Authors: William Shakespeare
Now, fellow, fare thee well.
He falls forward
EDGAR
Gone, sir: farewell.—
Aside
And yet I know not how
conceit
51
may rob
The treasury of life, when life itself
Yields
53
to the theft: had he been where he thought,
By
this
54
had thought been past. Alive or dead?—
Ho, you sir! Friend! Hear you, sir! Speak!—
Aside
Thus might he
pass
56
indeed: yet he revives.—
What
57
are you, sir?
GLOUCESTER
Away, and let me die.
EDGAR
Hadst thou been
aught
59
but gossamer, feathers, air —
So many fathom down
precipitating
60
—
Thou’dst
shivered
61
like an egg: but thou dost breathe,
Hast heavy substance, bleed’st not, speak’st, art sound.
Ten masts
at each
63
make not the altitude
Which thou hast perpendicularly fell:
Thy life’s a miracle. Speak yet again.
GLOUCESTER
But have I fall’n or no?
EDGAR
From the dread summit of this chalky
bourn
67
.
Look up
a-height
: the
shrill-gorged
68
lark so far
Cannot be seen or heard: do but look up.
GLOUCESTER
Alack, I have no eyes.
Is wretchedness deprived that benefit,
To end itself by death? ’Twas yet some comfort
When misery could
beguile
73
the tyrant’s rage
And frustrate his proud will.
EDGAR
Give me your arm.
Helps him up
Up, so. How is’t? Feel you your legs? You stand.
GLOUCESTER
Too well, too well.
EDGAR
This is above all strangeness.
Upon the crown o’th’cliff what thing was that
Which parted from you?
GLOUCESTER
A poor unfortunate beggar.
EDGAR
As I stood here below, methought his eyes
Were two full moons: he had a thousand noses,
Horns
whelked
84
and waved like the enragèd sea.
It was some
fiend
: therefore, thou
happy father
85
,
Think that the
clearest
gods, who
make them honours
86
Of men’s impossibilities, have preserved thee.
GLOUCESTER
I do remember now: henceforth I’ll bear
Affliction till it do cry out itself
‘Enough, enough’ and die. That thing you speak of,
I took it for a man: often ’twould say
‘The fiend, the fiend’: he led me to that place.
EDGAR
Bear
free
93
and patient thoughts.
Enter Lear
Dressed with weeds
But who comes here?
The safer sense will ne’er accommodate
94
His master thus.
LEAR
No, they cannot
touch
96
me for crying: I am the king
himself.
EDGAR
O thou side-piercing sight!
LEAR
Nature’s above art in that respect. There’s your
press-money
. That fellow handles his bow like a
crow-keeper
100
.
Draw me a clothier’s yard
101
. Look, look, a mouse! Peace, peace,
this piece of toasted cheese will do’t. There’s my
gauntlet
102
: I’ll
prove it on
a giant. Bring up the
brown bills
. O,
well flown,
103
bird!
I’th’clout
, i’th’clout:
hewgh
! Give the
word
104
.
EDGAR
Sweet marjoram
105
.
LEAR
Pass.
GLOUCESTER
I know that voice.
LEAR
Ha? Goneril with a white beard? They flattered me
like a dog
and told me I
had the white hairs in my beard ere
109
the black ones were there. To say ‘Ay’ and ‘No’ to everything
that I said ‘Ay’ and ‘No’ to was no good
divinity
111
. When the
rain ca
me
112
to wet me once and the wind to make me chatter,
when the thunder would not
peace
113
at my bidding, there I
found ’em, there I smelt ’em out. Go to, they are not men
o’their words: they told me I was everything: ’tis a lie, I am
not
ague-proof
116
.
GLOUCESTER
The
trick
117
of that voice I do well remember:
Is’t not the king?
LEAR
Ay, every inch a king.
When I do stare, see how the subject quakes.
I pardon that man’s life. What was thy
cause
121
?
Adultery?
Thou shalt not die: die for adultery? No.
The wren
goes to’t
124
and the small gilded fly
Does
lecher
125
in my sight. Let copulation thrive,
For Gloucester’s bastard son was kinder to his father
Than were my daughters
got
127
’tween the lawful sheets.
To’t,
luxury
, pell-mell,
for I lack soldiers
128
.
Behold yond simp’ring dame,
Whose face
between her forks presages snow
130
,
That
minces virtue
and does
shake the head
131
To hear of pleasure’s name:
The
fitchew
nor the
soilèd
133
horse goes to’t
With a more
riotous
134
appetite. Down from the waist
They are
centaurs
135
, though women all above:
But to the girdle
do the gods
inherit
136
,
Beneath is all the fiends’:
There’s
hell
, there’s darkness, there is the
sulphurous
138
pit:
burning, scalding, stench, consumption
139
. Fie, fie, fie! Pah,
pah! Give me an ounce of
civet
, good
apothecary
140
, sweeten
my imagination: there’s money for thee.
