King Lear

consumption; fie, fie, fie! pah, pah!
Give me an ounce of civet, good apothecary, to sweeten my
imagination: there's money for thee.

Glou.
O, let me kiss that hand!

Lear.
Let me wipe it first; it smells of mortality.

Glou.
O ruin'd piece of nature! This great world
Shall so wear out to naught.--Dost thou know me?

Lear.
I remember thine eyes well enough. Dost thou squiny at me?
No, do thy worst, blind Cupid; I'll not love.--Read thou this
challenge; mark but the penning of it.

Glou.
Were all the letters suns, I could not see one.

Edg.
I would not take this from report;--it is,
And my heart breaks at it.

Lear.
Read.

Glou.
What, with the case 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, your purse in a
light: yet you see how this world goes.

Glou.
I see it feelingly.

Lear.
What, art mad? A man may see how the world goes with no eyes.
Look with thine ears: see how yond justice rails upon yond simple
thief. Hark, in thine ear: change places; and, handy-dandy, which
is the justice, which is the thief?--Thou hast seen a farmer's
dog bark at a beggar?

Glou.
Ay, sir.

Lear.
And the creature run from the cur? There thou mightst behold
the great image of authority: a dog's obeyed in office.--
Thou rascal beadle, hold thy bloody hand!
Why dost thou lash that whore? Strip thine own back;
Thou hotly lust'st to use her in that kind
For which thou whipp'st her. The usurer hangs the cozener.
Through tatter'd clothes small vices do appear;
Robes and furr'd gowns hide all. Plate sin with gold,
And the strong lance of justice hurtless breaks;
Arm it in rags, a pygmy's straw does pierce it.
None does offend, none.--I say none; I'll able 'em:
Take that of me, my friend, who have the power
To seal the accuser's lips. Get thee glass eyes;
And, like a scurvy politician, seem
To see the things thou dost not.--Now, now, now, now:
Pull off my boots: harder, harder:--so.

Edg.
O, matter and impertinency mix'd!
Reason, in madness!

Lear.
If thou wilt weep my fortunes, take my eyes.
I know thee well enough; thy name is Gloster:
Thou must be patient; we came crying hither:
Thou know'st, the first time that we smell the air
We wawl and cry.--I will preach to thee: mark.

Glou.
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:--
It were a delicate stratagem to shoe
A troop of horse with felt: I'll put't in proof,;
And when I have stol'n upon these sons-in-law,
Then kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!

[Enter a Gentleman, with Attendants].

Gent.
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 of fortune.--Use me well;
You shall have ransom. Let me have surgeons;