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King Lear (Quarto 1, 1608)

Author: William Shakespeare
Editor: Michael Best
Not Peer Reviewed
2430
Enter Gloster and Edmund.
Glost. When shall we come toth' top of that same hill?
Edg. You do climbe it vp now, looke how we labour?
Glost. Me thinks the ground is euen.
Edg. Horrible steepe, 2435harke doe you heare the sea?
Glost. No truly.
Edg. Why then your other sences grow imperfect
By your eyes anguish.
Glost. So may it be indeed,
2440Me thinks thy voyce is altered, and thou speakest
With better phrase and matter then thou didst.
Edg. Y'ar much deceaued, in nothing am I chang'd
But in my garments.
Glost. Me thinks y'ar better spoken.
2445Edg. Come on sir, her's the place, stand still, how
And dizi tis to cast ones eyes so low
The crowes and choghes that wing the midway ayre
Shew scarce so grosse as beetles, halfe way downe
2450Hangs one that gathers sampire, dreadfull trade,
Me thinkes he seemes no bigger then his head,
The fishermen that walke vpon the beach
Appeare like mise, and yon tall anchoring barke
Diminisht to her cock, her cock a boui
2455Almost too small for sight, the murmuring surge
That on the vnnumbred idle peeble chaffes
Cannot be heard, its so hie ile looke no more,
Least my braine turne, and the deficient sight
Topple downe headlong.
2460Glost. Set me where you stand?
Edg. Giue me your hand, you are now within a foot
Of th'extreame verge, for all beneath the Moone
Would I not leape vpright.
Glost. Let goe my hand,
2465Here friend's another pursse, in it a iewell,
Well worth a poore mans taking, Fairies and Gods
Prosper it with thee, goe thou farther off,
Bid me farewell, and let me heare thee going.
Edg. Now fare you well good sir.
2470Glost. VVith all my heart.
Edg. Why I do trifell thus with his dispaire is done
Glost. O you mightie Gods,
He kneeles.
This world I doe renounce, and in your sights
2475Shake patiently my great affliction off,
If I could beare it longer and not fall
To quarel with your great opposles wils
My snurff and loathed part of nature should
Burne it selfe out, if Edgar liue, O blesse,
2480Now fellow fare thee well.
He fals.
Edg. Gon sir, farewell, and yet I know not how conceit my
robbe the treasurie of life, when life it selfe yealds to the theft,
had he beene where he thought 2485by this had thought beene past,
aliue or dead, ho you sir, heare you sir, speak, thus might he passe
indeed, yet he reuiues, what are you sir?
Glost. Away and let me die.
2490Edg. Hadst thou beene ought but gosmore feathers ayre,
So many fadome downe precipitating
Thou hadst shiuerd like an egge, but thou dost breath
Hast heauy substance, bleedst not, speakest, art sound,
2495Ten masts at each, make not the altitude,
VVhich thou hast perpendicularly fell,
Thy lifes a miracle, speake yet againe.
Glost. But haue I fallen or no l
Edg. From the dread sommons of this chalkie borne,
2500Looke vp a hight, the shrill gorg'd larke so farre
Cannot bee seene or heard, doe but looke vp?
Glost. Alack I haue no eyes
Is wretchednes depriu'd, that benefit
To end it selfe by death twas yet some comfort
2505When misery could beguile the tyrants rage
And frustrate his proud will.
Edg. Giue me your arme?
Vp, so, how feele you your legges, you stand.
Glost. Too well, too well.
2510Edg. This is aboue all strangenes
Vpon the crowne of the cliffe what thing was that
Which parted from you.
Glost. A poore vnfortunate bagger.
Edg. As I stood here below me thoughts his eyes
2515Were two full Moones, a had a thousand noses
Hornes, welk't and waued like the enridged sea,
It was some fiend, therefore thou happy father
Thinke that the cleerest Gods, who made their honours
Of mens impossibilities, haue preserued thee.
2520Glost. I doe remember now, henceforth ile beare
Affliction till it doe crie out it selfe
Enough, enough and die that thing you speake of,
I tooke it for a man, often would it say
The fiend the fiend, he led me to that place
2525Edg. Bare free & patient thoughts, but who comes here
The safer sence will neare accõmodate his maister thus.
Enter Lear mad.
2530Lear. No they cannot touch mee for coyning, I am the king
Edg. O thou side pearcing sight.
