King Lear (17 page)

Now, fellow, fare thee well.

He falls forward

EDGAR
    Gone, sir: farewell.—

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!—

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.

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.

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.

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!

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
.

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.

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: