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

And thereto add fuch reafons of your own,
As may compact it more 2.

Lear. To take it again perforce 5!-Monster, ingratitude!

Foel. If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time. Lear. How's that?

Fool. Thou fhould'ft not have been old, before thou hadft been wife.

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

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

How now? Are the horses ready?

At point, probably means completely armed, and confequently ready at appointment or command 2 That is, Unite one circumstance with another, io as to make a confiftent On the flightcit notice. 3 To be at tok, is to be liable to reprehenfion and correction. 4 He is musing on

5 He is meditating on his daughter's having in fo violent a manner deprived

hm of thofe privileges which before the had agreed to grant him.

Gla. But where is he?
Edm. Look, fir, I bleed.
Glo. Where is the villain,
Edm. Fled this way, fir.
he could

Edmund ?

When by no means
[means,-what?
Glo. Purfue him, ho!-Go after.- -By no
Edm. Perfuade me to the murder of your lordship;
But that I told him, the revenging gods
'Gainft parricides did all their thunders bend;
Spoke, with how manifold and strong a bond
The child was bound to the father;-Sir, in fine,
Seeing how lothly oppofite I ftood

To his unnatural purpofe, in fell motion,
With his prepared fword, he charges home
My unprovided body, lanc'd mine arm :
But when he faw my beft alarum'd fpirits,
Bold in the quarrel's right, rous'd to the encounter,
Or whether gafted 3 by the noife I made,
Full fuddenly he filed.

Glo. Let him Ay far:

Not in this land fhall he remain uncaught;
And found-Difpatch.-The noble duke my master,
My worthy arch 4 and patron, comes to-night:
By his authority I will proclaim it,

This weaves ittelf perforce into my business !
My father hath fet guard to take my brother;
And I have one thing, of a queazy 2 queftion,
Which I must act :--Briefnefs, and fortune, work!--That he, which finds him, thall deferve our thanks,
Brother, a word;-defcend :-Brother, 1 fay;

Enter Edgar.

My father watches :-O, fir, fly this place;

Intelligence is given where you are hid;

Bringing the murderous coward to the stake;
He that conceals him, death.

You have now the good advantage of the night :-1 threaten'd to difcover him: He replied,
Have you not spoken 'gainst the duke of Cornwall?" Thou unpofening baftard! doft thou think,
He's coming hither, now, i'the night, i' the hafte," If I would ftand againit thee, would the repofal
And Regan with him; Have you nothing faid

Upon his party 'gainft the duke of Albany ?

Advise yourself.

"Of any truft, virtue, or worth, in thee
"Make thy words faith'd? No: what I fhould deny,
"(As this I would; ay, though thou didit produce
My very character) I'd turn it all

66

Edg. I am fure on 't, not a word. Edm. I hear my father coming,-Pardon me :-"15 the fuggeftion, plot, and damned practice : In cunning, I muit draw my word upon you :-" And thou must make a dullard of the world, Draw: Seem to defend yourself: Now quit you" If they not thought the profits of my death well. [here!" Were very pregnant and potential fpurs Yield :-come before my father;-Light, ho," To make thee teek it.” [Trumpets within. Fly, brother;-Torches ! torches !-So, farewel.- Glo. O trange, taften'd villain! [Exit Edgar. Would he deny his letter, faid he ?——I never got him. Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion Hark, the duke's trumpets! I know not why he [Wounds his arm. Of my more fierce endeavour: I have feen drunkards Do more than this in fport.-Father! father! Stop, top! No help?

Enter Glofter, and Servants with torches.
Glo. Now, Edmund, where's the villain?
Edm. Here ftood he in the dark, his tharp fword

our,

Mumbling of wicked charms, conjuring the moon
To ftand his aufpicious mistrets:-

comes :

All ports I'll bar; the villain shall not scape;
The duke muit grant me that: befides, his picture.
I will fend far and near, that all the kingdom
May have due note of him: and of my land,
Loyal and natural boy, I'll work the means
To make thee capable 7.

