Слике страница
PDF
ePub

But love, dear love, and our ag'd father's right:
Soon may I hear, and fee him!
SCENE V.

[Exeur!.

Regan's Palace.

Enter Regan and Stewards.

Reg. But are my brother's powers fet forth?

Stew. Ay, Madam.

Reg. Himfelf in person there?

Stew. With much ado,

Your fifter is the better foldier.

Reg. Lord Edmund spake not with your Lady at home?
Stew. No, Madam.

Reg. What might import my fifter's letter to him?
Stew. I know not, Lady.

Reg. Faith, he is posted hence on serious matter.
It was great ign'rance, Glofter's eyes being out,
To let him live; where he arrives, he moves
All hearts against us: Edmund, I think, is gone,
In pity of his mifery, to dispatch

His nighted life moreover, to defcry

The ftrength o'th' enemy.

Stew. I muft needs after him, Madam, with my letter. Reg. Our troops fet forth to-morrow: stay with us: The ways are dangerous.

Stew. I may not, Madam;

My Lady charg'd my duty in this business.

Reg. Why fhould fhe write to Edmund? might not you Tranfport her purposes by word of mouth?

Something- know not what-I'll love thee much
Let me unfeal the letter.

Stew. Madam, I had rather

Reg. I know your Lady do's not love her husband,
I'm fure of that; and at her late being here
She gave ftrange ciliads, and moft fpeaking looks
To noble Edmund. I know you're of her bofom.
Stew. I, Madam?

I know't;

Reg. I fpeak in understanding: you are ;
Therefore I do advise you take this note.
My Lord is dead; Edmund and I have talk'd,
And more convenient is he for my hand,
Than for your Lady's: you may gather more:

If you do find him, pray you, give him this;
And when your Mistress hears thus much from you,
pray, defire her call her wifdom to her.

If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor,
Preferment falls on him that cuts him off.

Stew. Would I could meet him, Madam, I should fhew What party I do follow.

Reg. Fare thee well.

SCENE VI.

[Exeunt.

The Country near Dover.
Enter Glo'fter, and Edgar as a Peafant.

Glo. When fhall I come to th'top of that fame hill?
Edg. You do climb up it now. Look how we labour.
Glo. Methinks the ground is even.

Edg. Horrible fteep.

Hark, do you hear the fea?

Glo. No truly, not.

Edg. Why then your other fenfes grow imperfect By your eyes anguish.

Glo. So may it be indeed.

Methinks thy voice is alter'd, and thou speak'st
In better phrase and matter than thou didst.

Edg. You're much deceiv'd: in nothing am I chang'd

But in my garments.

Glo. Sure you're better spoken.

[fearful

Edg. Come on, Sir, here's the place-stand ftill. How And dizzy 'tis, to caft one's eyes fo low!

The crows and choughs, that wing the midway air,
Shew fearee fo grofs as beetles. Half way down
Hangs one that gathers famphire; dreadful trade!
Methinks he seems no bigger than his head.
The fisher-men that walk upon the beach
Appear like mice; and yond tall anchoring bark,
Diminish'd to her cock; her cock, a buoy

Almoft too fmall for fight. The murmuring furge,
That on th' unnumbred idle pebbles chafes,

Cannot be heard fo high. I'll look no more,
Left my brain turn and the deficient fight

Topple down headlong.

Glo. Set me where you ftand.

Edg. Give me your hand: you're now within a foot

Of

[ocr errors]

A

Of th' extream verge: for all below the moon
Would not I leap outright.

Glo. Let go my hand:

Here, friend, 's another purse, in it a Jewel

Well worth a poor man's taking. Fairies and Gods
Profper it with thee! Go thou further off,

Bid me farewel, and let me hear thee going.
Edg. Now fare ye well, good Sir!
Glo. With all my heart.

[Seems to g

Edg. Why I do trifle thus with his despair, Is done to cure it.

Glo. O you mighty Gods!

This world I do renounce, and in your fights
Shake patiently my great affliction off:
If I could bear it longer, and not fall

To quarrel with your great opposeless wills,
My fnuff and loathed part of nature should
Burn it felf out. If Edgar live, O bless him!
Now, fellow, fare thee well!

Edg. Good Sir, farewel!

[He leaps and falls alongs

And yet I know not how conceit may rob

The treasury of life, when life itself

Yields to the theft. Had he been where he thought,

By this had thought been paft.-Alive or dead?

