Glost. [Within.] O my folly! Then Edgar was abus'd; kind gods, forgive me that! Reg. How is't, my lord? Corn. Turn out that eyeless villain, let him smell His way to Cambray; throw this slave upon a dunghill. Regan, I bleed apace; give me your arm. [Exeunt REGAN and CORNWALL, supported by his SERVANTS. SCENE II. The open Country. Enter EDGAR, in disguise. Edg. The lowest and most abject thing of fortune Stands still in hope, and is secure from fear, The lamentable change is from the best, The worst returns to better.- -Who comes here? Enter GLOSTER, led by an OLD MAN. My father poorly led! depriv'd of sight! Old M. O, my good lord! I have been your tenant, Old M. You cannot see your way. Glost. I have no way, and therefore want no eyes; I stumbled when I saw: O, dear son, Edgar, The food of thy abused father's wrath, Might I but live to see thee in my touch, Edg. Alas! he's sensible that I was wrong'd, Would break betwixt th' extremes of grief and joy. Edg. A charity for poor Tom.-Play fair, and defy the foul fiend. O gods! And must I still pursue this trade, Glost. In the late storm I such a fellow saw, Old M. Here, my lord. Glost. Get thee now away: if for my sake Old M. Alack, my lord, he's mad. Glost. 'Tis the time's plague, when madmen lead the blind. Do as I bid thee. Old M. I'll bring him the best 'parel that I have, Come on't what will. [Exit OLD MAN. Glost. Sirrah! naked fellow! Edg. Poor Tom's a cold.-I cannot fool it longer, And yet I must--Bless thy sweet eyes, they bleed; Believ't, poor Tom ev'n weeps his blind to see 'em. Glost. Know'st thou the way to Dover? Edg. Both stile and gate, horse-way and foot-path. Poor Tom has been scared out of his good wits. Bless every true man's son from the foul fiend! Glost. Here, take this purse; that I am wretched, Makes thee the happier. Heav'n deal so still; Thus let the griping usurer's hoard be scatter'd, So distribution shall undo excess, And each man have enough. Dost thou know Dover? Edg. Ay, master. Glost. There is a cliff, whose high and bending head Looks dreadfully down on the roaring deep; And I'll repair the poverty thou bear'st With something rich about me.-From that place Edg. Give me thy arm; poor Tom shall guide thee. Enter KENT and CORDELIA. Cord. Ah me! Your fear's too true, it was the king; I spoke but even now with some that met him, Crown'd with rank fumiter, and furrow weeds, In our sustaining corn: Conduct me to him, Kent. I will, good lady. Ha! Gloster here!-Turn, poor dark man, and hear A friend's condolement, who, at sight of thine, Forgets his own distress; thy old true Kent. Glost. How! Kent? From whence return'd? Kent. I have not since my banishment been absent, But in disguise follow'd th' abandon'd king: 'Twas me thou saw'st with him in the late storm. Glost. Let me embrace thee; had I eyes, I now Should weep for joy; but let this trickling blood Suffice instead of tears. Cord. O, misery! To whom shall I complain, or in what language? That brought thee to this pass; 'twas I that caus'd it; To crush these weeping eyes to equal darkness, Edg. Was ever season so distrest as this? [Aside. Glost. I think Cordelia's voice; rise, pious princess, And take a dark man's blessing. Cord. O, my Edgar! My virtue's now grown guilty, works the bane That you should hate me to. Edg. O, wave this cutting speech, and spare to wound A heart that's on the rack. Glost. No longer cloud thee, Kent, in that disguise; There's business for thee, and of noblest weight; Our injur'd country is at length in arms, Urg'd by the king's inhuman wrongs and mine, And only want a chief to lead them on; That task be thine. Edg. Brave Britons! then there's life in't yet. [Aside. Kent. Then have we one cast for our fortune still. Come, princess, I'll bestow you with the king, Then on the spur to head these forces. Farewell, good Gloster; to our conduct trust. Glost. And be your course as prosp'rous, as 'tis just. [Exeunt. SCENE III. GONERIL'S Palace. Enter GONERIL, and OSWALD. Gon. It was great ignorance, Gloster's eyes being out, To let him live; where he arrives, he moves All hearts against us: Edmund, I think, is gone, Osw. No, madam, he's return'd on speedy sum Back to mons your sister. Gon. Ah! I like not that; Such speed must have the wings of love. Where's Albany? Osw. Madam, within; but never man so chang'd; I told him of the uproar of the peasants, He smil'd at it; when I inform'd him Of Gloster's treason Gon. Trouble him no farther; It is his coward spirit. Back to our sister, I have given the distaff into my husband's hands; Enter CAPTAIN of the Guard. Cap. O, madam, most unseasonable news! The Duke of Cornwall's dead of his late wound, Whose loss your sister has in part supply'd, Making brave Edmund general of her forces. Gon. One way, I like this well; But, being a widow, and my Gloster with her, 'T may blast the promis'd harvest of our love.A word more, sir; [To OSWALD.] add speed to your journey; And if you chance to meet with that blind traitor, Preferment falls on him that cuts him off. [Exeunt. |