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Through w tatter'd * rags fmall vices do appear;

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Robes and furr'd gowns hide all. a Plate fin with gold, And the frong lance of justice hurtlefs breaks :

Arm it with rags, ca pigmy's ftraw doth pierce it.

d

None does offend, none, I fay none; I'll able 'em;
Take that of me, my friend, who have the fow'r
To feal th' accufer's lips. Get thee glass eyes,
And, like a fcurvy politician, feem

To fee the things thou doft not.

f Now, now, now, now. Pull off my boots. Harder, harder. So.

Edg. O matter and impertinency mixt!

Reafon in madness!

Lear. If thou wilt weep my fortunes, take my eyes.

I know thee well enough, thy name is Glofter,
Thou must be patient; we came crying hither;

Thou know'ft, the first time that we fmell the air,

w The 1ft q. reads tottered. Before tatter'd the 3d and 4th fo's infert

and.

* So the qu's; all the rest cloaths.

y The fo's and R. read great for small.

z The qu's read hides.

a What is in italic is omitted in the qu's. The fo's and R. read place fins

for plate fin. So plate is P.'s emendation;

reads fins; T's duodecimo fin.

followed by the reft; but P.

b So T.'s duodecimo, W. and J.; the rest fins,

CR. reads and for a.

d H. omits none.

able] An old phrafe, fignifying to qualify, or uphold them. So Scogan,

contemporary with Chaucer, fays,

Set all my life after thyne ordinance,

And able me to mercie or thou deme,

H. reads abfolve.

The qu's read no, now, pull off, &c..

W.

We

We wawle and cry. I will preach to thee. Mark h me.

Glo. Alack, alack the day!

Lear. When we are born, we cry, that we are come To this great stage of fools.This a good i block? It were a delicate ftratagem to fhoe

n

k

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A troop of horfe with felt; m I'll put't in proof;
And when I have " ftol'n upon thefe fons-in-law,
Then kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.

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Gent. O, here he is, lay P hands upon him.Sir, 'Your most dear daughter

S

t

Lear. No refcue? What, a prifoner? I am even The natural fool of fortune. Ufe me well,

8 The ft q. reads wayle; the 2d wail.

h So the qu's; the reft omit me.

i J. propofes reading flock for block, as a more eafy tranfition to feit, in the next fentence, where Lear talks of shoeing horfes therewith.

k The qu's read foot for fhoe.

1 The qu's read fell for felt.

m The qu's omit I'll put't in proof,

n The qu's read fole.

o The 1st q. ft f. and R. read son-in-laws; the three laft fo's fons-inlaws.

P So the qu's; the reft hand.

4 The qu's read upon him, firs.

The 2d q. omits your most dear daughter.

s The 1ft q. omits daughter,

The qu's read eene,

You

You shall have u ranfom. Let me have w a furgeon,

I am cut to th' brains.

Gent. You fhall have any thing,

Lear. No feconds? all myself?

Why this would make a man, a man of falt;
To use his eyes for garden-water-pots,

Ay, and laying autumn's duft.

y Gent. Good fir.

Lear. I will die bravely like a z bridegroom, what?

I will be jovial; come, come, I am a king,

My mafters, know you that?

Gent. You are a royal one, and we obey you.

Lear. Then there's life in it. b

с

Nay,

d come, an you

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Sa, fa, fa, fa.

[8 Exit king running.

Gent. A fight most pitiful in the meaneft wretch,

Paft fpeaking of in a king. Thou haft " one daughter,

Who redeems nature from the general curfe

Which twain have brought her to.

Edg. Hail, gentle fir.

Gent. Sir, fpeed you.

What's your will?

u The 2d q. reads a ransom.

w The 1ft q. reads a churgion; the 2d a chirurgeon; all the rest surgeons. * All but the qu's omit ay. The fo's and R. omit the whole hemistick.

y All but the 2d 4. omit this fpeech.

z All but the qu's read a fmug bridegroom.

2 The fo's and R. omit my.

b So the qu's; the rest omit nay.

The qu's omit come.

The ad q. reads if for an.

So the qu's; the reft by for with.

f The qu's omit sa, sa, sa, sa.

So the direction in the qu's; the reft only Exit.
So the qu's, T. W. and J.; the reft a for one.

Edg.

Edg. Do you hear aught, ifir, of a battle toward?
Gent. Moft fure and vulgar, every one hears that,
Which can diftinguish 1 found.

Edg. But by your favour,

How near's the other army?

Gent. Near, and m on speedy foot. The main " defcry • Stands on the hourly P thought.

Edg. I thank you, fir. 9 That's all.

Gent. Though that the queen on special caufe is here,

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Glo. You ever gentle gods, take my breath from me; Let not my worfer fpirit tempt me again

To die before you please!

Edg. Well pray you, father.

Glo. Now, good fir, what are you?

t

Edg. A moft poor man, made tame to fortune's blows, Who, by the art of u known and feeling forrows,

Am pregnant to good pity.

I'll lead you to fome biding.

i The qu's omit fir.

Give me your hand,

k The 2d q. omits which; the 1ft reads that for which,

1 The qu's read fenfe for found.

m The qu's read on Speed for't. The qu's read defcries.

• The 1ft q. reads ftandft.

P The qu's read thoughts.

9 The 2d q. P. and H. omit that's all.

The 1ft q. reads hir; the 2d his.

s P. and H. omit this fpeech.

The qu's read made lame by fortune's blows.
H. reads knowing.

Gla

Glo. Hearty thanks,

The bounty and the benizon of heaven * to boot.

SCENE IX.

Enter Steward.

Stew. A proclaim'd prize! y most happy!

That eyelefs head of thine was firft fram'd flesh,

To raise my fortunes.

C

Thou old unhappy traitor,

Briefly thyfelf remember. The fword is out, That must destroy thee.

Glo. Now let thy friendly hand

Put ftrength enough to't.

Stew. Wherefore, bold peafant,

[Edgar interpofes.

e Dar'ft thou fupport a publish'd traitor? Hence,

f Left that th' infection of his fortune take

Like hold on thee. Let go his arm.

Edg. Chill not let go, 8 zir, without further 'cafion.
Stew. Let go, flave, or thou dy'st.

w The 1ft q. reads the bornet and the beniz of heaven to fave thee.

x So P. and H. and the 2d q. feems to confirm this reading, for there we read to boot, to boot; where the words were doubled, very likely by the miftake of either the writer or printer. The reft to boot, and boot.

y H. reads this is most happy!

z The 1ft q. omits first.

a P. and all after omit thou.

b The qu's read moft for old.

c i. e. quickly recollect the past offences of thy life, and recommend thyfelf to heaven. IV.

So all before P. who omits now; followed by the reft.

e The 1ft q. reads durft.

f The qu's read leaft the infection, &c.; the ft f. leaft that the, &c. The qu's fir without cagion, omitting vurther.

Edg.

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