Glo. Unmerciful lady as you are! I'm none.
Corn. To this chair bind him.

find

Villain, thou shalt

Glo. By the kind gods *, 'tis moft ignobly done
To pluck me by the beard.

Reg. So white, and such a traitor?
Glo. Naughty lady,

Thefe hairs which thou doft ravish from my chin,
Will quicken and accufe thee; I'm your hoft:
With robbers' hands, my hofpitable favour
You fhould not ruffle thus. What will you do?
Corn. Come, Sir, what letters had you late from

France ?

Reg. Be fimple-anfwer'd, for we know the truth. Corn. And what confed'racy have you with the traí. Late footed in the kingdom?

Reg. To whofe hands

Have you fent the lunatic King? speak.

Glo. I have a letter gueffingly fet down,

Which came from one that's of a neutral heart,

And not from one oppos'd.

Corn. Cunning

Reg. And falfe.

Corn. Where haft thou fent the King?

Glo. To Dover.

Reg. Wherefore to Dover?

Waft thou not charg'd, at peril

[tors

Corn. Wherefore to Dover? let him firft answer that.
Glo. I am ty'd to th' ftake, and I muft ftand the course,
Reg. Wherefore to Dover?

Glo. Because I would not fee thy cruel nails
Pluck out his poor old eyes, nor thy fierce fifter
In his anointed flefh ftick boarish phangs.
The fea, with such a storm as his bare head

In hell-black night endur'd, would have boil'd up,
And quench'd the ftelled fires;

Yet poor old heart, he help'd the heav'ns to rain.
If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that stern time,
Thou shouldft have faid, "Go, porter, turn the key;
All

We are not to understand by this the gods in general, whe are beneficent and kind to men; but that particular fpecies of the n called by the ancients, Dii hofpitales, kind gods.

All cruels elfe fubscrib'd † ; but I fhall fee
The winged vengeance overtake fuch children.

Corn. See't fhalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair. Upon thefe eyes of thine I'll fet my foot.

[Glo'fter is held down, while Cornwall treads out
one of his eyes.

Glo. He that will think to live till he be old,
Give me fome help.- -O cruel! O you gods!
Reg. One fide will mock another; th' other too.
Corn. If you fee vengeance-

Serv. Hold your hand, my Lord:

I've ferv'd you ever fince I was a child;
But better service have I never done you,
Than now to bid you hold.

Reg. How now, you dog?

Serv. If you did wear a beard upon your chin, I'd shake it on this quarrel. What do you mean? Corn. My villain !

Serv. Nay then come on, and take the chance of anger.

[Fight; in the fcuffle Cornwall is wounded. Reg. Give me thy fword. A peasant stand up thus?

Serv. Oh, I am flain-my Lord,

[Kills him.

have one eye you

To fee fome mischief on him. Oh

left

[Dies.

[Treads the other out.

-Where's my fon

Corn. Left it fee more, prevent it; out, vile gelly :

Where is thy luftre now?

Glo. All dark and comfortless

Edmund, inkindle all the sparks of nature [Edmund ?

To quit this horrid act.

Reg. Out, treacherous villain !

Thou call'ft on him that hates thee: it was he

That made the overture of thy treafons to us;

Who is too good to pity thee.

Glo. O my follies!

Then Edgar was abus'd. Kind gods, forgive

Me that, and prosper him!

Reg. Go thruft him out

At th' gates, and let him fmell his way to Dover.

Corn. I have receiv'd a hurt; follow me, Lady.—Turn out that eyelefs villain; throw this flave Upon the dunghil.Regan, I bleed apace. Untimely comes this hurt.

Give me your arm.

[Exit Corn. led by Regan.

ift Serv. I'll never care what wickedness I do,

If this man come to good.

2d Serv. If the live long,

And, in the end, meet the old course of death,
Women will all turn monsters.

ift Serv. Let's follow the old Earl, and get the bed

lam

To lead him where he would; his roguifh madness
Allows itself to any thing.

2d Serv. Go thou; I'll fetch fome flax and whites of

eggs

T' apply to's bleeding face. Now, Heav'n help him! [Exeunt feverally.

ACT IV. SCENE 1.

An open country.

Enter Edgar.

