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Kent. All the power of his Wits, have given way to his Impatience: The Gods reward your Kindness.

Enter Lear, Edgar, and Fool.

Edg. Fraterreto calls me, and tells me Nero is an Angler in the Lake of Darkness: Pray Innocent, and beware the foul Fiend.

Fool. Prithee, 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 Yeoman that fees his Son a Gentleman before him.

Lear. To have a thousand with red burning Spits Come hizzing in upon 'em.

Edg. Blefs thy five Wits.

Kent. O pity! Sir, where is the patience now,

That you fo oft have boafted to remain?

Edg. My Tears begin to take his part fo much

They mar my Counterfeiting.

Leao. The little Dogs and all,

Tray, Blanch, and Sweet-heart; fee, they bark at me

[Afide.

Edg. Tom will throw his head at them; avaunt, you Curs!

Be thy Mouth or black or white,

Tooth that Poifons if it bite;
Maftiff, Grey-hound, Mungril grim,
Hound or Spaniel, Brache, or Hym;
Or Bobtail tike, or Trundle tail,
Tom will make him weep and wail,
For with throwing thus my Head;
Dogs leap the hatch, and all are fled.

Do, de, de, de: Sefe; come, march to Wakes and Fairs,
And Market Towns; poor Tom, thy horn is dry. [Exit.
Lear. Then let them Anatomize Regan.
See what

breeds about her HeartIs there any caufe in Nature that make thefe hard Hearts? You, Sir, I entertain for one of my hundred; only, I do not like the fafhion of your Garments. You will fay they are Perfian; but let them be chang'd.

Enter Glofter.

Kent. Now, good my Lord, lye here, and reft a while.

Lear.

Lear. Make no noise, make no noife, draw the Curtains: So, fo, we'll go to Supper i'th' Morning.

Fool. And I'll go to Bed at Noon.

Glo. Come hither, Friend; where is the King, my Master? Kent. Here, Sir, but trouble him not, his Wits are gone. Glo. Good Friend, I prithee take him in thy Arms; I have o'er-heard a Plot of death upon him:

There is a Litter ready, lay him in't,

And drive toward Dover, Friend, where thou fhalt meet
Both welcome and protection. Take up thy Mafter.
If thou should'ft dally half an Hour, his Life,
With thine, and all that offer to defend him,
Stand in affured lofs. Take up, take up,
And follow me, that will to fome provifion

Give thee quick conduct. Come, come away. [Exeunt.
SCENE VI. Glofter's Caftle.

Enter Cornwall, Regan, Gonerill, Baftard, and Servants. Corn. Poft fpeedily to my Lord your Husband, fhew him this Letter, the Army of France is landed; feck out the Traitor Glofter.

Reg. Hang him inftantly.

Gon. Pluck out his Eyes.

Corn. Leave him to my difpleasure. Edmund, keep you our Sifter Company; the revenges we are bound to take upon your traiterous 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 Pofts fhall be Farewel dear Sifter, fare

fwift, and intelligent betwixt us. wel my Lord of Glofter.

Enter Steward.

How now? Where's the King?

Stew. My Lord of Glofter had convey'd him hence. Some five or fix and thirty of his Knights,

Hot Queftrifts after him, met him at Gate,

Who, with fome other of the Lords dependants,

Are gone with him toward Dover; where they boaft
To have well armed Friends.

Corn. Get Horfes for your Mistress

Gon.

Gon. Farewel, fweet Lord, and Sifter.

[Exeunt.

Corn. Edmund farewel: go feek the Traitor Glofter,

Pinion him like a Thief, bring him before us :
Though well we may not país upon his life
Without the Form of Juftice; yet our power
Shall do a court'fie to our wrath, which Men
May blame, but not controul.

Enter Glofter Prifoner, and Servants.

Who's there? the Traitor ?
Reg. Ingrateful Fox! 'tis he.
Corn. Bind faft 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 say.

Reg. Hard, hard : Ŏ filthy Traitor!

[They bind him.

Glo. Unmerciful Lady, as you are, I'm none.
Corn. To this Chair bind him,

Villain, thou fhalt find.

Glo. By the kind gods, 'tis most ignobly done To pluck me by the Beard.

Reg. So white, and fuch a Traitor ?

Glo. Naughty Lady,

Thefe Hairs which thou do'ft ravish from my Chin
Will quicken and accufe thee. I am your Hoft,
With Robbers hands, my hospitable favours

You should not ruffle thus. What will you do?

Corn. Come, Sir, 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

You have fent the Lunatick King? fpeak.

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. Cunning

Reg. And falfe.

Corn. Where haft thou fent the King?

Glo. To Dover:

VOL. V.

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Reg. Wherefore to Dover?

Waft thou not charg'd at peril?

Corn. Wherefore to Dover? Let him anfwer that.
Glo. I am ty'd to th❜Stake,
And I muft ftand the Course.
Reg. Wherefore to Dover?

Glo. Because I would not fee thy cruel Nails
Pluck out his poor old Eyes; nor thy fierce Sifter,
In his anointed Flesh, ftick boarish phangs,
The Sea, with fuch a ftorm as his bare Head
In Hell-black-night indur'd, would have buoy'd up
And quench'd the Steeled fires :

Yet poor old Heart, he holp the Heav'ns to rain.
If Wolves had at thy Gate howl'd that ftern time,
Thou fhouldft have faid, good Porter turn the Key;
All Cruels elfe fubfcribe but I fhall fee

The winged Vengeance overtake fuch Children.

Corn. See't fhalt thou never. Fellows hold the Chair. Upon thefe Eyes of thine, I'll fet my Foot.

[Glofter is held down while Cornwall treads out one of his Eyes.
Glo. He that will think to live, 'till he be old,
Give me fome help, cruel! O you gods!
Reg. One fide will mock another; th❜other too.
Corn. If you fee Vengeance-

Ser. 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.

Reg. How now, yɔu Dog?

Ser. If you did wear a Beard upon your Chin, I'd shake it on this quarrel. What do you mean? Corn. My Villain! [Fight, in the fcuffle Cornwall is wounded. Ser. Nay then come on, and take the chance of anger. Reg. Give me thy Sword. A Peafant ftand up thus? [Kills him.

Ser. Oh, I am flain-my Lord, you have one Eye left To fee fome mischief on him. Oh

Corn. Left it fee more, prevent it; Out vild gelly:

Where is thy luftre now?

Glo. All dark and comfortless

Where's my Son Edmund ?

[Dies.

[Treads out the other Eye.

Edmund,

Edmund, enkindle all the fparks of Nature
To quit his 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 profper him.

Reg. Go thrust him out at Gates, and let him smell His way to Dover.

How is't my Lord? How look you?

[Exit with Glofter.

Corn. I have receiv'd a hurt; follow me, Lady

Turn out that Eyeless Villain; throw this Slave

Upon the Dunghil

Regan, I bleed apace,

Untimely comes this hurt. Give me your arm. [Exeunt.

A C T IV. SCENE I.

SCENE An open Country.

Enter Edgar.

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Edg. YET better thuis, an'd and flutter'd, to be world:

thus, and known to be contemn'd,

The loweft, and moft deject 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 unfubftantia! Air that I embrace:

The Wretch that thou haft blown unto the worst,
Owes nothing to my blafts,

Enter Glofter, led by an old Man.

But who comes here? My Father poorly led?

World, World, O World!

But that thy ftrange 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, thefe fourscore Years. Glo. Away, get thee away: good Friend be gone,

Gga

Thy

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