Hot queftrits after him, met him at gate;
Who, with fome other of the lord's dependants,
Are gone with him towards Dover; where they
To have well armed friends.

Corn. Get horfes for your mistress.

Gon. Farewell, fweet lord, and sister.

[boast,

[Exeunt GONERIL, and EDMUND. Corn. Edmund, farewell.-Go seek the traitor Glofter,

Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us:-
Though well we may not pafs 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?

Enter GLOSTER, brought in by Servants.

Reg. Ingrateful fox! 'tis he.

Corn. Bind faft his corky arms.

Glo. What mean your graces ?

friends, confider

-Good my

You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends.

Corn. Bind him, I fay.

Reg. Hard, hard :—

[They bind him.

-O filthy traitor!

Glo. Unmerciful lady as you are, I am none.

Corn. To this chair bind him ;-Villain, thou

fhalt find

[REGAN plucks his beard. Glo. By the kind gods, 'tis moft ignobly done To pluck me by the beard.

Reg. So white, and such a traitor !

Glo. Naughty lady,

Thefe hairs which thou doft ravifh from my chin, Will quicken, and accufe thee: I am your hoft; With robber's hands, my hofpitable favours

You

You should not ruffle thus. What will you do? Corn. Come, fir, what letters had you lace from France?

Reg. Be fimple answer'd, for we know the truth. Corn. And what confederacy have you with the Late footed in the kingdom? [traitors Reg. To whole hands have you fent the lunatic Speak.

[king? Glo. I have a letter gueffingly fet down, Which came from one that's of a neutral heart, And not from one oppos'd.

Corn. Cunning.

Reg. And falle.

Corn. Where haft thou fent the king?

Glo. To Dover.

Reg. Wherefore to Doyer.

Waft thou not charg'd at peril

Corn. Wherefore to Dover? Let him firft anfwer that.

Glo. I'm ty'd to the stake, and I must stand the Reg. Wherefore to Dover?

[courfe. Glo. Because I would not fee thy cruel nails Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce fifter In his anointed flesh stick boarith fangs.

The fea, with fuch a storm as his bare head
In hell-black night endur'd, would have buoy'd up,
And quench'd the ftelled fires: yet, poor

He holp the heavens to rain.

old heart,

If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that ftern time,
Thou should'st have faid, Good porter, turn the key;
All cruels elfe fubfcrib'd :-But I thall fee
The winged vengeance overtake fuch children.
Corn. See it fhalt thou never :-Fellows, hold

the chair:

G 3

Upon

Upon the

eyes of thine I'll fet my foot. [GLOSTER is held down, while CORNWALL treads out one of his eyes.

Glo. He, that will think to live till he be old, Give me fome help ;-O cruel! O ye gods! Reg. One fide will mock another; the other too. Corn. If you fee vengeance

Serv. Hold your hand, my lord:

I have ferv'd you ever fince I was a child;
But better fervice 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, I'd shake it on this quarrel! What do you mean? Corn. My villain! [Draws and runs at him. Serv. Nay, then come on, and take the chance of anger. [Fight; CORNWALL is wounded. Reg. [To another Servant.] Give me thy fword. A peasant stand up thus!

[Comes behind, and kills him. Serv. O, I am flain !-My lord, yet you have one eye left

To fee fome mischief on him :-O!

[Dies. Corn. Left it fee more, prevent it:-Out, vile jelly! Where is thy luftre now? [Treads the other out. Glo. All dark and comfortless.Where's my fon Edmund ?

Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature,
To quit this horrid act.

Reg. Out, treacherous villain!

Thou call'ft on him that hates thee: it was he
That made the overture of thy treafon to us;
Who is too good to pity thee.

Glo. O my follies!

Then

Then Edgar was abus'd—

Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him! Reg. Go,thruft 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 flave Upon the dunghill.-Regan, I bleed apace: Untimely comes this hurt: Give me your arm.

[Exit CORNWALL, led by REGAN ;-Servants lead GLOSTER out.

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

2 Serv. If the live long,

And, in the end, meet the old courfe of death, 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 madness Allows itself to any thing.

2 Serv. Go thou; I'll fetch fome flax and whites

of eggs,

To apply to his bleeding face. Now, Heaven help [Exeunt feverally.

him!

Than ftill contemn'd and flatter'd. To be worst,
The lowest and most dejected thing of fortune,
Stands ftill in efperance, 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 haft blown unto the worst,
Owes nothing to thy blafts. But who comes here?

Enter GLOSTER, led by an old Man.

My father, poorly led?--World, world, O world! But that thy ftrange mutations make us haste thee, Life would not yield to age.

and

Old Man. O my good lord, I have been your tenant, your father's tenant, thefe fourfcore years. Glo. Away, get thee away: good friend, be gone: Thy comforts can do me no good at all, Thee they may hurt.

Old Man. Alack, fir, you cannot see your way. Glo. I have no way, and therefore want no eyes; I ftumbled when I faw: Full oft 'tis feen, Our mean fecure us; and our mere defects Prove our commodities.-O, dear fon Edgar, The food of thy abused father's wrath! Might I but live to fee thee in my touch, I'd fay, I had eyes again!

Old Man. How now? Who's there?

Edg. [Afide.] O gods! Who is't can fay, I am

I am worfe than e'er I was.

Old Man. 'Tis poor mad Tom.

[at the worst?

Edg. [Afide.] And worfe I may be yet: The worst

So long as we can fay, This is the worst.

Old Man. Fellow, where goest?

Glo. Is it a beggar-man?

[is not,

Old