For instant remedy: Be then defir'd

By her, that else will take the thing she begs,
A little to difquantity your train;

And the remainder, that shall still depend,
To be such men as may befort your age,
And know themselves and you.

Lear.

Darkness and devils →→

Saddle my horfes; call my train together.-
Degenerate bastard! I'll not trouble thee;
Yet have I left a daughter.

Gon. You strike my people; and your disorder'd rabble Make fervants of their betters.

Enter ALBANY.

Lear. Woe, that too late repents,-O, fir, are you

come?

Is it your will? [to ALB.] Speak, fir.-Prepare my horses. Ingratitude! thou marble-hearted fiend,

More hideous, when thou show'ft thee in a child,

Than the fea-monster!

Alb.

Pray, fir, be patient.

[to GONERIL.

Lear. Detefted kite! thou lieft:

My train are men of choice and rarest parts,

That all particulars of duty know;

And in the moft exact regard fupport

The worships of their name.-O most finall fault,
How ugly didst thou in Cordelia show!

Which, like an engine, wrench'd my frame of nature
From the fix'd place; drew from my heart all love,
And added to the gall. O Lear, Lear, Lear!

Beat at this gate, that let thy folly in, [ftriking his head.
And thy dear judgment out!-Go, go, my people.

Alb. My lord, I am guiltlefs, as I am ignorant Of what hath mov'd you.

Lear.

Lear. It may be so, my lord.-Hear, nature, hear;
Dear goddess, hear! Sufpend thy purpose, if

Thou didst intend to make this creature fruitful!
Into her womb convey sterility!

Dry up in her the organs of increase;
And from her derogate body never spring
A babe to honour her! If the muft teem,
Create her child of fpleen; that it may live,
And be a thwart difnatur'd torment to her!
Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth;
With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks;
Turn all her mother's pains, and benefits,
To laughter and contempt; that she may
How fharper than a ferpent's tooth it is
To have a thanklefs child!-Away, away!

feel

[Exit.

Alb. Now, gods, that we adore, whereof comes this ? Gon. Never afflict yourself to know the cause;

But let his difpofition have that scope

That dotage gives it.

Re-enter LEAR.

Lear. What, fifty of my followers, at a clap! Within a fortnight?

-Alb.

What's the matter, fir?

Lear. I'll tell thee;-Life and death! I am afham'd That thou hast pow'r to shake my manhood thus:

[to GONERIL. That these hot tears, which break from me perforce, Should make thee worth them.-Blafts and fogs upon

thee!

The untented woundings of a father's curfe
Pierce every sense about thee!-Old fond eyes,
Beweep this cause again, I'll pluck you out;
And caft you, with the waters that you lofe,

To

To temper clay.-Ha! is it come to this?
Let it be fo:-Yet have I left a daughter,
Who, I am fure, is kind and comfortable;
When the shall hear this of thee, with her nails
She'll flay thy wolfifh vifage. Thou shalt find,
That I'll resume the fhape which thou doft think
I have caft off for ever; thou fhalt, I warrant thee.
[Exeunt LEAR, KENT, and Attendants.

Gon. Do you mark that, my lord?

Alb. I cannot be so partial, Goneril, To the great love I bear you,

Gon. Pray you, content.-What, Ofwald, ho! You, fir, more knave than fool, after your mafter.

[to the FOOL. Fool. Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, and take the fool with thee.

A fox, when one has caught her,
And fuch a daughter,

Should fure to the flaughter,

If my cap would buy a halter;

So the fool follows after.

[Exit.

Gon. This man hath had good counsel :-A hundred

knights!

"Tis politick, and fafe, to let him keep

At point, a hundred knights. Yes, that on every dream,
Each buz, each fancy, each complaint, diflike,

He may enguard his dotage with their powers,
And hold our lives in mercy.-Oswald, I fay!—
Alb. Well, you may fear too far.

Gon.

Safer than trust:
Let me ftill take away the harms I fear,
Not fear ftill to be taken. I know his heart:

What he hath uttered, I have writ my fifter;

If

If she sustain him and his hundred knights,

When I have fhow'd the unfitnefs,-How now, Ofwald?

Enter STEWARD.

What, have you writ that letter to my fifter?

Stew. Ay, madam.

Gon. Take you some company, and away to horfe: Inform her full of my particular fear;

And thereto add fuch reasons of your own,

As may compact it more. Get you gone;

And haften your return. [Exit Stew.] No, no, my lord,
This milky gentleness, and courfe of yours,
Though I condemn it not, yet, under pardon,
You are much more attask'd for want of wisdom,
Than prais'd for harmful mildness.

Alb. How far your eyes may pierce, I cannot tell
Striving to better, oft we mar what's well.

Gon. Nay, then

Alb. Well, well; the event.

[Exeunt.

LEAR. Go you before to Glofter, with these letters: acquaint my daughter no further with any thing you know, than comes from her demand out of the letter: If your diligence be not speedy, I fhall be there before you. Kent, I will not fleep, my lord, till I have delivered your letter.

[Exit

Fool. If a man's brains were in his heels, were't not

in danger of kibes ?

Lear. Ay, boy.

Fool

Fool. Then, I pr'ythee, be merry; thy wit fhall not go flip-fhod.

Lear. Ha, ha, ha!

Fool. Shalt fee, thy other daughter will use thee

:

kindly for though fhe's as like this as a crab is like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell.

Lear. Why, what can't thou tell, my boy?

Fool. She will taste as like this, as a crab does to a crab. Thou canst tell, why one's nofe stands i' the middle of his face?

Lear. No.

Fool. Why, to keep his eyes on either fide his nose; that what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into. Lear. I did her wrong :

Fool. Can't tell how an oyster makes his shell?
Lear. No.

Fool. Nor I neither; but I can tell why a fnail has a house.

Lear. Why?

Fool. Why, to put his head in; not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horns without a cafe.

Lear. I will forget my nature.-So kind a father !— Be my horfes ready?

Fool. Thy affes are gone about 'em. The reason why the seven stars are no more than feven, is a pretty reafon.

Lear. Because they are not eight?

Fool. Yes, indeed: Thou would'ft make a good fool. Lear. To take it again perforce! Monster ingratitude! Fool. If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time.

Lear. How's that?

Fool. Thou should'st not have been old, before thou hadt been wife.

Lear.