The body's delicate: the tempest in my mind
Doth from my senses take all feeling else,
Save what beats there. - - Filial ingratitude!
Is it not as this mouth should tear this hand,
For lifting food to't? But I will punish home :—
No, I will weep no more. - In such a night
To shut me out! Pour on; I will endure:
In such a night as this! O Regan, Goneril! —
Your old kind father, whose frank heart gave all,-
O, that way madness lies; let me shun that;
No more of that,

[Fool goes

in.

Poor naked wretches, wheresoe'er you are,
That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm,
How shall your houseless heads, and unfed sides,
Your loop'd and window'd raggedness, defend you
From seasons such as these? O, I have ta'e
Too little care of this! Take physick, pomp;
Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel;
That thou may'st shake the superflux to them,
And show the heavens more just.

Edg. [Within.] Fathom and half, fathom and half! Poor Tom!

[The Fool runs out from the hovel. Fool. Come not in here, nuncle, here's a spirit. Help me, help me!

Enter EDGAR, disguised as a madman. Edg. Away! the foul fiend follows me! Through the sharp hawthorn blows the cold wind.Humph! go to thy cold bed, and warm thee.

Lear. Hast thou given all to thy two daughters ? And art thou come to this?

Edg. Who gives any thing to poor Tom? whom the foul fiend hath led through fire and through flame, through ford and whirlpool, over bog and quagmire; that hath laid knives under his pillow, and halters in his pew; set ratsbane by his porridge; made him proud of heart, to ride on a bay trottinghorse over four-inched bridges, to course his own shadow for a traitor : — Bless thy five wits! Tom's

a-cold. O, do de, do de, do de. Bless thee from whirlwinds, star-blasting, and taking! Do poor Tom some charity, whom the foul fiend vexes: There could I have him now, — and there, and there, and there again, and there.

[Storm continues. Lear. What, have his daughters brought him to this pass?

-

Could'st thou save nothing? Did'st thou give them

all?

Fool. Nay, he reserved a blanket, else we had been all shamed.

Lear. Now, all the plagues that in the pendulous

air

Hang fated o'er men's faults, light on thy daughters! Kent. He hath no daughters, sir.

Lear. Death, traitor! nothing could have subdu'd

nature

To such a lowness, but his unkind daughters.
Is it the fashion, that discarded fathers
Should have thus little mercy on their flesh?
Judicious punishment! 'twas this flesh begot
Those pelican daughters.

Edg. Pillicock sat on pillicock's-hill ;
Halloo, halloo, loo, loo!

Fool. This cold night will turn us all to fools and madmen.

Edg. Take heed o'the foul fiend: Obey thy parents; keep thy word justly; swear not; commit not with man's sworn spouse; set not thy sweet heart on proud array: Tom's a-cold.

Lear. What hast thou been?

Edg. A serving-man, proud in heart and mind, that curled my hair; wore gloves in my cap, served the lust of my mistress's heart, and did the act of darkness with her; swore as many oaths as I spake words, and broke them in the sweet face of heaven: one, that slept in the contriving of lust, and waked to do it: Wine loved I deeply; dice dearly; and in woman, out-paramoured the Turk : False of heart, light of ear, bloody of hand; Hog in sloth, fox in stealth, wolf in greediness, dog in madness, lion in prey. Let not the creaking of shoes, nor the rustling of silks, betray thy poor heart to women: Keep thy foot out of brothels, thy hand out of plackets, thy pen from lenders' books, and defy the foul fiend. Still through the hawthorn blows the cold wind: Says suum, mun, ha no nonny, dolphin my boy, my boy, sessa; let him trot by.

-

[Storm still continues. Lear. Why, thou were better in thy grave, than to answer with thy uncovered body this extremity of the skies. Is man no more than this? Consider him well: Thou owest the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the cat no perfume : Ha! here's three of us are sophisticated! — Thou art the thing itself: unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou - Off, off, you lendings: ;--- Come; unbutton [Tearing off his clothes. Fool. Pr'ythee, nuncle, be contented; this is a naughty night to swim in. Now a little fire in a wild field were like an old lecher's heart; a small spark, all the rest of his body cold. — Look, here comes a walking fire.