GLOUCESTER
O, let me kiss that hand!
LEAR
Let me wipe it first: it smells of
mortality
143
.
GLOUCESTER
O, ruined piece of nature! This great world
Shall
so
145
wear out to nought. Dost thou know me?
LEAR
I remember thine eyes well enough. Dost thou
squinny
at me? No, do thy worst, blind
Cupid
147
: I’ll not love.
Read thou this
challenge
, mark but the
penning
148
of it.
GLOUCESTER
Were all thy letters suns, I could not see.
Aside
EDGAR
I would not
take this from report
150
: it is,
And my heart breaks at it.
LEAR
Read.
GLOUCESTER
What, with the
case
153
of eyes?
LEAR
O, ho, are you there with me? No eyes in your head,
nor no money in your purse? Your eyes are in a
heavy case
155
,
your purse in a light, yet you see how this world goes.
GLOUCESTER
I see it
feelingly
157
.
LEAR
What, art mad? A man may see how this world goes
with no eyes. Look with thine ears: see how yond
justice
159
rails
upon yond
simple
160
thief. Hark, in thine ear: change places,
and
handy-dandy
161
, which is the justice, which is the thief?
Thou hast seen a farmer’s dog bark at a beggar?
GLOUCESTER
Ay, sir.
LEAR
And the creature run from the cur? There thou
mightst behold the great image of authority:
a dog’s obeyed
165
in office.
Thou rascal
beadle
167
, hold thy bloody hand!
Why dost thou lash that whore? Strip thy own back:
Thou hotly lusts to
use
her in that
kind
169
For which thou whip’st her. The
usurer
hangs the
cozener
170
.
Through tattered clothes great vices do appear:
Robes and furred gowns hide all.
Place sins with gold
172
,
And the strong lance of justice
hurtless
173
breaks:
Arm
it
174
in rags, a pigmy’s straw does pierce it.
None does offend, none, I say, none: I’ll
able ’em
175
.
Take that of me, my friend, who have the power
To seal th’accuser’s lips. Get thee glass eyes,
And like a
scurvy politician
178
seem
To see the things thou dost not.
Now, now, now, now
179
.
Pull off my boots: harder, harder: so.
Aside
EDGAR
O,
matter and impertinency
181
mixed! Reason in madness!
LEAR
If thou wilt weep my fortunes, take my eyes.
I know thee well enough: thy name is Gloucester.
Thou must be patient; we came crying
hither
184
.
Thou know’st the first time that we smell the air
We wail and cry. I will preach to thee: mark.
GLOUCESTER
Alack, alack the day!
LEAR
When we are born, we cry that we are come
To this great stage of fools. This a good
block
189
:
It were a
delicate
190
stratagem to shoe
A troop of horse with felt: I’ll
put’t in proof
191
,
And when I have stol’n upon these son-in-laws,
Then kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!
Enter a
Gentleman
[with Attendants]
GENTLEMAN
O, here he is: lay hand upon him.— Sir,
Your most dear daughter—
LEAR
No rescue? What, a prisoner? I am even
The
natural fool
197
of fortune. Use me well,
You shall have ransom. Let me have surgeons:
I am cut to th’brains.
GENTLEMAN
You shall have anything.
LEAR
No
seconds
201
? All myself?
Why, this would make a man a man of
salt
202
To use his eyes for garden water-pots,
I will
die
bravely
204
, like a smug bridegroom. What?
I will be
jovial
205
. Come, come, I am a king,
Masters
206
, know you that?
GENTLEMAN
You are a royal one, and we obey you.
LEAR
Then there’s life in’t. Come, an you get it, you shall
get it by running.
Sa, sa, sa, sa
209
.
Exit
Running, Attendants follow
GENTLEMAN
A sight most pitiful in the meanest wretch,
Past speaking of in a king! Thou hast a daughter
Who redeems
nature
from the
general curse
212
Which
twain
213
have brought her to.
EDGAR
Hail,
gentle
214
sir.
GENTLEMAN
Sir,
speed you
215
: what’s your will?
EDGAR
Do you hear aught, sir, of a battle
toward
216
?
GENTLEMAN
Most sure and
vulgar
217
: everyone hears that
Which can distinguish sound.
EDGAR
But,
by your favour
219
,
How near’s the other army?
GENTLEMAN
Near and on speedy foot: the
main descry
221
Stands on the hourly thought.
EDGAR
I thank you, sir: that’s all.
GENTLEMAN
Though that
the queen
on special cause
224
is here,
Her army is moved on.
Exit
EDGAR
I thank you, sir.
GLOUCESTER
You ever-gentle gods, take my breath from
me:
Let not my
worser spirit
229
tempt me again
To die before you please!
EDGAR
Well pray you, father.
GLOUCESTER
Now, good sir, what are you?
EDGAR
A most poor man, made tame to fortune’s blows,
Who, by the art of
known and feeling sorrows
234
,
Am
pregnant to good pity
235
. Give me your hand: