The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (909 page)

Reverbs no hollowness.

I will make it, although the point might go

through my heart: Kent will be discourteous,

when Lear is mad. What are you doing, old man?

Do you think that duty should be silent,

when power gives in to flattery? Honor demands honesty,

when royalty acts stupidly. Take back your pronouncement;

think more carefully and stop

this ghastly foolishness: I will stake my life on the fact

that your youngest daughter does not love you the least;

just because somebody is not shallow

it does not mean they are empty hearted.

KING LEAR

Kent, on thy life, no more.

Kent, if you value your life, be quiet.

KENT

My life I never held but as a pawn

To wage against thy enemies; nor fear to lose it,

Thy safety being the motive.

I never thought of my life as anything but a pawn

in the fight against your enemies: and I do not fear losing it

if your safety is at stake.

KING LEAR

Out of my sight!

Get out of my sight!

KENT

See better, Lear; and let me still remain

The true blank of thine eye.

See more clearly, Lear; let me stay

before you and advise you.

KING LEAR

Now, by Apollo,--

Now, by Apollo–

KENT

Now, by Apollo, king,

Thou swear'st thy gods in vain.

Now, by Apollo, King,

you're taking your god's name in vain.

KING LEAR

O, vassal! miscreant!

Laying his hand on his sword

Oh, you slave! Scoundrel!

ALBANY CORNWALL

Dear sir, forbear.

Dear Sir, hold back.

KENT

Do:

Kill thy physician, and the fee bestow

Upon thy foul disease. Revoke thy doom;

Or, whilst I can vent clamour from my throat,

I'll tell thee thou dost evil.

Do:

kill your doctor, and give the fee

to your foul disease. Take back your pronouncement;

or, as long as I can still speak,

I'll tell you you're doing wrong.

KING LEAR

Hear me, recreant!

On thine allegiance, hear me!

Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow,

Which we durst never yet, and with strain'd pride

To come between our sentence and our power,

Which nor our nature nor our place can bear,

Our potency made good, take thy reward.

Five days we do allot thee, for provision

To shield thee from diseases of the world;

And on the sixth to turn thy hated back

Upon our kingdom: if, on the tenth day following,

Thy banish'd trunk be found in our dominions,

The moment is thy death. Away! by Jupiter,

This shall not be revoked.

Listen to me, you traitor!

Stick to your duty, listen to me!

Since you have tried to make me break my vow,

which I have never done, and with unnatural pride

have tried to come between my decision and its execution,

which neither my nature nor my position can tolerate,

I will show my power, here is your reward.

I give you five days to prepare yourself

against what the world may bring;

on the sixth you shall turn your hated back

upon my kingdom: if, on the tenth day after that,

your exiled body is found in my kingdom,

you shall be executed. Get out! by Jupiter,

I shall stick to this.

KENT

Fare thee well, king: sith thus thou wilt appear,

Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here.

Farewell, King: since you will behave like this,

freedom lives elsewhere, and exile is here.

To CORDELIA

The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid,

That justly think'st, and hast most rightly said!

Maiden, may the gods take you under their sweet protection,

your thoughts are correct and you were right to speak out!

To REGAN and GONERIL

And your large speeches may your deeds approve,

That good effects may spring from words of love.

Thus Kent, O princes, bids you all adieu;

He'll shape his old course in a country new.

Exit

Flourish. Re-enter GLOUCESTER, with KING OF FRANCE, BURGUNDY, and Attendants

And may your deeds be as good as your great speeches,

so good things come from the words of love.

So, Princes, Kent says goodbye to all of you;

he'll follow his old ways in a new country.

GLOUCESTER

Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord.

Here are France and Burgundy, my noble lord.

KING LEAR

My lord of Burgundy.

We first address towards you, who with this king

Hath rivall'd for our daughter: what, in the least,

Will you require in present dower with her,

Or cease your quest of love?

My lord of Burgundy,

we will ask you first, who have been

competing with this king for daughter: what is the smallest

dowry you would accept with her,

or withdraw your suit?