Saint Withold footed thrice the wold;

He met the night-mare, and her nine-fold;

Bid her alight,

And her troth plight,

And, aroint thee, witch, aroint thee!

Kent. How fares your grace?

Enter GLOSTER, with a torch.

Lear. What's he?

Kent. Who's there? What is't you seek? Glo. What are you there? Your names? Edg. Poor Tom; that eats the swimming frog, the toad, the tadpole, the wall-newt, and the water; that in the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend rages, eats cow-dung for sallets; swallows the old rat, and the ditch-dog; drinks the green mantle of the standing pool; who is whipped from tything to tything, and stocked, punished, and imprisoned; who hath had three suits to his back, six shirts to his body, horse to ride, and weapon to wear,

But mice, and rats, and such small deer,
Have been Tom's food for seven long year.

Beware my follower: - - Peace, Smolkin; peace,

thou fiend!

Glo. What, hath your grace no better company? Edg. The prince of darkness is a gentleman; Modo he's call'd, and Mahu.

Glo. Our flesh and blood, my lord, is grown so vile,

That it doth hate what gets it.

Edg. Poor Tom's a-cold.

Glo. Go in with me; my duty cannot suffer To obey in all your daughters' hard commands: Though their injunction be to bar my doors, And let this tyrannous night take hold upon you; Yet have I ventur'd to come seek you out, And bring you where both fire and food is ready. Lear. First let me talk with this philosopher : What is the cause of thunder?

Kent. Good my lord, take his offer;

Go into the house.

--

Edm. How, my lord, I may be censured, that nature thus gives way to loyalty, something fears me to think of.

Corn. I now perceive, it was not altogether you brother's evil disposition made him seek his deat but a provoking merit, set a-work by a reproveal badness in himself.

Edm. How malicious is my fortune, that I must repent to be just! This is the letter he spoke of, which approves him an intelligent party to the advantages of France. O heavens! that this treason were not, or not I the detector!

Corn. Go with me to the duchess.

Edm. If the matter of this paper be certain, you have mighty business in hand.

Corn. True, or false, it hath made thee earl of Gloster. Seek out where thy father is, that he may be ready for our apprehension.

Edm. [Aside.] If I find him comforting the king, it will stuff his suspicion more fully. — I will persevere in my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore between that and my blood.

Corn. I will lay trust upon thee; and thou shalt find a dearer father in my love. [Exeunt.

SCENE VI.-A Chamber in a Farm-House, adjoining the Castle.

:

Enter GLOSTER, LEAR, KENT, Fool, and EDGAR. Glo. Here is better than the open air; take it thankfully I will piece out the comfort with what addition I can: I will not be long from you. Kent. All the power of his wits has given way to his impatience :- The gods reward your kindness! [Exit GLOSTER. tells me, Nero is Pray, innocent,

Edg. Frateretto calls me; and an angler in the lake of darkness. and beware the foul fiend.

Fool. Pr'ythee, nuncle, tell me, whether a madman be a gentleman, or a yeoman?

Lear. A king, a king!

Fool. No; he's a yeoman, that has a gentleman to his son; for he's a mad yeoman, that sees his son a gentleman before him.

Lear. To have a thousand with red burning spits Come hizzing in upon them:

Edg. The foul fiend bites my back.

Fool. He's mad, that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a horse's health, a boy's love, or a whore's oath. Lear. It shall be done, I will arraign them

straight:

Come, sit thou here, most learned justicer ;

[To EDGAR. Thou, sapient sir, sit here. [To the Fool.]-Now, you she foxes! —

Edg. Look, where he stands and glares! Wantest thou eyes at trial, madam?

