Cor.
O thou good Kent!
How shall I live, and work, to match thy goodness?
My life will be too short, and every measure fail me.

Ken.
To be acknowledg'd, madam, is o'er-pay'd.
All my reports go with the modest truth;
Nor more, nor clipt, but so.

Cor.
Be better suited:
These weeds are memories of those worser hours;
I pr'ythee, put them off.

Ken.
Pardon, dear ^note 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.

Cor.
Then be it so, my lord ^note.—
How does the king? [going towards the Bed.

Gen.
Madam, ^note sleeps still.14Q1374

Cor.
Kind ^note gods,
Cure this great breach in his abused nature!
The untun'd and jarring senses ^note, o, wind up
Of this child-changed father!

Phy.
So ^note please your majesty,
That ^note we may wake the king? he hath slept long.

Cor.
Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed
I'the sway of your own will. Is he array'd?

Gen.
Ay, ^note madam; in the heaviness of sleep ^note,
We put fresh garments on him.

Phy.
Be by, good madam ^note, when we do awake him; ^note
I doubt not of ^note his temperance.

Cor.
Very well. ^note

Phy.
Please you, draw near.—Louder, the musick there.

Cor.
O my dear father!—Restauration ^note, hang
Thy medicine on my lips; and let this † kiss
Repair those violent harms, that my two sisters
Have in thy reverence made!

Ken.
Kind and dear princess!

Cor.
Had you not been their father, these white flakes
Did challenge ^note pity of them. Was this a face
To be oppos'd ^note against the warring ^note winds?
To stand ^note against the deep dread-bolted thunder;
In the most terrible and nimble stroke
Of quick cross light'ning? to watch (poor perdu! ^note)
With this thin helm? Mine injurer's ^note dog ^note,

Though he had bit me, should have stood that night
Against my fire; And wast thou fain, poor father,
To hovel thee with swine, and rogues forlorn,
In short and musty straw? Alack, alack!
'Tis wonder, that thy life and wits at once
Had not concluded all.—He wakes; speak to him.

Phy.
Madam, ^note do you, 'tis fittest.

Cor.
How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty?

Lea.
You do me wrong, to take me out o'the grave:—
Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound
Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears
Do scald like molten lead.

Cor.
Sir, do you know me? ^note

Lea.
You are a spirit, I know: When did ^note you dye?

Cor.
Still, still, far wide!

Phy.
He's ^note scarce awake; let him alone a while.

Lea.
Where have I been? Where am I?—Fair daylight?—
I am mightily abus'd.—I should even dye with pity,
To see another thus.—I know not what to say.
I will not swear, these are my hands: Let's see;
I feel this pin prick. 'Would I were assur'd
Of my condition.

Cor.
O, look upon me, sir,
And hold your hands ^note in benediction o'er me:—
No, sir, ^note you must not kneel.

Lea.
Pray, do not mock me: ^note
I am a very foolish fond old man,
Fourscore and upward;
Not an hour more, nor less: ^note and, to deal plainly,
I fear, I am not in my perfect ^note mind.
Methinks, I should know you, and know this man;

Yet I am doubtful: for I am mainly ignorant
What place this is; and all the skill I have
Remembers not these garments; nor I know not
Where I did lodge last night: Do not laugh ^note at me,
For, as I am a man, I think this lady
To be my child Cordelia.

Cor.
And so I am, I am ^note.

Lea.
Be your tears wet? Yes, 'faith. I pray, weep not:
If you have poison for me, I will drink it.
I know, you do not love me; for your sisters
Have, as I do remember, done me wrong: ^note
You have some cause, they have not. ^note

Cor.
No cause, no cause.

Lea.
Am I in France?

Ken.
In your own kingdom, sir.

Lea.
Do not abuse me.

Phy.
Be comforted, good madam: the great rage,
You see, is cur'd in him; ^note and yet it is danger ^note
To make him even o'er14Q1375 the time he has lost:
Desire him to go in; trouble him no more,
'Till further setling.

Cor.
Wilt ^note please your highness walk?

Lea.
You must bear with me:
Pray you ^note now, forget and forgive; I am old, and foolish. [Exeunt Cor. Lea. Phy. and Attendants.

Gen.
Holds it ^note true, sir,
The ^note duke of Cornwal was so slain?

Ken.
Most certain, sir.

Gen.
Who is conductor of his people?

Ken.
'Tis ^note said,
The bastard son of Gloster.

Gen.
They say, Edgar,

His banish'd son, is with the earl of Kent
In Germany.

Ken.
Report is changeable.
'Tis time to look about; the powers o'the kingdom
Approach apace.

Gen.
And the arbitrement
Is like to be most bloody. Fare you well, sir. [Exit.

Ken.
My point and period will be throughly wrought,
Or well, or ill, as this day's battle's fought. [Exit.

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