KING LEAR [[THE FOLIO TEXT]]

Act 4 Scene 5

(Enter Edgar disguised as a peasant, with a staff, guiding the blind Duke of Gloucester)
l1l	Gloucester	 When shall I come to th’ top of that same hill?
l2l	Edgar	You do climb up it now. Look how we labour.
l3l	Gloucester	Methinks the ground is even.
	Edgar	Horrible steep.
l4l		Hark, do you hear the sea?
	Gloucester	No, truly.
l5l	Edgar	Why, then your other senses grow imperfect
l6l		By your eyes’ anguish.
	Gloucester	So may it be indeed.
l7l		Methinks thy voice is altered, and thou speak’st
l8l		In better phrase and matter than thou didst.
l9l	Edgar	You’re much deceived. In nothing am I changed
l10l		But in my garments.
	Gloucester	Methinks you’re better spoken.
l11l	Edgar	Come on, sir, here’s the place. Stand still. How fearful
l12l		And dizzy ’tis to cast one’s eyes so low!
l13l		The crows and choughs that wing the midway air
l14l		Show scarce so gross as beetles. Halfway down
l15l		Hangs one that gathers samphire, dreadful trade!
l16l		Methinks he seems no bigger than his head.
l17l		The fishermen that walk upon the beach
l18l		Appear like mice, and yon tall anchoring barque
l19l		Diminished to her cock, her cock a buoy
l20l		Almost too small for sight. The murmuring surge
l21l		That on th’ unnumbered idle pebble chafes
l22l		Cannot be heard so high. I’ll look no more,
l23l		Lest my brain turn and the deficient sight
l24l		Topple down headlong.
	Gloucester	Set me where you stand.
l25l	Edgar	Give me your hand. You are now within a foot
l26l		Of th’ extreme verge. For all beneath the moon
l27l		Would I not leap upright.
	Gloucester	Let go my hand.
l28l		Here, friend, ’s another purse# in it a jewel
l29l		Well worth a poor man’s taking. Fairies and gods
l30l		Prosper it with thee! Go thou further off.
l31l		Bid me farewell, and let me hear thee going.
l32l	Edgar	Now fare ye well, good sir.
		(He stands aside)
		
	Gloucester	 With all my heart.
l33l	Edgar	(aside)
		 Why I do trifle thus with his despair
l34l		Is done to cure it.
	Gloucester	
		(kneeling)
		 O you mighty gods,
l35l		This world I do renounce, and in your sights
l36l		Shake patiently my great affliction off!
l37l		If I could bear it longer, and not fall
l38l		To quarrel with your great opposeless wills,
l39l		My snuff and loathèd part of nature should
l40l		Burn itself out. If Edgar live, O bless him!—
l41l		Now, fellow, fare thee well.
	Edgar	Gone, sir. Farewell.
		( 41B Gloucester falls forward)
l42l		(Aside)
		 And yet I know not how conceit may rob
l43l		The treasury of life, when life itself
l44l		Yields to the theft. Had he been where he thought,
l45l		By this had thought been past.—Alive or dead?
l46l		(To Gloucester)
		 Ho, you, sir, friend# hear you, sir? Speak.
l47l		(Aside)
		 Thus might he pass indeed. Yet he revives.
l48l		(To Gloucester)
		 What are you, sir?
	Gloucester	Away, and let me die.
l49l	Edgar	Hadst thou been aught but gossamer, feathers, air,
l50l		So many fathom down precipitating
l51l		Thou’dst shivered like an egg. But thou dost breathe,
l52l		Hast heavy substance, bleed’st not, speak’st, art sound.
l53l		Ten masts a-length make not the altitude
l54l		Which thou hast perpendicularly fell.
l55l		Thy life’s a miracle. Speak yet again.
l56l	Gloucester	But have I fall’n, or no?
l57l	Edgar	From the dread summit of this chalky bourn.
l58l		Look up a-height. The shrill-gorged lark so far
l59l		Cannot be seen or heard. Do but look up.
l60l	Gloucester	Alack, I have no eyes.
l61l		Is wretchedness deprived that benefit
l62l		To end itself by death? ’Twas yet some comfort
l63l		When misery could beguile the tyrant’s rage
l64l		And frustrate his proud will.
	Edgar	Give me your arm.
l65l		Up, so. How is ’t? Feel you your legs? You stand.
l66l	Gloucester	Too well, too well.
