No. XXV.-KING LEAR.

ACT III. SCENE VI. A Chamber in a Farm Houses

Enter Kent and Glo'fter.

GLO'STER.

HERE open

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 power of his wits has given way to his impatience. The gods reward your kindness!

Enter Lear, Edgar, and Fool.

Edg. Fraterreto calls me, and tells me, Nero is an angler in the lake of darkness. Pray, innocent, and beware the foul fiend.

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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 mad 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.

Foll. He's mad that trufts in the tameness of a wolf, á

horfe's health, a boy's love, or a whore's oath.

Lear. It shall be done; I will arraign them ftraight.

Come, fit thou here, most learned jufticer;

Thou fapient Sir, fit here---Now, ye fhe-foxes!

Edg. Look, where the stands and glares! Wanteil thou eyes? At trial, Madam.

Come o'er the broom, Rey, to me.

Fool. Her boat hath a leak, and fhe must not fpeak;
Why, the dares not come over to thee.

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. Kent. How do you, Sir? Stand you not so amaz'd. Will you lie down, and reft upon the cushions ?

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Lear

Lear. I'll fee their trial firft; bring me in the evidence. Thou robed man of juftice, take thy place;

And thou his yoke-fellow of equity,

Bench by his fide. You are o' th' commiffion, fit you too.
Edg. Let us deal justly.

Sleepeft, or wakeft thou, jolly shepherd ?
Thy sheep be in the corn;

And for one blaft of thy minikin mouth,
Thy fheep fhall take no harm.

Purre, the cat, is grey.

Lear. Arraign her firft; 'tis Goneril.

I here take my

oath before this honourable affembly, she kicked the poor King her father.

Fool. Come hither, miftrefs; is your name Goneril?
Lear. She car not deny it.

Fool. Cry you mercy, I took you for a joint-stool.

Lear. And here's another, whofe warp'd looks proclaim What ftore her heart is made of. Stop her there! Arms! arms! fword! fire!-Corruption in the place! Falfe jufticer, why haft thou let her 'fcape?

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 part fo much,

They mar my counterfeiting.

Lear. The little dogs and all,

[Afide.

curs!

Tray, Blanch, and Sweetheart, fee, they bark at me.
Edg. Tom will throw his head at them. Avaunt, you
Be thy mouth or black or white,
Tooth that poifons if it bite;
Maftiff, greyhound, mungril grim,
Hound or spaniel, brache, or lym
Or bobtail tike, or trundle-tail,
Tom will make him weep and wail:
For, with throwing thus my head,
Dogs leap the hatch, and are all fled.

De de, de de. Seffey, come, march to wakes and fairs,
And market-towns.

Lear. Then let about her heart. thefe hard hearts

Poor Tom, thy horn is dry. them anatomize Regan. See what breeds Is there any cause in nature that makes

You, Sir, I entertain for one of my

hundred:

hundred only I do not like the fafhion of your garments. You will fay, they are Perfian; but let them be changed. Re-enter Glo'fter.

Kent. Now, good my Lord, lie here and reft awhile. Lear, Make no noife, make no noife, draw the curtains. So, fo, we'll go to fupper i' th' morning.

Fool. And I'll go to bed at noon.

Glo. Come hither, friend. Where is the King, my mafter?

Kent. Here, Sir; but trouble him not; his wits are gone. Glo. Good friend, I pr'y thee, take him in thy arms. I have o'erheard a plot of death upon him.

There is a litter ready; lay him in 't,

And drive toward Dover, friend, where thou shalt meet
Both welcome and protection. Take up thy mafter,
If thou should dally half an hour, his life,

With thine, and all that offer to defend him,
Stand in affured lofs. Take up, take up,
And follow me, that will to fome provision
Give thee quick conduct.

Kent. Oppreffed nature fleeps.

This reft might yet have balm'd thy broken senses,

Which, if conveniency will not allow,

Stand in hard cure. Come, help to bear thy mafter;

Thou must not stay behind.

Glo. Come, come, away!

[To Fool.

[Exeunt, bearing off the King.

Manent Edgar.

Edg. When we our betters fee bearing our woes,
We scarcely think our miseries our foes.
Who alone fuffers, fuffers most i' th' mind;
Leaving free things and happy fhows behind:
But then the mind much fuff'rance does o'erfkip,
When grief hath mates, and bearing fellowship.
How light, and portable, my pain feems now,
When that, which makes me bend, makes the King bow;
He childed, as I father'd!-Tom, away;
Mark the high noifes, and thyfelf bewray;

When falfe opinion, whofe wrong thought defiles thee,
In thy juft proof repeals, and reconciles thee.

What will, hap more to-night; safe 'fcape the King!
Lurk, lurk.

[Exit Edgar.

No. XXVI.-KING LEAR.

ACT IV. SCENE VI. Edgar and Glo'ster.

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. That fellow handles his bow like a crowkeeper Draw me a clothier's yard. Look, look, a mouse! Peace, peace;-this piece of toafted cheese will do't. There's my gauntlet, I'll prove it on a giant. Bring up the brown bills. O, well-flown, bird! i' th' clout, i' th' clout: hewgh.-Give the word.

Edg. Sweet marjoram.
Lear. Pafs.

Glo. I know that voice.

Lear Ha! Goneril! with a white beard! They flattered me like a dog; and told me I had white hairs in my beard, ere the black ones were there. To fay ay and no to every thing I faid! Ay and No too was no good divinity. When the rain came to wet me once, and the wind to make me chatter; when the thunder would not peace at my bidding; there I found them, there I smelt them out. Go to, they are not men of their words: they told me I was every thing; 'tis a lie; I am not ague-proof.

Glo. The trick of that voice I do well remember : Is't not the King?

Lear. Ay, every inch a king.

When I do ftare, fee how the fubject quakes.

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I pardon that man's life. What was the caufe?
Adultery?

Thou shalt not die. Die for adultery! No;
The wren goes to't, and the small gilded fly
Does lecher in my fight.

Let copulation thrive; for Glo'fter's baftard fon
Was kinder to his father than my daughters,
Got 'tween the lawful fheets.

To't luxury, pell-mell, for I lack foldiers.-
Behold yon fimpering dame,

Whofe face between her forks prefageth fnow;
That minces virtue, and does shake the head
To hear of pleasure's name;

The fitchew, nor the foiled horfe, goes to 't

With a more riotous appetite.

Down from the waift they are centaurs,

Though women all above:

But to the girdle do the gods inherit;

Beneath is all the fiends; there's hell, there's darkness, There is the fulphurous pit, burning, fcalding, ftench, confumption. Fy, fy, fy! pah, pah!

Give me an ounce of civet, good apothecary,

To fweeten my imagination! There's money for thee.
Glo. O, let me kifs that hand!

Lear. Let me wipe it firft; it fmells of mortality. Glo. O ruin'd piece of nature! This great world Shall fo wear out to nought. Doft thou know me ? Lear. I remember thine eyes well enough. Doft thou fquiny at me? No, do thy worst, blind Cupid I'll not love loveRead thou this challenge: mark but the penning of it.

Glo. Were all the letters funs, I could not fee one. Edg. I would not take this from report. It is, And my heart breaks at it.

Lear. Read.

Glo. What with this cafe of eyes?

Lear. Oh, ho! are you there with me? No eyes in your head, nor no money in your purfe Your eyes are in a heavy cafe, your purfe in a light; yet you fee how this world goes. Glo. I fee it feelingly.

Lear. What! art mad? A man may fee how this world Look with thine ears: fee how yond juftice

goes, with no eyes

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