Bid her alight, and her troth plight, Kent. How fares your grace? SCENE VII. Enter Glo'fter 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 tod-pole; the wall-newt, and the water-newt; that in the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend rages, eats cow-dung for fallets; swallows the old rat, and the ditch-dog; drinks the green mantle of the standing pool; who is whipt from tything to tything, and stock-punish'd, and imprison'd: who hath three fuits to his back, fix fhirts to his body; Horfe to ride, and weapon to wear; But mice, and rats, and fuch small deer Beware my follower. Peace fmulkin, peace thou fiend. Edg. The Prince of darkness is a gentleman, Modo he's call'd, and Mahu. Glo. Our flesh and blood, my lord, is grown fo vile, That it doth hate what gets it. Edg. Tom's a-cold. Glo. Go in with me; my duty cannot suffer Yet have I ventur'd to come feek you out, And bring you where both fire and food is ready. Kent. My good lord, take his offer, Go into th' house. Lear. I'll talk a word with this fame learned Theban: Edg. How to prevent the fiend, and to kill vermin. Kent. Importune him to go, my lord, His wits begin t' unsettle. Glo. Can't thou blame him? His daughters seek his death: ah, that good Kent! [Storm fill. Thou say'st the King grows mad; I'll tell thee friend, Now out-law'd from my blood, he fought my life But lately, very late; I lov'd him, friend,. No father his fon dearer: true to tell thee, The grief hath craz'd my wits. What a night's this? Lear. O cry you mercy, Sir: Noble philosopher, your company. Glo. In, fellow, into th' hovel; keep thee warm: 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, footh him; let him take the fellow. Glo. Take him you on. Kent. Sirrah, come on; along with us. Lear. Edg. Child Rowland to the dark tower came, His word was ftill, fie, foh, and fum, I smell the blood of a British man. Corn. I SCENE VIII. Glo'fter's Caftle. Enter Cornwall and Baftard. Will have revenge, ere I depart his house. [Exeunt. Baft. How, my lord! I may be cenfur'd, 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 difpofition made him seek his death: but a provoking merit fet a-work by a reprovable badness in himself. Baft. How malicious is my fortune, that I must repent to be just this is the letter which he spoke of; which approves him an intelligent party to the advantages of France. Oh heav'ns! that this treason were not; or not I the detector. Corn. Go with me to the dutchess. Baft. If the matter of this paper be certain, you have mighty business in hand. Corn. True or false, it hath made thee Earl of Glofter: feek out where thy father is, that he may be ready for our apprehenfion. Bast. If I find him comforting the King, it will stuff his suspicion more fully. I will perfevere in my course of loyalty, though the conflict be fore between that and my blood. Corn. I will lay truft upon thee; and thou shalt find a dearer father in my love. [Exeunt. Glo. H1 SCENE IX. A Chamber. Enter Kent and Glo'fter. ERE 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. [Exit. Kent. All the pow'r of his wits has given way to his impatience: the gods reward your kindness. Enter Lear, Edgar, and Fvol. Edg. Fraterreto 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 gentleman to his fon: for he's a yeoman that fees his fon a gentleman before him. Lear. To have a thousand with red burning fpits Come hizzing in upon 'em. * Edg. The foul fiend bites my back. Fool. He's mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, the health of a horse, the love of a boy, or the oath of a whore. Lear. It fhall be done, I will arraign 'em strait. Come fit thou here, most learned justice, Thou fapient Sir, fit here now ye The foxes. 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. Lear. *There follow in the old edition several speeches in the mad way, which probably were left out by the players, or by Shakespear himself. I shall however infert them here, and leave 'em to the reader's mercy. Lear. I'll fee their tryal, bring me in the evidence. Thou robed man of justice take thy place, And thou his yoke-fellow of equity Bench by his fide. You are o'th' commiffion, fit you too. Fool. Come hither Mistress, is your name Gonerill? Lear. She cannot deny it. Fool. Cry you mercy, I took you for a Joint-stool Lear. Arms, arms, fword, fire, corruption in the place! False justicer, why haft thou let her scape? Edg. Blefs thy five wits. Kent. O pity! Sir, where is the patience now, That you fo oft have boasted to retain ? Edg. My tears begin to take his They mar my counterfeiting. Lear. The little dogs and all, part fo much [Afide. Tray, Blanch, and Sweet-heart; fee, 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; Maftiff, grey-hound, mungril grim, + Or bobtail tike, or trundle tail, Do, de, de, de: Seffey, come, march to wakes and fairs, [Exit. Lear. Then let them anatomize Regan-fee what breeds about her heart----Is there any cause in nature that makes these hard hearts? You Sir, I entertain for one of my hundred; only I do not like the fashion of your garments. You will fay they are Perfian; but let them be chang'd. ++ Names of particular forts of dogs. Re |