Enter Cornwall, Regan, and Attendants.
Corn. How now, my noble friend? fince I
came hither,

1 Ear-kiffing arguments means, that they are yet in reality only whisper'd ones. 2 Queazy means delicate; what requires to be handled nicely. 3 1. e. frighted. 4 i. e. chief; a word now used only in compofition, as arch-angel, arch-duke. 5 Pight is itched, fixed, fettled. • Curft is fevere, harth, vehemently angry. 7 i. e. capable of fucceeding to my land, notwithstanding the legal bar of thy illegitimacy.

(Which I can call but now) I have heard ftrange Your graces are right welcome.

Stew. Pr'ythee, if thou love me, tell me.
Kent. I love thee not.

Stew. Why then I care not for thee.
Kent. If I had thee in Lipfbury 4 pinfold, I
would make thee care for me.

Stew. Why dost thou use me thus ? I know thee not.

Kent. Fellow, I know thee.

Stew. What doft thou know me for?

Kent. A knave, a rafcal, an eater of broken meats; a bafe, proud, fhallow, beggarly, threefuited 5, hundred-pound 6, filthy wonted-itock.ng/ knave; a lily-liver'd, action-taking knave; a whorefon, glafs-gazing, fuper-ferviceable, finical

Edmund, 1 hear that you have fhewn your father rogue; one-trunk-inheriting flave; one that A child-like office.

i. e. difcover, betray. Practice is always ufed by Shakspeare for infidious mifchief. price, for value. 3 i. e. not at home, but at fome other place. 4 Lipfbury pinfeld may be a cant expreffion impor.ing the fame as Lob's Found. 5 Three-fuited knave might mean, in an age of oftentatious finery like that of Shakspeare, one who had no greater change of rayment than three faits would furnish him with. 6 A hundred pound gentleman is a term of reproach. 1 A worfled-Rocking knave is another term of reproach. The stockings in England, in the reign of queen Elizabeth, were remarkably expenfive, and scarce any other kind than filk were worn, even by those who had not above forty fhillings a year wages. 8 Lilly-liver'd is cowardly; white-blooded 'and white-hver’d are fill in vulgar ufe. 9 i. e. titles. 10 This is equivalent to our modern phrafe of making the fun fhine through any one. 11 Barber-monger may mean dealer in the lower tradefmen: a flur upon the Iteward, as taking fees for a recommendation to the business of the family. 12 You mest flavt, means no more than you finical rafcal, you who are an affemblage of foppery and poverty.

Kent. With you, goodman boy, if you please ;[ come, I'll flesh you; come on, young mafter.

Glo. Weapons! arms! What's the matter here?
Corn. Keep peace, upon your lives;

He dies, that ftrikes again: What is the matter?
Reg. The meifengers from our fifter and the
king.

Corn. What is your difference? speak.

Stew. I am fcarce in breath, my lord. [valour.
Kent. No marvel, you have fo beftirr'd your
You cowardly rafcal, nature difclaims in thee;
A tailor made thee.

Corn. Thou art a strange fellow :
A tailor make a man?

Kent. Ay, a tailor, fir: aftone-cutter, or a painter could not have made him fo ill, though they had been but two hours at the trade.

Kent. His countenance likes 7 me not. [or hers.
Corn. No more, perchance, does mine, or his,
Kent. Sir, 'tis my occupation to be plain;
I have feen better faces in my time,
Than stand on any fhoulder that I fee
Before me at this inftant.

Corn. This is fome fellow,

Who, having been prais'd for bluntnefs, doth affect
A faucy roughness; and conftrains the garb,
Quite from his nature: He cannot flatter, he!—
An honeft mind and plain,-he muft fpeak truth:
An they will take it, fo; if not, he's plain. [neis
Thefe kind of knaves I know, which in this plain-
Harbour more craft, and more corrupter ends,
Than twenty filly 9 ducking obfervants,
That ftretch their duties nicely 10.

