Old Man. Madman and beggar too.

Glo. He has fome reafon elfe he could not beg.
I' the last night's storm I fuch a fellow faw;
Which made me think a man a worm: My fon
Came then into my mind; and yet my mind
Was then scarce friends with him: I have heard,
more fince:

As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods;
They kill us for their sport.

Edg. How fhould this be?

Bad is the trade that must play the fool to forrow, Ang'ring itself and others. [Afide.]-Blefs thee, Glo. Is that the naked fellow? [master!

Old Man. Ay, my lord.

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

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

Old Man. Alack, fir, he is 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.

Glo. Sirrah, naked fellow. Edg. Poor Tom's a-cold.further.

Glo. Come hither, fellow.

[Exit.

-I cannot daub it

Edg. [Afide.] And yet I must.
-Bless thy fweet eyes they bleed.

Glo. Know'st thou the way to Dover?

[Afide.

Edg.

Edg. Both ftile and gate, horfe-way and footpath. Poor Tom hath been fear'd out of his good wits: Blefs thee, good man's fon, from the foul fiend: [Five fiends have been in poor Tom at once of luft, as Obidicut; Hobbididance, prince of dumbnefs: Mahu, of stealing; Modu, of murder; and Flibbertigibbet, of mopping and mowing; who fince poffeffes chamber-maids and waiting-women. So, blefs thee, master!]

Glo. Here, take this purfe, thou whom the heaven's plagues

Have humbled to all ftrokes: that I am wretched, Makes thee the happier :-Heavens, deal fo ftill! Let the fuperfluous, and luft-dieted man,

That faves your ordinance, that will not fee Because he doth not feel, feel your power quickly; So diftribution fhould undo excefs,

And each man have enough.

Edg. Ay, mafter.

-Doft thou know

[Dover?

Gio. There is a cliff, whofe high and bending head

Looks fearfully on the confined deep:

Bring me but to the very brim of it,

And I'll repair the mifery thou dost bear,

With fomething rich about me; from that place

I fhall no leading need.

Edg. Give me thy arm;

Poor Tom fhall lead thee.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. The Duke of ALBANY's Palace.

Enter GONERIL, and EDMUND.

Gon. Welcome, my lord: I marvel, our mild hufband

Not met us on the way:-Now, where's your mafter?

Enter

Enter Steward.

Stew. Madam, withiin; but never man fo chang'd:

I told him of the army that was landed;

He fmil'd at it: I told him, you were coming:
His answer was, The worfe: of Glofter's treachery,
And of the loyal service of his fon,

When I inform'd him, then he call'd me fot,
And told me, I had turn'd the wrong fide out:--
What most he should dislike, feems pleasant to him;
What like, offenfive.

Gon. Then fhall you go no further.

[To EDMUND. It is the cowifh terror of his fpirit, That dares not undertake: he'll not feel wrongs, Which tie him to an answer: Our wifhes, on the

way,

May prove effects. Back, Edmund, to my brother;
Haften his mufters, and conduct his powers:
I must change arms at home, and give the distaff
Into my husband's hands. This trusty servant
Shall pafs between us: ere long you are like to hear,
If you dare venture in your own behalf,

A mistress's command. Wear this; spare speech;
[Giving a favour.
Decline your head: this kifs, if it durft fpeak,
Would stretch thy fpirits up into the air;-

Conceive, and fare thee well.

Edm. Yours in the ranks of death.
Gon. My most dear Glofter!

[Exit EDMUND.

O, the difference of man, and man!
To thee a woman's fervices are due;
My fool ufurps my body.

Stew.

Stew. Madam, here comes my lord.

Enter ALBANY.

Gon. I have been worth the whistle.

alb. O Goneril!

You are not worth the duft which the rude wind
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 fliver and disbranch
From her maternal fap, perforce must wither,
And come to deadly ufe.

Gon. No more; the text is foolish.

Alb. Wisdom and goodness to the vile feem vile: Filths favour but themselves. What have you done? Tygers, not daughters, what have you perform'd? A father, and a gracious aged man,

Whose reverence the head-lugg'd bear would lick, Molt barbarous, moft degenerate! have you madded?

Could my good brother fuffer you to do it?
A man, a prince, by him fo benefited?

If that the heavens do not their visible spirits
Send quickly down to tame these vile offences,
"Twill come, humanity muft perforce prey on
Itself, like monfters of the deep.

Gon. Milk-liver'd man!

That bear'st a cheek for blows, a head for wrongs;
Who hast not in thy brows an eye-discerning
Thine honour from thy fuffering; that not know'ft,
Fools do thofe villains pity, who are punish'd
Ere they have done their mischief. Where's thy
drum?

France fpreads his banners in our noiseless land;

With plumed helm thy flayer begins threats; Whilft thou, a moral fool, fit'ft ftill, and cry'st, Alack! why does he fo?

Alb. See thyfelf, devil!

Proper deformity feems not in the fiend

So horrid, as in woman.

Gon. O vain fool!

Alb. Thou changed and felf-cover'd thing, for fhame,

Be-monster not thy feature. Were it my fitnefs To let these hands obey my blood,

They are apt enough to diflocate and tear

Thy flesh and bones:-Howe'er thou art a fiend, A woman's fhape doth fhield thee.

Gon, Marry, your manhood now!

Enter Meffenger.

Alb. What news?

Mef. O, my good lord, the duke of Cornwall's Slain by his fervant, going to put out

The other eye of Gloster.

Alb. Glofter's eyes!

[dead;

Mef. A fervant that he bred, thrill'd with remorse, Oppos'd against the act, bending his fword

To his great mafter; who, thereat enrag'd,
Flew on him, and amongst them fell'd him dead:
But not without that harmful stroke, which fince
Hath pluck'd him after.

Alb. This fhews you are above,

You justicers, that these our nether crimes

So fpeedily can venge!-But, O poor Glofter! Loft he his other eye?

Mef. Both, both, my lord.

This letter, madam, craves a speedy answer;