The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (928 page)

Go in, fellow, in there, into the shack: keep yourself warm.

KING LEAR

Come let's in all.

Come on, let's all go in.

KENT

This way, my lord.

This way, my lord.

KING LEAR

With him;

I will keep still with my philosopher.

You go with him;

I'll stay with this philosopher.

KENT

Good my lord, soothe him; let him take the fellow.

Humor him my good lord, let him bring the fellow.

GLOUCESTER

Take him you on.

You lead him in.

KENT

Sirrah, come on; go along with us.

Come on, sir, come with us.

KING LEAR

Come, good Athenian.

Come on, you clever fellow.

GLOUCESTER

No words, no words: hush.

Say nothing, say nothing: hush

EDGAR

Child Rowland to the dark tower came,

His word was still,--Fie, foh, and fum,

I smell the blood of a British man.

Exeunt

Child Roland to the dark tower came,

His motto remained: Fee fie fo fum,

I smell the blood of a British man.

Enter CORNWALL and EDMUND

CORNWALL

I will have my revenge ere I depart his house.

I will have my revenge before I leave his house.

EDMUND

How, my lord, I may be censured, that nature thus

gives way to loyalty, something fears me to think

of.

I worry, my lord, how I may be punished, for

allowing loyalty to get the better of my natural instincts.

CORNWALL

I now perceive, it was not altogether your

brother's evil disposition made him seek his death;

but a provoking merit, set a-work by a reprovable

badness in himself.

I can now see that it was not just your

brother's evil nature that made him want to kill your father;

there was a good reason, though it was spurred on

by his own wickedness.

EDMUND

How malicious is my fortune, that I must repent to

be just! This is the letter he spoke of, which

approves him an intelligent party to the advantages

of France: O heavens! that this treason were not,

or not I the detector!

How unhappy my fortune is, that I must feel bad about

doing the right thing! This is the letter he spoke of, which

proves him to be a spy for France:

Oh heavens! I wish this treason did not exist,

or that I was not the one who discovered it.

CORNWALL

Go with me to the duchess.

We'll both go to the Duchess.

EDMUND

If the matter of this paper be certain, you have

mighty business in hand.

If what's in this paper is definitely right,

you have great things to do.

CORNWALL

True or false, it hath made thee earl of

Gloucester. Seek out where thy father is, that he

may be ready for our apprehension.

True or false, it has made you Earl of

Gloucester. Find out where your father is, so we

can have him arrested.

EDMUND

[Aside] If I find him comforting the king, it will

stuff his suspicion more fully.--[Aloud] I will persevere in

my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore

between that and my blood.

If I find him assisting the King, it will

make him even more suspicious–I will continue

my loyal efforts, even though it is almost

tearing me apart.

CORNWALL

I will lay trust upon thee; and thou shalt find a

dearer father in my love.

Exeunt

I will put my trust in you; and you will find a

better father in me.

Enter GLOUCESTER, KING LEAR, KENT, Fool, and EDGAR

GLOUCESTER

Here is better than the open air; take it

thankfully. I will piece out the comfort with what

addition I can: I will not be long from you.

You're better off in here than in the open air; be

grateful for it. I will bring what I can to make it

more comfortable: I shan't be away for long.

KENT

All the power of his wits have given way to his

impatience: the gods reward your kindness!

Exit GLOUCESTER

All his sense has given way to his impatience;

may the gods reward you for your kindness!

EDGAR

Frateretto calls me; and tells me

Nero is an angler in the lake of darkness.

Pray, innocent, and beware the foul fiend.

Frateretto  calls me, and tells me that Nero fishes

in the lake of hell. Pray, you innocent, and beware

of the devil.

Fool

Prithee, nuncle, tell me whether a madman be a

gentleman or a yeoman?

Please, nuncle, can you tell me whether a madman is a

gentleman or a commoner?

KING LEAR

A king, a king!

A King, a King!

Fool

No, he's a yeoman that has a gentleman to his son;

for he's a mad yeoman that sees his son a gentleman

before him.

No, he's a commoner that has a gentleman as his son;

a commoner would have to be mad to let his son become a gentleman

before him.

KING LEAR

To have a thousand with red burning spits

Come hissing in upon 'em,--

To have a thousand with red burning weapons

hissing down on them–

EDGAR

The foul fiend bites my back.

The devil is biting my back.

Fool

He's mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a

horse's health, a boy's love, or a whore's oath.

A madman is one who trusts in the tameness of a wolf, the

health of a horse, the love of a boy, or the promise of a whore.

KING LEAR

It shall be done; I will arraign them straight.

To EDGAR

Come, sit thou here, most learned justicer;

To the Fool

Thou, sapient sir, sit here. Now, you she foxes!

It shall be done; I will put them on trial at once.

Come, you sit here, you learned judge.

You, you wise man, sit here. Now, you vixens!

EDGAR

Look, where he stands and glares!

Wantest thou eyes at trial, madam?

Come o'er the bourn, Bessy, to me,--

Look how the devil stands and glares!

Do you want witnesses to your trial, madam?

Come over the stream to me, Bessie–

Fool

Her boat hath a leak,

And she must not speak

Why she dares not come over to thee.

Her boat has a leak,

and she must not say

why she doesn't dare come over to you.

EDGAR

The foul fiend haunts poor Tom in the voice of a

nightingale. Hopdance cries in Tom's belly for two

white herring. Croak not, black angel; I have no

food for thee.

The devil haunts poor Tom with the voice of a

nightingale.  Hoppedance is in Tom's belly, pleading

for two pickled herrings. Don't rumble, stomach; I have no

food for you.

KENT

How do you, sir? Stand you not so amazed:

Will you lie down and rest upon the cushions?

How are you, sir? Don't stand there dumbfounded:

won't you lie down and rest on the cushions?

KING LEAR

I'll see their trial first. Bring in the evidence.

To EDGAR

Thou robed man of justice, take thy place;

To the Fool

And thou, his yoke-fellow of equity,

Bench by his side:

To KENT

you are o' the commission,

Sit you too.

I'll see their trial first. Bring in the evidence.

You robed judge, take your place;

And you, his equal partner,

sit next to him on the bench:

you're one of the board,

you sit down too.

EDGAR

Let us deal justly.

Sleepest or wakest thou, jolly shepherd?

Thy sheep be in the corn;

And for one blast of thy minikin mouth,

Thy sheep shall take no harm.

Pur! the cat is gray.

Let us act with justice.

Are you asleep or awake, Johnny Shepherd?

Your sheep are in the cornfield;

and for one song from you,

your sheep will come to no harm.

Purr! It's a grey cat.

KING LEAR

Arraign her first; 'tis Goneril. I here take my