YET better thus, and known to be contemn'd,

Than ftill contemn'd and flatter'd. To be worst,
The lowest, moft dejected thing of fortune,
Stands ftill in efperance; lives not in fear.
The lamentable change is from the beft;

The worst returns to laughter. Welcome then,
Thou unfubftantial air, that I embrace !

The wretch that thou haft blown unto the worst,
Owes nothing to thy blasts.

Enter Glo'fier, led by an old man.

But who comes here?

My father poorly led? World, worid, O world!
But that thy ftrange mutations make us hate thee,
Life would not yield to † age.

Old Man.

Field to, fignifies no more than give way to, fink under, in oppofition to the firuggling with, bearing up against the infirmities of age.

Old Man. O my good Lord, I have been your tenant, and your father's tenant, these fourfcore years. Glo. Away, get thee away: good friend, be gone; Thy comforts can do me no good at all, Thee they may hurt.

Old Man. You cannot fee your way.

Glo. I have no way, and therefore want no eyes: I ftumbled when I faw. Full oft 'tis feen,

Our mean † fecures us; and our mere defects

Prove our commodities..

-O dear fon Edgar,

The food of thy abused father's wrath;

Might I but live to fee thee in my touch,
I'd fay I had eyes again!

Old Man. How now? who's there?

Edg. O gods! who is't can fay, I'm at the worlt? I'm worse than e'er I was.

Old Man. 'Tis poor mad Tom.

Edg. And worfe I may be yet: the worst is not, So long as we can fay, This is the worst.

Old Man. Fellow, where goeft?

Glo. Is it a beggar-man?

Old Man. Madman, and beggar too.

Glo. He has fome reason, else he could not beg,

I' th' laft night's ftorm I fuch a fellow faw;
Which made me think a man a worm.

My fon

Came then into my mind; and yet my mind
Was then scarce friends with him. I've heard more

As flies to wanton boys, are we to th' gods;

They kill us for their sport.

Edg. How fhould this be?

Bad is the trade muft play the fool to forrow,

Ang'fhing itself and others.

[fince,

-Bless thee, master.

Glo. Is that the naked fellow?

Old Man. Ay, my Lord.

Glo. Get thee away. If, for my fake,

Thou wilt o'ertake us hence a mile or twain

I' th' way tow'rd Dover, do it for ancient love;
And bring fome covering for this naked foul,

Whom I'll intreat to lead me.

Old Man. Alack, Sir, he is mad.

[blind,

Glo. 'Tis the time's plague, when madmen lead the Do as I bid, or rather do thy pleasure ;

F 2

ti. e. moderate, mediocre condition.

Above

Above the reft, be gone.

Old Man. I'll bring him the beft 'parel that I have, Come on't what will.

Glo. Sirrah, naked fellow.

[Exit.

Edg. Poor Tom's a-cold ;-I cannot daub * it further.

Glo. Know'st thou the way to Dover ?

[Afide.

[Afide.

Edg. Both ftile and gate, horfe-way and foot path. Poor Tom hath been scar'd out of his good wits. Blefs thee, good man, from the foul fiend. Five fiends have been in poor Tom at once; of luft, as Obidicut; Hobbididen, prince of dumbnefs; Mahu, of ftealing; Mohu, of murder; and Flibbertigibbet, of mopping and mowing; who fince poffeffes chamber-maids and waiting-women.

Glo. Here, take this purfe, thou whom the heavens* plagues

Have humbled to all ftrokes. That I am wretched,
Makes thee the happier : heavens deal fo ftill!
Let the fuperfluous † and luft-dieted man,
That braves your ordinance, that will not fee
Because he does not feel, feel your power quickly :
So diftribution fhould undo excefs,

And each man have enough. Do'st thou know Dover?
Edg. Ay, mafter.

Glo. There is a cliff, whofe high and bending head Looks fearfully on the confined deep :

Bring me but to the very brim of it,

And I'll repair the mifery thou do'ft bear,

With fomething rich about me: from that place

I fhall no leading need.

Edg. Give me thy arm;

Poor Tom fhall lead thee.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. The Duke of Albany's palace.

Enter Gonerill and Edmund.

Gon. Welcome, my Lord. I marvel our mild husband

Not met us on the way.

* i. e. difguife.

† fuperfluous is here used for one living in abundance.

Enter