Loffes their remedies. All weary and o'er-watch'd,
Take vantage, heavy eyes, not to behold

This fhameful lodging.

Fortune, good night; fmile once more, turn thy wheel.

Edg.

[He fleeps.

SCENE changes to a part of a Heath.

Enter Edgar.

'VE heard myfelf proclaim'd;

I'V

And, by the happy hollow of a tree,
Efcap'd the hunt. No port is free, no place,
That Guard and most unusual vigilance

Does not attend my taking. Whiles I may 'fcape,
I will preferve myfelf: and am bethought
To take the bafest and the poorest shape,
That ever penury in contempt of man
Brought near to beaft: my face I'll grime with filth
Blanket my loins; elfe all my hair in knots; (17)*
And with prefented nakednefs out-face
The winds, and perfecutions of the sky.
The country gives me proof and prefident
Of bedlam beggars, who, with roaring voices,
Strike in their numb'd and mortify'd bare arms
Pins, wooden pricks, nails, fprigs of rosemary;
And with this horrible object, from low farms,

Poor pelting villages, sheep-coats and mills,

Sometimes with lunatick bans, fometimes with pray'rs, Inforce their charity; poor Turlygood! poor Tom!— That's fomething yet: Edgar I nothing am.

[Exit.

SCENE changes, again, to the Earl of Glofter's Castle.

Lear.

Enter Lear, Fool, and Gentleman.

IS ftrange, that they should fo depart from And not fend back my meffenger. [home, Gent. As I learn'd,

The night before, there was no purpose in them
Of this remove.

Kent. Hail to thee, noble mafter !

Lear. Ha! mak'ft thou thy fhame thy pastime ? :
Kent. No, my lord.

Fool. Ha, ha, he wears cruel garters; horfes are ty’d by the heads, dogs and bears by th' neck, monkeys by th' loins, and men by th' legs, when a man is overlufty at legs, then he wears wooden nether stocks.

Lear. What's he, that hath fo much thy place miftook To fet thee here?

Kent. It is both he and she,

Your fon and daughter.

Lear. No.

Kent. Yes.

Lear. No, I fay.

Kent. I fay, yea.

Lear. By Jupiter, I fwear, no.

Kent. By Juno, I fwear, ay,

Lear. They durst not do't.

They could not, would not do't; 'tis worse than murder,

To do upon refpect fuch violent outrage:

Refolve me with all modest hafte, which way

Thou might'ft deserve, or they impofe, this ufage,
Coming from us?

Kent. My lord, when at their home

I did commend your Highnefs' letters to them,

Ere

Ere I was rifen from the place, that fhew'd
My duty kneeling, came a reeking Post,
Stew'd in his hafte, half breathlefs, panting forth
From Gonerill his mistress, falutation;
Deliver'd letters fpight of intermiffion,
Which presently they read: on whofe contents
They fummon'd up their meiny, ftrait took horse;
Commanded me to follow, and attend

The leisure of their answer; gave me cold looks;
And meeting here the other meffenger,
Whofe welcome, I perceiv'd, had poifoned mine;
(Being the very fellow, which of late
Display'd fo faucily against your Highness,)
Having more man than wit about me, I drew;
He rais'd the houfe with loud and coward cries;
Your fon and daughter found this trespass worth
The fhame which here it fuffers.

Fool. Winter's not gone yet, if the wild geefe fly that Fathers, that wear rags,

Do make their children blind;

But fathers, that bear bags,

Shall fee their children kind..

Fortune, that arrant whore,

Ne'er turns the key to th' poor.

[way.

But, for all this, thou fhalt have as many dolours from Thy dear daughters, as thou canft tell in a year.

Lear. Oh, how this mother fwells up tow'rd my heart! Hyfterica paffio,down, thou climbing forrow,

Thy element's below; where is this daughter?
Kent. With the Earl, Sir, here within.
Lear. Follow me not; ftay here.

Gen. Made you no more offence,

But what you speak of?

Kent. None;

[Exit.

How chance the King comes with fo fmall a number? Fool. An thou hadst been fet i' th' ftocks for that queftion, thou'dft well deferved it?

Kent. Why, fool?

Fool. We'll fet thee to fchool to an Ant, to teach thee there's no lab'ring i' th' winter. All, that follow

3.

their

their nofes, are led by their eyes, but blind men; and there's not a nose among twenty, but can smell him that's flinking-let go thy hold, when a great wheel runs down a hill, left it break thy neck with following it; but the great one that goes upward, let him draw thee after. When a wife man gives thee better counsel, give me mine again; I would have none but knaves follow it, fince a fool gives it.

That, Sir, which ferves for gain,
And follows but for form,
Will pack when it begins to rain,
And leave thee in the ftorm:
But I will tarry, the fool will ftay,
And let the wife man fly:

The knave turns fool, that runs away;

The fool no knave, perdy.

Kent. Where learn'd you this, fool?
Fool. Not i' th' ftocks, fool.

Enter Lear and Glo'fter.

Lear. Deny to speak with me? they're fick, they're

weary,

They have travell'd all the night? mere fetches,
The images of revolt and flying off.

Bring me a better answer

Glo. My dear lord,

You know the fiery quality of the Duke:
How unremoveable, and fixt he is

In his own courfe.

Lear. Vengeance! plague! death! confufion!-Fiery what fiery quality? why, Gla'fter,

I'd fpeak with th' Duke of Cornwall, and his wife.
Glo. Well, my good lord, I have inform'd them fo.
Lear. Inform'd them? doft thou understand me, man?
Glo. Ay, my good lord.

[father

Lear. The King would fpeak with Cornwall, the dear Wou'd with his daughter fpeak; commands her fervice: Are they inform'd of this?-my breath and blood!Fiery the fiery Duke tell the hot Duke, thatNo, but not yet; may be, he is not well;

Infirmity

Infirmity doth ftill neglect all office,

Whereto our health is bound; we're not ourselves,
When Nature, being oppreft, commands the mind
To fuffer with the body. I'll forbear;

And am fall'n out with my more headier will,
To take the indifpos'd and fickly fit,

For the found man.-Death on my ftate! but wherefore Should he fit here? this Act perfuades me,

That this remotion of the Duke and her

Is practice only. Give me my fervant forth;
Go, tell the Duke and's wife, I'd speak with them :
Now, prefently,--bid them come forth and hear me,
Or at their chamber-door, I'll beat the drum,
'Till it cry, fleep to death.

Glo. I would have all well betwixt you.

[Exit.

Lear. Oh me, my heart! my rifing heart! but down. Fool. Cry to it, nuncle, as the cockney did to the Eels, when the put them i' th' Pafty alive; fhe rapt 'em o' th' coxcombs with a stick, and cry'd, Down wantons, down: 'Twas her brother, that in pure kindnefs to his horse butter'd his hay.

Enter Cornwall, Regan, Glo'fter, and Servants.
Lear. Good-morrow to you both.

Corn. Hail to your Grace!

[Kent is fet at liberty.

Reg. I am glad to fee your Highness.

Lear. Regan, I think, you are; I know, what reafon

I have to think fo; if thou wert not glad,

I would divorce me from thy mother's tomb,

Sepulchring an adult'refs. O, are you free? [To Kent.
Some other time for that. Beloved Regan,
Thy fifter's nought: oh Regan, the hath tied
Sharp-tooth'd unkindness, like a vulture, here;

[Points to his heart.

I can scarce fpeak to thee; thou'lt not believe,
With how deprav'd a quality-oh Regan!
Reg. I pray you, Sir, take patience; I have hope,
You lefs know how to value her defert,
Than fhe to fcant her duty.

Lear