the Dukes of Cornwall and Albany, though, for the present, it was hidden; that among their servants were spies, who had made the King of France acquainted with the state of things; that he was coming to England with a power; that, already, some of their fleet were in the best ports. He begged of the gentleman to make haste to Dover; gave him his purse, and bid him take what it contained; said, "If you should see Cordelia, show her this ring, and she will tell you who I am." The gentleman said, "Give me your hand," as a token that he would go and do his errand. Then they parted, going in different directions, in the hope of finding the poor king; and they agreed that the one who found him should hollo the other. Lear and the fool wandered about. The king, half-mad with grief and terror, raved distractedly, "Blow wind, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow!" The fool said, "Good nuncle, in, and ask thy daughter's blessing. Here's a night, pities neither wise men nor fools." Lear heeded him not, but went on talking, "I tax

not you, ye elements, with unkindness. I never gave you kingdom, called you children; here I stand, your slave, a poor, infirm, weak, and despised old man; but yet I call you servile ministers, that have with two pernicious daughters joined against a head so old and white as this." The fool said, "He that has a house to put his head in has a good head-piece." Kent came upon them, exclaiming, "Who's there?" fool said, there was a wise man and a fool. sir !" cried Kent, "are you here? night, love not such nights as this.

The "Alas,

Things that love

Since I was man,

such sheets of fire, such bursts of horrid thunder, such groans of roaring wind and rain, I never remember to have heard. Alack, bare-headed? Alack, bare-headed? Gracious, my

lord. Hard by here is a hovel. Repose you here, while I to this hard house return, and force their scanted courtesy." "My wits begin to turn," said· the king. "Where is this straw, my fellow? come, your hovel." When they found it the king hesitated to enter; but Kent urged him, "Good, my lord, enter

here." Lear said, "In such a night to shut me out; pour on, I will endure. In such a night as this! O, Regan, Goneril! Your kind old father, whose frank heart gave all. But, I'll go in. In, boy; go first; nay, get thee in I pray." The fool went in, but suddenly rushed out again, for he was startled by finding a man in the hovel. Kent, to re-assure him, said, "Give me thy hand," and asked who was there. The man said his name was poor Tom. It was Edgar! He had clothed himself in rags, and pretended to be mad, that he might not be discovered and taken prisoner. They did not find out who he was. "How fares your grace?" said Kent, to his beloved, unhappy master; but, as he spoke, the Earl of Gloster appeared, carrying a torch. He begged the king to go with him, and said, "My duty cannot suffer me to obey your daughters' hard commands; though they bid me bar my doors, yet have I ventured to come and seek you, and bring you where both fire and wood are ready. Kent said, "Good, my lord; take his offer; go into the

house. His wits begin to unsettle."

"Can you

blame him," answered Gloster. "His daughters seek his death. Ah! that good banished Kent. He said it would be thus. Thou say'st the king grows mad. I am almost mad myself. I had a son, now outlawed. He sought my life but lately. I loved him-no father his son dearer." How little he thought that poor mad Tom was his son Edgar, and that he was talking to the banished Kent. He led them all to a farm-house, where a chamber was prepared for their reception and comfort.

CHAPTER VIII.

BEFORE Gloster went out with a torch in his hand to seek the benighted king, he had had some conversation with Edmund. Having no suspicion of his baseness, he confided to him things which he would not otherwise have done. He was exceedingly annoyed at the manner in which Goneril and Regan had treated him

in his own castle, and felt deeply the insults offered to the king, his master He said, "Edmund, I like not this unnatural dealing. When I desired their leave, that I might pity him, they took from me the use of mine own house, charged me, on pain of their perpetual displeasure, neither to speak of him, entreat for him, nor any way sustain him." Edmund pretended to be shocked, and said it was most savage and unnatural. Gloster then imparted a secret to him. He said, "There is division between the dukes. I have this night received a letter; it is dangerous to speak of; I have locked it in my closet. These injuries which the king now bears will be revenged; there is part of a power already afoot. We must incline to seek him and privately relieve him. to the duke, that my absence may not be noticed, and my charity not discovered. If I die for it," he nobly said, “the king, my old master, must be relieved. There is some strange thing going to happen, Edmund; pray be careful." As soon as the earl had left the

the king; I will

You go and talk