I will preserve myself. My face I'll grime with filth
Blanket my loins; elf all my hair in knots;
And with presented nakedness out-face
The winds and persecutions of the sky.
The country gives me proof and precedent
Of Bedlam beggars, who, with roaring voices,
Strike in their numb'd and mortifi'd bare arms
Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of rosemary;
And with this horrible object, from low farms
Poor pelting villages, sheep-cotes, and mills,
Sometime with lunatic bans, sometime with prayers,
Enforce their charity.-" Poor Turlygood! poor

Tom!"
That's something yet :-Edgar I nothing am.

SCENE 3.-Court within GLOSTER's Castle; Kent in

the stocks.

Enter, from Castle, LEAR and the Fool.

Lear.

RIS strange that they should so depart from

home, And not send back my messenger. Fool. 'Shalt see thy other daughter will use thee kindly; for though she's as like this as a crab's like an apple, yet I can what I can tell.

Lear. What canst tell, boy ?

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

Lear. No.

Fool. Why, to keep one's eyes of either side's nose; that what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into. Lear. I did her wrong—to take't again perforce !-monster ingratitude !

Fool. Canst tell how an oyster makes his shell ?
Lear. No.

Fool. Nor I neither; but I can tell why a snail 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 case.

Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven! Keep me in temper: I would not be mad!

Kent. [From the stocks.) Hail to thee, noble master.
Fool. Ha, ha! he wears cruel garters.

Lear. Ha!
Mak’st thou this shame thy pastime ?
Kent.

No, my lord. Lear. What's he that hath so much thy place

mistook To set thee here ? Kent.

It is both he and she,-
Your son and daughter.

Lear. No.
Kent. Yes.
Lear. No, I say.
Kent. I say, yea.
Lear. No, no, they would not.
Kent. Yes, they have.
Lear. By Jupiter, I swear, no.
Kent. By Juno, I swear, ay.
Lear.

They durst not do't; They could not, would not do't ; 'tis worse than

murder,
To do upon respect such violent outrage,
Coming from us.
Kent.

My lord, when at their home
I did commend your highness' letters to them,
Ere I was risen, came there a reeking post,
Stew'd in his haste, half breathless, panting forth

C 2

From Goneril his mistress, salutations;
Deliver'd letters, upon whose contents,
They summond up their men and straight took

horse;
Commanded me to follow, and attend
The leisure of their answer ; gave me cold looks:
And meeting here the other messenger,-
Being the very fellow which of late
Display'd so saucily against your highness,-
Having more man than wit about me, drew:
He rais'd the house with loud and coward cries.
Your son and daughter found this trespass worth
The shame which here it suffers.

Fool. Winter's not gone yet, if the wild-geese fly

that way

Lear. O, how this mother swells up toward my

heart !
Hysterica passion-down, thou climbing sorrow,
Thy element's below!-Where is this daughter ?

Kent. With the earl, sir, here within.
Lear.

Follow me not ; Stay here.

Exit. Gent. Made you no more offence but what you

speak of? Kent. None. How chance the king comes with so small a train ?

Fool. An thou hadst been set i' the stocks for that question, thou hadst well deserv'd it.

Kent. Why, fool ?

Fool. That sir which serves and seeks for gain,

And follows but for form,
Will pack when it begins to rain,

And leave thee in the storni.

Kent. Where learn'd you this, fool ?
Fool. Not i' the stocks, fool.

Re-enter LEAR with GLOSTER.

Lear. Deny to speak with me? They're sick, —

they're weary? They have travell’d all the night? Mere fetches ! The images of revolt and flying off. Fetch me a better answer. Glo.

My dear lord, You know the fiery quality of the duke.

Lear. Vengeance! plague ! death! confusion ! Fiery! what quality ? Why, Gloster, Gloster, I'd speak to the Duke of Cornwall and his wife.

Glo. Well, my good lord, I have inform’d them so. Lear. Inform'd them! Dost thou understand me,

man ? The king would speak with Cornwall; the dear

father Would with his daughter speak, commands her

service : Are they inform'd of this ?-My breath and blood !Fiery ? the fiery duke ?—Tell the hot duke that, No, but not yet :-may be he is not well : Infirmity doth still neglect all office Whereto our health is bound; we're not ourselves When nature, being oppress’d, commands the mind To suffer with the body: I'll forbear. Death on my state! wherefòre

(Looking on KENT. Should lie sit here? give me my servant forth. Go tell the duke and's wife I'd speak with them, Now, presently: bid them come forth and hear me, Or at their chamber door I'll beat the drum Till it cry sleep to death.

Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, GLOSTER and Servants,

Corn.

Hail to your grace! .

Lear. Good morrow to you both. [Aside. O, me!

my heart, my rising heart !-keep down.

[Kent is set at liberty.

Reg. I am glad to see your highness.

Lear. Regan, I think you are ; I know what reason
I have to think so; if thou should'st not be glad,
I would divorce me from thy mother's tomb,
Sepulchring an adultress.— [To KENT.] O, are you

free?
Some other time for that.-Beloved Regan,
Thy sister's naught: 0 Regan, she hath tied
Sharp-tooth'd unkindness, like a vulture, here, -

[Points to his heart. I can scarce speak to thee; thou'lt not believe Of how deprav'd a quality“O Regan !

Reg. I pray you, sir, take patience: I have hope You less know how to value her desert Than she to scant her duty. Lear.

Say, how is that?
Reg. I cannot think my sister in the least
Would fail her obligation.

Lear. My curses on her !
Reg.

O, sir, you are old.
You should be rul'd, and led ; therefore, I pray you,
That to our sister you do make return;
Say you have wrong'd her, sir.
Lear.

Ask her forgiveness ? Do you

but mark how this becomes the house: “Dear daughter, I confess that I am old ; Age is unnecessary : on my knees I beg [Kneeling: That you'll vouchsafe me raiment, bed, and food." Reg. Good sir, no more; these are unsightly

tricks: Return you to my sister. . Lear.

Never, Regan : She hath abated me of half my train;