their perpetual displeasure, neither to speak of him, entreat for him, nor any way sustain him. Edm. Most savage and unnatural!

Glo. Go to; say you nothing: There is division, between the dukes; and a worse matter than that. I have received a letter this night; 'tis dangerous to be spoken ;-I have locked the letter in my closet: these injuries the king now bears will be revenged home; there is part of a power already footed: we must incline to the king. I will seek him, and privily relieve him: go you, and maintain talk with the duke, that my charity be not of him perceived: If he ask for me, I am ill, and gone to bed. If I die for it, as no less is threatened me, the king my old master must be relieved. There is some strange thing toward, Edmund; pray you, be careful.

SCENE IV.-A part of the heath, with a hovel. Enter LEAR, KENT, and Fool.

wind.

Humph! go to thy cold bed, and warm thee. Lear. Hast thou given all to thy two daugh

ters?

And art thou come to this?

Edg. Who gives any thing to poor Tom? whom the foul fiend hath led through fire and through flame, through ford and whirlpool, over bog and quagmire; that hath laid knives under his pillow, and halters in his pew; set ratsbane by his porridge; made him proud of heart, to ride on a bay trotting-horse over four-inched bridges, to course his own shadow for a tra:tor:-Bless thy five wits! Tom's a-cold.-0, do de, do de, do de. - Bless thee from whirlwinds, star-blasting, and taking! Do poor Tom soume charity, whom the foul fiend vexcs: There could I have him now, and there, and there,and there again, and there. Storm continues. Lear. What, have his daughters brought him to this pass?

Could'st thou save nothing? Did'st thou give them all?

Fool. Nay, he reserved a blanket, else we had been all shamed.

Lear. Now, all the plagues, that in the pendulous air

Hang fated o'er men's faults, light on thy daugh-
Kent. He hath no daughters, sir.
Lear. Death, traitor! nothing could have sub-

To such a lowness, but his unkind daughters.-
Is it the fashion, that discarded fathers
Should have thus little mercy on their flesh?
Judicious punishment! 'twas this flesh begot
Those pelican daughters.

Edg. Pillicock sat on pillicock's-hill ;-
Halloo, halloo, loo, loo!

Fool. This cold night will turn us all to fools and madmen.

Edg. Take heed o' the foul fiend: Obey thy parents; keep thy word justly; swear not; commit not with man's sworn spouse; set not thy sweet heart on proud array: Tom's a-cold.

Lear. What hast thou been?

Edg. A serving-man, proud in heart and mind; that curled my hair; wore gloves in my cap, served the lust of my mistress's heart, and did the act of darkness with her; swore as many caths as I spake words, and broke them in the sweet face of heaven: one that slept in the contriving of lust, and waked to do it: Wine loved I deeply; dice dearly; and in woman, out-paramoured the Turk: False of heart, light of ear, bloody of hand; Hog in sloth, fox in stealth, wolf in greediness, dog in madness, lion in prey. Let not the creaking of shoes, nor the rustling of silks, betray thy poor heart to women: Keep thy foot out of brothels, thy hand out of plackets, thy pen from lenders' books, and defy the foul fiend. Still through the hawthorn blows the cold wind: Says suum mun, ha no nonny, dolphin my boy, my boy, sessa; let him trot by. [Storm still continues.

Lear. Why, thou were better in thy grave, than to answer with thy uncovered body this extremity of the skies. Is man no more than this? Consider him well: Thou owest the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the cat no perfume: -Ha! here's three of us are sophisticated!-Thou art the thing itself: unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art.-Off, off, you lendings:-Come; unbutton here.

Tearing off his clothes.

Fool. Pr'ythee, nuncle, be contented; this is a naughty night to swim in.-Now a little fire in a wild field were like an old lecher's heart; a small spark, all the rest of his body cold.-Look, here comes a walking fire.

Edg. This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibbet : he begins at curfew, and walks till the first cock; he gives the web and the pin, squints the eye, and makes the hare-lip; mildews the white wheat, and hurts the poor creature of earth.

Saint Withold footed thrice the wold;
He met the night-mare, and her nine-fold;

Bid her alight,

And her troth plight,

And aroint thee, witch, aroint thee!

Kent. How fares your grace?
VOL. II.

Enter GLOSTER, with a torch.

Lear. What's he?

Kent. Who's there? What is't you seek?
Glo. What are you there? Your names?

