In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs. 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, 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! Reg. To whose hands have you sent the lunatick Thou call'st on him that hates thee: it was he king? 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. — His way to Dover. - How'st, my lord? How lonk you? Corn. I have receiv'd a burt: Follow Glo. I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the Untimely comes this hurt: Give me your arma 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 ACT IV. 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. Old Man. 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. As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; Edg. 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, Old Man. Do as I bid thee, or rather do thy pleasure; 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; Edm. Yours in the ranks of death. 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. She that herself will silver and disbranch Gon. No more; the text is foolish. Alb. Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile: Whose reverence the head-lugg'd bear would lick, Humanity must perforce prey on itself, 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 Kent. Could so become it. Kent. A sovereign shame so elbows him: his own That stripp'd her from his benediction, turn'd her 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? Mess. Enter a Messenger. Madam, news; It is thy business that I go about; SCENE V. A Room in Gloster's Castle. Reg. But are my brother's powers set forth? 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. So, fare you well. If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor, What party I do follow. Ho, you sir! friend! - Hear you, sir? — speak!. Fare thee well. [Exeunt. So many fathom down precipitating, SCENE VI. - The Country near Dover. Enter GLOSTER, and EDGAR dressed like a peasant. Glo. When shall we come to the top of that same hill? Edg. You do climb up it now: look how we Glo. Methinks, the ground is even. Hark, do you hear the sea? Horrible steep: No, truly. Glo. Glo. But in my garments. Glo. And dizzy 'tis, to cast one's eyes so low ! Edg. Give me your hand: You are now within a Of the extreme verge: for all beneath the moon Glo. O you mighty gods! Glo. Glo. Too well, too well. Edg. Glo. Of men's impossibilities, have preserv'd thee. Glo. I do remember now: henceforth I'll bear Edg. Bear free and patient thoughts.— But whe Enter LEAR, fantastically dressed up with flowers. Lear. No, they cannot touch me for coining; Edg. O thou side-piercing sight! Lear. Nature's above art in that respect.-There's your press-money. That fellow handles his bow like a crow-keeper: draw me a clothier's yard. Look, look, a mouse! Peace, peace ; — this piece of toasted cheese will do't.—There's my gauntlet; l'a prove it on a giant. - Bring up the brown billsO, well flown, bird! —i' the clout, î' the clast: hewgh! - Give the word. Edg. Sweet marjoram. Glo. I know that voice. Lear. Ha! Goneril! - with a white beard!They flatter'd me like a dog; and told me, I hal white hairs in my beard, ere the black ones we there. To say ay, and no, to every thing I said Ay and no too was no good divinity. When the rain came to wet me once, and the wind to ke |