  2      ,         2    ,     ,
      Repair | those vi|olent harms,| that my two | sisters
        ,    2        ,           T
      Have in thy | reverence | made.
 
KENT
                                       T   .    T      ,
                                     Kind and dear | princess.
 
CORDELIA
           ,          ,            ,                ,      ,
      Had^you | not^been | their fath|er, these / white flakes
            ,         ,   2     ,          ,        ,
      Did chal|lenge pi|ty of them.| Was this | a face
          ,       ,         ,          ,         ,
      To be | opposed | against | the war|ring winds?
            ,    ,     ,      ,               ,
      Mine^en|emy's | dog, though / he had | bit me,
         ,            T     T    T         ,          ,
      Should have | stood that night | against | my fire.
            ,      T    T     T     ,       oo
      And wast | thou fain (poor | father)|
          ,       ,           ,            ,          ,
      To hov|el thee | with swine | and rogues | forlorn,
           ,           ,      ,        ,       ,
      In short,| and must|y straw?| Alack,| alack,
             ,       ,          ,          ,         ,
      'Tis wond|er that | thy life | and wits,| at once
           ,        ,       ,         ,       ,     2
      Had not | conclu|ded all.| He wakes,| speak to him.
 
DOCTOR
       ,          ,            x
      Madam | do you,| 'tis fittest.
 
CORDELIA
             ,        ,       ,
      How* does | my roy|al lord?
             ,           ,    ,
      How* fares | your maj|esty?  (tri with prev two)
 
LEAR
           ,        ,          ,        ,      2      ,
      You do | me wrong | to take | me out | of the grave,
        ,            ,         ,         ,        ,
      Thou art | a soul | in bliss,| but I | am bound
        ,        ,          ,                ,    ,
      Upon | a wheel | of fire,| that mine^/own tears
            ,       T    Tx     T
      Do* scald,| like molten lead.
 
CORDELIA
                                    ,     2        ,
                                   Sir, do you | know me?
 
LEAR
       ,             x         ,      ,              ,
      You are | a spirit | I know,| where did | you die?
 
CORDELIA
        T      T     T      ,
      Still, still, far | wide.
 
DOCTOR
                                         ,      __
                               He's | scarce a|wake,
       ,           ,       ,
      Let him | alone | awhile.
 
LEAR
                                  ,              ,
                                Where have | I been?
        T    T T     T   T   T     oo
      Where am I?| Fair daylight?|
       2     ,     ,      ,      2         ,     ,          ,
      I am might|ily | abused;| I should eene | die with | pity
          ,      ,        ,        ,     ,             ,
      To see | anoth|er thus.| I know | not what | to say:  (hex with prev)
                ,    ,                  ,   ,            ,
      I will / not swear | these^are / my hands:| let's^see,
          ,          ,      ,            ,           ,
      I feel | this pin | prick, would | I were^|assured
          ,       ,     2
      Of my | condi|tion.
 
CORDELIA
                              ,      ,        ,
                          O look | upon | me sir,
            ,           ,         ,    ,        ,       ->
      And hold | your hands | in be|nedic|tion ore || me,
       ,          T    T
      You must | not kneel.
 
LEAR
                              T        ,      ,
                            Pray | do not | mock me:
      ,   2     ,       ,         T   T   T
      I am a | very | foolish | fond old man,
        ,   ,        ,
      Fourscore and upward,   ????
       ,       ,    ,         ,
      Not an hour more, nor less;  ????
               ,    ,
      And to deal plainly,   ????
          ,    T  T  T      2    ,         ,
      I fear | I am not | in my per|fect mind.
           ,                  ,   ,          ,          ,
      Methinks | I should / know you,| and know | this^man,
       ,   2       ,         ,   2       ,       ,  2
      Yet I am | doubtful:| for I am | mainly | ignorant  ??
             ,           ,        ,          ,         ,
      What place | this is:| and all | the skill | I have
         ,        ,           ,            2      ,   ,
      Remem|bers not | these gar|ments: nor I / know not
            ,         ,            ,         ,      ,     2
      Where^I | did lodge | last^night.| Do not | laugh at me,
       ,        ,   2     ,         ,           ,
      For (as | I am a | man) I | think this | lady
          ,        ,         ,   ,   oo
      To be | my child | Cordel|ia.|
 
CORDELIA
           ,      ,      ,
      And so | I am:| I am.
 
LEAR
                                        ,    ,
                            Be your / tears wet?
       T     T    T     T    T   T    oo
      Yes 'faith: I | pray weep not,|
          ,           ,      ,        ,             x
      If you | have pois|on for | me, I | will drink it:
          ,       2    ,      ,        ,          ,
      I know | you do not | love me,| for your | sisters
        ,           ,      ,         ,         ,
      Have (as | I do | remem|ber) done | me wrong.
       ,                ,       T    T   T    oo
      You have | some cause,| they have not.|
 
CORDELIA
           ,          ,
      No cause,| no cause.
 
LEAR
                             ,         ,     oo
                          Am I | in France?|
 
KENT
        2      ,      ,        ,
      In your own | kingdom | sir.
 
LEAR
                                         ,      ,
                                   Do | not a|buse me.
 
DOCTOR
          ,             ,   ,              ,     ,
      Be com|forted / good mad|am, the / great rage,
             x        ,         ,        ,          2    ,
      You see is | killed in | him: de|sire him | to go^in,
        ,            ,     ,          ,         ,
      Trouble | him no | more till | further | settling.
 
CORDELIA
              ,            ,         ,
      Wilt please | your high|ness walk?
 
LEAR
                                           2       ,      ,
                                        You must bear | with me:
        ,         ,       ,              ,    oo
      Pray you | now for|get, and | forgive,|
      ,       ,          ,
      I am | old and | foolish.   \\
 
[Exeunt all but KENT and Gentleman]
 
GENTLEMAN
Holds it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall was so slain?
 
KENT
Most certain, sir.
 
GENTLEMAN
Who is conductor of his people?
 
KENT
As 'tis said, the bastard son of Gloucester.
 
GENTLEMAN
They say Edgar, his banished son, is with the Earl of Kent in Germany.
 
KENT
Report is changeable. 'Tis time to look about; the powers of the kingdom approach apace.
 
GENTLEMAN
The arbitrement is like to be bloody. Fare you well, sir.
 
[Exit]
 
KENT
           ,          ,   2    ,          ,          ,
      My point | and per|iod will | be through|ly wrought,
           ,        ,                ,    ,           ,
      Or well | or ill,| as this / day's bat|tle's fought.
 
[Exit]

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