Would with his daughter speak, commands her service: 103
Are they inform'd of this? My breath and blood!
Fiery! the fiery duke! Tell the hot duke that—
No, but not yet; may be he is not well:
Infirmity doth still neglect all office
Whereto our health is bound; we are not ourselves 108
When nature, being oppress'd, commands the mind
To suffer with the body. I'll forbear;
And am fall'n out with my more headier will,
To take the indispos'd and sickly fit 112
For the sound man. Death on my state! [Looking on Kent.] Wherefore
Should he sit here? This act persuades me
That this remotion of the duke and her
Is practice only. Give me my servant forth. 116
Go, tell the duke and 's wife I'd speak with them,
Now, presently: bid them come forth and hear me,
Or at their chamber-door I'll beat the drum
Till it cry sleep to death. 120
Glo. I would have all well betwixt you. Exit.
Lear. O, me! my heart, my rising heart! but, down!
Fool. Cry to it, nuncle, as the cockney did to
the eels when she put 'em i' the paste alive; she
knapped 'em o' the coxcombs with a stick, and
cried, 'Down, wantons, down!' 'Twas her
brother that, in pure kindness to his horse,
buttered his hay. 128
Enter Cornwall, Regan, Gloucester, [and] Servants.
Lear. Good morrow to you both.
Corn. Hail to your Grace.
107 office: duty
111 more headier: too headstrong
115 remotion: removal
120 cry sleep to death: murder sleep
123 cockney: cook
125 knapped: rapped (pronounce the k)