Edg. Poor Tom; that eats the swimming frog, the toad, the tadpole, the wall-newt, and the water; that in the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend rages, eats cow-dung for sallets; swallows the old rat, and the ditch dog; drinks the green mantle of the standing pool; who is whipped from tything to tything, and stocked, punished, and imprisoned; who hath had three suits to his back, six shirts to his body, horse to ride, and weapon to wear,

this!

I do beseech your grace,

Noble philosopher, your company.

Lear. O, cry you mercy,

Edg. Tom's a-cold.

you.

Kent. All the power of his wits has given way to his impatience: - The gods reward your kindness! Exit Gloster.

Edg. Frateretto calls me; and tells me, Ne

Lear. Come, let's in all.

Kent. This way, my lord.

Lear. With him;

I will keep still with my philosopher.

Kent. Good my lord, sooth him; let him

take the fellow.

Enter CORNWALL and EDMUND.

Corn. I will have my revenge, ere I depart his house.

Edm. How, my lord, I may be censured, that nature thus gives way to loyalty, something fears me to think of.

Corn. I now perceive, it was not altogether your brother's evil disposition made him seek his death; but a provoking merit, set a-work by a reproveable badness in himself.

Edm. How malicious is my fortune, that I must repent to be just! This is the letter he spoke of, which approves him an intelligent party to the advantages of France. O heavens! that this treason were not, or not I the detector! Corn. Go with me to the duchess. Edm. If the matter of this paper be certain, you have mighty business in hand.

Corn. True, or false, it hath made thee earl of Gloster. Seek out where thy father is, that he may be ready for our apprehension.

Edm. Aside. If I find him comforting the king, it will stuff his suspicion more fully.-I will persevere in my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore between that and my blood. Corn. I will lay trust upon thee; and thou shalt find a dearer father in my love.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI-A chamber in a farm-house, adjoining the castle.

Enter GLOSTER, LEAR, KENT, Fool, and EDGAR.

innocent, and beware the foul fiend.

Fool. Pr'ythee, nuncle, tell me, whether a

madman be a gentleman, or a yeoman?

Lear. A king, a king!

Fool. No; he's a yeoman, that has a gentleman to his son: for he's a mad yeoman, that sees his son a gentleman before him.

Lear. To have a thousand with red burning

spits

Come hizzing in upon them :

Edg. The foul fiend bites my back.

Fool. He's mad, that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a horse's health, a boy's love, or a whore's oath.

Lear. It shall be done, I will arraign them straight :

Come, sit thou here, most learned justicer ;[To Edgar. Thou, sapient sir, sit here. To the Fool.]

Now, you she foxes!

Edg. Look, where he stands and glares!Wantest thou eyes at trial, madam?

Come d'er the bourn, Bessy, to me:Fool. Her boat hath a leak,

And she must not speak

Why she dares not come over to thee.

Edg. The foul fiend haunts poor Tom in the voice of a nightingale. Hopdance cries in Tom's belly for two white herrings. Croak not, black angel; I have no food for thee.

Kent. How do you, sir? Stand you not so amaz'd:

Will you lie down and rest upon the cushions? Lear. I'll see their trial first:-Bring in the evidence.

Thou robed man of justice, take thy place;[To Edgar. And thou, his yoke-fellow of equity, [To the Fool. Bench by his side :-You are of the commission, Sit you too. [To Kent.

Edg. Let us deal justly.

Sleepest, or wakest thou, jolly shepherd?
Thy sheep be in the corn;
And for one blast of thy miniken mouth,
Thy sheep shall take no harm.

Pur! the cat is grey.

Lear. Arraign her first; 'tis Goneril. I here take my oath before this honourable assembly, she kicked the poor king her father.

Fool. Come hither, mistress; Is your name

Edg. Tom will throw his head at them :Avaunt, you curs!

Be thy mouth or black or white,
Tooth that poisons, if it bite;
Mastiff, grey-hound, mongrel grim,
Hound, or spaniel, brach, or lym;
Or bobtail tike, or trundle-tail;
Tom will make them weep and wail:
For, with throwing thus my head,

Dogs leap the hatch, and all are fled.

Do de, de de, Sessa. Come, march to wakes and fairs, and market towns:-Poor Tom, thy horn is dry.

Lear. Then let them anatomize Regan, see what breeds about her heart: Is there any cause in nature, that makes these hard hearts? -You, sir, I entertain you for one of my hundred; only, I do not like the fashion of your garments: you will say, they are Persian attire; but let them be changed. [To Edgar.

Kent. Now, good my lord, lie here, and rest awhile.

