уильям шекспир - King Lear

That wants the means 21to lead it.

Enter Messenger

MESSENGER News, madam:

The British powers are marching hitherward.

CORDELIA ’Tis known before: our preparation 24stands

In expectation of them. O dear father,

It is thy business that I go about:

Therefore great France 27

My mourning and importuned 28tears hath pitied.

No blown 29ambition doth our arms incite,

But love, dear love, and our aged father’s right:

Soon may I hear and see him!

Exeunt

Act 4 Scene 4

running scene 15

Enter Regan and Steward [Oswald]

REGAN But are my brother’s powers set forth?

OSWALD Ay, madam.

REGAN Himself in person there?

OSWALD Madam, with much ado 4:

Your sister is the better soldier.

REGAN Lord Edmund spake not with your lord at home?

OSWALD No, madam.

REGAN What might import 8my sister’s letter to him?

OSWALD I know not, lady.

REGAN Faith, he is posted 10hence on serious matter.

It was great ignorance 11, Gloucester’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 misery, to dispatch

His nighted life: moreover, to descry 15

The strength o’th’enemy.

OSWALD I must needs after 17him, madam, with my letter.

REGAN Our troops set forth tomorrow. Stay with us:

The ways 19are dangerous.

OSWALD I may not, madam:

My lady charged my duty 21in this business.

REGAN Why should she write to Edmund? Might not you

Transport her purposes by word? Belike 23,

Some things I know not what. I’ll love thee 24much,

Let me unseal the letter.

OSWALD Madam, I had rather—

REGAN I know your lady does not love her husband,

I am sure of that: and at her late being here

She gave strange oeillades and most speaking 29looks

To noble Edmund. I know you are of her bosom 30.

OSWALD I, madam?

REGAN I speak in understanding. Y’are 32, I know’t.

Therefore I do advise you, take this note 33.

My lord is dead: Edmund and I have talked,

And more convenient 35is he for my hand

Than for your lady’s: you may gather more 36.

If you do find him, pray you give him this,

Gives a token or a letter

And when your mistress hears thus much from you,

I pray desire her call her wisdom to her 39.

So, fare you well.

If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor,

Preferment falls on him that cuts him off.

OSWALD Would I could meet 43, madam, I should show

What party I do follow.

REGAN Fare thee well.

Exeunt

Act 4 Scene 5

running scene 16

Enter Gloucester and Edgar

Edgar dressed like a peasant

GLOUCESTER When shall I come to th’top of that same hill 1?

EDGAR You do climb up it now: look how we labour.

GLOUCESTER Methinks the ground is even.

EDGAR Horrible steep.

Hark, do you hear the sea?

GLOUCESTER No, truly.

EDGAR Why, then, your other senses grow imperfect

By your eyes’ anguish.

GLOUCESTER So may it be, indeed:

Methinks thy voice is altered and thou speak’st

In better phrase and matter 11than thou didst.

EDGAR You’re much deceived: in nothing am I changed

But in my garments.

GLOUCESTER Methinks you’re better spoken.

EDGAR Come on, sir, here’s the place: stand still. How fearful

And dizzy ’tis to cast one’s eyes so low!

The crows and choughs that wing the midway 17air

Show scarce so gross 18as beetles: halfway down

Hangs one that gathers samphire 19, dreadful trade!

Methinks he seems no bigger than his head.

The fishermen that walk upon the beach

Appear like mice, and yond tall anchoring bark 22

Diminished to her cock 23, her cock, a buoy

Almost too small for sight. The murmuring surge,

That on th’unnumbered idle pebble 25chafes,

Cannot be heard so high. I’ll look no more,

Lest my brain turn and the deficient 27sight

Topple 28down headlong.

GLOUCESTER Set me where you stand.

EDGAR Give me your hand: you are now within a foot

Of th’extreme verge: for all beneath the moon

Would I not leap upright 32.

GLOUCESTER Let go my hand.

Here, friend’s 34another purse: in it a jewel

Gives a purse

Well worth a poor man’s taking: fairies and gods

Prosper it 36with thee! Go thou further off:

Bid me farewell, and let me hear thee going.

EDGAR Now fare ye well, good sir.

GLOUCESTER With all my heart.

Aside

EDGAR Why I do trifle 40thus with his despair

Is done to cure it.

Kneels

GLOUCESTER O you mighty gods!

This world I do renounce, and in your sights

Shake patiently my great affliction off:

If I could bear it longer, and not fall

To quarrel with your great opposeless 46wills,

My snuff and loathèd part of nature 47should

Burn itself out. If Edgar live, O, bless him!—

Now, fellow, fare thee well.

He falls forward

EDGAR Gone, sir: farewell.—

Aside

And yet I know not how conceit 51may rob

The treasury of life, when life itself

Yields 53to the theft: had he been where he thought,

By this 54had thought been past. Alive or dead?—

Ho, you sir! Friend! Hear you, sir! Speak!—

Aside

Thus might he pass 56indeed: yet he revives.—

What 57are you, sir?

GLOUCESTER Away, and let me die.

EDGAR Hadst thou been aught 59but gossamer, feathers, air —

So many fathom down precipitating 60—

Thou’dst shivered 61like an egg: but thou dost breathe,

Hast heavy substance, bleed’st not, speak’st, art sound.

Ten masts at each 63make 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 68lark 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 73the 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 84and 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 93and 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 96me 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.