	Edgar	This is above all strangeness.
l67l		Upon the crown o’ th’ cliff what thing was that
l68l		Which parted from you?
	Gloucester	A poor unfortunate beggar.
l69l	Edgar	As I stood here below, methoughts his eyes
l70l		Were two full moons. He had a thousand noses,
l71l		Horns whelked and wavèd like the enragèd sea.
l72l		It was some fiend. Therefore, thou happy father,
l73l		Think that the clearest gods, who make them honours
l74l		Of men’s impossibilities, have preserved thee.
l75l	Gloucester	I do remember now. Henceforth I’ll bear
l76l		Affliction till it do cry out itself
l77l		“Enough, enough,” and die. That thing you speak of,
l78l		I took it for a man. Often ’twould say
l79l		“The fiend, the fiend!” He led me to that place.
l80l	Edgar	Bear free and patient thoughts.
		(Enter King Lear mad, crowned with weeds and flowers)
		 But who comes here?
l81l		The safer sense will ne’er accommodate
l82l		His master thus.
l83l	Lear	 No, they cannot touch me for crying. I am the King
l84l		himself.
l85l	Edgar	 O thou side-piercing sight!
l86l	Lear	 Nature’s above art in that respect. There’s your
l87l		press-money. That fellow handles his bow like a crow-
l88l		keeper. Draw me a clothier’s yard. Look, look, a mouse!
l89l		Peace, peace, this piece of toasted cheese will do ’t.
l90l		There’s my gauntlet. I’ll prove it on a giant. Bring up
l91l		the brown bills. O, well flown, bird, i’ th’ clout, i’ th’
l92l		clout! Whew! Give the word.
l93l	Edgar	 Sweet marjoram.
l94l	Lear	 Pass.
l95l	Gloucester	 I know that voice.
l96l	Lear	 Ha! Goneril with a white beard? They flattered me
l97l		like a dog, and told me I had the white hairs in my
l98l		beard ere the black ones were there. To say “ay” and
l99l		“no” to everything that I said “ay” and “no” to was no
l100l		good divinity. When the rain came to wet me once,
l101l		and the wind to make me chatter# when the thunder
l102l		would not peace at my bidding, there I found ’em,
l103l		there I smelt ’em out. Go to, they are not men o’ their
l104l		words. They told me I was everything# ’tis a lie, I am
l105l		not ague-proof.
l106l	Gloucester	 The trick of that voice I do well remember.
l107l		Is ’t not the King?
	Lear	Ay, every inch a king.
		(Gloucester kneels)
l108l		When I do stare, see how the subject quakes!
l109l		I pardon that man’s life. What was thy cause?
l110l		Adultery? Thou shalt not die. Die for adultery!
l111l		No, the wren goes to ’t, and the small gilded fly
l112l		Does lecher in my sight. Let copulation thrive,
l113l		For Gloucester’s bastard son
l114l		Was kinder to his father than my daughters
l115l		Got ’tween the lawful sheets. To ’t, luxury, pell-mell,
l116l		For I lack soldiers. Behold yon simp’ring dame,
l117l		Whose face between her forks presages snow,
l118l		That minces virtue, and does shake the head
l119l		To hear of pleasure’s name.
l120l		The fitchew nor the soilèd horse goes to ’t
l121l		With a more riotous appetite. Down from the waist
l122l		They’re centaurs, though women all above.
l123l		But to the girdle do the gods inherit#
l124l		Beneath is all the fiend’s. There’s hell, there’s darkness,
l125l		there is the sulphurous pit, burning, scalding, stench,
l126l		consumption. Fie, fie, fie# pah, pah! Give me an ounce
l127l		of civet, good apothecary, sweeten my imagination.
l128l		There’s money for thee.
	Gloucester	O, let me kiss that hand!
l129l	Lear	 Let me wipe it first# it smells of mortality.
l130l	Gloucester	 O ruined piece of nature! This great world
l131l		Shall so wear out to naught. Dost thou know me?
l132l	Lear	 I remember thine eyes well enough. Dost thou
l133l		squiny at me?
l134l		No, do thy worst, blind Cupid, I’ll not love.
l135l		Read thou this challenge. Mark but the penning of it.
l136l	Gloucester	Were all thy letters suns, I could not see.
l137l	Edgar	(aside)
		 I would not take this from report# it is,
l138l		And my heart breaks at it.