Hoa, you, Sir! friend! hear you, Sir? fpeak!
Thus might he pass indeed-yet he revives.
What are you, Sir?

Glo. Away, and let me die.

Edg, Had'ft thou been ought but Gofs'mer, feathers, air, So many fathom down precipitating,

Thou'dft fhiver'd like an egg: but thou doft breathe,
Haft heavy fubftance, bleed'ft not; fpeak, art found?
Ten mafts attacht make not the altitude
Which thou haft perpendicularly fall'n.
Thy life's a miracle. Speak yet again.
Glo. But have I fall'n, or no?

Edg. From the dread fummit of this chalky borne!
Look up a height, the fhrill-gorg'd Lark fo far
Cannot be seen or heard: do but look up.

Glo. Alack, I have no eyes:

Is wretchednefs depriv'd that benefit

To end it felf by death? 'twas yet fome comfort,
When mifery could beguile the tyrant's rage,
And fruftrate his proud will.

Edg. Give me your arm.

Up, fo-how is't? feel you your legs? you ftand.
Gla. Too well, too well.

Edg. This is above all strangeness.

Upon the crown o' th' cliff, what thing was that
Which parted from you?

Glo. A poor unfortunate beggar..

Edg. As I ftood here below, methought his eyes Were two full moons; he had a thousand nofes, Horns whelk'd and wav'd like the enridged fea : It was fome fiend. Therefore, thou happy father, Think that the cleareft Gods, who make them honours Of men's impoffibilities, have preferv'd thee.

Glo. 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 fay

The fiend, the fiend-he led me to that place.
Edg. Bear free and patient thoughts.

SCENE VII. Enter Lear, dreft madly with flowers.

But who comes here?

The fafer fenfe would ne'er accommodate

His mafter thus.

Lear. No, they cannot touch me for coyning, I am the King himself.

Edg. O thou fide-piercing fight!

Lear. Nature's above art in that refpect. There's your prefs-mony. That fellow handles his bow like a crowkeeper: draw me a clothier's yard. Look, look, a mouse! Peace, peace, this piece of toafted cheefe will do't

there's my gauntlet, I'll prove it on a giant. Bring up the brown bills. O, well flown, barb! i'th' clout, i'th' clouts hewgh. Give the word.

Edg. Sweet marjoram.

Lear. Pafs.

Glo. I know that voice.
VOL. IV.

P

Lear,

Lear. Ha! Gonerill! hah, Regan! they flatter'd m like a dog, and told me I had white hairs in my beard, ere the black ones were there. To fay ay, and no, to every thing that I faid-Ay and no too, was no good divinity. When the rain came to wet me once, and wind to make me chatter; when the thunder would not peace at my bidding, there I found 'em, there I fmelt 'em out. Go to, they are not men of their words; they told me I was every thing, 'tis a lie, I am not ague-proof.

Glo. The trick of that voice I do well remember: is't not the King?

Lear. Ay, every inch a King.

When I do ftare, fee how the fubject quakes.

I pardon that man's life. What was thy caufe? Adultery? thou shalt not die; die for adultery? no, the wren goes to't, and the small gilded fly does letcher in my fight. Let copulation thrive for Glo'fter's baftard-fon was kinder to his father, than my daughters got 'tween the lawful fheets. To't, luxury, pell mell; for I lack foldiers. Behold yon fimpering dame, whofe face 'tween her forks prefages fnow; that minces virtue, and does fhake the head to hear of pleafure's name. The fitchew, nor the foyled horfe goes to't with a more riotous appetite: down from the wafte they are centaurs, though women all above; but to the Girdle do the Gods inherit, beneath is all the fiends. There's hell, there's darkness, there is the fulphurous pit, burning, scalding, ftench, confumption: fie, fie, fie; pah, pah; give me an ounce of civet, good apothecary, to fweeten my imagination! there's mony for thee. Glo. O, let me kiss that hand.

Lear. Let me wipe it first, it smells of mortality. Glo. O ruin'd piece of nature! this great world Shall fo wear out to nought. Doft thou know me?

Lear. I remember thine eyes well enough: doft thou fquint at me? no, do thy worst, blind Cupid, I'll not love. Read thou this challenge, mark but the penning of it.

Glo. Were all the letters funs, I could not fee one.
Edg. I would not take this from report;
It is, and my heart breaks at it.

Lear, Read,

[Afide.

[ocr errors]
« ПретходнаНастави »