Читаем King Lear полностью

truly that will put me in trust, to love him that is honest, to

converse with him that is wise and says little, to fear

judgement, to fight when I cannot choose and to eat no fish¹⁶.

LEAR    What art thou?

KENT    A very honest-hearted fellow, and as poor as the

king.

LEAR    If thou be’st as poor for a subject as he’s for a king,

thou art poor enough. What wouldst thou?

KENT    Service.

LEAR    Who wouldst thou serve?

KENT    You.

LEAR    Dost thou know me, fellow?

KENT    No, sir, but you have that in your countenance

which I would fain call master.

LEAR    What’s that?

KENT    Authority.

LEAR    What services canst thou do?

KENT    I can keep honest counsel, ride, run, mar a curious³¹

tale in telling it, and deliver a plain message bluntly: that

which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified in, and the best

of me is diligence.

LEAR    How old art thou?

KENT    Not so young, sir, to love a woman for singing, nor

so old to dote on her for anything³⁷: I have years on my back

forty-eight.

LEAR    Follow me, thou shalt serve me: if I like thee no

worse after dinner, I will not part from thee yet.— Dinner,

ho, dinner! Where’s my knave⁴¹? My fool? Go you and call my

fool hither.

[Exit another Knight]

Enter Steward [Oswald]

You, you, sirrah, where’s my daughter?

OSWALD    So⁴⁴ please you—

Exit

LEAR    What says the fellow there? Call the clotpoll⁴⁵ back.—

[Exit another Knight]

Where’s my fool? Ho, I think the world’s asleep.—

[Enter a Knight]

How now? Where’s that mongrel?

KNIGHT    He says, my lord, your daughter is not well.

LEAR    Why came not the slave⁴⁹ back to me when I called

him?

KNIGHT    Sir, he answered me in the roundest⁵¹ manner, he

would not.

LEAR    He would not?

KNIGHT    My lord, I know not what the matter is, but to my

judgement your highness is not entertained⁵⁵ with that

ceremonious affection as you were wont⁵⁶: there’s a great

abatement of kindness appears as well in the general⁵⁷

dependants as in the duke himself also and your daughter.

LEAR    Ha? Say’st thou so?

KNIGHT    I beseech you pardon me, my lord, if I be mistaken,

for my duty cannot be silent when I think your highness

wronged.

LEAR    Thou but rememb’rest me of mine own conception⁶³:

I have perceived a most faint⁶⁴ neglect of late, which I have

rather blamed as mine own jealous curiosity than as a very⁶⁵

pretence and purpose of unkindness. I will look further

into’t. But where’s my fool? I have not seen him this two

days.

KNIGHT    Since my young lady’s going into France, sir, the

fool hath much pined away.

LEAR    No more of that, I have noted it well.— Go you and

tell my daughter I would speak with her.—

[Exit a Knight]

Go you, call hither my fool.—

[Exit another Knight]

Enter Steward [Oswald]

O, you sir, you, come you hither, sir. Who am I, sir?

OSWALD    My lady’s father.

LEAR    ‘My lady’s father’? My lord’s knave: you whoreson

dog, you slave, you cur⁷⁷!

OSWALD    I am none of these, my lord, I beseech your pardon.

LEAR    Do you bandy⁷⁹ looks with me, you rascal?

Strikes him

OSWALD    I’ll not be strucken⁸⁰, my lord.

KENT    Nor tripped neither, you base football⁸¹ player.

Trips him

LEAR    I thank thee, fellow: thou serv’st me and I’ll love

thee.

KENT    Come, sir, arise, away! I’ll teach you differences⁸⁴:

away, away! If you will measure your lubber’s⁸⁵ length again,

tarry: but away, go to⁸⁶. Have you wisdom? So.

Pushes Oswald out

LEAR    Now, my friendly knave, I thank thee.

Gives money

There’s earnest⁸⁸ of thy service.

Enter Fool

FOOL    Let me hire him too: here’s my

coxcomb⁹⁰.

Offers Kent his cap

LEAR    How now, my pretty⁹¹ knave, how dost thou?

To Kent

FOOL    Sirrah, you were best take my coxcomb.

LEAR    Why, my boy?

FOOL    Why? For taking one’s part that’s out of favour: nay,

an thou canst not smile as the wind sits⁹⁵, thou’lt catch cold

shortly. There, take my coxcomb. Why, this fellow has

banished two on’s⁹⁷ daughters and did the third a blessing

against his will: if thou follow him, thou must needs⁹⁸ wear

my coxcomb.— How now, nuncle? Would⁹⁹ I had two

coxcombs and two daughters.

LEAR    Why, my boy?

FOOL    If I gave them all my living¹⁰², I’d keep my coxcombs

myself. There’s mine: beg another of thy daughters.

LEAR    Take heed, sirrah: the whip.

FOOL    Truth’s a dog must to kennel: he must be whipped

out when the Lady Brach¹⁰⁶ may stand by th’fire and stink.

LEAR    A pestilent gall¹⁰⁷ to me!

FOOL    Sirrah, I’ll teach thee a speech.

LEAR    Do.

FOOL    Mark¹¹⁰ it, nuncle:

Have more than thou showest,

Speak less than thou knowest,

Lend less than thou owest¹¹³,

Ride more than thou goest¹¹⁴,

Learn more than thou trowest¹¹⁵,

Set less than thou throwest¹¹⁶;

Leave thy drink and thy whore,

And keep in-a-door,

And thou shalt have more¹¹⁹

Than two tens to a score¹²⁰.

KENT    This is nothing, fool.

To Lear