Lear. Nature is aboue Art in that respect, ther's your presse
money, that fellow handles his bow like a crow-2535keeper, draw me
a clothiers yard, looke, looke a mowse, peace, peace, this tosted
cheese will do it, ther's my gauntlet, ile proue it on a gyant, bring
vp the browne-billes, O well flowne bird in the ayre, hagh, giue
the word.?
2540 Edg. Sweet Margerum.
Lear. Passe. Glost. I know that voyce.
Lear. Ha Gonorill, ha Regan, they flattered mee like a dogge,
and tould me I had white haires in 2545my beard, ere the black ones
were there, to say I and no, to euery thing I saide, I and no toe,
was no good diuinitie, when the raine came to wet me once, and
the winde to make mee chatter, when the thunder would not
peace at my bidding, there I found them, there I smelt them 2550out,
goe toe, they are not men of their words, they told mee I was
euery thing, tis a lye, I am not argue-proofe.
Glost. The tricke of that voyce I doe well remember, ist not
the King?
Lear. I euer inch a King 2555when I do stare, see how the subiect
quakes, I pardon that mans life, what was thy cause, adultery?
thou shalt not die for adulterie, no the wren goes toot, and the
smal guilded flie doe letcher in my sight, let copulation thriue,
2560for Glosters bastard son was kinder to his father then my daugh-
ters got tweene the lawfull sheets, toot luxurie, pell, mell, for I
lacke souldiers, behold yon simpring dame whose face between
her forkes presageth snow, that minces vertue, and do shake 2565the
head heare of pleasures name to fichew nor the soyled horse
goes toot with a more riotous appetite, down frõ the wast tha're
centaures, though women all aboue, but to the girdle doe the
gods inherit, beneath is all the fiends, thers hell, thers dark2570nesse,
ther's the sulphury pit, burning, scalding, stench, consumation,
fie, fie, fie, pah, pah, Giue mee an ounce of Ciuet, good Apo-
thocarie,to sweeten my imagination, ther's money for thee.
Glost. O let me kisse that hand.
2575Lear. Here wipe it first, it smels of mortalitie.
Glost. O ruind peece of nature, this great world should so
weare out to naught, do you know me?
2580Lear. I remember thy eyes well inough, dost thou squiny on
me, no do thy worst blind Cupid, ile not loue, reade thou that
challenge, marke the penning oft.
Glost. Were all the letters sunnes I could not see one.
2585Edg. I would not take this from report, it is, and my heart
breakes at it.
Lear. Read. Glost. What! with the case of eyes
Lear. O ho, are you there with me, no eyes in your 2590head, nor
no mony in your purse, your eyes are in a heauie case, your purse
in a light, yet you see how this world goes.
Glost. I see it feelingly.
Lear. What art mad, a man may see how the world 2595goes with
no eyes, looke with thy eares, see how yon Iustice railes vpon
yon simple theefe, harke in thy eare handy, dandy, which is the
theefe, which is the Iustice, thou hast seene a farmers dogge barke
at a begger.
2600 Glost. I sir.
Lear. And the creature runne from the cur, there thou mightst
behold the great image of authoritie, a dogge, so bade in office,
thou rascall beadle hold thy bloudy hand, why dost thou lash
that whore, strip thine owne 2605backe, thy bloud hotly lusts to vse
her in that kind for which thou whipst her, the vsurer hangs the
cosioner, through tottered raggs, smal vices do appeare, robes &
furd-gownes hides all, get thee glasse eyes, and like a scuruy po-
lititian seeme to see the things thou doest not, no now pull off
my 2615bootes, harder, harder, so.
Edg. O matter and impertinencie mixt reason in madnesse.
Lear. If thou wilt weepe my fortune take my eyes, I knowe
thee well inough thy name is Gloster, 2620thou must be patient, we
came crying hither, thou knowest the first time that we smell the
aire, we wayl and cry, I will preach to thee marke me.
Gost. Alack alack the day.
Lear. VVhen we are borne, we crie that wee are come 2625to this
great stage of fooles, this a good blocke. It were a delicate stra-
tagem to shoot a troupe of horse with fell, & when I haue stole
vpon these sonne in lawes, then kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.
2630
Enter three Gentlemen.
Gent. O here he is, lay hands vpon him sirs, your most deere
Lear. No reskue, what a prisoner, I am eene the naturall foole
of Fortune, vse me well 2635you shall haue ransome, let mee haue a
churgion I am cut to the braines.
