The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 4 of 9]Shakespeare, William
General
The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 4 of 9]
Shakespeare, William
English drama
_Hot._ O, then the earth shook to see the heavens on fire,[2608] 25
And not in fear of your nativity.
Diseased nature oftentimes breaks forth
In strange eruptions; oft the teeming earth[2609]
Is with a kind of colic pinch'd and vex'd
By the imprisoning of unruly wind 30
Within her womb; which, for enlargement striving,
Shakes the old beldam earth and topples down[2610]
Steeples and moss-grown towers. At your birth[2611]
Our grandam earth, having this distemperature,[2612]
In passion shook.
_Glend._ Cousin, of many men 35
I do not bear these crossings. Give me leave[2613]
To tell you once again that at my birth
The front of heaven was full of fiery shapes,
The goats ran from the mountains, and the herds
Were strangely clamorous to the frighted fields.[2614] 40
These signs have mark'd me extraordinary;
And all the courses of my life do show
I am not in the roll of common men.[2615]
Where is he living, clipp'd in with the sea[2616]
That chides the banks of England, Scotland, Wales,[2617] 45
Which calls me pupil, or hath read to me?
And bring him out that is but woman's son[2618]
Can trace me in the tedious ways of art[2619]
And hold me pace in deep experiments.[2620]
_Hot._ I think there's no man speaks better Welsh.[2621][2622] 50
I'll to dinner.[2621][2623]
_Mort._ Peace, cousin Percy; you will make him mad.[2624]
_Glend._ I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
_Hot._ Why, so can I, or so can any man;
But will they come when you do call for them? 55
_Glend._ Why, I can teach you, cousin, to command[2625][2626]
The devil.[2626]
_Hot._ And I can teach thee, coz, to shame the devil[2627]
By telling truth: tell truth, and shame the devil.[2628]
If thou have power to raise him, bring him hither, 60
And I 'll be sworn I have power to shame him hence.
O, while you live, tell truth, and shame the devil!
_Mort._ Come, come, no more of this unprofitable chat.[2629]
_Glend._ Three times hath Henry Bolingbroke made head
Against my power; thrice from the banks of Wye[2630] 65
And sandy-bottom'd Severn have I sent him[2631][2632]
Bootless home and weather-beaten back.[2632][2633]
_Hot._ Home without boots, and in foul weather too![2634]
How 'scapes he agues, in the devil's name?[2635]
_Glend._ Come, here's the map: shall we divide our right[2636] 70
According to our threefold order ta'en?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account