of a wolf, a horse's health, a boy's love, or a whore's oath. Lear. It shall be done; I will arraign them straight. [To Edgar] Come, sit thou here, most learned justicer; [To the Fool] Thou, sapient sir, sit here. Now, you she foxes! Edg. Look, where he stands and glares! Wantest thou eyes at trial, madam? Come o'er the bourn, Bessy, to me. Fool. Her boat hath a leak, And she must not speak Why she 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 herring. Croak not, black angel; I have no food for thee. Kent. How do you, sir? Stand you not so amazed: Will you lie down and rest upon the cushions? Lear. I'll see their trial first. Bring in the evidence. [To Edgar] Thou robed man of justice, take thy place; [To the Fool] And thou, his yoke-fellow of equity, Bench by his side: [To commission, 20. a horse's health; the horse being held peculiarly subject to disease. 27. Come o'er the bourn, Bessy, etc. Part of a ballad written by Birch in the year of the queen's accession: 'A Songe betwene the Quenes Majestie and Englande.' England begins the dialogue, addressing Eliza Kent] you are o' the beth in the line quoted. 20 30 40 32. Hopdance, the name of a fiend, probably the Hoberdidance' mentioned by Harsnett with Flibbertigibbet. 33. white herring, fresh herrings. 40. Bench, occupy the judge's seat. Sit you too. Edg. Let us deal justly. Sleepest or wakest thou, jolly shepherd? And for one blast of thy minikin mouth, Pur! the cat is gray. Lear. Arraign her first; 'tis Goneril. I here take my oath before this honourable assembly, she kicked the poor king her father. Fool. Come hither, mistress. Goneril? Lear. She cannot deny it. 50 Is your name Fool. Cry you mercy, I took you for a jointstool. Lear. And here's another, whose warp'd looks proclaim What store her heart is made on. Stop her there! Arms, arms, sword, fire! Corruption in the False justicer, why hast thou let her 'scape? Kent. O pity! Sir, where is the patience now, That you so oft have boasted to retain ? Edg. [Aside] My tears begin to take his part so much, They'll mar my counterfeiting. Lear. The little dogs and all, Tray, Blanch, and Sweet-heart, see, they bark at me. Edg. Tom will throw his head at them. Avaunt, you curs! Be thy mouth or black or white, Tooth that poisons if it bite; Mastiff, greyhound, mongrel grim, Hound or spaniel, brach or lym, Or bobtail tike or trundle-tail, Tom will make them weep and wail; For, with throwing thus my head, Dogs leap the hatch, and all are fled. Do de, de, de. Sessa! Come, march to wakes and fairs and market-towns. Poor Tom, thy horn is dry. Lear. Then let them anatomize Regan; see 80 what breeds about her heart. Is there any cause in nature that makes these hard hearts? [To Edger] You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred; only I do not like the fashion of your garments: you will say they are Persian attire; but let them be changed. Kent. Now, good my lord, lie here and rest awhile. Lear. Make no noise, make no noise; draw the curtains: so, so, so. We'll go to supper i' the 90 morning. So, so, so. Fool. And I'll go to bed at noon. Re-enter GLOUCESTER. Glou. Come hither, friend: where is the king my master? Kent. Here, sir; but trouble him not: his wits Glou. Good friend, I prithee, 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 towards Dover, friend, where thou shalt Both welcome and protection. Take up thy master : Kent. Stand in hard cure. [To the Fool] Come, help to bear thy master; Thou must not stay behind. Glou. Come, come, away. [Exeunt all but Edgar. Edg. When we our betters see bearing our woes, We scarcely think our miseries our foes. Who alone suffers suffers most i' the mind, Leaving free things and happy shows behind: But then the mind much sufferance doth o'erskip, When grief hath mates, and bearing fellowship. How light and portable my pain seems now, When that which makes me bend makes the king bow, He childed as I father'd! Tom, away! Mark the high noises; and thyself bewray, When false opinion, whose wrong thought defiles thee, In thy just proof, repeals and reconciles thee. What will hap more to-night, safe 'scape the king! Lurk, lurk. [Exit. SCENE VII. Gloucester's castle. Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, GONERIL, EDMUND, Corn. Post speedily to my lord your husband; show him this letter: the army of France is landed. Seek out the villain Gloucester. [Exeunt some of the Servants. Reg. Hang him instantly. Gon. Pluck out his eyes. Corn. Leave him to my displeasure. Edmund, keep you our sister company: the revenges we are bound to take upon your traitorous father are not fit for your beholding. Advise the duke, where you are going, to a most festinate prepara- 10 tion we are bound to the like. Our posts shall be swift and intelligent betwixt us. Farewell, dear sister farewell, my lord of Gloucester. : Enter OSWALD. How now! where's the king? Osw. My lord of Gloucester hath convey'd him hence : Some five or six and thirty of his knights, Hot questrists after him, met him at gate; Who, with some other of the lords dependants, Are gone with him towards Dover; where they boast To have well-armed friends. Corn. Get horses for your mistress. 20 17. questrists, searchers. VOL. IX 97 H |