SCENE VII. A tent in the French camp. LEAR on a bed asleep, King Lear  Shakespeare homepage  |  King Lear  | Act 4, Scene 7 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE VII. A tent in the French camp. LEAR on a bed asleep,  soft music playing; Gentleman, and others attending. 



 Enter CORDELIA, KENT, and Doctor  CORDELIA  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. 

 KENT  To be acknowledged, madam, is o'erpaid. 

 All my reports go with the modest truth; 

 Nor more nor clipp'd, but so. 

 CORDELIA  Be better suited: 

 These weeds are memories of those worser hours: 

 I prithee, put them off. 

 KENT  Pardon me, dear 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. 

 CORDELIA  Then be't so, my good lord. 



 To the Doctor  How does the king? 

 Doctor  Madam, sleeps still. 

 CORDELIA  O you kind gods, 

 Cure this great breach in his abused nature! 

 The untuned and jarring senses, O, wind up 

 Of this child-changed father! 

 Doctor  So please your majesty 

 That we may wake the king: he hath slept long. 

 CORDELIA  Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed 

 I' the sway of your own will. Is he array'd? 

 Gentleman  Ay, madam; in the heaviness of his sleep 

 We put fresh garments on him. 

 Doctor  Be by, good madam, when we do awake him; 

 I doubt not of his temperance. 

 CORDELIA  Very well. 

 Doctor  Please you, draw near. Louder the music there! 

 CORDELIA  O my dear father! Restoration hang 

 Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss 

 Repair those violent harms that my two sisters 

 Have in thy reverence made! 

 KENT  Kind and dear princess! 

 CORDELIA  Had you not been their father, these white flakes 

 Had challenged pity of them. Was this a face 

 To be opposed against the warring winds? 

 To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder? 

 In the most terrible and nimble stroke 

 Of quick, cross lightning? to watch--poor perdu!-- 

 With this thin helm? Mine enemy's dog, 

 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. 

 Doctor  Madam, do you; 'tis fittest. 

 CORDELIA  How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty? 

 KING LEAR  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 moulten lead. 

 CORDELIA  Sir, do you know me? 

 KING LEAR  You are a spirit, I know: when did you die? 

 CORDELIA  Still, still, far wide! 

 Doctor  He's scarce awake: let him alone awhile. 

 KING LEAR  Where have I been? Where am I? Fair daylight? 

 I am mightily abused. I should e'en die 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 assured 

 Of my condition! 

 CORDELIA  O, look upon me, sir, 

 And hold your hands in benediction o'er me: 

 No, sir, you must not kneel. 

 KING LEAR  Pray, do not mock me: 

 I am a very foolish fond old man, 

 Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less; 

 And, to deal plainly, 

 I fear I am not in my perfect 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 at me; 

 For, as I am a man, I think this lady 

 To be my child Cordelia. 

 CORDELIA  And so I am, I am. 

 KING LEAR  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: 

 You have some cause, they have not. 

 CORDELIA  No cause, no cause. 

 KING LEAR  Am I in France? 

 KENT  In your own kingdom, sir. 

 KING LEAR  Do not abuse me. 

 Doctor  Be comforted, good madam: the great rage, 

 You see, is kill'd in him: and yet it is danger 

 To make him even o'er the time he has lost. 

 Desire him to go in; trouble him no more 

 Till further settling. 

 CORDELIA  Will't please your highness walk? 

 KING LEAR  You must bear with me: 

 Pray you now, forget and forgive: I am old and foolish. 



 Exeunt all but KENT and Gentleman  Gentleman  Holds it true, sir, that the Duke of Cornwall was so slain? 

 KENT  Most certain, sir. 

 Gentleman  Who is conductor of his people? 

 KENT  As 'tis said, the bastard son of Gloucester. 

 Gentleman  They say Edgar, his banished son, is with the Earl 

 of Kent in Germany. 

 KENT  Report is changeable. 'Tis time to look about; the 

 powers of the kingdom approach apace. 

 Gentleman  The arbitrement is like to be bloody. Fare you 

 well, sir. 



 Exit  KENT  My point and period will be throughly wrought, 

 Or well or ill, as this day's battle's fought. 



 Exit  Shakespeare homepage  |  King Lear  | Act 4, Scene 7 

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