King Lear
ACT III SCENE III | Gloucester’s castle. | |
[Enter GLOUCESTER and EDMUND] | ||
GLOUCESTER | Alack, alack, Edmund, I like not this unnatural | |
dealing. When I desire their leave that I might | ||
pity him, they took from me the use of mine own | ||
house; charged me, on pain of their perpetual | ||
displeasure, neither to speak of him, entreat for | 5 | |
him, nor any way sustain him. | ||
EDMUND | Most savage and unnatural! | |
GLOUCESTER | Go to; say you nothing. There’s a division betwixt | |
the dukes; and a worse matter than that: I have | ||
received a letter this night; ’tis dangerous to be | 10 | |
spoken; I have locked the letter in my closet: | ||
these injuries the king now bears will be revenged | ||
home; there’s part of a power already footed: we | ||
must incline to the king. I will seek him, and | ||
privily relieve him: go you and maintain talk with | 15 | |
the duke, that my charity be not of him perceived: | ||
if he ask for me. I am ill, and gone to bed. | ||
Though I die for it, as no less is threatened me, | ||
the king my old master must be relieved. There is | ||
some strange thing toward, Edmund; pray you, be careful. | 20 | |
[Exit] | ||
EDMUND | This courtesy, forbid thee, shall the duke | |
Instantly know; and of that letter too: | ||
This seems a fair deserving, and must draw me | ||
That which my father loses; no less than all: | ||
The younger rises when the old doth fall. | 25 | |
[Exit] |
King Lear, Act 3, Scene 4