l139l	Lear	(to Gloucester)
		 Read.
l140l	Gloucester	What—with the case of eyes?
l141l	Lear	 O ho, are you there with me? No eyes in your head,
l142l		nor no money in your purse? Your eyes are in a heavy
l143l		case, your purse in a light# yet you see how this world
l144l		goes.
l145l	Gloucester	 I see it feelingly.
l146l	Lear	 What, art mad? A man may see how this world
l147l		goes with no eyes# look with thine ears. See how yon
l148l		justice rails upon yon simple thief. Hark in thine ear:
l149l		change places, and handy-dandy, which is the justice,
l150l		which is the thief? Thou hast seen a farmer’s dog bark
l151l		at a beggar?
l152l	Gloucester	 Ay, sir.
l153l	Lear	 An the creature run from the cur, there thou
l154l		mightst behold the great image of authority. A dog’s
l155l		obeyed in office.
l156l		Thou rascal beadle, hold thy bloody hand.
l157l		Why dost thou lash that whore? Strip thy own back.
l158l		Thou hotly lusts to use her in that kind
l159l		For which thou whip’st her. The usurer hangs the cozener.
l160l		Through tattered clothes great vices do appear#
l161l		Robes and furred gowns hide all. Plate sin with gold,
l162l		And the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks#
l163l		Arm it in rags, a pygmy’s straw does pierce it.
l164l		None does offend, none, I say none. I’ll able ’em.
l165l		Take that of me, my friend, who have the power
l166l		To seal th’ accuser’s lips. Get thee glass eyes,
l167l		And, like a scurvy politician, seem
l168l		To see the things thou dost not. Now, now, now, now!
l169l		Pull off my boots. Harder, harder! So.
l170l	Edgar	(aside)
		 O, matter and impertinency mixed—
l171l		Reason in madness!
l172l	Lear	If thou wilt weep my fortunes, take my eyes.
l173l		I know thee well enough: thy name is Gloucester.
l174l		Thou must be patient. We came crying hither.
l175l		Thou know’st the first time that we smell the air
l176l		We waul and cry. I will preach to thee. Mark.
l177l	Gloucester	Alack, alack the day!
l178l	Lear	(removing his crown of weeds)
		 When we are born, we cry that we are come
l179l		To this great stage of fools. This’ a good block.
l180l		It were a delicate stratagem to shoe
l181l		A troop of horse with felt. I’ll put ’t in proof,
l182l		And when I have stol’n upon these son-in-laws,
l183l		Then kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!
		(Enter two Gentlemen)
l184l	[First] Gentleman	 O, here he is. Lay hand upon him.
		( 184 To Lear)
		 Sir,
l185l		Your most dear daughter—
l186l	Lear	No rescue? What, a prisoner? I am even
l187l		The natural fool of fortune. Use me well.
l188l		You shall have ransom. Let me have surgeons#
l189l		I am cut to th’ brains.
l190l	[First] Gentleman	You shall have anything.
l191l	Lear	No seconds? All myself?
l192l		Why, this would make a man a man of salt,
l193l		To use his eyes for garden water-pots.
l194l		I will die bravely, like a smug bridegroom. What,
l195l		I will be jovial. Come, come, I am a king.
l196l		Masters, know you that?
l197l	[First] Gentleman	You are a royal one, and we obey you.
l198l	Lear	 Then there’s life in ’t. Come, an you get it, you shall
l199l		get it by running. Sa, sa, sa, sa!
		(Exit running pursued by a Gentleman)
l200l	[First] Gentleman	 A sight most pitiful in the meanest wretch,
l201l		Past speaking in a king. Thou hast a daughter
l202l		Who redeems nature from the general curse
l203l		Which twain have brought her to.
l204l	Edgar	Hail, gentle sir.
l205l	[First] Gentleman	Sir, speed you. What’s your will?
l206l	Edgar	Do you hear aught, sir, of a battle toward?
l207l	[First] Gentleman	Most sure and vulgar, everyone hears that
l208l		That can distinguish sound.
l209l	Edgar	But, by your favour,
l210l		How near’s the other army?
l211l	[First] Gentleman	Near and on speedy foot. The main descry
l212l		Stands in the hourly thought.
	Edgar	I thank you, sir. That’s all.
l213l	[First] Gentleman	Though that the Queen on special cause is here,
l214l		Her army is moved on.
	Edgar	I thank you, sir.
