The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (931 page)

Allows itself to any thing.

Let's follow the old earl, and let the madman

lead him where he wants: his strange madness

permits him to do anything.

Third Servant

Go thou: I'll fetch some flax and whites of eggs

To apply to his bleeding face. Now, heaven help him!

Exeunt severally

You go: I'll get some flax and egg whites

to treat his bleeding face. Now, may heaven help him!

Enter EDGAR

EDGAR

Yet better thus, and known to be contemn'd,

Than still contemn'd and flatter'd. To be worst,

The lowest and most dejected thing of fortune,

Stands still in esperance, lives not in fear:

The lamentable change is from the best;

The worst returns to laughter. Welcome, then,

Thou unsubstantial air that I embrace!

The wretch that thou hast blown unto the worst

Owes nothing to thy blasts. But who comes here?

Enter GLOUCESTER, led by an Old Man

My father, poorly led? World, world, O world!

But that thy strange mutations make us hate thee,

Life would not yield to age.

It's better to be like this, knowing you are dammed,

than to be dammed but think you're not because of flattery. To be the worst,

the lowest and most badly treated by Fortune,

one can still hope, and does not live in fear:

the horrible change is for the best;

things can only get better. So welcome

you empty air that I embrace:

the wretch that you have blown into the worst situation

cannot be blown any further. But who's this coming?

My father, led like a beggar? World, world, oh world!

Your strange changes make us hate you

and make us reconciled to the fact that we shall die.

Old Man

O, my good lord, I have been your tenant, and

your father's tenant, these fourscore years.

Oh my good lord, I have been your tenant, and

your father's tenant, the past eighty years.

GLOUCESTER

Away, get thee away; good friend, be gone:

Thy comforts can do me no good at all;

Thee they may hurt.

Go away, go away; good friend, go away:

you cannot help me

and you are putting yourself in danger.

Old Man

Alack, sir, you cannot see your way.

Alas, sir, you cannot see where you're going.

GLOUCESTER

I have no way, and therefore want no eyes;

I stumbled when I saw: full oft 'tis seen,

Our means secure us, and our mere defects

Prove our commodities. O dear son Edgar,

The food of thy abused father's wrath!

Might I but live to see thee in my touch,

I'ld say I had eyes again!

I have nowhere to go, and so I don't need eyes;

when I could see I stumbled: it often happens

that when things are going well we become complacent,

hardship can point us to the truth. Oh my dear son Edgar,

the subject of your abused father's anger!

If I could live to feel your hand again,

it would be as good as having my eyes back!

Old Man

How now! Who's there?

What's that! Who's there?

EDGAR

[Aside] O gods! Who is't can say 'I am at

the worst'?

I am worse than e'er I was.

Oh gods! Who can say, “I've hit rock bottom"?

Now things are worse than ever.

Old Man

'Tis poor mad Tom.

It's poor mad Tom.

EDGAR

[Aside] And worse I may be yet: the worst is not

So long as we can say 'This is the worst.'

And I may be worse still: as long as we can say

“this is the worst," we have not reached the bottom.

Old Man

Fellow, where goest?

Where are you going, my man?

GLOUCESTER

Is it a beggar-man?

Is it a beggar?

Old Man

Madman and beggar too.

A beggar and a madman too.

GLOUCESTER

He has some reason, else he could not beg.

I' the last night's storm I such a fellow saw;

Which made me think a man a worm: my son

Came then into my mind; and yet my mind

Was then scarce friends with him: I have heard

more since.

As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods.

They kill us for their sport.

He must have some sense, or he could not beg.

I saw a fellow like this in last night's storm;

he made me think men are only worms: then I thought

of my son; even though my mind

at that time hated him: I have heard differently since.

The gods treat us like cruel boys treat flies,

they kill us for fun.

EDGAR

[Aside] How should this be?

Bad is the trade that must play fool to sorrow,

Angering itself and others.--Bless thee, master!

How has it come to this?

It's a bad job when I have to be a fool in the face of all this sorrow,

annoying myself and others. Bless you, master!

GLOUCESTER

Is that the naked fellow?

Is that the naked fellow?

Old Man

Ay, my lord.

Yes, my lord.

GLOUCESTER

Then, prithee, get thee gone: if, for my sake,

Thou wilt o'ertake us, hence a mile or twain,

I' the way toward Dover, do it for ancient love;

And bring some covering for this naked soul,

Who I'll entreat to lead me.

Then, please go: if  to help me

you should overtake us a mile or two from here

on the way towards Dover, do so for your old loyalty;

and bring some clothes for this naked man,

whom I'll ask to guide me.

Old Man

Alack, sir, he is mad.

Unfortunately, sir, he is mad.

GLOUCESTER

'Tis the times' plague, when madmen lead the blind.

Do as I bid thee, or rather do thy pleasure;

Above the rest, be gone.

It's a sign of these bad times, that madmen are leading the blind.

Do as I ask, or rather do what you wish;

most importantly, go.

Old Man

I'll bring him the best 'parel that I have,

Come on't what will.

Exit

I'll bring him the best clothes that I have,

whatever happens.

GLOUCESTER

Sirrah, naked fellow,--

Sir, you naked chap–

EDGAR

Poor Tom's a-cold.

Aside

I cannot daub it further.

 Poor Tom's cold.

I can't keep this up any longer.

GLOUCESTER

Come hither, fellow.

Come here, fellow.

EDGAR

[Aside] And yet I must.--Bless thy sweet eyes, they bleed.

But I must.–Bless your sweet eyes, they are bleeding.

GLOUCESTER

Know'st thou the way to Dover?

Do you know the way to Dover?

EDGAR

Both stile and gate, horse-way and foot-path. Poor

Tom hath been scared out of his good wits: bless

thee, good man's son, from the foul fiend! five

fiends have been in poor Tom at once; of lust, as

Obidicut; Hobbididence, prince of dumbness; Mahu, of

stealing; Modo, of murder; Flibbertigibbet, of

mopping and mowing, who since possesses chambermaids

and waiting-women. So, bless thee, master!

I know the way by gates and stiles, bridle path and footpath.

Poor Tom has been scared out of his mind: you good man's

son, may the gods save you from the devil! Poor Tom

has been possessed by five devils at once; the lustful one,

Obidicut; Hobbididence, the dumb one; Mahu, the thief;

Modo, the murderer; Flibbertigibbet, the

puller of faces, who now possesses chambermaids

and serving girls. So, bless you, master!

GLOUCESTER

Here, take this purse, thou whom the heavens' plagues

Have humbled to all strokes: that I am wretched

Makes thee the happier: heavens, deal so still!

Let the superfluous and lust-dieted man,

That slaves your ordinance, that will not see

Because he doth not feel, feel your power quickly;

So distribution should undo excess,

And each man have enough. Dost thou know Dover?

Here, take this purse, you whom the gods have treated so badly

that you accept all misfortunes: my wretchedness

should make you happier: gods, keep it like this!

Let the overfed and greedy man,

who disrespects your position, who is blind

through lack of empathy, get some feelings;

that way sharing would remedy greed

and each man would have enough. Do you know Dover?

EDGAR

Ay, master.

Yes, master.