flame, through ford and whirlpool, o'er bog and quagmire that hath laid knives under his pillow, and halters in his pew; fet ratibane by his porridge, made him proud of heart, to ride on a bay trotting horfe, over four-inch'd bridges, to courfe his own shadow for a traitor, blefs thy five wits; Tom's a cold. O do, de, do, de, do, de [hivering.] bless thee from whirl-winds, ftar-blafting, and taking; do poor Tom fome charity, whom the foul fiend vexes. There could I have him now, and there, and here again, and there. [Storm ftill. Lear. What have his daughters brought him to this pafs? Couldst thou fave nothing? didst thou give 'em all ? Now all the plagues, that in the pendulous air Hang fated o'er mens faults, light on thy daughters! Kent. He hath no daughters, fir. Lear. Death! traitor, nothing could have subdued nature To fuch a lownefs, but his unkind daughters. Edg. Pillicock fat on pillicock-hill, alow, alow, loo, loo! Lear. Is it the fafhion that difcarded fathers Should have thus little mercy on their flesh ? Judicious punishment! 'twas this flesh begot Thofe pelican daughters. Edg. Take heed o' th' foul fiend; obey thy parents; keep thy word juftly; fwear not; commit not with man's fworn fpoule; fet not thy fweet heart on proud array. Tom's a-cold, Lear. What haft thou been?" Edg. A ferving-man, proud in heart, that curl'd my hair, wore gloves in my cap, ferv'd the luft of my miftrefs's heart, and did the act of darkness with her fwore as many oaths as I spoke words, and broke them in the fweet face of heav'n. Falfe of heart, light of ear, bloody of hand, hog in foth, fox in ftealth, wolf in greedinefs, dog in madness, lion in prey. Let not the creaking of fhoes, fhoes, nor the rustling of filk betray thy poor heart to women. Keep thy foot out of brothels, thy hand out of plackets, thy pen from lender's book, and defy the foul fiend. Still through the hawthorn blows the cold wind. [Storm fill. Lear. Thou wert better in thy grave, than to anfwer with thy uncover'd body this extremity of the fkies. Is man no more than this? confider him well. Thou ow't the worm no fill the beaft no hide, the fheep no wool, the cat no perfume. Aha! here's two of us are fophifticated. Thog art the thing itself; unaccommodated man is no more but fuch a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art. Off, off, you lendings: come, unbutton here. [Tearing off his cloaths. Kent. Defend his wits, good heaven! Lear. One point I had forgot, what is your name? Edg. Poor Tom, that eats the fwimming frog, the wall-newt and the water-newt; that in the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend rages, eats.cow dung for fallads, fwallows the old rat, and the ditch-dog; that drinks the green mantle of the ftanding pool; that's whipt from tything to tything, that has three fuits to his back, fix fhirts to his body, Horfe to ride, and weapon to wear, But rats and mice, and fuch fmall deer, Have been Tom's food for feven long year. Fraterreto calls me, and tells me, Nero is an angler in the lake of darknefs. Pray innocent, and beware the foul fiend. Lear. Right, ha ha! was it not pleasant to have a thousand with red-hot fpits come hiffing upon them? Edg. My tears begin to take his part. fo much, They mar my counterfeiting. [Afide. Lear. The little dogs and all, Tray, Blanch, and Sweet-Heart, fee they bark at me, D4 Edg Edg. Tom will throw his head at'em: avaunt, ve curs. Be thy mouth, or black, or white, Tom will make 'em weep and wail: Dogs leap the hatch, and all are fled. Come, march to wakes and fairs, and market towns. --Poor Tom, thy horn is dry. Lear. You, fir, I entertain you for one of my hundred, only I do not like the fashion of your garments; you'll fay they are Perfian; but no matter, let 'em be changed. Edg. This is the foul Hibbertigibbet; he begins at Curfew, and walks till the first cock; he gives the web, and the pin; knits the elflock; fquints eye, and makes the hair-lip; mildews the white wheat, and hurts the poor creatures of the earth. Swithin footed thrice the world. He met the night-mare and her nine-fold, Enter Gloceller. Lear. What's he? Glo. What, has your grace no better company? Edg. The prince of darkness is a gentleman; Modo he is call'd, and Mahu. Glo. Go with me, fir; hard by I have a tenant. My duty cannot fuffer me to obey in all your Daughters hard commands, who have enjoin'd me to make faft my doors, and let this tyrannous night take hold upon you. Yet have I ventur'd to come feek you out, and bring you where both fire and food are ready, Kent. Kent. Good my lord, take this offer. Glo. Befeech you fir, to go into the houfe. Lear. I'll talk a word with this fame learned Theban. What is your Study? Edg. How to prevent the fiend, and to kill ver min. Lear. Let me afk you a word in private. Kent. His wits are quite unfettled; good fir, let's force him hence. Glo. Can't blame him? his daughters feek his death; this bedlam but difturbs him the more. Fellow, be gone. Edg. Child Rowland to the dark tower came, His word was ftill fie, foh, and fum, I fmell the blood of a British man. [Exit. Glo. Now, prithee, friend, let us take him in our arms, and carry him where he fhall find both welcome and protection. Good fir, along with us! Lear. You fay right. Let them anatomize Regan! See what breeds about her heart! Is there any cause in nature for thefe hard hearts? Kent. I do befeech your grace. Lear. Hift!-make no noife! make no noise! -fo, fo! we'll to fupper in the morning. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to Glocefter's Palace. Enter Cornwall, Regan, Gonerill, Edmund, and Attendants. Corn. I'll have revenge ere I depart this house. Regan, fee here! a plot upon our ftate; 'Tis Glo'fter's character; he has betray'd His double truft, of fubject and of hoft. Reg. Then double be our vengeance! Edm. Oh that this treafon had not been, or I Not the difcoverer! Corn. Edmund, thou shalt find A dearer father in our love. Henceforth Edm. Edm. I am much bounden to your grace, and will perfevere in my loyalty, tho' the conflict be fore between that and my blood. Corn. Our dear fifter Gonerill, do you poft fpeedily to my lord your husband; fhew him this letter: the army of France is landed; feek out the traitor Glo'fter. Reg. Hang him inftantly. h Corn. Leave him to my difpleasure. Edmund, keep you our fifter company; the revenges we are bound to take upon your father, are not fit for your beholding. Advise the Duke, where you are going, to a moft hafty preparation; we are bound to the like. Our pofts fhall be fwift, and intelligent betwixt us. Farewel, dear fifter; farewel my lord of Glo'fter. Enter Steward. How now? where's the King? Stew. My lord of Glo'fter has convey'd him hence. Some five or fix-and-thirty of his knights Are gone with him tow'rd Dover! where they boast "To have well-armed friends. Corn. Get horfes for your mistress. Gon. Farewel, fweet lord and filter. [Exeunt Gon. and Edm. Corn. Edmund, Farewel. Go feek the traitor Glo'fter; Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us: Though well we may not pafs upon his life Enter Glocefter, brought in by Servants. Who's there? the traitor? Reg. 'Tis he: thank heaven, he's ta'en, Glo. What mean your graces on મધુ You |