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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 Witholdt 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?

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,

But mice, and rats, and such small decr, Have been Tom's food for seven long year. Beware my follower:-Peace, Smolkin ;** peace, thou fiend!

Glo. What, hath your grace no better company?

Edg. The prince of darkness is a gentleman; Modo he's call'd, and Mahu.tt

Glo. Our flesh and blood, my lord, is grown so vile,

That it doth hate what gets it.

Edg. Poor Tom's a-cold.

Glo. Go in with me; my duty cannot suffer To obey in all your daughter's hard commands: Though their injunction be to bar my doors, And let this tyrannous night take hold upon

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Edg. Child Rowland to the dark tower cam,
His word was still,-Fie, foh, and fum,
I smell the blood of a British man.

[Exeunt. SCENE V.-A Room in GLOSTER'S Castle. 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.

Glo. Here is better than the open air: take it thankfully: I will piece out the comfort with what addition I can: I will not be long from 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, Nero is an angler in the lake of darkness. Pray, 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 gentle

* Child is an old term for knight.

+ Addressed to the Fool, who were anciently called Innocents.

man to his son: for he's a mad yeoman, that | Do de, de de. Sessa. Come, march to wakes sees his son a gentleman before him. and fairs, and market towns:-Poor Tom, thy horn is dry.

Lear. To have a thousand with red burning Come hissing in upon them:

[spits

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 o'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 robbed 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 minikin 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 Goneril?

Lear. She cannot deny it.

Fool. Cry you mercy, I took you for a jointstool.

Lear. And here's another, whose warp'd looks proclaim [there! What store her heart is made of.-Stop her Arms, arms, sword, fire!-Corruption in the place!

False justicer, why hast thou let her 'scape? Edg. Bless thy five wits!

Kent. O pity!-Sir, where is the patience That you so oft have boasted to retain? [now, Edg. My tears begin to take his part so much,

[Aside.

They'll mar my countorfeiting.
Lear. The little dogs and all,
Tray, Blanch, and Sweet-heart, see, they bark

at me.

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.

* Edgar is speaking in the character of a madman, who
thinks he sees the fiend.
+ Brook or rivulet.
1 A blood-hound.

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, 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.

Glo. Come hither, friend: Where is the king my master?

Kent. Here, Sir; but trouble him not, his wits are gone.

Glo. Good friend, I pr'ythee take him in thy

arms;

I have o'er-heard a plot of death upon him:
There is a litter ready; lay him in't,
And drive towards Dover, friend, where thou
shalt meet
[master:
Both welcome and protection. Take up thy
If thou shouldst dally half an hour, his life,
With thine, and all that offer to defend him,
Stand in assured loss: Take up, take up;
And follow me, that will to some provision
Give thee quick conduct.

Kent. Oppress'd nature sleeps:- [senses, This rest might yet have balm'd thy broken Which, if convenience will not allow,

Stand in hard cure.-Come, help to bear thy master;

Thou must not stay behind.

Glo. Come, come, away.

[To the FOOL.

[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, be-
[skip,

hind:

But then the mind much sufferance doth o'erWhen 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,t
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 re

* The great events that are approaching.
+ Betray, discover.

venges 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:

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

To have well-armed friends.

Corn. Get horses for your mistress.
Gon. Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.

[Exeunt GONERIL and EDMUND. Corn. Edmund, farewell.-Go, seek the traitor Gloster, Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us : [Exeunt other Servants. Though well we may not pass upon his life Without the form of justice; yet our power Shall do a courtesy to our wrath, which men May blame, but not control. Who's there? The traitor?

Re-enter SERVANTS, with GLoster.

Reg. Ingrateful fox! 'tis he.
Corn. Bind fast his corky arms.
Glo. What mean your graces ?-Good my
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 To pluck me by the beard." [done,

Reg. So white, and such a traitor! Glo. Naughty lady, These hairs, which thou dost ravish from my

chin,

[host;

Will quicken, and accuse thee: I am your 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 truth.

Corn. And what confederacy have you with

the traitors

Late footed in the kingdom?

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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 the Chair, wh

CORNWALL plucks out one of his Eyes, ad sets his Foot on it.

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

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, [mean? I'd shake it on this quarrel: What do you Corn. My villain! [Draws, and runs at him. Serv. Nay, then come on, and take the chance of anger.

[Draws. They fight. CORNWALL is wounded. Reg. Give me thy sword.-[To another Serv.] A peasant stand up thus !

[Snatches a Sword, comes behind, and stabs

him.

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Glo. O my follies!

Reg. To whose hands have you sent the lu- Then Edgar was abus'd.natic king?

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Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him! Reg. Go, thrust him out at gates, and let him smell

His way to Dover.--How is't, my lord? How

look you?

Corn. I have receiv'd a hurt :-Follow me, lady.

Turn out that eyeless villain;-throw this slave Upon the dunghill.-Regan, I bleed apace: [peril-Untimely comes this hurt: Give me your arm. [Exit CORNWALL, led by REGAN-Servants unbind GLOSTER, and lead him out.

To Dover? Wast thou not charg'd at thy Corn. Wherefore to Dover? Let him first

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1 Serv. I'll never care what wickedness I do, If this man comes to good.

