Corn. Thou art a strange fellow: a tailor make a man?

Kent. Ay, a tailor, sir; a stone-cutter, or a painter, could not have made him so ill, though they had been but two hours at the trade.

Corn. Speak yet, how grew your quarrel ? Stew. This ancient ruffian, sir, whose life I have spar'd, At suit of his grey beard,

Kent. Thou whorson zed! thou unnecessary letter! - My lord, if you will give me leave, I will tread this unbolted villain into mortar, and daub the wall of a jakes with him. - Spare my grey beard, you wagtail?

Corn. Peace, sirrah!

You beastly knave, know you no reverence ?
Kent. Yes, sir; but anger has a privilege.
Corn. Why art thou angry?

Kent. That such a slave as this should wear a sword, Who wears no honesty. Such smiling rogues as these, Like rats, oft bite the holy cords in twain

Which are too intrinse1 t'unloose : smooth every passion
That in the natures of their lords rebels;
Bring oil to fire, snow to their colder moods;
Renege, affirm, and turn their halcyon 2 beaks
With every gale and vary of their masters,
As knowing nought, like dogs, but following. -
A plague upon your epileptick visage! 3
Smile you my speeches, as I were a fool?

9 - this unbolted villain - Unbolted mortar is mortar made of unsifted lime, and therefore to break the lumps it is necessary to tread it by men in wooden shoes. This unbolted villain is therefore this coarse rascal.

2

1 Which are too intrinse] for intrinsecate.

- and turn their halcyon beaks, &c.] The halcyon is the bird otherwise called the king-fisher. The vulgar opinion was, that this bird, if hung up, would vary with the wind, and by that means show from what point it blew.

Goose, if I had you upon Sarum plain,
I'd drive ye cackling home to Camelot. 4
Corn. What, art thou mad, old fellow ?
Glo.

Say that.

How fell you out?

Kent. No contraries hold more antipathy, Than I and such a knave.

Corn. Why dost thou call him knave? What's his

offence ?

Kent. His countenance likes me not.5

Corn. No more, perchance, does mine, or his, or hers.

Kent. Sir, 'tis my occupation to be plain;

I have seen better faces in my time,

Than stands on any shoulder that I see

Before me at this instant.

Corn.

This is some fellow,

Who, having been praised for bluntness, doth affect
A saucy roughness; and constrains the garb,
Quite from his nature: He cannot flatter, he!
An honest mind and plain, - he must speak truth:
An they will take it, so; if not, he's plain.
These kind of knaves I know, which in this plainness
Harbour more craft, and more corrupter ends,
Than twenty silly ducking observants,
That stretch their duties nicely.

Kent. Sir, in good sooth, in sincere verity,
Under the allowance of your grand aspéct,
Whose influence, like the wreath of radiant fire
On flickering Phœbus' front. 7

4

مدية

- Camelot.] was the place where the romances say king Arthur kept his court in the West; so this alludes to some proverbial speech in those romances.

1

Corn.

What mean'st by this?

Kent. To go out of my dialect, which you discommend so much. I know, sir, I am no flatterer: he that beguiled you, in a plain accent, was a plain knave: which, for my part, I will not be, though I should win your displeasure to entreat me to it."

Corn. What was the offence you gave him?

Stew.

Never any: †

It pleas'd the king his master, very late,
To strike at me, upon his misconstruction;
When he, conjunct, and flattering his displeasure,
Tripp'd me behind: being down, insulted, rail'd,

And put upon him such a deal of man,
That worthy'd him, got praises of the king
For him attempting who was self-subdu'd;
And, in the fleshment of this dread exploit,

Drew on me here. ‡

Kent.

None of these rogues, and cowards,

But Ajax is their fool.
Corn.

Fetch forth the stocks, ho!

You stubborn ancient knave, you reverend braggart,

We'll teach you

Kent.

Sir, I am too old to learn :

Call not your stocks for me: I serve the king;
On whose employment I was sent to you:

You shall do small respect, show too bold malice
Against the grace and person of my master,
Stocking his messenger.

7 though I should win your displeasure to entreat me to it.] Though I should win you, displeased as you now are, to like me so well as to entreat me to be a knave. JOHNSON.

+

8

" I never gave him any:" - MALONE.

-fleshment- A young soldier is said to flesh his sword; the first time he draws blood with it. Fleshment, therefore, is here metaphorically applied to the first act of service, which Kent, in his new capacity, had performed for his master.

" here again." MALONE.

6 But Ajax is their fool.] i. e. is a fool to them.

Corn.

Fetch forth the stocks: As I've life and honour, there shall he sit till noon. Reg. Till noon ! till night, my lord; and all night too. Kent. Why, madam, if I were your father's dog,

You should not use me so.

Reg.

Sir, being his knave, I will. [Stocks brought out.

Corn. This is a fellow of the self-same colour
Our sister speaks of: *: - Come, bring away the stocks.

Glo. Let me beseech your grace not to do so:
His fault is much, and the good king his master
Will check him for't: your purpos'd low correction
Is such, as basest and contemned'st wretches,
For pilferings and most common trespasses,
Are punish'd with: the king must take it ill,
That he's so slightly valued in his messenger,
Should have him thus restrain'd.

Corn.

I'll answer that.

Reg. My sister may receive it much more worse, To have her gentleman abus'd, assaulted,

Put in his legs.

[KENT is put in the Stocks.1

[Exeunt REGAN and CORNWALL. Glo. I am sorry for thee, friend; 'tis the duke's plea

sure,

Whose disposition, all the world well knows,
Will not be rubb'd, nor stopp'd: I'll entreat for thee.
Kent. Pray, do not, sir: I have watch'd, and travell'd

hard;

Some time I shall sleep out, the rest I'll whistle.
A good man's fortune may grow out at heels :

Give you good morrow!

Glo. The duke's to blame in this; 'twill be ill taken.

[Exit.

It should be remembered, that formerly in great houses, as still in some colleges, there were moveable stocks for the correction of the servants. FARMER.

Kent. Good king, that must approve the common

saw! 2

Thou out of heaven's benediction com'st
To the warm sun!

Approach, thou beacon to this under globe,
That by thy comfortable beams I may
Peruse this letter! - Nothing almost sees miracles,
But misery; - I know, 'tis from Cordelia ;
Who hath most fortunately been inform'd
Of my obscured course; and shall find time
From this enormous state, - seeking to give
Losses their remedies:

All weary and o'er-watch'd,

Take vantage, heavy eyes, not to behold
This shameful lodging.

Fortune, good night; smile once more; turn thy wheel! [He sleeps.

SCENE III.

A part of the Heath.

Enter EDGAR.

Edg. I heard myself proclaim'd; And, by the happy hollow of a tree, Escap'd the hunt. No port is free; no place, That guard, and most unusual vigilance, Does not attend my taking. While I may scape, I will preserve myself: and am bethought To take the basest and most poorest shape, That ever penury, in contempt of man, Brought near to beast: my face I'll grime with filth; Blanket my loins; elf all my hair in knots; 3