Kent. Sir, in good footh, or in fincere verity,`
Under the allowance of your grand afpect,

Corn. Speak yet, how grew your quarrel?
Stew. This ancient ruffian, fir, whofe life I Whofe influence, like the wreath of radiant fire

have ípar'd,

On flickering 11 Phoebus' front,

Corn. What mean'ft thou by this?

Kent. To go out of my dialect, which you difcommend fo much. I know, fir, I am no flatterer: he that beguil'd you, in a plain accent, was a plain knave; which, for my part, I will not be, though I should win your difpleasure to entreat me to it.

Corn. What was the offence you gave him?
Stew. I never gave him any:

It pleas'd the king his matter, very late,

Kent. That fuch a flave as this should wear a To strike at me, upon his mifconftruction ;

fword,
[thefe,
Who wears no honetty. Such fmiling rogues as
Like rats, oft bite the holy cords 3 in twain
Too 'intrinficate t'unloofe: footh every paffion
That in the nature of their lords rebels ;
Bring oil to fire, fnow to their colder moods;
Renege, affirm, and turn their halcyon + beaks
With every gale and vary of their matters;
Knowing nought, like dogs, but following.-
A plague upon your epileptic 5 vifage!
Smile you my fpeeches, as I were a fool ?
Goofe, if I had you upon Sarum plain,
I'd drive you cackling home to Camelot 6.
Corn. What art thou mad, old fellow?
Glo. How fell you out fay that.

Kent. No contraries hold more antipathy,

Than I and fuch a knave.

that

When he, conjunct, and flattering his difpleafure,
Tript me behind; being down, infulted, rail'd,
And put upon him fuch a deal of man,
That worthy'd him, got praifes of the king
For him attempting who was felf-fubdu'd;
And, in the fleshment of this dread exploit,
Drew on me here again.

Kent. None of thete rogues, and cowards,
But Ajax is their fool 12.

Corn. Fetch forth the ftocks, ho!

[gart,

You ftubborn ancient knave, you reverend brag-
We'll teach you———————

Kent. Sir, I am too old to learn:

Call not your ftocks for me: I ferve the king;
On whofe employment I was fent to you:
You fhall do fmail refpect, fhew too bold malice
Against the grace and person of my mafter,

Corn. Why doft thou call him knave? What's Stocking his meffenger.

his offence?

Corn. Fetch forth the ftocks :

1 Mr. Steevens obferves, that Zed is here probably used as a term of contempt, because it is the laft letter in the English alphabet, and as its place may be supplied by S, and the Roman alphabet has it not; neither is it read in any word originally Teutonic. 2 Unbolted mortar, according to

Mr. Tollet, is mortar made of unfifted lime, and therefore to break the lumps it is neceffary to tread it by men in wooden fhoes. This unbolted villain is, therefore, this coarfe ralcal. 3 By thefe holy cords the poet means the natural union between parents and children. The metaphor is taken from the cords of the fanctuary; and the fomenters of family differences are compared to thefe facrilegious rats. 4 The halcyon is the bird otherwife called the king-fifier. The valgar opinion was, that this bird, if hung up, would vary with the wind, and by that incans fhew from what point it 5 The frighted countenance of a man ready to fall in a fit. 6 Camelot was the place

blew. where the romances fay king Arthur kept his court in the Weft; fo this alludes to fome proverbial fpeech in thofe romances. In Somersetshire, adds Hanmer, near Camelot, are many large moors, where are pred great quantities of geefe, fo that many other places are from hence fuppited with quills and feathers. 7 i. c. pleases me not. 8 i. e. forces his outfide or his appearance to fomething totally different from his natural difpofition. 9 Silly here means only fimpie, or ruttic. foolishly. Dr. Johnfon in his Dilienary fays this word means to flutter. means here, their butt, their langhing-flock.

