Gen. This admiration, Sir, is much o'th' favour
Of other your new pranks. I do beseech you
To understand my purposes aright:

You, as you're old and rev'rend, fhould be wife.
Here do you keep a hundred Knights and 'Squires,
Men fo diforder'd, fo debauch'd and bold,
That this our Court, infected with their manners,
Shews like a riotous Inn; Epicurism and luft
Make it more like a tavern or a brothel,
Than a grac'd palace. Shame it felf doth speak
For inftant remedy. Be then defir'd

By her, that else will take the thing the bags,
Of fifty to difquantity your train;

And the remainders that shall still depend,
To be fuch men as may befort your age,
And know themselves and you.

Lear. Darknefs and Devils!
Saddle my horfes, call my train together
Degen'rate baftard! I'll not trouble thee
Yet have I left a daughter.

Gon. You ftrike my people, and your diforder'd rabble Make fervants of their betters.

SCENE XV. To them, Enter Albany.

Lear. Woe! that too late repents-oh, Sir, are you come?

Is it your will, fpeak, Sir? prepare my horfes. [To Alb
Ingratitude! thou marble-hearted fiend,

More hideous when thou fhew'ft thee in a child,
Than the fea-monster.

Alb, Pray you, Sir, be patient.

Lear. Detefted kite! thou lieft.

My train are men of choice and rarest parts,

That all particulars of duty know,

And in the most exact regard fupport

The worships of their names.

[To Gonerill.

Ö most small fault,

How ugly didft thou in Cordelia fhew!

Which like an engine wrencht my frame of nature
From the fixt place; drew from my heart all love,
And added to the gall. O Lear, Lear!
L

VOL. IV.

Beat

Beat at this gate that let thy folly in, [Striking his head,
And thy dear judgment out. Go, go, my people.
Alb. My Lord, I'm guilltlefs, as I'm ignorant
Of what hath moved you.

Lear. It may be fo, my Lord

Hear, Nature, hear, dear Goddess, hear a father!
Sufpend thy purpose, if thou didst intend
To make this creature fruitful:
Into her womb convey fterility,
Dry up in her the organs of increase,
And from her derogate body never spring
A babe to honour her! If the must teem,
Create her child of fpleen, that it may live,
And be a thwart difnatur'd torment to her';
Let it ftamp wrinkles in her brow of youth,
With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks,
Turn all her mother's pains and benefits
To laughter and contempt; that she may feel,
How sharper than a ferpent's tooth it is,

To have a thankless child.-Go, go, my people.

Alb. Now, Gods, that we adore, whereof comes this ?

Gon. Never afflict your felf to know of what,

But let his difpofition have that scope

As dotage gives it.

Lear. What fifty of my followers at a clap? Within a fortnight?

Alb. What's the matter, Sir?

Lear. I'll tell thee-life and death! I am afham'd That thou haft power to shake my manhood thus, That these hot tears, which break from me perforce, Should make thee worth them-blafts and fogs upon thee! Th' untented woundings of a father's curfe Pierce every fenfe about thee! Old fond eyes, Beweep her once again, I'll pluck ye out, And caft you with the waters that you lose To temper clay. Ha! is it come to this? Let it be fo: I have another daughter, Who I am fure is kind and comfortable; When the fhall hear this of thee, with her nails She'll flea thy wolvifh vifage. Thou shalt find,

That

That I'll refume the fhape which thou doft think

I have caft off for ever.

[Ex. Lear, and Attendants.

SCENE XVI.

Gon. Do you mark that?

Alb. I cannot be fo partial, Gonerill,

To the great love I bear you

Gon. Pray you, be content. What, Ofwald, ho! You, Sir, more knave than fool, after your mafter. Fool. Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, take the fool with thee:

A Fox, when one has caught her,

And fuch a daughter,

Should fure to the flaughter,

If any cap would buy a halter;

So the fool follows after.

[Exit.

Gon, This, man! hath had good counfel,-a hundred Knights!

Is't politick and safe to let him keep

A hundred Knights? yes, that on ev'ry dream,
Each buz, each fancy, each complaint, diflike,
He may enguard his dotage with their pow'rs,
And hold our lives at mercy. Ofwald, I say.
Alb. Well, you may fear too far;

--

Gon. Safer than truft too far;
Let me ftill take away the harms I fear,
Not fear ftill to be harm'd. I know his heart;
What he hath utter'd, I have writ my fifter;
If fhe'll fuftain him and his hundred Knights,
When I have fhew'd th' unfitness-

How now, Ofwald?

Enter Steward.

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

Gon. Take you fome company, away to horse,
Inform her full of my particular fears,

And thereto add fuch reafons of your own

As may compact it more. So get you gone,
And haften your return.

No, no, my Lord,

This milky gentleness and courfe of yours,

L 2

[Exit Sterward.

Though

Though I condemn it not, yet under pardon
You are much more at task for want of wisdom,
Than prais'd for harmless mildness.

Alb. How far your eyes may pierce I cannot tell ;
Striving to better oft we mar what's well.

Gon. Nay then

Alb. Well, well, th' event.

SCENE

XVII.

[Exeunt.

Re-enter Lear, Kent, Gentleman and Fool.

Lear. Go you before to Glo'fler 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 speedy, I fhall be there afore you.

Kent. I will not fleep, my Lord, 'till I have delivered your letter.

[Exit.

Fool. If a man's brain 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 flipshod.

Lear. Ha, ha, ha.

Fool. Shalt fee thy other daughter will use thee kindly; for though she's as like this as a crab's like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell.

Lear. What canft tell, boy?

Fool. She will tafte as like this, as a crab does to a crab. Canft thou tell why one's nose stands i'th' middle of one's face?

Lear. No.

Fool. Why, to keep one's eyes of either fide one's nose; that what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into.

Lear. I did her wrong!

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

Fool, Nor I neither ; but I can tell why a snail has a house.
Lear. Why?

Fool. Why, to put's head in, not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horns without a cafe.

Lear. I will forget my nature: fo kind a father! be my horfes ready?

Fool.

Fool. Thy affes are gone about 'em ; the reason why the feven ftars are no more than seven, is a pretty reason. Lear. Because they are not eight.

Fool. Yes indeed; thou would't make a good fool. Lear. To take't again perforce!-monster ingratitude! Fool. If you were my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time.

Lear. How's that?

Fool. Thou fhould'ft not have been old, 'till thou hadst been wife.

Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, fweet heav'n! Keep me in temper, I would not be mad.

How now, are the horfes 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.

ACT II. SCENE I.

Caffle belonging to the Earl of Glo'fter.

Enter Baftard and Curan, feverally.

Ave thee, Guran.

Baft. SAC

[Exeunt

Cur. And you, Sir. I have been with your father, and given him notice that the Duke of Cornwall, and Regan his Dutchefs, will be here with him this night. Baft. How comes that ?

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

Baft. Not I; pray you, what are they?

Cur. Have you heard of no likely wars toward, 'twixt the Dukes of Cornwall and Albany ?

Baft. Not a word.

Cur. You may then in time. Fare you well, Sir. [Exit. SCENE II.

Baft. The Duke be here to-night! the better! beft! This weaves it felf perforce into my business. My father hath fet guard to take my brother, And I have one thing of a queazy question

L 3

Which