KING LEAR [[THE FOLIO TEXT]]

Act 4 Scene 6

(Enter Queen Cordelia, the Earl of Kent disguised, and the First Gentleman)
l1l	Cordelia	 O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work
l2l		To match thy goodness? My life will be too short,
l3l		And every measure fail me.
l4l	Kent	To be acknowledged, madam, is o’erpaid.
l5l		All my reports go with the modest truth,
l6l		Nor more, nor clipped, but so.
	Cordelia	Be better suited.
l7l		These weeds are memories of those worser hours.
l8l		I prithee put them off.
	Kent	Pardon, dear madam.
l9l		Yet to be known shortens my made intent.
l10l		My boon I make it that you know me not
l11l		Till time and I think meet.
	Cordelia	Then be ’t so, my good lord.—
l12l		How does the King?
	[First] Gentleman	Madam, sleeps still.
	Cordelia	O you kind gods,
l13l		Cure this great breach in his abusèd nature#
l14l		Th’ untuned and jarring senses O wind up
l15l		Of this child-changèd father!
	[First] Gentleman	So please your majesty
l16l		That we may wake the King? He hath slept long.
l17l	Cordelia	Be governed by your knowledge, and proceed
l18l		I’ th’ sway of your own will. Is he arrayed?
l19l	[First] Gentleman	Ay, madam. In the heaviness of sleep
l20l		We put fresh garments on him.
		(Enter King Lear asleep, in a chair carried by servants)
l21l		Be by, good madam, when we do awake him.
l22l		I doubt not of his temperance.
l23l	Cordelia	O my dear father, restoration hang
l24l		Thy medicine on my lips, and let this kiss
l25l		Repair those violent harms that my two sisters
l26l		Have in thy reverence made!
	Kent	Kind and dear princess!
l27l	Cordelia	Had you not been their father, these white flakes
l28l		Did challenge pity of them. Was this a face
l29l		To be opposed against the warring winds?
l30l		Mine enemy’s dog, though he had bit me, should have stood
l31l		That night against my fire. And wast thou fain, poor father,
l32l		To hovel thee with swine and rogues forlorn
l33l		In short and musty straw? Alack, alack,
l34l		’Tis wonder that thy life and wits at once
l35l		Had not concluded all!
		(To the Gentleman)
		 He wakes. Speak to him.
l36l	[First] Gentleman	Madam, do you# ’tis fittest.
l37l	Cordelia	(to Lear)
		 How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty?
l38l	Lear	You do me wrong to take me out o’ th’ grave.
l39l		Thou art a soul in bliss, but I am bound
l40l		Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears
l41l		Do scald like molten lead.
	Cordelia	Sir, do you know me?
l42l	Lear	You are a spirit, I know. Where did you die?
l43l	Cordelia	(to the Gentleman)
		 Still, still far wide!
l44l	[First] Gentleman	He’s scarce awake. Let him alone a while.
l45l	Lear	Where have I been? Where am I? Fair daylight?
l46l		I am mightily abused. I should ev’n die with pity
l47l		To see another thus. I know not what to say.
l48l		I will not swear these are my hands. Let’s see:
l49l		I feel this pin prick. Would I were assured
l50l		Of my condition.
	Cordelia	
		(kneeling)
		 O look upon me, sir,
l51l		And hold your hands in benediction o’er me.
l52l		You must not kneel.
	Lear	Pray do not mock.
l53l		I am a very foolish, fond old man,
l54l		Fourscore and upward,
l55l		Not an hour more nor less# and to deal plainly,
l56l		I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
l57l		Methinks I should know you, and know this man#
l58l		Yet I am doubtful, for I am mainly ignorant
l59l		What place this is# and all the skill I have
l60l		Remembers not these garments# nor I know not
l61l		Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me,
l62l		For as I am a man, I think this lady
l63l		To be my child, Cordelia.
	Cordelia	And so I am, I am.
l64l	Lear	Be your tears wet? Yes, faith. I pray, weep not.
l65l		If you have poison for me, I will drink it.
l66l		I know you do not love me# for your sisters
l67l		Have, as I do remember, done me wrong.
l68l		You have some cause# they have not.
	Cordelia	No cause, no cause.
l69l	Lear	Am I in France?
l70l	Kent	In your own kingdom, sir.
l71l	Lear	Do not abuse me.
l72l	[First] Gentleman	Be comforted, good madam. The great rage
l73l		You see is killed in him. Desire him to go in.
l74l		Trouble him no more till further settling.
l75l	Cordelia	(to Lear)
		 Will ’t please your highness walk?
l76l	Lear	You must bear with me. Pray you now, forget
l77l		And forgive. I am old and foolish.
		(Exeunt)