Osw. What dost thou know me for? Kent. A knave; a rascal; an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, threesuited, hundred-pound, filthy, worsted-stocking knave; a lily-livered, action-taking knave, a whoreson, glass-gazing, superserviceable, finical rogue; one - trunk - inheriting slave; one that 20 wouldst be a bawd, in way of good service, and art nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, coward, pandar, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch: one whom I will beat into clamorous whining, if thou deniest the least syllable of thy addition. Osw. Why, what a monstrous fellow art thou, thus to rail on one that is neither known of thee nor knows thee! Kent. What a brazen-faced varlet art thou, 30 to deny thou knowest me! Is it two days ago since I tripped up thy heels and beat thee before the king? Draw, you rogue: for, though it be night, yet the moon shines; I'll make a sop o' the moonshine of you: draw, you whoreson cullionly barber-monger, draw. [Drawing his sword. Osw. Away! I have nothing to do with thee. 16. three-suited, menial serving-men being allowed a fixed number (usually three suits a year). 'A 17. hundred-pound. hundred-pound gentleman' was a current term of contempt, implying pretentious poverty. 17. worsted-stocking. Silk stockings were worn by all who could afford it. 18. action - taking, seeking redress from the law instead of by the sword; mean-spirited. 19. glass-gazing, i.e. foppish. ib. superserviceable, 'above his work. 20. one - trunk - inheriting, possessing (and requiring) but one coffer, i.e. only enough clothing for one. 26. addition, title. 35. sop o' the moonshine, a dish of eggs boiled in oil, known also as eggs in moonshine.' 36. cullionly, wretched. ib. barber-monger, fop (as a frequenter of barbers' shops). Kent. Draw, you rascal: you come with letters against the king; and take vanity the puppet's part against the royalty of her father: draw, you 40 rogue, or I'll so carbonado your shanks: draw, you rascal; come your ways. Osw. Help, ho! murder! help! Kent. Strike, you slave; stand, rogue, stand; you neat slave, strike. [Beating him. Osw. Help, ho! murder! murder ! Enter EDMUND, with his rapier drawn, CORN- Edm. How now! What's the matter? Kent. With you, goodman boy, an you please : come, I'll flesh ye; come on, young master. Glou. Weapons! arms! What's the matter 50 here? Corn. Keep peace, upon your lives: He dies that strikes again. What is the matter? Reg. The messengers from our sister and the king. Corn. What is your difference? speak. Osw. I am scarce in breath, my lord. Kent. No marvel, you have so bestirred your valour. You cowardly rascal, nature disclaims. in thee a tailor made thee. Corn. Thou art a strange fellow: a tailor make a man? Kent. Ay, a tailor, sir: a stone-cutter or a painter could not have made him so ill, though he had been but two hours at the trade. 39. vanity the puppet's part. 'Vanity' was a frequent personage in the Moralities. 41. carbonado, slash across, like a piece of meat for grilling. 60 45. neat, spruce, finical. 59. disclaims in, disowns. Corn. Speak yet, how grew your quarrel? Osw. This ancient ruffian, sir, whose life I have spared at suit of his gray beard,— Kent. Thou whoreson zed! thou unnecessary letter! My lord, if you will give me leave, I will tread this unbolted villain into mortar, and daub the walls of a jakes with him. Spare my gray beard, you wagtail? Corn. Peace, sirrah! You beastly knave, know you no reverence? Kent. That such a slave as this should wear a Who wears no honesty. Such smiling rogues as these, That in the natures of their lords rebel; Bring oil to fire, snow to their colder moods; 69. unnecessary letter. 'Z' was proverbially said to be ' often heard' in English (being written s) but seldom seen.' 71. unbolted, unsifted, coarse. 72. jakes, privy. 81. intrinse, tightly knotted. 84. Renege, deny. ib. turn their halcyon beaks; alluding to the famous 'vulgar error,' that the kingfisher 'being hanged up in the air by the 70 80 90 neck, his nebbe or bill will be always direct or straight against the wind' (T. Lupton, Notable Things, bk. x.). 87. epileptic, distorted with a forced grin, as by epilepsy. 88. Smile, smile at. 90. to Camelot; probably because of the flocks of geese bred in the neighbourhood of Cadbury, the traditional site of Camelot. Corn. What, art thou mad, old fellow? Glou. How fell you out? say that. Kent. No contraries hold more antipathy Than I and such a knave. Corn. Why dost thou call him knave? What is his fault? Kent. His countenance likes me not. Corn. No more perchance does mine, nor his, nor hers. Kent. Sir, 'tis my occupation to be plain : Than stands on any shoulder that I see Corn. This is some fellow, Who, having been praised for bluntness, doth affect That stretch their duties nicely. Kent. Sir, in good sooth, in sincere verity, Under the allowance of your great aspect, Whose influence, like the wreath of radiant fire On flickering Phoebus' front, Corn. What mean'st by this? Kent. To go out of my dialect, which you discommend so much. I know, sir, I am no flatterer: he that beguiled you in a plain accent was a plain knave; which for my part I will not be, though I should win your displeasure to entreat me to 't. 109. observants, obsequious courtiers. 110. nicely, with punctilious nicety. Corn. What was the offence you gave him? It pleased the king his master very late To strike at me, upon his misconstruction; We'll teach you Kent. Sir, I am too old to learn: Call not your stocks for me: I serve the king; On whose employment I was sent to you: You shall do small respect, show too bold Against the grace and person of my master, Corn. Fetch forth the stocks! As I have life and honour, There shall he sit till noon. Reg. Till noon! till night, my lord; and all night too. Kent. Why, madam, if I were your father's dog, You should not use me so. Reg. Sir, being his knave, I will. Corn. This is a fellow of the self-same colour 124. upon his misconstruction, through his misunderstanding me. 130. in the fleshment of, being fleshed with. 140 132. Ajax is their fool, a fool in comparison with them. 145. colour, sort. |