sider him well. Thou owest the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the cat no perfume. Ha! here's three on's are sophisticated! Thou art the thing itself: unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art. come, unbutton here. Fool. Prithee, nuncle, naughty night to swim in. Off, off, you lendings! [Tearing off his clothes. be contented; 'tis a Now a little fire in a lecher's heart; a small wild field were like an old Enter GLOUCESTER, with a torch. Edg. This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibbet: 120 he begins at curfew, and walks till the first cock; he gives the web and the pin, squints the eye, and makes the hare-lip; mildews the white wheat, and hurts the poor creature of earth. S. Withold footed thrice the old; He met the night-mare, and her nine-fold; And her troth plight, And, aroint thee, witch, aroint thee! Kent. How fares your grace? Lear. What's he? 109. cat, civet cat. IIO, sophisticated, adulterated. III. unaccommodated, furnished with necessaries. un like I20. Flibbertigibbet ; 'Smulking,' 'Modo,' 'Mahu,' and Frateretto' below, the name of a fiend recognised in the demonology of the time. All four are mentioned in, and perhaps borrowed from, Harsnett's Declaration of Popish Impostures (1603). 130 Kent. Who's there? What is 't you seek? Glou. What are you there? Your names? Edg. Poor Tom; that eats the swimming frog, the toad, the tadpole, the wall-newt and the water; that in the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend rages, eats cow-dung for sallets; swallows the old rat and the ditch-dog; drinks the green mantle of the standing pool; who is whipped from tithing to tithing, and stock-punished, and im- 140 prisoned; who hath had three suits to his back, six shirts to his body, horse to ride, and weapon to wear; But mice and rats, and such small deer, Have been Tom's food for seven long year. Beware my follower. Peace, Smulking; peace, thou fiend! Glou. What, hath your grace no better company? Edg. The prince of darkness is a gentleman: Modo he's call'd, and Mahu. Glou. Our flesh and blood is grown so vile, my lord, That it doth hate what gets it. Edg. Poor Tom 's a-cold. Glou. Go in with me: my duty cannot suffer 135. wall-newt, lizard. 137. sallets, salads. 144, 145. From Sir Bevis of Hamptoun' : 150 160 Rattes and myce and suche small dere Was his meate that seven yere. 144. deer, game. Kent. Good my lord, take his offer; go into the house. Lear. I'll talk a word with this same learned Theban. What is your study? Edg. How to prevent the fiend, and to kill vermin. Lear. Let me ask you one word in private. Kent. Importune him once more to go, my lord; His wits begin to unsettle. Glou. Canst thou blame him? [Storm still. His daughters seek his death: ah, that good Kent! He said it would be thus, poor banish'd man! Thou say'st the king grows mad; I'll tell thee, friend, I am almost mad myself: I had a son, Now outlaw'd from my blood; he sought my life, No father his son dearer truth to tell thee, : Glou. In, fellow, there, into the hovel: keep thee warm. Lear. Come, let's in all. Kent. Lear. 170 This way, my lord. With him; 180 I will keep still with my philosopher. Kent. Good my lord, soothe him; let him take the fellow. Glou. Take him you on. Kent. Sirrah, come on; go along with us. Lear. Come, good Athenian. Glou. No words, no words: hush. Edg. Child Rowland to the dark tower came, I smell the blood of a British man.' [Exeunt. SCENE V. Gloucester's castle. Enter CORNWALL and EDMUND. Corn. I will have my revenge ere I depart his house. Edm. How, my lord, I may be censured, that nature thus gives way to loyalty, something fears me to think of. Corn. I now perceive, it was not altogether your brother's evil disposition made him seek his death; but a provoking merit, set a-work by a reproveable badness in himself. Edm. How malicious is my fortune, that I must repent to be just! This is the letter he spoke of, which approves him an intelligent party to the advantages of France. O heavens! that this treason were not, or not I the detector! Corn. Go with me to the duchess. Edm. If the matter of this paper be certain, you have mighty business in hand. Corn. True or false, it hath made thee earl of Gloucester. Seek out where thy father is, that he may be ready for our apprehension. 187-189. Child Rowland. The story of the child (who rescues his sister and elder brothers from the enchantments of a giant by observing certain prescriptions) has been brought ΤΟ 20 by Mr. Jacobs into interesting 188. His word, i.e. the giant's. Edm. [Aside] If I find him comforting the king, it will stuff his suspicion more fully.-I will persevere in my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore between that and my blood. Corn. I will lay trust upon thee; and thou shalt find a dearer father in my love. [Exeunt. SCENE VI. A chamber in a farmhouse adjoin- Enter GLOUCESTER, LEAR, KENT, Fool, and Glou. Here 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. Kent. All the power of his wits have given way to his impatience: the gods reward your kindness! [Exit Gloucester. Edg. Frateretto calls me; and tells me Nero is an angler in the lake of darkness. Pray, innocent, and beware the foul fiend. Fool. Prithee, nuncle, tell me whether a mad- 10 man be a gentleman or a yeoman? Lear. A king, a king! Fool. No, he's a yeoman that has a gentleman to his son; for he's a mad yeoman that sees his son a gentleman before him. Lear. To have a thousand with red burning spits Come hissing in upon 'em, Edg. The foul fiend bites my back. Fool. He's mad that trusts in the tameness 21. comforting, giving aid to. |