I have been your tenant, and your father's tenant,
These fourscore years.
Glo. Away, get thee away; good friend, be gone;
Thy comforts can do me no good at all; 16
Thee they may hurt.
Old Man. You cannot see your way.
Glo. 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 20
Prove our commodities. Ah! dear son Edgar,
The food of thy abused father's wrath;
Might I but live to see thee in my touch,
I'd say I had eyes again.
Old Man. How now! Who's there? 24
Edg. [Aside.] O gods! Who is 't can say, 'I am at the worst?'
I am worse than e'er I was.
Old Man. 'Tis poor mad Tom.
Edg. [Aside.] And worse I may be yet; the worst is not,
So long as we can say, 'This is the worst.' 28
Old Man. Fellow, where goest?
Glo. Is it a beggar-man?
Old Man. Madman and beggar too.
Glo. He has some reason, else he could not beg.
I' the last night's storm I such a fellow saw, 32
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; 36
They kill us for their sport.
Edg. [Aside.] How should this be?
20 means; cf. n.