Lear. Make no noise, make no noise; draw the curtains: So, so, so: We'll go to supper i'the morning: So, so, so.

Fool. And I'll go to bed at noon.

Re-enter GLOSTER.

Thou must not stay behind.
Glo. Come, come, away.

[Exeunt Kent, Gloster, and the Fool,
bearing off the King.

Edg. When we our betters see bearing our

woes,

We scarcely think our miseries our foes.
Who alone suffers, suffers most i'the mind;
Leaving free things, and happy shows, behind:
But then the mind much sufferance doth o'er-
skip,

When grief hath mates, and bearing fellowship.
How light and portable my pain seems now,
When that, which makes me bend, makes the

king bow;

He childed, as I father'd!-Tom, away:
Mark the high noises; and thyself bewray,
When false opinion, whose wrong thought de-

files thee,

In thy just proof, repeals, and reconciles thee. What will hap more to-night, safe scape the king!

Lurk, lurk.

[Exit.

SCENE VII.-A room in GLOSTER'S castle. Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, GONERIL, EDMUND, and Servants.

Corn. Post speedily to my lord your husband; show him this letter: -the army of France is landed:-Seek out the villain Gloster. [Exeunt some of the Servants.

Reg. Hang him instantly.
Gon. Pluck out his eyes.

Corn. Leave him to my displeasure.-Edmund, keep you our sister company; the revenges we are bound to take upon your traitorous father, are not fit for your beholding. Advise the duke, where you are going, to a most festinate preparation; we are bound to the like. Our posts shall be swift, and intelligent betwixt us. Farewell, dear sister ;-farewell, my lord of Gloster.

Enter Steward. How now? Where's the king?

Stew. My lord of Gloster hath convey'd him hence:

shalt meet

Both welcome and protection. Take up thy

master:

If thou should'st dally half an hour, his life, With thine, and all that offer to defend him,

Some five or six and thirty of his knights,
Hot questrists after him, met him at gate;
Who, with some other of the lord's dependants,
Are gone with him towards Dover; where they
boast

To have well-arm'd friends.

friends, consider

You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends. Corn. Bind him, I say. Servants bind him. Reg. Hard, hard:-O filthy traitor!

Glo. Unmerciful lady as you are, I am none. Corn. To this chair bind him:-Villain, thou

shalt find- [Regan plucks his beard. Glo. By the kind gods, 'tis most ignobly done To pluck me by the beard.

Reg. So white, and such a traitor!
Glo. Naughty lady,

These hairs, which thou dost ravish from my

chin,

Will quicken, and accuse thee: I am your host; With robbers' hands, my hospitable favours You should not ruffle thus. What will you do? Corn. Come, sir, what letters had you late from France?

Reg. Be simple-answer'd, for we know the

In hell-black night endur'd, would have buoy'd

up,

And quench'd the stelled fires: yet, poor old heart, He holp the heavens to rain. If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that stern time, Thou should'st have said, Good porter, turn the key;

All cruels else subscrib'd:-But I shall see The winged vengeance overtake such children. Corn. See it shalt thou never:-Fellows, hold the chair:

Upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot. [Gloster is held down in his chair, while Cornwall plucks out one of his eyes, and sets his foot on it.

Glo. He, that will think to live till he be old, Give me some help:-0 cruel! O ye gods! Reg. One side will mock another; the other

too.

Corn. If you see vengeance,-
Serv. Hold your hand, my lord:
I have serv'd you ever since I was a child;
But better service have I never done you,
Than now to bid you hold.

Reg. How now, you dog?

Serv. If you did wear a beard upon your chin, I'd shake it on this quarrel: What do you mean? Corn. My villain! [Draws, and runs at hom. Serv. Nay, then come on, and take the chance

of anger.

Draws. They fight. Cornwall is wounded. Reg. Give me thy sword. To another Ser vant. A peasant stand up thus! Snatches a sword, comes behind, and stabs

him.

Serv. O, I am slain!-My lord, you have one eye left

[Dies.

truth.

To see some mischief on him:-0!

Corn. Lest it see more, prevent it:-Out, vile jelly! Where is thy lustre now ?

[Tears out Gloster's other eye, and throws it on the ground.

Glo. All dark and comfortless. Where's my son Edmund ?

Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature,
To quit this horrid act.

Reg. Out, treacherous villain!
Thou call'st on him that hates thee: it was he
That made the overture of thy treasons to us;
Who is too good to pity thee.

Glo. O my follies! Then Edgar was abus'd.Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him!

Reg. Go, thrust him out at gates, and let him

smell