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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 ?- Good my friends,

confider

You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends.

Corn. Bind him, I fay.

Reg.

[Servants bind him.

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 moft ignobly done

To pluck me by the beard.

Reg. So white, and such a traitor!

Glo.
Naughty lady,
These hairs, which thou doft ravish from my chin,
Will quicken, and accufe thee: I am your hoft;
With robbers' hands, my hofpitable favours
You should not ruffle thus. What will you do?

Corn. Come, fir, what letters had you late from France?
Reg. Be fimple-anfwer'd, for we know the truth.
Corn. And what confederacy have you with the traitors
Late footed in the kingdom?

Reg. To whofe hands have you fent the lunatick king? Speak.

Glo. I have a letter gueffingly fet down,

Which came from one that's of a neutral heart,

And not from one oppos'd.

Corn.

Reg.

Cunning.

And falfe.

Corn.

Corn. Where haft thou sent the king?

Glo. Reg.

To Dover.
Wherefore

To Dover? Waft thou not charg'd at thy peril

Corn. Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer that. Glo. I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course? Reg. Wherefore to Dover?

Glo. Because I would not fee thy cruel nails Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce fifter In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.

The fea, with fuch a ftorm as his bare head

In hell-black night endur'd, would have buoy'd up,
And quench'd the ftelled 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 elfe fubfcrib'd:-But I fhall fee

The winged vengeance overtake such children.

Corn. See it fhalt 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 fets his foot on it. Glo. He, that will think to live till he be old, Give me fome help:-O cruel! O ye gods!

Reg. One fide will mock another; the other too.
Corn. If you fee vengeance,-

Serv.

Hold your hand, my lord,

I have ferv'd you ever fince I was a child;
But better service have I never done you,
Than now to bid you hold.

How now, you dog?

Reg.
Serv. If you did wear a beard upon your chin,
I'd shake it on this quarrel: What do you mean?

Corn.

Corn. My villain!

[draws, and runs at him. Serv. Nay, then come on, and take the chance of anger. [draws. They fight. CORNWALL is wounded. Reg. Give me thy sword.-[to another Serv.] A peafant ftand up thus!

{fnatches a fword, comes behind, and ftabs him. Serv. O, I am flain!-My lord, you have one eye left To fee fome mifchief on him :

-O!

[dies. Corn. Left it fee more, prevent it :-Out, vile jelly! Where is thy luftre now?

[tears out GLOSTER's other eye, and throws it on the ground.

Glo. All dark and comfortless.-Where's my fon Ed

mund ?

Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature,

To quit this horrid act.

Reg.

Out, treacherous villain!

Thou call'ft on him that hates thee: it was he
That made the overture of thy treafons 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 is't, my lord? How look you? Corn. I have receiv'd a hurt :-Follow me, lady.Turn out that eyeless villain ;-throw this flave Upon the dunghill.-Regan, I bleed apace: Untimely comes this hurt: Give me your arm.

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

1. Serv. I'll never care what wickedness I do, If this man come to good.

2. Serv.

If the live long,

And,

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 fome flax, and whites of

eggs,

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

[Exeunt feverally.

ACT

ACT IV. SCENE I.

The Heath.

Enter EDGAR.

Edg. Yet better thus, and known to be contemn'd,
Than ftill contemn'd and flatter'd. To be worst,
The lowest, and most dejected thing of fortune,
Stands ftill in efperance, lives not in fear :
The lamentable change is from the best;
The worst returns to laughter. Welcome then,
Thou unfubftantial air, that I embrace!

The wretch, that thou haft blown unto the worst,
Owes nothing to thy blasts.-But who comes here ?—

Enter GLOSTER, led by an old Man.

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

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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, fir, you cannot see your way.
Glo. I have no way, and therefore want no eyes;

I ftumbled when I faw: Full oft 'tis seen,
Our mean fecures us; and our mere defects
Prove our commodities.-Ah, dear fon Edgar,
The food of thy abufed father's wrath!
Might I but live to see thee in my touch,
I'd fay, I had eyes again!

Old

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