		(Exit Gentleman)
l215l	Gloucester	 You ever gentle gods, take my breath from me.
l216l		Let not my worser spirit tempt me again
l217l		To die before you please.
l218l	Edgar	Well pray you, father.
l219l	Gloucester	Now, good sir, what are you?
l220l	Edgar	A most poor man, made tame to fortune’s blows,
l221l		Who by the art of known and feeling sorrows
l222l		Am pregnant to good pity. Give me your hand,
l223l		I’ll lead you to some biding.
	Gloucester	
		(rising)
		 Hearty thanks.
l224l		The bounty and the benison of heaven
l225l		To boot and boot.
		(Enter Oswald the steward)
		
	Oswald	 A proclaimed prize! Most happy!
l226l		That eyeless head of thine was first framed flesh
l227l		To raise my fortunes. Thou old unhappy traitor,
l228l		Briefly thyself remember. The sword is out
l229l		That must destroy thee.
	Gloucester	Now let thy friendly hand
l230l		Put strength enough to ’t.
	Oswald	
		(to Edgar)
		 Wherefore, bold peasant,
l231l		Durst thou support a published traitor? Hence,
l232l		Lest that th’ infection of his fortune take
l233l		Like hold on thee. Let go his arm.
l234l	Edgar	 ’Chill not let go, sir, without vurther ’cagion.
l235l	Oswald	 Let go, slave, or thou diest.
l236l	Edgar	 Good gentleman, go your gate, and let poor volk
l237l		pass. An ’chud ha’ been swaggered out of my life,
l238l		’twould not ha’ been so long as ’tis by a vortnight.
l239l		Nay, come not near th’ old man. Keep out, ’che vor’
l240l		ye, or I’s’ try whether your costard or my baton be the
l241l		harder# I’ll be plain with you.
l242l	Oswald	 Out, dunghill!
l243l	Edgar	 ’Chill pick your teeth, sir. Come, no matter vor
l244l		your foins.
		(Edgar knocks him down)
l245l	Oswald	 Slave, thou hast slain me. Villain, take my purse.
l246l		If ever thou wilt thrive, bury my body,
l247l		And give the letters which thou find’st about me
l248l		To Edmond, Earl of Gloucester. Seek him out
l249l		Upon the English party. O untimely death! Death!
		(He dies)
l250l	Edgar	 I know thee well—a serviceable villain,
l251l		As duteous to the vices of thy mistress
l252l		As badness would desire.
l253l	Gloucester	What, is he dead?
l254l	Edgar	Sit you down, father. Rest you.
		(Gloucester sits)
l255l		Let’s see these pockets. The letters that he speaks of
l256l		May be my friends. He’s dead# I am only sorrow
l257l		He had no other deathsman. Let us see.
l258l		Leave, gentle wax, and manners# blame us not.
l259l		To know our enemies’ minds we rip their hearts#
l260l		Their papers is more lawful.
		(He reads the letter)
l261l		“Let our reciprocal vows be remembered. You have
l262l		many opportunities to cut him off. If your will want
l263l		not, time and place will be fruitfully offered. There is
l264l		nothing done if he return the conqueror# then am I
l265l		the prisoner, and his bed my jail, from the loathed
l266l		warmth whereof, deliver me, and supply the place for
l267l		your labour.
l268l		Your—wife, so I would say,—affectionate
l269l		servant, and for you her own for venture,
l270l		Goneril.”
l271l		O indistinguished space of woman’s will—
l272l		A plot upon her virtuous husband’s life,
l273l		And the exchange my brother!—Here in the sands
l274l		Thee I’ll rake up, the post unsanctified
l275l		Of murderous lechers, and in the mature time
l276l		With this ungracious paper strike the sight
l277l		Of the death-practised Duke. For him ’tis well
l278l		That of thy death and business I can tell.
		(Exit with the body)
l279l	Gloucester	 The King is mad. How stiff is my vile sense,
l280l		That I stand up and have ingenious feeling
l281l		Of my huge sorrows! Better I were distraught,
l282l		So should my thoughts be severed from my griefs,
		(Drum afar off)
l283l		And woes by wrong imaginations lose
l284l		The knowledge of themselves.
		(Enter Edgar)
		
	Edgar	 Give me your hand.
l285l		Far off methinks I hear the beaten drum.
l286l		Come, father, I’ll bestow you with a friend.
		(Exit Edgar guiding Gloucester)