Stew. I know not, Lady.

Reg. Faith, he is posted bence on ferious matter It was great ign'rance, Glo'fter's eyes being out, To let him live; where he arrives, he moves All hearts against us: Edmund I think is gone, In pity of his mifery, to dispatch

His nighted life: moreover to descry

The strength o' th' enemy.

Stew. I muft needs after him, Madam, with my letter.

Reg. Our troops fet forth to-morrow: stay with The ways are dangerous.

Stew. I may not, Madam;

My Lady charged my duty in this bufinefs.

Reg. Why should the write to Edmund? might

not you

Transport, her purposes by word? belike

Something--I know not what--I'll love thee much-Let me unfeal the letter.

Stew. Madam, I had rather--

Reg. I know your Lady does not love her hufband:

I'm fure of that; and, at her late being here,
She gave ftrange œiliads, and most speaking looks
To noble Edmund. I know you're of her bofom.
Stew. I, Madam?

Reg. I fpeak in understanding: you are, I know't; Therefore I do advife you take this note

My Lord is dead; Edmund and I have talked,"
And more convenient is he for my hand

Than for your Lady's: you may gather more:
If you do find him, pray you give him this;

And when your miftrefs hears thus much from you,
I pray defire her call her wifdam to her. So

farewel.

If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor,
Preferment falls on him that cuts him off.

Stew. 'Would I could meet him, Madam, I should

What party I do follow.

Reg. Fare thee well.

[fhew

[Exeunt.

SCENE, the Country near Dover.

Enter GLO'STER, and EDGAR, as a Peasant.

Glo. When fhall I come to the top of that famehill?

Edg. You do climb up it now. Look how we las Glo. Methinks the ground is even.

Edg. Horrible steep.

Hark, do you hear the fea?.

Glo. No truly..

[bour,

Edg. Why then your other fenfes grow imperfect By your eyes' anguish.

Glo. So it may be indeed.

Methinks thy voice is altered; and thou speakest In better phrafe and matter than thou didit..

Edge You're much deceived: in nothing am f But in my garments.

Glo. Sure you are better spoken..

[changed

Edg. Come on, Sir, here's the place--Stand ftill How fearful

And dizzy 'tis to cast one's eyes fo low!

The crows and chows, that wing the midway air,
Shew fcarce fo grofs as beetles. Half way down
Hangs one that gathers famphire; dreadful trade ♪ ́
Methinks he feeins no bigger than his head.
The filhermen that walk upon the beach
Appear like mice; and yond tall anchoring bark,
Diminished to her cock; her cock a buoy

Almoft too fall for fight. The murmuring furge,
That on th' unnumbered idle pebbles chafes,

Cannot be heard fo high.

I'll look no more,

Left my brain turn, and the deficient fight.--
Topple down headlong.

Glo. Set me where you ftand.

Edg. Give me your hand: you're now within a Of the extreme verge: for all below the moon [foot Would I not leap upright.

Glo. Let go my hand;

Here, friend, 's another parfe, in it a jewel
Well worth a poor man's taking. Fairies and gods.
Profper it with thee! go thou further off,
Bid me farewel, and let me hear thee going.

Edg. Now fare ye well, good Sir. [Seems to go.
Glo. With all my heart.

Edg. Why do I trifle thus with his despair? Tis done to cure it.

Glo. O you mighty gods!

This world I do renounce, and in your fights
Shake patiently my great affliction off;
IfI could bear it longer, and not fall

To quarrel with your great opposeless wills,
My fnuff and loathed part of nature fhould
Burn itself out. If Edgar live, O bless him!
Now, fellow, fare thee well. [He leaps and falls along.
Edg. Good Sir, farewel

And yet

I know not how conceit may rob The treafury of life, when life itself

Yields to the theft. Had he been where he thought By this had thought been paft-Alive or dead? Hoa, you, hear you, friend Sir! Sir ! fpeak! Thus might he pafs, indeed---yet he revives, What are you, Sir?.

[air,

Gio. Away, and let me die. Edg. Halt thou been aught but gofs'mer, feathers, So many fathom down precipitating,

"Thou'd'it fhiver'dlike an egg: but thou doft breathe Haft heavy fubftance, bleed it not: fpeak, art found?

Ten mats at each make not the altitude (47)
Which thou haft perpendicularly fall'n.'
Thy life's a miracle. Speak yet again.

Glo. But have I fall'n or no?

Edg. From the dread fummit of this chalky bourn! Look up a height, the favill-gorg'd lark fo far Cannot be feen or heard: do but look up. Glo. Alack, I have no eyes.

Is wretchednefs depriv'd that benefit,

To end itfelf by death? 'twas yet some comfort, When mifery could beguile the tyrant's rage And, fruftrate his proud will.

Edg. Give me your arm.

Up, fo---how ist? feel you your legs? you ftand. Glo. Too well, too well.

Edg. This is above all trangeness.

Upon the crown o' th' cliff, what thing was that Which parted from you?

Gle. A poor unfortunate beggar.

Edg. As I stood here below, methought his eyes Were two full moons; he had a thoufand nofes, Horns welk'd, and wav'd like the enridged fea: It was fome fiend. Therefore, thou happy father, Think that the clearest gods, who make them honours (48)

Of men's impoffibilities, have preferved thee.

(47) Ten masis attached-] This is Mr Fope's reading; but I know not from what authority. Mr Rowe gave it us, ten mafts at least—a poor, dragging expreffion. All the old copies read as I have restored in the text, ten malls at each. 'Tis certain 'tis a bold phrase, but I dare warrant it was our Author's; and means ten mafts placed at the extremity of each other.

(48) Trink that the dearest gods,] This too is Mr Pope's reading. All the authentic copies have it cleareft gods; i. e. open and righteous in their dealings. So, our Author agaia, in his Timon;

Roots, ye clear beaven's!

Gl. I do remember now; henceforth I'll bear Affliction, 'till it do cry out itself,

Enough, enough, and die. That thing you speak of,
I took it for a man; often 'twould fay,
The fiend, the fiend--he led me to that place. 1
Edg. Bear free and patient thoughts

Enter LEAR, dressed madly with Flowers.

But who comes here?

The fafer fense will ne'er accommodate

Lear. No, they cannot touch me for coining: I am the King himself.

Edg. O thou fide-piercing fight !;

Lear. Nature's above art in that refpect. There's your prefs-money. (49) That fellow handles his

(49) That fellow handles his bow like a cow-keeper.] Thus Mr Pope in his laft edition; but I am afraid I betrayedhim into the error by an abfurd conjecture of my own,in my Shakespeare Reftored. 'Tis certain we must read crow-keepen here; as likewife in this raffage of Romeo and Juliet;

We'll have no Cupid hooded, with a scarf,
Bearing a Tartar's painted bow of lath,
Scaring the ladies like a cro-keeper..

1.

And, it feems, in feveral counties to this day, they calls a ftuffed figure, representing a man, and armed with a bow and arrow, (fet up to fright the crows, and otherbirds of prey, from the fruit and corn), a crow-keeper, as well as a scare crow. To fome fuch figure our Author again alludes in Meafure for Measure.

We must not make a scare-crow of the law,
Setting it up to fear the birds of prey, 1

And let it keep one fhape, 'till cuftom make it
Their perch, and not their terror.

But Beaumont and Fletcher, in their Bonduca, have a paf-fage which will excellently well explain our Author's read ing:

-Can these fight? They look

Like empty fcabbards all; no metal in 'em:

Like men of clouts, let to keep crows from orchards.