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Edg. Give me your hand: you're now within a foot

Of th' extream verge: for all below the moon
Would I not now leap forward.

Glo. Let go my hand:

Here, friend, 's another purfe, in it a jewel
Well worth a poor man's taking. May the gods
Profper it with thee! go thou further off;
Bid me farewel, and let me hear thee going
Edg. Now fare ye well, good fir. [Seems to go.
I trifle thus with his defpair to cure it.

Glo. O you mighty Gods!

This world do I renounce; and in your fights
Shake patiently my great affliction off:
If I could bear it longer, and not fall
To quarrel with your great oppofelefs wills,
My inuff and latter part of nature should
Burn itself out. If Edgar live, O blefs him!

Enter Lear, dreft madly with flowers..

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

Gle. Ha! who comes here?

Edg. O thou fide-piercing fight!

Lear. Nature's above art in that respect. There's your prefs-money. That fellow handles his bow like a crow-keeper: draw me a clothier's yard. Look, look, a moufe! peace, peace;-there's my gauntlet, I'll prove it on a giant. Bring up the brown bills. O, well flown barb! i'th' clout, i'th' clout: hewgh!-give the word.

Edg. Sweet marjoram.

Lear Pafs!

Glo. I know that voice.

Lear. Ha! Gonerill! hah! Regan! they flatter'd 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 that I said.—Ay, and no too, was no good divinity. When the rain came

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to wet me once, and the wind to make me chatter; when the thunder would not peace at my bidding: there I found 'em, there I felt 'em out. Go to, they are not men o' 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.
I pardon that man's life. What was the caufe?
Adultry? thou shalt not die; die for adultry? no.
To't, luxury, pell mell; for I lack foldiers.

Glo. Not all my forrows paft fo deep have touch'd me

As thefe fad accents. Sight were now a torment.

Lear. Behold yon fimpering dame, whofe face prefages fnow; that minces virtue, and does fhake the head to hear of pleasure's name. The fitchew, nor the pampered fteed goes to it with a more riotous appetite; down from the waift they are centaurs, tho' women all above: but to the girdle do the gods inherit, beneath is all the fiends. There's hell, there's darkness, there's the fulphurous pit; fie, fie, fie; pah, pah ; an ounce of civet, good apothecary, to sweeten my imagination! there's money for thee.

Glo. O, let me kifs that hand.

Lear. Let me wipe it first, it smells of mortality.
Glo. O ruin'd piece of nature!

Lear. Arraign her firft! 'tis Gonerill. I here take my oath before this honourable affembly, she ftruck the poor king her father.

Glo. Patience, good fir!

Lear. And here's another, whofe warpt looks proclaim

What ftore her heart is made of.-Stop her there! Arms, arms, fword, fire!

place!

Corruption in the

Falfe

Falfe jufticer, why haft thou let her fcape? Glo. O pity, fir! where is the firmness now That you so oft have boafted.-Do you know me? Lear. I do remember thine eyes well enough! do thy worst, blind Cupid, I'll not love. Read thou this challenge, mark but the penning of it. Gla. 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, oh, are you there with me? no eyes in your head, nor no money in your purse? yet you fee how this world goes.

Glo. I fee it feelingly.

Lear. What, art mad? a man may see how this world goes, with no eyes. Look with thine ears: fee, how yond justice rails upon yond fimple thief. Hark in thine ear: change places, and handy-dandy, which is the juftice, which is the thief? thou haft feen a farmer's dog bark at a beggar?

Glo. Ay, fir.

Lear. And the beggar run from the cur? there thou might'ft behold the great image of authority; a dog's obey'd in office.

Thou rascal-beadle, hold thy bloody hand:

Why doft thou lafh that whore? ftrip thy own back;

Thou hotly luft'ft to use her in that kind,

For which thou whip'ft her. Th' usurer hangs the

cozener.

Through tatter'd weeds fmall vices do appear;
Robes and furr'd gowns hide all. Plate Sins with gold,
And the ftrong lance of Juftice hurtlefs breaks;
Arm it in rags, a pigmy's straw doth pierce it.
Get thee glass eyes,

And, like a fcurvy politician, feem
To see the things thou do'st not.

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Now,

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Now, now, now, now. Pull off my boots: harder, harder, fo.

Edg. O matter and impertinency mixt, Reaton in madness!

Lear. If thou wilt weep my fortunes, take my eyes.

I know thee well enough, thy name is Glo'ster; Thou must be patient; we came crying hither: Thou know'ft, the first time that we smell the air, We wawle and cry. I will preach to thee: markGlo. Alack, alack the day!

Lear. When we are born, we cry, that we are

come

To this great ftage of fools. —

Enter a Gentleman with Attendants.

Gent. O, here he is, Jay hand upon him; fir, Your most dear daughter

Lear. No refcue? what, a prifoner? I am even The natural fool of fortune. Ufe me well,

You fhall have ranfom. Let me have furgeons, I am cut to th' brain.

Gent. You fhall have any thing.

Lear No feconds? all myfelf? I will die bravely, Like a fmug bridegroom. What? I will be jovial: Come, come, I am a king. My malters, know you that?

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Gent. You are a royal one, and we obey you.
Lear. Then there's life in't.

It were an excellent ftratagem to fhoe a troop of horfe with felt: I'll put it in proof-- no noise no ! noife! now will we fteal upon these fons-in-law; and then-kill, kill, kill, kill. [Exit with Gent. Glo. The king is mad. How ftiff is my vile fente That I ftand up, and have ingenious feeling Of my huge forrows. Better i were diftract, And woe, by wrong imaginations, lofe The knowledge of itfelf. Ye gentle gods, Take my breath from me! let not mifery Tempt me again to die before you please.

Edg.

Edg. Well pray you, father.

Glo. Now, good fir, what are you?

Edg. A most poor man, made tame to fortune's blows,

Who by the art of known and feeling forrows,
Am pregnant to good pity. Give me your hand,
I'll lead you to fome biding.

Glo. Hearty thanks!

Enter Steward!

Stew. A proclaim'd prize! moft happy! That eyeless head of thine was firft fram'd flesh, To raise my fortunes. Old, unhappy traitor, The fword is out, that must destroy thee.

Glo. Letthy friendly hand put strength enough to't.
Stew. Wherefore, bold peasant,

Dar'ft thou fupport a publifh'd traitor! hence,
Left I destroy thee too. Let go his arm.

Edg. Chill not let go, zir, without vurther 'cafion.
Stew. Let go, flave, or thou dy'st.

Edg. Good gentleman, go your gate, and let poor volk pafs: and 'chud ha' been zwagger'd out of my life, 'twould not ha' been zo long as 'tis by a vort-night. Nay, come not near th' old man: keep out, or i'fe try whether your coftard or my bat be the harder. [Fight. Stew. Out, dunghill! [Edgar knocks him down. Slave, thou haft flain me: oh, untimely death

[Dies. Edg. I know thee well, a ferviceable villain; As duteous to the vices of thy mistress, As badnefs would defire.

Glo. What, is he dead?

Edg. Sit you down, fir.

This is a letter-carrier, and may have

Some papers of intelligence

what's here? "To Edmund, Earl of Glo'ster. [Reading. "Let our reciprocal vows be remembred. You "have many opportunities to cut him off if he return the conqueror, then am I the prifoner,

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