Glo. Go in with me: my duty cannot suffer
T' obey in all your daughters' hard commands:
Though their injunction be to bar my doors,
And let this tyrannous night take hold upon you,
Yet have I ventur'd to come seek you out,
And bring you where both fire and food is ready.

Lear. First let me talk with this philosopher.-
What is the cause of thunder?

Kent. Good my lord, take his offer.
Lear. I'll talk a word with this same learned

Theban.-
What is your study ?

Edg. How to prevent the fiend, and to kill vermin. Lear. Let me ask you one word in private. Kent. Importune him once more to go, my lord; His wits begin t' unsettle. Glo.

Canst thou blame him ? His daughters seek his death :-ah, that good

Kent !He said it would be thus,-poor banish'd man ! Thou say'st the king grows inad; I'll tell thee,

friend, I'm almost mad myself: I had a son, Now outlaw'd from my blood : he sought my life, But lately, very late: true to tell thee, The grief hath craz'd my wits.- What a night's

this! I do beseech your grace,

O, cry you mercy, sir. Noble philosopher, your company.

Edg. Tom's a-cold.
Glo. In, fellow, there, into th' hovel : keep thee

warm.
Lear. Come, let's in all.

This way, my lord. Lear. With him; I will keep still with my philosopher.

Lear.

Kent.

Kent. Good my lord, soothe him; let him take

the fellow. Glo.

Take him you on.
Kent. Sirrah, come on; go along with us.
Lear. Come, good Athenian.
Glo. No words, no words: hush.
Edg. Child Rowland to the dark tower came,

His word was still—Fie, foh, and fum,
I smell the blood of a British man.

[Exeunt. Storni continues.

ENE

OSTER

LOSTER

Scene 3.-Farm House adjoining Gloster's Castle.

Enter Gloster and Kent.

Gloster.
ERE is better than the open air; take it
thankfully. I will not be long from you.
Kent. The Gods reward your kindness!

[Exit GLOSTER and KENT.

Enter LEAR, EDGAR and Fool. Edg. Frateretto calls me, and tells me Nero is an angler in the lake of darkness. Pray, [To Fool] 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 mad yeoman that sees his son a gentleman before him.

Lear. To have a thousand with red burning spits Come hissing in upon ’em,

Edg. The foul fiend bites my back.
Lear. It shall be done; I will arraign them

straight.

[TO EDGAR.] Come, sit thou here, most learned

O justicer; [To the Fool.] Thou, sapient sir, sit here. Now,

you she foxes !

Re-enter KENT.

Edg. (A side.] Look, where he stands and glares (Aloud.] Wantest thou eyes at trial, madam ?

Come o'er the bourn, Bessy, to me. Kent. How do you, sir? Stand you not so amaz'd Will you lie down and rest upon the cushions ? Lear. I'll see their trial first.—Bring in the

evidence. [To EDGAR.] Thou robèd man of justice, take thy

place;[To the Fool.] And thou, his yoke-fellow of equity, Bench by his side. [To KENT.] You are o' the

commission, Sit you too.

Edg. Let us deal justly. Pur! the cat is gray.

Lear. Arraign her first ! 'tis Goneril. I here take my oath before this honourable assembly, she kick'd the poor king, her father.

Fool. Come hither, mistress. Is your name Goneril?

Lear. She cannot deny it.
Fool. Cry you mercy, I took you for a joint-stool.
Lear. And here's another, whose warp'd looks

proclaim
What store her heart is made on.-Stop her there !
Arms, arms, sword, fire !—Corruption in the palace !-
False justicer, why hast thou let her scape ?
Edg. Bless thy five wits! (Aside.] My tears

begin to take his part so much, They'll mar my counterfeiting.

D2

Lear. The little dogs and all, Tray, Blanch, and Sweetheart, see, they bark at me.

Edg. Tom will throw his head at them.-Avaunt, you curs !

Be thy mouth or black or white,
Tooth that poisons if it bite ;
Mastiff, greyhound, mongrel grim,
Hound or spaniel, brach or lym,
Or bobtail tike or trundle-tail, -
Ton will make them weep and wail :
For, with throwing thus my head,

Dogs leap the hatch, and all are fled.
Do de, de, de.-

Sissy, coine march to wakes,

And fairs and market towns.[Aside.] Poor Tom, thy horn is dry.

Lear. Then, let them anatomize Regan, see what breeds about her heart. Is there any cause in nature, that makes these hard hearts ?- [TO EDGAR.) You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred ; only I do not like the fashion of your garments: you will say they are Persian attire ; but let them be chang’d.

Kent. Now, good my lord, lie here and rest awhile.

Lear. Make no noise, make no noise ; draw the curtains : so, so, so: we'll go to supper i’ the morning: so, so, so.

Fool. And I'll go to bed at noon.

Re-enter GLOSTER.

Glo. 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 overheard a plot of death upon him :

There is a litter ready ; lay him in't,
And drive toward Dover, friend, where thou shalt meet
Both welcome and protection.
Kent.

Oppress'd nature sleeps :
This rest might yet have balm'd thy broken sinews.
[To the Fool.] Come help to bear thy master;
Thou must not stay behind.

(Kent and the Fool bear the King.