Act IIIScene VII
A Room in 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 traitor 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 lord’s dependants,Are gone with him toward Dover: where they boastTo 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 lifeWithout the form of justice, yet our powerShall do a courtesy to our wrath, which menMay blame, but not control. Who’s there? The traitor?
Enter Gloucester and Servants.
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 doneTo pluck me by the beard.
Regan
So white, and such a traitor!
Gloucester
Naughty lady,These hairs which thou dost ravish from my chinWill quicken, and accuse thee. I am your host:With robber’s hands my hospitable favoursYou should not ruffle thus. What will you do?
Cornwall
Come, sir, what letters had you late from France?
Regan
Be simple answer’d, 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 oppos’d.
Cornwall
Cunning.
Regan
And false.
Cornwall
Where hast thou sent the King?
Gloucester
To Dover.
Regan
Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charg’d 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 nailsPluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sisterIn his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.The sea, with such a storm as his bare headIn hell-black night endur’d, 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 subscrib’d: but I shall seeThe 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 is held down in his chair, while Cornwall plucks out one of his eyes and sets his foot on it.
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 serv’d you ever since I was a child;But better service have I never done youThan 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?
Draws, and runs at him.
First Servant
Nay, then, come on, and take the chance of anger.
Draws. They fight. Cornwall is wounded.
Regan
To another servant.
Give me thy sword. A peasant stand up thus?
Snatches a sword, comes behind, and stabs him.
First Servant
O, I am slain! My lord, you have one eye leftTo see some mischief on him. O!
Dies.
Cornwall
Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly!Where is thy lustre now?
Tears out Gloucester’s other eye and throws it on the ground.
Gloucester
All dark and comfortless. Where’s my son Edmund?Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of natureTo quit this horrid act.
Regan
Out, treacherous villain!Thou call’st on him that hates thee: it was heThat made the overture of thy treasons to us;Who is too good to pity thee.
Gloucester
O my follies! Then Edgar was abus’d.Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him!
Regan
Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smellHis way to Dover. How is’t, my lord? How look you?
Cornwall
I have receiv’d a hurt: follow me, lady.Turn out that eyeless villain. Throw this slaveUpon the dunghill. Regan, I bleed apace:Untimely comes this hurt: give me your arm.
Exit Cornwall, led by Regan; Servants unbind Gloucester and lead him out.
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 bedlamTo lead him where he would: his roguish madnessAllows itself to anything.
Third Servant
Go thou: I’ll fetch some flax and whites of eggsTo apply to his bleeding face. Now heaven help him!
Exeunt.