BURGUNDY

Most royal majesty,

I crave no more than what your highness offer'd,

Nor will you tender less.

Most royal majesty,

I want no more than what your Highness offered,

and you will not offer less.

KING LEAR

Right noble Burgundy,

When she was dear to us, we did hold her so;

But now her price is fall'n. Sir, there she stands:

If aught within that little seeming substance,

Or all of it, with our displeasure pieced,

And nothing more, may fitly like your grace,

She's there, and she is yours.

Truly noble Burgundy,

when I loved her, I valued her at one price;

but now her price has fallen. Sir, there she is:

if there's anything in that insignificant thing,

or all of it, with our displeasure attached to it,

and nothing else, suits your Grace,

there she is, and you can have her.

BURGUNDY

I know no answer.

I don't know what to say.

KING LEAR

Will you, with those infirmities she owes,

Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate,

Dower'd with our curse, and stranger'd with our oath,

Take her, or leave her?

Will you, considering the weaknesses she has,

friendless, newly hated by me,

bringing my curse as her dowry, and exiled by my vow,

take her or leave her?

BURGUNDY

Pardon me, royal sir;

Election makes not up on such conditions.

Pardon me, your Highness;

I can't choose under those conditions.

KING LEAR

Then leave her, sir; for, by the power that made me,

I tell you all her wealth.

Then leave her, Sir; for I swear to God

I have told you all she has.

To KING OF FRANCE

For you, great king,

I would not from your love make such a stray,

To match you where I hate; therefore beseech you

To avert your liking a more worthier way

Than on a wretch whom nature is ashamed

Almost to acknowledge hers.

As for you, great King,

I would not insult your love,

by marrying you to someone I hated; so I ask you

to look for someone better to love

than a wretch whom nature

has almost disowned.

KING OF FRANCE

This is most strange,

That she, that even but now was your best object,

The argument of your praise, balm of your age,

Most best, most dearest, should in this trice of time

Commit a thing so monstrous, to dismantle

So many folds of favour. Sure, her offence

Must be of such unnatural degree,

That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affection

Fall'n into taint: which to believe of her,

Must be a faith that reason without miracle

Could never plant in me.

This is most odd,

that she, who just recently was your favourite thing,

the subject of all your praise, delight of your old age,

best, dearest, should in the blink of an eye

do something so terrible that she would lose

all these marks of favour. The offence must surely

be so unnatural and monstrous

to pollute your former affection:

to believe that she could do something like that

is something that I could never do

without a miracle.

CORDELIA

I yet beseech your majesty,--

If for I want that glib and oily art,

To speak and purpose not; since what I well intend,

I'll do't before I speak,--that you make known

It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,

No unchaste action, or dishonour'd step,

That hath deprived me of your grace and favour;

But even for want of that for which I am richer,

A still-soliciting eye, and such a tongue

As I am glad I have not, though not to have it

Hath lost me in your liking.

Still I beg your Majesty's pardon,

if I am lacking in that shallow and oily skill,

to say things that I don't mean–what I do mean

I'll do before I speak of it–you must know

it is not some horrible character stain, murder or unpleasantness,

no unchaste behaviour, or dishonourable action,

that has taken your grace and favour away from me;

what has is that I lack something which I am better for lacking,

a beggar's eye, and a tongue

that I am glad I have not got, even though not having it

has cost me your approval.

KING LEAR

Better thou

Hadst not been born than not to have pleased me better.

It would have been better

for you never to have been born than not to be better at pleasing me.

KING OF FRANCE

Is it but this,--a tardiness in nature

Which often leaves the history unspoke

That it intends to do? My lord of Burgundy,

What say you to the lady? Love's not love

When it is mingled with regards that stand

Aloof from the entire point. Will you have her?

She is herself a dowry.

Is this all the problem–a natural reticence

which often doesn't speak

of what it intends to do? My lord of Burgundy,