2 Serv. If she live long,

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1

And, in the end, meet the old course of death, | Ang'ring itself and others. [Aside.]—Bless Women will all turn monsters.

1 Serv. Let's follow the old earl, and get the Bedlam*

To lead him where he would; his roguish madAllows itself to any thing. [ness 2 Serv. Go thou; I'll fetch some flax, and whites of eggs,

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

ACT IV.

SCENE I.-The Heath.

Enter EDGAR.

Edg. Yet better thus, and known to be con

temn'd, Than still contemn'd and flatter'd.+ To be worst, [tune, The lowest, and most dejected thing of forStands 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 GLOSTER, led by an OLD MAN. My father, poorly led?-World, world, O world!

But that thy strange mutations make us hate Life would not yield to age. [thee, Old Man. O my good lord, I have been your tenant, and your father's tenant, these fourscore years.

Glo. Away, get thee away; good friend, be Thy comforts can do me no good at all, [gone: Thee they may hurt.

Old Man. Ålack, Sir, you cannot see your

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thee, master!

Glo. Is that the naked fellow?
Old Man. Ay, my lord.

Glo. Then, pr'ythee, get thee gone: If, for my sake,

Thou wilt o'ertake us, hence a mile or twain, I'the way to Dover, do it for ancient love; And bring some covering for this naked soul, Whom I'll entreat to lead me.

Old Man. Alack, Sir, he's mad.

Glo. 'Tis the time's plague, when madmen lead the blind.

Do as I bid thee, or rather do thy pleasure;
Above the rest be
gone.
Old Man. I'll bring him the best 'parel that
I have,
Come on't what will.

[Exit.

Glo. Sirrah, naked fellow, Edg. Poor Tom's a-cold-I cannot daub* it further. [Aside.

Glo. Come hither, fellow. Edg. [Aside.] And yet I must.-Bless thy sweet eyes, they bleed.

Glo. Know'st thou the way to Dover? Edg. Both stile and gate, horse-way, and foot-path. Poor Tom hath been scared out of his good wits: Bless the good man from the foul fiend! [Five fiends have been in poor Tom at once; of lust, as Obidicut; Hobbididance, prince of dumbness; Mahu, of stealing; Modo, of murder; and Flibbertigibbet, of mopping and mowing; who since possesses chambermaids and waiting-women. So, bless thee, master!]

Glo. Here, take this purse, thou whom the heaven's plagues [ed, Have humbled to all strokes: that I am wretchMakes thee the happier :-Heavens, deal so still!

Let the superfluous, and lust-dieted man,
That slaves your ordinance,t that will not see
Because he doth not feel, feel your power
quickly;

[Dover?

So distribution should undo excess,
And each man have enough.-Dost thou know
Edg. Ay, master,

Glo. There is a cliff, whose high and bending head

Looks fearfully in the confined deep:
Bring me but to the very brim of it,

Edg. [Aside.] O gods! Who is't can say, I And I'll repair the misery thou dost bear,

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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.

Edg. How should this be?—

With something rich above me: from that place I shall no leading need.

Edg. Give me thy arm;

Poor Tom shall lead thee.

[Exeunt.

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I told him of the army that was landed;
He smil'd at it: I told him, you were coming;
His answer was, The worse: of Gloster's

treachery,

Bad is the trade must play the fool to sorrow, And of the loyal service of his son,

* Madman.

1. e. It is better to be thus contemned and know it, than to be flattered by those who secretly contemn us. Changes.

In hope.

* Disguise.

+ I. e. To make it subject to us, instead of acting in obedience to it.

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Gon. I have been worth the whistle.t Alb. O Goneril! [wind You are not worth the dust which the rude Blows in your face.-I fear your disposition : That nature, which contemns its origin, Cannot be border'd certain in itself; She that herself will sliver; and disbranch From her material sap, perforce must wither, And come to deadly use.

Gon. No more; the text is foolish.

Alb. Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile: [done? Filths savour but themselves. What have you Tigers, not daughters, what have you per

form'd?

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Oppos'd against the act, bending his sword To his great master; who, thereat enrag'd. Flew on him, and amongst them fell'd tim dead: [since

But not without that harmful stroke, which Hath pluck'd him after.

Alb. This shows you are above,

You justicers, that these our nether crimes So speedily can venge!-But, O poor Gloster Lost he his other eye!

Mess. Both, both, my lord.

This letter, madam, craves a speedy answer; 'Tis from your sister.

Gon. [Aside.] One way I like this well; But being widow, and my Gloster with her, May all the building in my fancy pluck Upon my hateful life: Another way, The news is not so tart.-I'll read and answer. [Exit.

Alb. Where was his son, when they did take his eyes?

Mess. Come with my lady hither.
Alb. He is not here.

Mess. No, my good lord; I met him back

again.

against him;

Alb. Knows he the wickedness? Mess. Ay, my good lord; 'twas he inform'd [ishment And quit the house on purpose, that their pusMight have the freer course. Alb. Gloster, I live [king. To thank thee for the love thou show'dst the And to revenge thine eyes.-Come hither, friend;

Tell me what more thou knowest.

[Exeunt.

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