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To let these hands obey my blood,'
They are apt enough to dislocate and tear

Thy flesh and bones.-Howe'er thou art a fiend,
A woman's shape doth shield thee.

Gon. Marry, your manhood now!

Enter a Messenger.

Alb. What news?

Mess. O my good lord, the duke of Cornwall's dead; Slain by his servant, going to put out

The other eye of Gloster.

Alb.

Gloster's eyes?

Mess. A servant that he bred, thrilled with remorse, Opposed against the act, bending his sword

To his great master; who, thereat enraged,

Flew on him, and amongst them felled him dead;
But not without that harmful stroke, which since
Hath plucked 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,

2

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.

1 My blood is my passion, my inclination.

2 Goneril's plan was to poison her sister, to marry Edmund, to murder Albany, and to get possession of the whole kingdom. As the death of Cornwall facilitated the last part of her scheme, she was pleased at it; but disliked it, as it put it in the power of her sister to marry Edmund

Alb. Knows he the wickedness?

Mess. Ay, my good lord; 'twas he informed against

him;

And quit the house on purpose, that their punishment Might have the freer course.

Alb.

Gloster, I live

To thank thee for the love thou show'dst the king,
And to revenge thine eyes.-Come hither, friend;
Tell me what more thou knowest.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. The French Camp near Dover.

Enter KENT and a Gentleman.

Kent. Why the king of France is so suddenly gone back, know you the reason?

Gent. Something he left imperfect in the state,
Which since his coming forth is thought of; which
Imports to the kingdom so much fear and danger,
That his personal return was most required,
And necessary.

Kent. Who hath he left behind him general?
Gent. The mareschal of France, monsieur le Fer.
Kent. Did your letters pierce the queen to any
demonstration of grief?

Gent. Ay, sir; she took them, read them in my

presence;

And now and then an ample tear trilled down
Her delicate cheek. It seemed, she was a queen
Over her passion; who, most rebel-like,

Sought to be king o'er her.

Kent.

O, then it moved her. Gent. Not to a rage; patience and sorrow strove Who should express her goodliest. You have seen Sunshine and rain at once; her smiles and tears

1 This scene is left out in the folio copy.

1

Were like a better way. Those happy smiles,2
That played on her ripe lip, seemed not to know
What guests were in her eyes; which parted thence,
As pearls from diamonds dropped.3-In brief, sorrow
Would be a rarity most beloved, if all

Could so become it.

Kent.

Made she no verbal question ?^

Gent. 'Faith, once, or twice, she heaved the name of father

Pantingly forth, as if it pressed her heart;

Cried, Sisters! sisters!—Shame of ladies! sisters!
Kent! father! sisters! What! i'the storm? i'the night?
Let pity not be believed!5-There she shook
The holy water from her heavenly eyes,

And clamor moistened; then away she started
To deal with grief alone.

Kent.

It is the stars,

The stars above us, govern our conditions ;7

8

Else one self mate and mate, could not beget

Such different issues. You spoke not with her since? Gent. No.

Kent. Was this before the king returned?

Gent.

No; since. Kent. Well, sir; the poor, distressed Lear is i' the

town;

Who sometime, in his better tune, remembers
What we are come about, and by no means
Will yield to see his daughter.

1 Both the quartos read, "Were like a better way." Steevens reads, upon the suggestion of Theobald, "a better day." Warburton reads, "a wetter May." Malone adopts a part of his emendation, and reads, “a better May." Mr. Boaden proposes to read,

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2 The quartos read smilets, which may be a diminutive of the Poet's coining.

3 Steevens would read dropping; but as must be understood to signify

as if.

4 i. e. discourse, conversation.

5 i. e. let not pity be supposed to exist.

6 That is, "her outcries were accompanied with tears."

7 Conditions are dispositions.

8 i. e. the self-same husband and wife.

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Gent.

Why, good sir?

Kent. A sovereign shame so elbows him; his own

unkindness,

That stripped her from his benediction, turned her
To foreign casualties, gave her dear rights

To his dog-hearted daughters,—these things sting
His mind so venomously, that burning shame
Detains him from Cordelia.

Gent.

Alack, poor gentleman!

Kent. Of Albany's and Cornwall's powers you heard

not?

Gent. 'Tis so; they are afoot.

Kent. Well, sir, I'll bring you to our master Lear, And leave you to attend him. Some dear cause 1 Will in concealment wrap me up awhile; When I am known aright, you shall not grieve Lending me this acquaintance. I pray you, go Along with me. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV. The same. A Tent.

Enter CORDELIA, Physician, and Soldiers.

Cor. Alack, 'tis he; why, he was met even now As mad as the vexed sea; singing aloud; Crowned with rank fumiter, and furrow weeds, With harlocks,3 hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers, Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow In our sustaining corn.-A century send forth; Search every acre in the high-grown field, And bring him to our eye. [Exit an Officer.]—What can man's wisdom do,5

1 Important business.

2 i. e. fumitory, written by the old herbalists fumittery.

3 The quartos read hardocks, the folio hardokes. Drayton mentions harlocks in one of his Eclogues. Perhaps the charlock (sinapis arvensis), or wild-mustard, may be meant.

4 Darnel, according to Gerard, is the most hurtful of weeds among corn. 5 Steevens says that do should be omitted as needless and injurious to the metre. Do is found in none of the old copies but quarto B.

In the restoring his bereaved sense?

He that helps him, take all my outward worth.
Phy. There is means, madam.

Our foster-nurse of nature is repose,

The which he lacks; that to provoke in him,
Are many simples operative, whose power
Will close the eye of anguish.

Cor.

All blessed secrets,

All you unpublished virtues of the earth,

Spring with my tears! be aidant, and remediate,
In the good man's distress!-Seek, seek for him;
Lest his ungoverned rage dissolve the life

That wants the means to lead it.1

Mess.

Enter a Messenger.

Madam, news;

The British powers are marching hitherward.
Cor. 'Tis known before; our preparation stands
In expectation of them.-O dear father,

It is thy business that I

go about; Therefore great France

My mourning, and important tears hath pitied.
No blown 3 ambition doth our arms incite,
But love, dear love, and our aged father's right.
Soon may I hear and see him.

[Exeunt

SCENE V. A Room in Gloster's Castle.

Enter REGAN and Steward.

Reg. But are my brother's powers set forth?

Stew.

Reg.

Ay, madam.
Himself

In

person there?

Stew.

Madam, with much ado;

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