10 1. e.

12 Their fool

As

As I have life and honour, there fhall he fit 'till Take vantage, heavy eyes, not to behold

A Part of the Heath.
Enter Edgar.

Edg. I heard myself proclaim'd ;

And, by the happy hollow of a tree,
Efcap'd the hunt. No port is free; no place,
That guard, and most unusual vigilance,

Glo. Let nie beseech your grace not to do fo: His fault is much, and the good king his mafter Will check him for 't: your purpos'd low cor-Does not attend my taking. While I may fcape,

rection

Is fuch, as bafeft and the meaneft wretches,
For pilferings and most common trefpaffes,
Are punish'd with: the king must take it ill,
That he, fo flightly valu'd in his meilenger,
Should have him thus restrain’d.

Corn. I'll answer that.

Reg. My fifter may receive it much more worfe,
To have her gentleman abus'd, aflaulted,
For following her affairs.-Put in his legs.-

[Kent is put in the flock:. [Exeunt Regan, and Cornwall. Glo. I am forry for thee, friend; 'tis the duke's pleafure,

Come, my good lord; away.

I will preferve myself and am bethought
To take the bafest and most pooreft shape,
That ever penury, in contempt of man,
Brought near to beaft: my face I'll grime with filth;
Blanket my loins; elf all my hair in knots;
And with prefented nakedness out-face
The winds, and perfecutions of the sky.
The country gives me proof and precedent
Of Bedlam beggars, who, with roaring voices,
Strike in their numb'd and mortify'd bare arms
Pins, wooden pricks 3, nails, fprigs of rosemary;
And with this horrible object, from low farms,
Poor pelting 4 villages, sheep-cotes, and mills,
Sometime with lunatic bans 5, fometime with pray-

ers,

[Tom! Whofe difpofition, all the world well knows, [thee. Inforce their charity.-Poor Turlygood! poor Will not be rubb'd, nor stopp'd: I'll entreat for That's fomething yet ;-Edgar I nothing am. am.[Exit. Kent. Pray, do not, fir: I have watch'd, and

SCENE IV.

Earl of Glofler's Cafile.

Enter Lear, Fool, and Gentleman.

Lear. 'Tis ftrange, that they should fo depart
from home,

And not fend back my meffenger.
Gent. As I learn'd,

The night before there was no purpose in them
Of this remove.

Kent. Hail to thee, noble master!

Lear. How! mak'ft thou this shame thy pastine?
Kent. No, my lord.

Fool. Ha, ha; look! he wears crue! 6 garters!
Horfes are ty'd by the heads; dogs and bears by
the neck; monkies by the loins, and men by the
legs when a man is over lufty 7 at legs, then be
wears wooden nether-ftocks 8
[miftook
Lear. What's he, that hath fo much thy place
To fet thee here?

I That art now to exemplify the common proverb, that out of, &c. That changest better for worfe. Hanmer obferves, that it is a proverbial faying, applied to those who are turned out of house and home to the open weather. It was perhaps first used of men difmiffed from an hotpital, or house of charity, fuch as was erected formerly in many places for travellers. Thofe houfes had names properly enough alluded to by heaven's benediction. The faw alluded to, is in Heywood's Dialogues on Proverbs, book ii. chap. 5.

"In your running from him to me, ye runne
"Out of God's bleffing into the warme funne."

3 i. e.

2 Hair thus knotted, was vulgarly fuppofed to be the work of elves and fairies in the night. skewers. 4 i. e. paltry. s To ban, is to curfe. 6 Mr. Steevens believes that a quibble was here intended. Crewel lignifies worked, of which flockings, garters, night-caps, &c. are made. 7 Over-lufty in this place has a double figuification. Luftiness anciently meant fuucinefs. 8 Netherfleeks is the old word for fachings. Breeches were at that sime called "men's over-stocks."

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