Come o'er the bourn, Bessy, to me: Fool. Her boat hath a leak,

And she must not speak

Why she dares not come over to thee.

Edg. The foul fiend haunts poor Tom in the voice of a nightingale. Hopdance cries in Tom's belly for two white herring. Croak not, black angel; I have no food for thee.

Kent. How do you, sir? Stand you not so amaz'd: Will you lie down and rest upon the cushions? Lear. I'll see their trial first: Bring in the

Edg. When we our betters see bearing our woes,
We scarcely think our miseries our foes.
Who alone suffers, suffers most i' the mind;
Leaving free things, and happy shows, behind:
But then the mind much sufferance doth o'erskip,
When grief hath mates, and bearing fellowship.
How light and portable my pain seems now,
When that, which makes me bend, makes the king
bow;

He childed, as I father'd! - Tom, away :
Mark the high noises and thyself bewray,
When false opinion, whose wrong thought defiles
thee,

In thy just proof, repeals, and reconciles thee.
What will hap more to-night, safe scape the
king!

Be thy mouth or black or white,
Tooth that poisons if it bite;
Mastiff, grey-hound, mongrel grim,
Hound, or spaniel, brach, or lym;
Or bobtail tike, or trundle-tail;
Tom will make them weep and wail :
For, with throwing thus my head,
Dogs leap the hatch, and all are fled.

Do de, de de. Sessa. Come, march to wakes and
fairs, and market towns:-Poor Tom, thy horn is dry.
Lear. Then let them anatomize Regan, see what
preeds about her heart: Is there any cause in nature,
that makes these hard hearts? -You, sir, I enter-
tain you for one of my hundred; only, I do not
like the fashion of your garments: you will say,
they are Persian attire; but let them be changed.
[To ELGAR.

-

[Exit.

Reg. Hang him instantly. Gon. Pluck out his eyes. Corn. Leave him to my displeasure. keep you our sister company; the revenges we are bound to take upon your traitorous father, are not fit for your beholding. Advise the duke, where you are going, to a most festinate preparation; we are bound to the like. Our posts shall be swift, and intelligent betwixt us. Farewell, dear sister; farewell, my lord of Gloster.

Enter Steward.

How now? Where's the king?

Stew. My lord of Gloster hath convey'd him

hence:

Some five or six and thirty of his knights,
Hot questrists after him, met him at gate;
Who, with some other of the lord's dependants,
Are gone with him towards Dover; where they

boast

To have well-armed friends.

Corn.
Get horses for your mistress.
Gon. Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.

Corn. Edmund, farewell, Go, seek the traitor Gloster, Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us : [Exeunt other Servants. Though well we may not pass upon his life Without the form of justice; yet our power Shall do a courtesy to our wrath, which men May blame, but not control. Who's there? The traitor ?

Re-enter Servants, with GLOSTER.

Reg. Ingrateful fox! 'tis he.

Corn. Bind fast his corky arms.

Glo. What mean your graces?

friends, consider

Good my

You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends.
Corn. Bind him, I say. [Servants bind him.
Reg.
Hard, hard :- O filthy traitor!
Glo. Unmerciful lady as you are, I am none.
Corn. To this chair bind him: - Villain, thou
shalt find
[REGAN plucks his beard.
Glo. By the kind gods, 'tis most ignobly done
To pluck me by the beard.

Reg. So white, and such a traitor!
Glo.

Naughty lady,

These hairs, which thou dost ravish from my

To Dover? Wast thou not charg'd at thy peril — Corn. Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer that.

[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 ock another; the other

too.

:

years.

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.

Glo. Come hither, fellow. Edg. [Aside.] And yet I must. eyes, they bleed.

[Aside.

Bless thy sweet

Glo. Know'st thou the way to Dover?
Edg. Both stile and gate, horse-way, and foot-

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

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.

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, master!

Glo. Here, take this purse, thou whom the hea

ven's plagues