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Enter CORDELIA, KENT disguised, GENTLEMAN, and DOCTOR
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CORDELIA enters with KENT in disguise, the GENTLEMAN, and the DOCTOR.
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CORDELIA O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work
To match thy goodness? My life will be too short,
And every measure fail me.
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CORDELIA Oh, Kent, what could I ever do to become as good as you are? I won’t live long enough, and all my efforts will fail me.
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KENT To be acknowledged, madam, is o'erpaid.
5All my reports go with the modest truth,
Nor more, nor clipped, but so.
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KENT Just being thanked is more than enough for me, madam. I hope all reports about me simply tell the truth, no more or less.
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CORDELIA Be better suited.
These weeds are memories of those worser hours.
I prithee, put them off.
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CORDELIA Change into better clothes. These rags will just remind us of those bad times when you had to wear a disguise. Please take them off.
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KENT Pardon, dear madam.
Yet to be known shortens my made intent.
10My boon I make it that you know me not
Till time and I think meet.
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KENT I’m sorry, madam, but I can’t do that yet. If people recognize me now, I won’t be able to carry out my plans. I have to ask you, as a favor, not to let on that you recognize me until the time is right.
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CORDELIA Then be ’t so, my good lord.—
How does the king?
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CORDELIA All right, my lord.—How’s the king doing?
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DOCTOR Madam, sleeps still.
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DOCTOR He’s still sleeping, ma'am.
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CORDELIA O you kind gods,
Cure this great breach in his abusèd nature,
Th' untuned and jarring senses, O, wind up,
15Of this child-changèd father!
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CORDELIA Kind gods, heal the wounds that he’s wrongly suffered! Restore the sanity of this father whose children have driven him mad and changed him into a child again!
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DOCTOR So please your majesty
That we may wake the king? He hath slept long.
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DOCTOR Would you mind if we woke up the king? He’s slept a long time.
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