SCENE VII. Gloucester's castle. King Lear  Shakespeare homepage  |  King Lear  | Act 3, Scene 7 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE VII. Gloucester's castle. 

 Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, GONERIL, EDMUND, and Servants  CORNWALL  Post speedily to my lord your husband; show him 

 this letter: the army of France is landed. Seek 

 out the villain Gloucester. 



 Exeunt some of the Servants  REGAN  Hang him instantly. 

 GONERIL  Pluck out his eyes. 

 CORNWALL  Leave him to my displeasure. Edmund, keep you our 

 sister company: the revenges we are bound to take 

 upon your traitorous father are not fit for your 

 beholding. Advise the duke, where you are going, to 

 a most festinate preparation: we are bound to the 

 like. Our posts shall be swift and intelligent 

 betwixt us. Farewell, dear sister: farewell, my 

 lord of Gloucester. 



 Enter OSWALD  How now! where's the king? 

 OSWALD  My lord of Gloucester hath convey'd him hence: 

 Some five or six and thirty of his knights, 

 Hot questrists after him, met him at gate; 

 Who, with some other of the lords dependants, 

 Are gone with him towards Dover; where they boast 

 To have well-armed friends. 

 CORNWALL  Get horses for your mistress. 

 GONERIL  Farewell, sweet lord, and sister. 

 CORNWALL  Edmund, farewell. 



 Exeunt GONERIL, EDMUND, and OSWALD  Go seek the traitor Gloucester, 

 Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us. 



 Exeunt other Servants  Though well we may not pass upon his life 

 Without the form of justice, yet our power 

 Shall do a courtesy to our wrath, which men 

 May blame, but not control. Who's there? the traitor? 



 Enter GLOUCESTER, brought in by two or three  REGAN  Ingrateful fox! 'tis he. 

 CORNWALL  Bind fast his corky arms. 

 GLOUCESTER  What mean your graces? Good my friends, consider 

 You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends. 

 CORNWALL  Bind him, I say. 



 Servants bind him  REGAN  Hard, hard. O filthy traitor! 

 GLOUCESTER  Unmerciful lady as you are, I'm none. 

 CORNWALL  To this chair bind him. Villain, thou shalt find-- 



 REGAN plucks his beard  GLOUCESTER  By the kind gods, 'tis most ignobly done 

 To pluck me by the beard. 

 REGAN  So white, and such a traitor! 

 GLOUCESTER  Naughty lady, 

 These hairs, which thou dost ravish from my chin, 

 Will quicken, and accuse thee: I am your host: 

 With robbers' hands my hospitable favours 

 You should not ruffle thus. What will you do? 

 CORNWALL  Come, sir, what letters had you late from France? 

 REGAN  Be simple answerer, for we know the truth. 

 CORNWALL  And what confederacy have you with the traitors 

 Late footed in the kingdom? 

 REGAN  To whose hands have you sent the lunatic king? Speak. 

 GLOUCESTER  I have a letter guessingly set down, 

 Which came from one that's of a neutral heart, 

 And not from one opposed. 

 CORNWALL  Cunning. 

 REGAN  And false. 

 CORNWALL  Where hast thou sent the king? 

 GLOUCESTER  To Dover. 

 REGAN  Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charged at peril-- 

 CORNWALL  Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer that. 

 GLOUCESTER  I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course. 

 REGAN  Wherefore to Dover, sir? 

 GLOUCESTER  Because I would not see thy cruel nails 

 Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister 

 In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs. 

 The sea, with such a storm as his bare head 

 In hell-black night endured, would have buoy'd up, 

 And quench'd the stelled fires: 

 Yet, poor old heart, he holp the heavens to rain. 

 If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that stern time, 

 Thou shouldst have said 'Good porter, turn the key,' 

 All cruels else subscribed: but I shall see 

 The winged vengeance overtake such children. 

 CORNWALL  See't shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair. 

 Upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot. 

 GLOUCESTER  He that will think to live till he be old, 

 Give me some help! O cruel! O you gods! 

 REGAN  One side will mock another; the other too. 

 CORNWALL  If you see vengeance,-- 

 First Servant  Hold your hand, my lord: 

 I have served you ever since I was a child; 

 But better service have I never done you 

 Than now to bid you hold. 

 REGAN  How now, you dog! 

 First Servant  If you did wear a beard upon your chin, 

 I'd shake it on this quarrel. What do you mean? 

 CORNWALL  My villain! 



 They draw and fight  First Servant  Nay, then, come on, and take the chance of anger. 

 REGAN  Give me thy sword. A peasant stand up thus! 



 Takes a sword, and runs at him behind  First Servant  O, I am slain! My lord, you have one eye left 

 To see some mischief on him. O! 



 Dies  CORNWALL  Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly! 

 Where is thy lustre now? 

 GLOUCESTER  All dark and comfortless. Where's my son Edmund? 

 Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature, 

 To quit this horrid act. 

 REGAN  Out, treacherous villain! 

 Thou call'st on him that hates thee: it was he 

 That made the overture of thy treasons to us; 

 Who is too good to pity thee. 

 GLOUCESTER  O my follies! then Edgar was abused. 

 Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him! 

 REGAN  Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell 

 His way to Dover. 



 Exit one with GLOUCESTER  How is't, my lord? how look you? 

 CORNWALL  I have received a hurt: follow me, lady. 

 Turn out that eyeless villain; throw this slave 

 Upon the dunghill. Regan, I bleed apace: 

 Untimely comes this hurt: give me your arm. 



 Exit CORNWALL, led by REGAN  Second Servant  I'll never care what wickedness I do, 

 If this man come to good. 

 Third Servant  If she live long, 

 And in the end meet the old course of death, 

 Women will all turn monsters. 

 Second Servant  Let's follow the old earl, and get the Bedlam 

 To lead him where he would: his roguish madness 

 Allows itself to any thing. 

 Third Servant  Go thou: I'll fetch some flax and whites of eggs 

 To apply to his bleeding face. Now, heaven help him! 



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