Gon. You ftrike my people, and your diforder'd rab.. Make fervants of their betters.

To them, Enter Albany.

Lear. Woe! that too late repents-O,Sir, are you come? Is it your will, fpeak, Sir? prepare my horfes. Ingratitude thou marble-hearted fiend,

[To Alb.

More hideous, when thou fhew'ft thee in a child,
Than the fea-monfter.

Alb. Pray, Sir, be patient.

Lear. Detefted kite! thou lieft.

[To Gonerill.

My train are men of choice and rareft parts,
That all particulars of duty know;

And in the moft exact regard fupport

The worships of their names. O moft fmall fault! How ugly didft thou in Cordelia fhew?

Which, like an engine, wrencht my frame of nature
From the fixt place; drew from my heart all love,
And added to the gall. O Lear, Lear, Lear!

Beat at this gate that let thy folly in. [Striking his head.
And thy dear judgment out.-Go, go, my people.
Alb. My Lord, I'm guiltlefs, as I'm ignorant,

Of what hath mov'd you.

Lear. It may be fo, my Lord

Hear, Nature, hear; dear Goddefs, hear a father!
Sufpend thy purpose, if thou didst intend
To make this creature fruitful:

Into her womb convey fterility,
Dry up in her the organs of increase,
And from her derogate body never spring
A babe to honour her! If fhe muft teem,
Create her child of fpleen, that it may live,
And be a thwart difnatur'd torment to her;
Let it ftamp wrinkles in her brow of youth,
With candent tears fret channels in her cheeks: (5)
Turn

(5) With cadent Tears,] Mr. Warburton very happily here fufpe&s our Author wrote, candent: as an Epithet of much more Energy, and more likely to effect Lear's Imprecation. He brings in Confirmation, what the King fays prefently after;

Turn all her mother's pains and benefits
To laughter and contempt; that she may feel,
How fharper than a ferpent's tooth it is,

To have a thankless child.-Go, go, my people.
Alb. Now, Gods, that we adore, whereof comes this?
Gon. Never afflict yourfelf to know of it:
But let his difpofition have that scope,

That dotage gives it.

Lear. What, fifty of my followers at a clap? Within a fortnight ?

Alb. What's the matter, Sir?

Lear. I'll tell thee-life and death! I am asham'd That thou haft power to shake my manhood thus ;

[To Gon. That thefe hot tears, which break from me perforce, Should make thee worth them.-blafts and fogs upon thee! Th' untented woundings of a father's curfe Pierce every fenfe about thee! Old fond eyes, Beweep this caufe again, I'll pluck ye out, And caft you, with the waters that you lofe, To temper clay. Ha! is it come to this? Let it be fo: I have another daughter, Who, I am fure, is kind and comfortable; When the fhall hear this of thee, with her nails She'll flea thy wolfifh vifage. Thou fhalt find, That I'll refume the fhape, which thou doft think I have caft off for ever. [Exeunt Lear and Attendants.

Gon. Do you mark that! Alb. I cannot be fo partial, Gonerill, To the great love I bear you.Gon. Pray you, be content. You, Sir, more knave than fool, after your master. Fool. Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, take the foo with thee:

What, Ofwald, ho!

C That thefe hot Tears, that break from me perforce,

And what he fays towards the End of the fourth Act:

but I am bound

Upon a Wheel of Fire, that mine own Tears

De feald like molten Lead.

A Fox, when one has caught her,
And fuch a daughter,

Should fure to the flaughter,

If my cap would buy a halter,

So the fool follows after.

Gon. This man hath had good counsel,-
Knights!

[Exit.

-a hundred

'Tis politick, and fafe, to let him keep
A hundred Knights; yes, that on ev'ry dream,
Each buz, each fancy, each complaint, diflike,
He may enguard his dotage with their pow'rs,
And hold our lives at mercy Ofwald, I fay.
Alb. Well, you may fear too far ;-

Gon. Safer than truft too far.

Let me ftill take away the harms I fear,

Not fear ftill to be harm'd. I know his heart;
What he hath utter'd, I have writ my fifter;
If she'll fuftain him and his hundred Knights,
When I have fhew'd th' unfitnefs-

How now, Ofwald?

Enter Steward.

What, have you writ that letter to my fifter?
Stew. Ay, Madam.

Gon. Take you fome company, and away to horse; Inform her full of my particular fears,

And thereto add fuch reafons of your own,

As may compact it more. So, get you gone,

And haften your return,

-No, no, my Lord,

[Exit Steward.

This milky gentlenefs and courfe of yours,
Though I condemn it not, yet, under pardon,
You are much more at task for want of wisdom,
Than prais'd for harmful mildness.

Alb. How far your eyes may pierce, I cannot tell; Striving to better, oft we mar what's well.

Gon. Nay, then

Alb. Well, well, th' event.

[Exeunt.

B 3

SCENE,

SCENE, a Court-Yard, belonging to the Duke

Lear.

of Albany's Palace.

Re-enter Lear, Kent, Gentleman and Fool.

before to Glofter with these letters; you acquaint my daughter no further with any thing you know, than comes from her demand out of the letter; if your diligence be not speedy, I fhall be there afore you.

Kent. I will not fleep, my Lord, 'till I have delivered your letter.

[Exit. Fool. If a man's brain were in his heels, were't not in danger of kibes ?

Lear. Ay, boy.

Fool. Then, I pr'ythee, be merry, thy wit fhall not go flip-fhod,

Lear. Ha, ha, ha.

Fool. Shalt fee, thy other daughter will ufe thee kindly; for tho' fhe's as like this as a crab's like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell.

Lear. What can't tell, boy?

Fool. She will tafte as like this, as a crab does to a crab. Can't thou tell, why one's nofe ftands i'th' middle of one's face?

Lear. No.

Fool. Why, to keep one's eyes of either fide one's nofe; that what a man cannot fmell out, he may spy into.

Lear. I did her wrong

Fool. Can't tell how an oyfter makes his fhell?

Lear. No.

Fool. Nor I neither; but I can tell, why a fnail has a house.

Lear. Why?

Fool. Why, to put's head in, not to give it away to his daughter's, and leave his horns without a cafe. Lear. I will forget my nature: fo kind a father! be my horfes ready?

Fool.

Fool. Thy affes are gone about 'em; the reafon, why the seven stars are no more than seven, is a pretty reason. Lear. Because they are not eight.

Fool. Yes, indeed; thou wouldst make a good fool. Lear. To tak't again perforce!-monster ingratitude! Fool. If you were my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time.

Lear. How's that?

Fool. Thou shouldst not have been old, 'till thou hadst been wife.

Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, fweet heav'n! Keep me in temper, I would not be mad.

Enter Gentleman.

How now, are the horses ready?

Gent. Ready, my Lord.

Lear. Come, boy.

Fool. She that's a maid now, and laughs at my departure, Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut fhorter.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE, A Caftle belonging to the Earl of Glo❜fter.

Enter Edmund and Curan, feverally.

EDMUND.

AVE thee, Curan.

SAV

Cur. And you, Sir. I have been with your father, and given him notice that the Duke of Cornwall, and Regan his Dutchefs, will be here with him this night.

Edm. How comes that?