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And the remainders, that fhall ftill depend,
To be fuch men as may befort your age,
And know themselves and you.

Lear. Darkness and devils!

Saddle my horfes, call my train together. -
Degen'rate baftard! I'll not trouble thee;
Yet have I left a daughter.

Gon. You ftrike my people, and your disorder'd rabble Make fervants of their betters.

To them, Enter Albany.

Lear. Woe! that too late repents-O, Sir, are you

come?

Is it your will, fpeak, Sir? prepare my horfes.

Ingratitude! thou marble-hearted fiend,
More hideous, when thou shew'ft thee in
Than the fea-monster.

Alb. Pray, Sir, be patient.

Lear. Detefted kite! thou lieft.

[To Albany.

a child,

[To Gonerill.

My train are men of choice and rarest parts,

That all particulars of duty know;

And in the most exact regard fupport

The worships of their names.

Omoft fmall fault!

How ugly didft thou in Cordelia fhew?

Which, like an engine, wrencht my frame of nature
From the fixt place; drew from my heart all love,
And added to the gall. O Lear, Lear, Lear!

Beat at this gate that let thy folly in, [Striking his head.
And thy dear judgment out. - Go, go, my people.
Alb. My lord, I'm guiltless, as I'm ignorant,

Of what hath moved you.

Lear. It may be fo, my lord

Hear, Nature, hear; dear Goddefs, hear a Father!
Sufpend thy purpofe, if thou didst intend

To make this creature fruitful:

Into her womb convey fterility,
Dry up in her the organs of increase,
And from her derogate body never spring
A Babe to honour her! If fhe muft teem,
B 2

Create

Create her child of fpleen, that it may live,
And be a thwart difnatur'd torment to her
Let it ftamp wrinkles in her brow of youth,
With candent tears fret chanels in her cheeks: (5)
Turn all her mother's pains and benefits
To laughter and contempt; that she may feel,
How fharper than a ferpent's tooth it is,

To have a thankless child. — Go, go, my people.

Alb. Now, Gods, that we adore, whereof comes this? Gon. Never afflict your felf to know of it:

But let his difpofition have that scope,

That dotage gives it.

Lear. What, fifty of my followers at a clap?

Within a fortnight?

Alb. What's the matter, Sir?

Lear. I'll tell thee life and death! I am afham'd

That thou haft power to shake

my manhood thus ;

[To Gon. That these hot tears, which break from me perforce, Should make thee worth them.- blasts and fogs upon thee!

every

'Th' untented woundings of a father's curfe
Pierce
fense about thee! Old fond eyes,
Beweep this Caufe again, I'll pluck ye out,
And caft you, with the waters that you lose,
To temper clay. Ha! is it come to this?
Let it be fo: I have another daughter,
Who, I am fure, is kind and comfortable;
When she shall hear this of thee, with her nails
She'll flea thy wolfifh vifage. Thou shalt find,
That I'll refume the fhape, which thou doft think

(5) With cadent Tears,] Mr. Warburton very happily here fufpects our Author wrote, candent: as an Epithet of much more Energy, and more likely to effect Lear's Imprecation. He brings in Confirmation, what the King fays presently after; That these hot Tears, that break from me perforce, And what he fays towards the End of the 4th A&t:

but I am bound

Upon a Wheel of Fire, that mine own Tears

De fcald like molten Lead.

I

I have caft off for ever.

Gon. Do you mark that?

[Ex. Lear and attendants.

Alb. I cannot be fo partial, Gonerill,

To the great love I bear you,

Gon. Pray you, be content. What, Ofwald, ho! You, Sir, more knave than fool, after your master. Fool. Nuncle Lear, huncle Lear, tarry, take the fool with thee:

A Fox, when one has caught her,

And fuch a daughter,

Should fure to the flaughter,

If my cap would buy a halter,
So the fool follows after.

Gon. This man hath had good counsel,

[Exit

a hundred [Knights!

'Tis politick, and fafe, to let him keep
A hundred Knights; yes, that on ev'ry dream,
Each buz, each fancy, each complaint, diflike,
He may enguard his dotage with their pow'rs,]
And hold our lives at mercy: Ofwald, I fay.
Alb. Well, you may fear too far;

Gon. Safer than truft too far.

Let me still take away the harms I fear,

Not fear ftill to be harm'd. I know his heart;
What he hath utter'd, I have writ my fifter;
If she'll fuftain him and his hundred Knights,
When I have thew'd th' unfitnefs-

How now, Ofwald?

Enter Steward.

What, have you writ that letter to my fifter?
Stew. Ay, Madam.

Gon. Také you fome company, and away to horse; Inform her full of my particular fears,

And thereto add fuch reasons of your own,

As may compact it more. So get you gone,
And haften your return.

No, no, my lord,

[Exit Steward.

This milky gentleness and courfe of yours,
Though I condemn it not, yet, under pardon,

B 3

Yor

You are much more at task for want of wisdom,
Than prais'd for harmful mildness.

Alb. How far your eyes may pierce, I cannot tell;
Striving to better, oft we mar what's well.

Gon. Nay, then

Alb. Well, well, th' event.

[Exeunt.

SCENE, a Court-Yard belonging to the Duke of Albany's Palace.

Lear.

Re-enter Lear, Kent, Gentleman and Fool.

G

O you before to Glofter with these letters; acquaint my daughter no further with any thing you know, than comes from her demand out of the letter; if your diligence be not speedy, I fhall be there afore you.

Kent. I will not fleep, my lord, 'till I have delivered your letter.

[Exit. Fool. If a man's brain were in his heels, wer't not indanger of kibes ?

Lear. Ay, boy.

Fool. Then, I pr'ythee, be merry, thy wit fhall not go flip-fhod.

Lear. Ha, ha, ha.

Fool. Shalt fee, thy other daughter will use thee kindly; for though fhe's as like this as a crab's like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell.

Lear. What can't tell, boy?

Fool. She will taste as like this, as a crab does to a crab. Can't thou tell, why one's nofe ftands i’th' middle of one's face?

Lear. No.

Fool. Why, to keep one's eyes of either fide one's rofe; that what a man cannot fmell out, he may spy into.

Lear. I did her wrong

Fool. Can't tell how an oyster makes his shell ?
Lear. No.

Fool

T

Fool. Nor I neither; but I can tell, why a fnail has a house.

Lear. Why?

Fool. Why, to put's head in, not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horns without a cafe.

Lear. I will forget my nature: fo kind a father! be my horses ready ?

Fool. Thy affes are gone about 'em; the reafon, why the seven stars are no more than feven, is a pretty reason. Lear. Because they are not eight.

Fool. Yes, indeed; thou wouldst make a good fool. Lear. To take't again perforce! monster ingra

titude!

Fool. If you were my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time.

Lear. How's that?

Fool. Thou should'it not have been old, 'till thou hadst been wife.

Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, fweet heav'n! Keep me in temper, I would not be mad.

Enter Gentleman.

How now, are the horses ready?

Gent. Ready, my lord.

Lear. Come, boy.

Fool. She that's a maid now, and laughs at my de

parture,

Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut shorter.

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