In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.
The sea, with such a storm as his bare head
In hell-black night endur'd, would have buoy'd

up,

And quench'd the stelled fires: yet, poor old heart,

He holp the heavens to rain.

If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that stern time,
Thou should'st have said, Good porter, turn the key ;
All cruels else subscrib'd : —But I shall ter
The winged vengeance overtake such children.
Corn. See it shalt thou never :- Fellows, hold
the chair:

Upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot.

[GLOSTER is held down in his chair, while CORNWALL plucks out one of his eyes; and sets his foot on it.

Glo. He, that will think to live till he be old, Give me some help: - O cruel! O ye gods! Reg. One side will mock another; the other

Corn. Lest it see more, prevent it: - Out, vile jelly!

Where is thy lustre now?

[Tears out GLOSTER's other eye, and threus it on the ground. Glo. All dark and comfortless.

Where's my son Edmund? Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature, To quit this horrid act. Reg.

Out, treacherous villain!

Speak.

Glo. I have a letter guessingly set down, Which came from one that's of a neutral heart, And not from one oppos'd.

Corn.

Reg.

Corn. Where hast thou sent the king?

Cunning.

Glo.

And false. To Dover.

That made the overture of thy treasons 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, thrust him out at gates, and let him
smell

His way to Dover. - How'st, my lord? How lonk

you?

Corn. I have receiv'd a burt: Follow

course.

Reg. Wherefore to Dover?

Glo. Because I would not see thy cruel nails Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister

[Exit CORNWALL, led by REGAN;-Servants unbind GLOSTER, and lead him out.

1 Serv. I'll never care what wickedness 1 do,

If this man come to good.

2 Serv.

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

1 Serv. Let's follow the old earl, and get the Bedlam

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

2 Serv. Go thou; I'll fetch some flax, and whites of eggs,

To apply to his bleeding face. Now, heaven help him! [Exeunt severally

Enter GLOSTER, led by an Old Man.

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

Old Man. O my good lord, I have been your tenant, and your father's tenant, these fourscore 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. Alack, sir, you cannot see your way.
Glo. I have no way, and therefore want no eyes;
I stumbled when I saw Full oft 'tis seen,
Our mean secures us; and our mere defects
Prove our commodities. Ah, dear son Edgar,
The food of thy abused father's wrath!
Might I but live to see thee in my touch,
I'd say, I had eyes again!

Old Man.
How now? Who's there?
Edg. [Aside.] O gods! Who is't can say, I am
at the worst ?

I am worse than e'er I was.

Old Man.

'Tis poor mad Tom. Edg. [Aside.] And worse I may be yet: The worst is not,

So long as we can say, This is the worst.
Old Man. Fellow, where goest?
Glo.
Is it a beggar-man?
Old Man. Madman and beggar too.
Glo. He has some reason, else he could not beg.
I' the last night's storm I such a fellow saw ;
Which made me think a man a worm: My son
Came then into my mind; and yet my mind
Was then scarce friends with him: I have heard
more since :

As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods;
They kill us for their sport.

Edg.
How should this be?
Bad is the trade must play the fool to sorrow,
Ang'ring itself and others. [Aside.] — Bless thee,
master!

Glo. Is that the naked fellow?

Old Man.

Ay, my lord.

Glo. Then, pr'ythee, get thee gone: If, for my sake,

Thou wilt o'ertake us, hence a mile or twain,
I' the way to Dover, do it for ancient love;
And bring some covering for this naked soul,
Whom I'll entreat to lead me.

Old Man.
Alack, sir, he's mad.
Glo. 'Tis the times' plague, when madmen lead
the blind.

Do as I bid thee, or rather do thy pleasure;
Above the rest, be gone.

Old Man. I'll bring him the best 'parrel that I have,

Come on't what will.

Glo. Sirrah, naked fellow.

[Exit.

Edg. Poor Tom's a-cold. I cannot daub it further. [Aside. Glo. Come hither, fellow. Edg. [Aside.] And yet I must.

eyes, they bleed.

Bless thy sweet

Glo. Know'st thou the way to Dover? Edg. Both stile and gate, horse-way, and footpath. Poor Tom hath been scared out of his good wits: Bless the good man from the foul fiend! Five fiends have been in poor Tom at once; of lust, as Obidicut; Hobbididance, prince of dumbness; Mahu, of stealing; Modo, of murder; and Flibbertigibbet, of mopping and mowing; who since possesses chamber-maids and waiting-women. So, bless thee,

way,

May prove effects. Back, Edmund, to my brother;
Hasten his musters and conduct his powers:
I must change arms at home, and give the distaff
Into my husband's hands. This trusty servant
Shall pass between us: ere long you are like to hear,
If you dare venture in your own behalf,
A mistress's command. Wear this; spare speech;
[Giving a favour.
Decline your head: this kiss, if it durst speak,
Would stretch thy spirits up into the air;
Conceive, and fare thee well.

Edm. Yours in the ranks of death.
Gon.

My most dear Gloster!

[Exit EDMUND.