Gent. You shall haue any thing.
Lear. No seconds, all my selfe, why this would make a man
of salt
2639.1dust.
2640to vse his eyes for garden waterpots, I and laying Autums
Lear. I will die brauely like a bridegroome, what? I will be
Iouiall, come, come, I am a King my maisters, know you that.
Gent. You are a royall one, and we obey you.
Lear. Then theres life int, nay and 2645you get it you shall get it
with running.
Exit King running.
Gent. A sight most pitifull in the meanest wretch, past spea-
king of in a king: thou hast one daughter who redeemes nature
from the generall curse which twaine hath brought her to.
2650Edg. Haile gentle sir.
Gent. Sir speed you, whats your will.
Edg. Do you heare ought of a battell toward.
Gent. Most sure and vulgar euery one here's that
That can distinguish sence.
2655Edg. But by your fauour how neers the other army.
Gent. Neere and on speed fort the maine descryes,
Standst on the howerly thoughts.
Edg. I thanke you sir thats all.
2660Gent. Though that the Queene on speciall cause is here,
Hir army is moued on.
Edg. I thanke you sir.
Exit.
Glost. You euer gentle gods take my breath from me,
Let not my worser spirit tempt me againe,
2665To dye before you please.
Edg. Well, pray you father.
Glost. Now good sir what are you.
Edg. A most poore man made lame by Fortunes blowes,
Who by the Art of knowne and feeling sorrowes
2670Am pregnant to good pitty, giue me your hand
Ile leade you to some biding.
Glost. Hartie thankes, the bornet and beniz of heauen to
saue thee.
2675
Enter Steward.
Stew. A proclamed prize, most happy, that eyles head of thine
was framed flesh to rayse my fortunes, thou most vnhappy tray-
tor, briefly thy selfe remember, the sword is out 2680that must de-
stroy thee.
Glost. Now let thy friendly hand put strength enough to't.
Stew. VVherefore bould pesant durst thou support a publisht
traytor, hence 2685least the infection of his fortune take like hold on
thee, let goe his arme?
Edg. Chill not let goe sir without cagion.
Stew. Let goe slaue, or thou diest.
2690Edg. Good Gentleman goe your gate, let poore voke passe,
and chud haue beene swaggar'd out of my life, it would not haue
beene so long by a fortnight, nay come not neare the old man,
keepe out, cheuore ye, or ile trie whether your coster or my bat-
tero be the harder, 2695ile be plaine with you.
Stew. Out dunghill.
they fight.
Edg. Chill pick your teeth sir, come, no matter for your foyns.
Stew. Slaue thou hast slaine me, villaine take my pursse,
2700If euer thou wilt thriue, burie my bodie,
And giue the letters which thou find'st about me
To Edmund Earle of Gloster, seeke him out vpon
The British partie, ô vntimely death! death.
He dies.
Edg. I know thee well, a seruiceable villaine,
2705As dutious to the vices of thy mistres, as badnes would
Glost. What is he dead?
Edg. Sit you down father, rest you lets see his pockets
These letters that he speakes of 2710may be my friends,
Hee's dead, I am only sorrow he had no other deathsmã
Let vs see, leaue gentle waxe, and manners blame vs not
To know our enemies minds wee'd rip their hearts,
Their papers is more lawfull.
Let your reciprocall vowes bee remembred, you haue many
opportunities to cut him off, if your will want not, time and place
will be fruitfully offered, there is nothing done, If he returne the
conquerour, then am I the prisoner, and his bed my 2720gayle, from
the lothed warmth whereof deliuer me, and supply the place for
your labour, your wife (so I would say) your affectionate seruant
and for you her owne for Venter, Gonorill.
Edg. O Indistinguisht space of womans wit,
2725A plot vpon her vertuous husbands life,
And the exchange my brother heere in the sands,
Thee ile rake vp, the post vnsanctified
Of murtherous leachers, and in the mature time,
With this vngratious paper strike the sight
2730Of the death practis'd Duke, for him tis well,
That of thy death and businesse I can tell.
Glost. The King is mad, how stiffe is my vild sence,
That I stand vp and haue ingenious feeling
2735Of my huge sorowes, better I were distract,
So should my thoughts be fenced from my griefes,
And woes by wrong imaginations loose
The knowledge of themselues.
A drum a farre off.
2740Edg. Giue me your hand far off me thinks I heare the beaten
Come father ile bestow you with a friend.
Exit.