to be just! This is the letter he spoke of, which approves him an intelligent party to the advantages of France. O heavens! that this treason were not, or not I the detector! Corn. Go with me to the duchess.

Edm. If the matter of this paper be certain, you have mighty business in hand.

Corn. True or false, it hath made thee earl of Gloster. Seek out where thy father is, that he may be ready for our apprehension.

Edm. [aside.] If I find him comforting the king, it will stuff his suspicion more fully.-I will persevere in my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore between that and my blood.

Corn. I will lay trust upon thee; and thou shalt find a dearer father in my love. [Exeunt.

SCENE VI.-A Chamber in a Farm-house adjoining the Castle.

Enter GLOSTER, LEAR, KENT, Fool, and EDGAR. Glo. Here is better than the open air; take it thankfully. I will piece out the comfort with what addition I can: I will not be long from you.

Kent. All the power of his wits have given way to his impatience:-the gods reward your kindness! [Exit GLO. Edg. Frateretto calls me; and tells me Nero is an angler in the lake of darkness.-Pray, innocent, and beware the foul fiend.

Fool. Pr'ythee, 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.

Fool. He's mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a

horse's health, a boy's love, or a whore's oath.

Lear. It shall be done; I will arraign them straight.Come, sit thou here, most learned justicer;- [To EDGAR. Thou, sapient sir, sit here [to the Fool].-Now, you she-foxes! Edg. Look, where he stands and glares!-Wantest thou eyes at trial, madam?

Come o'er the bourn, Bessy, to me,—

Fool.

Her boat hath a leak,

And she must not speak

Why she dares not come over to thee.

Edg. The foul fiend haunts poor Tom in the voice of a nightingale. Hopdance cries in Tom's belly for two white herring. Croak not, black angel; I have no food for thee.

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.Thou robed man of justice, take thy place,- [To EDGAR. And thou, his yoke-fellow of equity,

Bench by his side:--you are o' the commission,
Sit you too.

Edg. Let us deal justly.

[To the Fool.

Sleepest or wakest thou, jolly shepherd?

Thy sheep be in the corn;

And for one blast of thy minikin mouth
Thy sheep shall take no harm.

Pur! the cat is gray.

[TO KENT.

Lear. Arraign her first; 'tis Goneril. I here take my oath before this honourable assembly, she kicked 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 place!—
False justicer, why hast thou let her scape?

Edg. Bless thy five wits!

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

That you so oft have boasted to retain?

Edg. [aside.] My tears begin to take his part so much,

They'll mar my counterfeiting.

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,
Tom will make them weep and wail:
For, with throwing thus my head,
Dogs leap the hatch, and all are fled.

Do de, de, de. Sessa! Come, march to wakes and fairs and market-towns.-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 you for one of my hundred; only I do not like the fashion of your garments: you will say they are Persian; but let them be changed.

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

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

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

Re-enter GLOSTER.

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 pr'ythee, take him in thy arms;

I have o'erheard 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. Take up thy master:
If thou shouldst dally half an hour, his life,
With thine, and all that offer to defend him,
Stand in assured loss: take up, take up;
And follow me, that will to some provision
Give thee quick conduct.

Kent.
Oppress'd nature sleeps:-
This rest might yet have balm'd thy broken sinews,
Which, if convenience will not allow,
Stand in hard cure.-Come, help to bear thy master;
Thou must not stay behind.
Glo.

[To the Fool.

Come, come, away.

[Exeunt KENT, GLO., and Fool, bearing off LEAR Edg. When we our betters see bearing our woes, We scarcely think our miseries our foes. Who alone suffers suffers most i' the mind,

Leaving free things and happy shows behind:

But then the mind much sufferance doth o'erskip
When grief hath mates and bearing fellowship.
How light and portable my pain seems now,

When that which makes me bend makes the king bow;
He childed as I father'd!-Tom, away!

Mark the high noises; and thyself bewray,

When false opinion, whose wrong thought defiles thee,

In thy just proof repeals and reconciles thee.
What will hap more to-night, safe scape the king!
Lurk, lurk.

SCENE VII.—A Room in GLOSTER's Castle.

[Exit.

Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, GONERIL, EDMUND, and Servants. Corn. Post speedily to my lord your husband; show him this letter:-the army of France is landed.-Seek out the traitor Gloster. [Exeunt some of the Servants.

Reg. Hang him instantly.
Gon. Pluck out his eyes.

Corn. Leave him to my displeasure.-Edmund, keep you our sister company: the revenges we are bound to take upon your traitorous 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 posts shall be swift and intelligent betwixt us. Farewell, dear sister :farewell, my lord of Gloster.

Enter OSWALD.

How now! where's the king?

Osw. My lord of Gloster hath convey'd him hence: Some five or six and thirty of his knights,

Hot questrists after him, met him at gate;

Who, with some other of the lord's dependents,

Are gone with him toward Dover; where they boast
To have well-armed friends.

Corn.

Get horses for your mistress.

Gon. Farewell, sweet lord and sister.
Corn. Edmund, farewell. [Exeunt GON., EDM., and Osw.
Go seek the traitor Gloster,

Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us.

[Exeunt other Servants.

Though well we may not pass upon his life
Without the form of justice, yet our power
Shall do a courtesy to our wrath, which men

May blame, but not control.-Who's there? the traitor?
Re-enter Servants, with GLOSTER.

Reg. Ingrateful fox! 'tis he..

Corn. Bind fast his corky arms.

Glo. What mean your graces?-Good my friends, consider

You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends.

Corn. Bind him, I say.

[Servants bind him.

Reg.

Hard, hard.-O filthy traitor!

Glo. Unmerciful lady as you are, I'm none.

Corn. To this chair bind him.-Villain, thou shalt find,—

[REGAN plucks his beard.

Glo. By the kind gods, 'tis most ignobly done

To pluck me by the beard.

Reg. So white, and such a traitor!

Glo.
Naughty lady,
These hairs which thou dost ravish from my chin
Will quicken, and accuse thee: I am your host:
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 simple-answer'd, for we know the truth.

Corn. And what confederacy have you with the traitors Late footed in the kingdom?

Reg. To whose hands have you sent the lunatic king? Speak.

Glo. I have a letter guessingly set down,

Which came from one that's of a neutral heart,
And not from one oppos'd.

Corn.

Reg.

Cunning.

And false.

Corn. Where hast thou sent the king?
Glo.

To Dover. [peril,

Reg. Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charg'd at Corn. Wherefore to Dover? Let him answer that.

Glo. I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course. Reg. Wherefore to Dover?

Glo. Because I would not see thy cruel nails

Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister
In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.

The sea, with such a storm as his bare head
In hell-black night endur'd, would have buoy'd up,
And quench'd the stelled fires: yet, poor old heart,
He holp the heavens to rain.

If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that stern time
Thou shouldst have said, Good porter, turn the key,
All cruels else subscrib'd:-but I shall see

The winged vengeance overtake such children.

Corn. See't shalt thou never.-Fellows, hold the chair.— Upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot.

[GLOSTER is held down in his chair, while CORNWALL

plucks out one of his eyes and sets his foot on it.

Glo. He that will think to live till he be old

Give me some help!-O cruel!-O you gods!