Alb. What's the matter, fir?

Bear. I'll tell thee; Life and death! Iam afham'd That thou haft power to thake my manhood thus: [To GONERIL. That thefe hot tears, which break from me perforce, Should make thee worth them.-Blafts, and fogs upon thee!

The untented woundings of a father's curfe

Pierce every
fenfe about thee!--Old fond eyes,
Beweep this caufe again, I'll pluck you out;
And caft you, with the waters that you lofe,
To temper clay.-Ha! is it come to this?
Let it be foYet I have left a daughter,
Who, I am fure, is kind and comfortable;
When the fhall bear this of thee, with her nails
She'll Aca thy wolfifh vifage. Thou fhalt find,
That I'll refume the fhape, which thou doft think
I have caft off for ever; thou fhalt, I warrant thee.
[Exeunt LEAR, KENT, and Attendants.
Gon. Do you mark that, my lord ?
Alb. I cannot be fo partial, Goneril,
To the great love I bear you-

Gon. Pray you, content.-What, Ofwald, ho! You, fir, more knave than fool, after your mafter.

[To the Fool. Fool. Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, and take the fool with thee.

A fox, when one has caught her,

And fuch a daughter

Should fure to the flaughter,

If my cap would buy a halter;

So the fool follows after.

[Exit.

Glo.

Gon. This man hath had good counsel :hundred knights!

'Tis politic, and safe, to let him keep

A

At point, a hundred knights. Yes, that on every dream,

Each buz, each fancy, each complaint, diflike, He may enguard his dotage with their powers, And hold our lives at mercy.-Ofwald, I say !— Alb. Well, you may fear too far.

Gon. Safer than trust too far:

Let me ftill take away the harms I fear,
Not fear ftill to be taken. I know his heart:
What he hath utter'd, I have writ my fifter:
If fhe fustain him and his hundred knights,
When I have fhew'd the unfitness-

Ofwald?

Enter Steward.

How now;

What, have you writ that letter to my fifter?
Stew. Ay, madam.

Gon. Take you fome company, and away to horfe:
Inform her full of my particular fear;
And thereto add fuch reafons of your own,
As many compact it more. Get you gone;
And haften your return. No, no, my lord,
[Exit Steward:

This milky gentlenefs, and courfe of yours, Though I condemn it not, yet, under pardon, You are much more at task for want of wisdom, Than prais'd for harmful mildness.

Alb. How far your eyes may pierce, I cannottell; Striving to better, oft we mar what's well.

Gon. Nay, then

Alb. Well, well; the event.

[Exeunt:

SCENE

SCENE V.

A Court-yard before the Duke of ALBANY's Palace. Enter LEAR, KENT, and Fool.

Lear. Go you before to Glofter with these letters: acquaint my daughter no further with any thing you know, than comes from her demand out of the letter: If your diligence be not fpeedy, I fhall be there before you.

Kent. I will not fleep, my lord, 'till I have delivered your letter. [Exit. Fool. If a man's brains were in his heels, wer't not in danger of kibes?

Lear. Ay, boy.

Fool. Then, I pr'ythee, be merry; thy wit shall not go flip-fhod.

Lear. Ha, ha, ha!

Fool. Shalt fee thy other daughter will use thee kindly for though fhe's as like this as a crab is like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell. Lear. Why, what canft thou tell, boy?

Fool. She will tafte as like this, as a crab does to a crab. Thou canft tell, why one's nofe ftands i' the middle of one's face?

Lear. No.

Fool. Why, to keep one's eyes on either fide one's nofe; that what a man cannot fmell out, he may fpy into.

Lear. I did her wrong.

Fool. Canft tell how an oyster makes his fhell? Lear. No.

Fool. Nor I neither; but I can tell why a fnail has a house.

Lear.

Lear. Why?

Fool. Why, to put his head in; not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horn without a cafe.

Lear. I will forget my nature.-So kind a father!Be my horfes ready?

Fool. Thy affes are gone about 'em. The rea: fon why the seven stars are no more than seven is a pretty reafon.

Lear. Because they are not eight?

Fool. Yes, indeed: Thou wouldst make a good fool.

Lear. To take it again perforce !-Monster ingratitude!

Fool. If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time.

Lear. How's that?

Fool. Thou fhouldft not have been old, before thou had been wife.

Lear. O,let not me be mad, not mad, fweet heaven! Keep me in temper; I would not be mad !.

Enter Gentleman.

How now! Are the horses ready?

Gent. Ready, my lord.

Lear. Come, boy.

Fool. She that's a maid now, and laughs at my

departure,

Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut

fhorter.

[Exeunt.

ACT

ACT II.

SCENE I. AÇaftle belonging to the Earl of GLOSTER. Enter EDMUND, and CURAN, meeting.

SAVE thee, Curan.

Edmund.

Cur. And you, fir. I have been with your father; and given him notice, that the duke of Cornwall, and Regan his dutchefs, will be here with him to-night.

Edm. How comes that?

Gur. Nay, I know not: you have heard of the news abroad; I mean, the whifper'd ones, for they are yet but ear-kiffing arguments.

Edm. Not I; Pray you, what are they? Cur. Have you heard of no likely wars toward, wixt the dukes of Cornwall and Albany?

Edm. Not a word.

Cur. You may then in time. Fare you well, fir.

[Exit. Edm. The duke be here to-night? The better! beft! This weaves itself perforce into my bufinefs! My father hath fet guard to take my brother: And I have one thing, of a queazy question, Which I must act :-Briefnefs, and fortune, work!Brother, a word;-defcend :-Brother, I fay:

Enter EDGAR.

My father watches:-O fir, fly this place;
Intelligence is given where you are hid;