O, the difference of man, and man! To thee A woman's services are due; my fool Usurps my bed.

Stew.

Madam, here comes my lord.

[Exit Steward.

Enter ALBANY.

O Goneril!

Gon. I have been worth the whistle.
Alb.
You are not worth the dust which the rude wind
Blows in your face. I fear your disposition:
That nature, which contemns its origin,
Cannot be border'd certain in itself;

She that herself will silver and disbranch
From her material sap, perforce must wither,
And come to deadly use.

Gon. No more; the text is foolish.

Alb. Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile:
Filths savour but themselves. What have you done?
Tigers, not daughters, what have you perform'd?
A father, and a gracious aged man,

Whose reverence the head-lugg'd bear would lick,
Most barbarous, most degenerate! have you madded.
Could my good brother suffer you to do it?
A man, a prince, by him so benefited?
If that the heavens do not their visible spirits
Send quickly down to tame these vile offences,
'Twill come,

Humanity must perforce prey on itself,
Like monsters of the deep.

Gon.

Milk-liver'd man!

Enter KENT and a Gentleman.

Kent. Why the king of France is so suddenly gone back know you the reason?

Gent. Something he left imperfect in the state, Which since his coming forth is thought of; which Imports to the kingdom so much fear and danger, That his personal return was most requir'd, And necessary.

Kent. Who hath he left behind him general? Gent. The Mareschal of France, Monsieur le Fer. Kent. Did your letters pierce the queen to y demonstration of grief?

Gent. Ay, sir; she took them, read them in my

presence;

And now and then an ample tear trill'd down
Her delicate cheek: it seem'd, she was a queen
Over her passion; who, most rebel-like,
Sought to be the king o'er her.

Kent.
O, then it mov'd her.
Gent. Not to a rage: patience and sorrow strove
Who should express her goodliest. You have seen
Sunshine and rain at once: her smiles and tears
Were like a better day: Those happy smiles,
That play'd on her ripe lip, seem'd not to know.
What guests were in her eyes; which parted thence,
As pearls from diamonds dropp'd.-In brief, sorrow
Would be a rarity most belov'd, if all

Could so become it.

Kent. A sovereign shame so elbows him: his own
unkindness,

That stripp'd her from his benediction, turn'd her
To foreign casualties, gave her dear rights
To his dog hearted daughters, these things sting
His mind so venomously, that burning shame
Detains him from Cordelia.

Gent.

Alack, poor gentleman! Kent. Of Albany's and Cornwall's powers you heard not?

Gent. 'Tis so; they are afoot.

Kent. Well, sir, I'll bring you to our master, Lear, And leave you to attend him: some dear cause Will in concealment wrap me up awhile; When I am known aright, you shall not grieve Lending me this acquaintance. I pray you, go Along with me. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV.- The same. A Tent. Enter CORDELIA, Physician, and Soldiers. Cor. Alack, 'tis he; why, he was met even now As mad as the vex'd sea: singing aloud; Crown'd with rank fumiter, and furrow weeds, With harlocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers, Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow In our sustaining corn. A century send forth; Search every acre in the high-grown field, And bring him to our eye. [Exit an Officer.]What can man's wisdom do,

In the restoring his bereaved sense?
He, that helps him, take all my outward worth.

Mess.

Enter a Messenger.

Madam, news;
The British powers are marching hitherward.
Cor. 'Tis known before; our preparation stands
In expectation of them. O dear father,

It is thy business that I go about;
Therefore great France
My mourning, and important tears, hath pitied.
No blown ambition doth our arms incite,
But love, dear love, and our ag'd father's right:
Soon may I hear, and see him!
[Exeunt.

SCENE V. A Room in Gloster's Castle.
Enter REGAN and Steward.

Reg. But are my brother's powers set forth?
Stew.

Ay, madam. Himself

Madam, with much ado:

Your sister is the better soldier.

Reg. Lord Edmund spake not with your lord at home?

Stew. No, madam.

Reg. What might import my sister's letter to him? Stew. I know not, lady.

Reg. 'Faith, he is posted hence on serious matter. It was great ignorance, Gloster's eyes being out, To let him live; where he arrives, he moves All hearts against us; Edmund, I think, is gone, In pity of his misery, to despatch

His nighted life; moreover, to descry

The strength o'the enemy.

Stew. I must needs after him, madam, with my letter.

Reg. Our troops set forth to-morrow; stay with us; The ways are dangerous.

not you

Transport her purposes by words? Belikę, Something I know not what :-I'll love thee mucn, Let me unseal the letter.

Stew. Madam, I had rather→ Reg. I know, your lady does not love her husband; I am sure of that: and, at her late being here, She gave strange œiliads, and most speaking looks To noble Edmund: I know, you are of her bosom. Stew. I, madam?

Reg. I speak in understanding; you are, I know it: Therefore, I do advise you, take this note: My lord is dead; Edmund and I have talk'd; And more convenient is he for my hand, Than for your lady's: You may gather more. If you do find him, pray you, give him this; And when your mistress hears thus much from you, I pray, desire her call her wisdom to her.