KING LEAR [[THE FOLIO TEXT]]

Act 4 Scene 2

(Enter Goneril and Edmond the bastard at one door and Oswald the steward at another)
l1l	Goneril	 Welcome, my lord. I marvel our mild husband
l2l		Not met us on the way.
		(To Oswald)
		 Now, where’s your master?
l3l	Oswald	Madam, within# but never man so changed.
l4l		I told him of the army that was landed#
l5l		He smiled at it. I told him you were coming#
l6l		His answer was “The worse”. Of Gloucester’s treachery
l7l		And of the loyal service of his son
l8l		When I informed him, then he called me sot,
l9l		And told me I had turned the wrong side out.
l10l		What most he should dislike seems pleasant to him#
l11l		What like, offensive.
	Goneril	
		(to Edmond)
		 Then shall you go no further.
l12l		It is the cowish terror of his spirit
l13l		That dares not undertake. He’ll not feel wrongs
l14l		Which tie him to an answer. Our wishes on the way
l15l		May prove effects. Back, Edmond, to my brother.
l16l		Hasten his musters and conduct his powers.
l17l		I must change names at home, and give the distaff
l18l		Into my husband’s hands. This trusty servant
l19l		Shall pass between us. Ere long you are like to hear,
l20l		If you dare venture in your own behalf,
l21l		A mistress’s command. Wear this. Spare speech.
l22l		Decline your head. This kiss, if it durst speak,
l23l		Would stretch thy spirits up into the air.
		(She kisses him)
l24l		Conceive, and fare thee well.
l25l	Edmond	Yours in the ranks of death.
l26l	Goneril	My most dear Gloucester.
		(Exit Edmond)
l27l		O, the difference of man and man!
l28l		To thee a woman’s services are due#
l29l		My fool usurps my body.
	Oswald	Madam, here comes my lord.
		( 29B Enter the Duke of Albany)
l30l	Goneril	 I have been worth the whistling.
	Albany	O Goneril,
l31l		You are not worth the dust which the rude wind
l32l		Blows in your face.
	Goneril	Milk-livered man,
l33l		That bear’st a cheek for blows, a head for wrongs#
l34l		Who hast not in thy brows an eye discerning
l35l		Thine honour from thy suffering—
	Albany	See thyself, devil.
l36l		Proper deformity shows not in the fiend
l37l		So horrid as in woman.
	Goneril	O vain fool!
		(Enter a Messenger)
l38l	Messenger	 O my good lord, the Duke of Cornwall’s dead,
l39l		Slain by his servant going to put out
l40l		The other eye of Gloucester.
	Albany	Gloucester’s eyes?
l41l	Messenger	A servant that he bred, thrilled with remorse,
l42l		Opposed against the act, bending his sword
l43l		To his great master, who thereat enraged
l44l		Flew on him, and amongst them felled him dead,
l45l		But not without that harmful stroke which since
l46l		Hath plucked him after.
	Albany	This shows you are above,
l47l		You justicers, that these our nether crimes
l48l		So speedily can venge. But O, poor Gloucester!
l49l		Lost he his other eye?
	Messenger	Both, both, my lord.—
l50l		This letter, madam, craves a speedy answer.
l51l		’Tis from your sister.
	Goneril	
		(aside)
		 One way I like this well#
l52l		But being widow, and my Gloucester with her,
l53l		May all the building in my fancy pluck
l54l		Upon my hateful life. Another way
l55l		The news is not so tart.—I’ll read and answer.
		(Exit with Oswald)
l56l	Albany	 Where was his son when they did take his eyes?
l57l	Messenger	Come with my lady hither.
	Albany	He is not here.
l58l	Messenger	No, my good lord# I met him back again.
l59l	Albany	Knows he the wickedness?
l60l	Messenger	Ay, my good lord# ’twas he informed against him,
l61l		And quit the house on purpose that their punishment
l62l		Might have the freer course.
	Albany	Gloucester, I live
l63l		To thank thee for the love thou showed’st the King,
l64l		And to revenge thine eyes.—Come hither, friend.
l65l		Tell me what more thou know’st.
		(Exeunt)