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

Kent. Hail to thee, noble mafter!

Lear. Ha! mak'ft thou thy fhame thy paftime?
Kent. No, my Lord.

Fool. Ha, ha, he wears cruel garters; horfes are ty'd by the heads, dogs and bears by th' neck, monkeys by th' loins, and men by th' legs; when a man is over-lufty at legs then he wears wooden nether stocks.

Lear. What's he, that hath fo much thy Place miftook, To fet thee here?

Kent. It is both he and fhe, Your fon and daughter.

Lear. No.

Kent. Yes.

Lear. No, I fay.

Kent. I fay, yea,

Lear. By Jupiter, I fwear, no.

Kent. By Juno, I fwear, ay.

Lear. They durft not do't.

They could not, would not do't; 'tis worse than murder,
To do upon refpect fuch violent outrage:

Refolye me with all modeft hafte, which way
Thou might'ft deserve, or they impose this usage,
Coming from us?

Kent. My Lord, when at their home

I did commend your Highnefs' letters to them,
Ere I was rifen from the place, that fhew'd
My duty kneeling, came a reeking Poft,
Stew'd in his hafte, half breathlefs, panting forth
From Gonerill his mistress, falutation;
Deliver'd letters fpight of intermiffion,

Which prefently they read: on whofe contents
They fummon'd up their meiny, ftrait took horse;
Commanded me to follow, and attend

The leisure of their answer; gave me cold looks;
And meeting here the other meffenger,

Whofe welcome, I perceiv'd, had poifon'd mine;
(Being the very fellow, which of late
Difplay'd fo faucily against your Highness.)

Having more man than wit about me, I drew;
He rais'd the houfe with loud and coward cries:
Your fon and daughter found this trefpafs worth
The hame which here it fuffers.

Fool.Winter'snot gone yet, if the wild geefe fly that way. Fathers, that wear rags,

Do make their children blind : But fathers, that bear bags,

Shall fee their children kind. Fortune, that arrant whore,

Ne'er turns the key to th' poor.

But, for all this, thou fhalt have as many dofours from
Thy dear daughters, as thou canst tell in a year.
Lear. Oh, how this mother fwells up tow'rd my heart!
Hyfterica paffio, down, thou climbing-forrow,

Thy element's below; where is this daughter?
Kent. With the Earl, Sir, here within.
Lear. Follow me not; ftay here.

Gent. Made you no more offence,

But what you speak of?

Kent. None.

[Exit.

How chance the King comes with fo fmall a number? Fool. An thou hadst been fet i'th' ftocks for that queftion, thou'dft well deferved it.

Kent. Why, fool.

Fool. We'll fet thee to fchool to an ant, to teach thee there's no lab'ring i' th' winter. All, that follow their noses are led by their eyes, but blind men; and there's not a nofe among twenty, but can smell him that's stinking -let go thy hold, when a great wheel runs down a hill, left it break thy neck with following it; but the great one that goes upward, let him draw thee after. When a wife man gives thee better counsel, give me mine again; I would have none but knaves follow it, fince a fool gives it.

That Sir, which ferves for gain,

And follows but for form,

Will pack, when it begins to rain,

And leave thee in the ftorm ;

But

But I will tarry, the fool will stay,
And let the wife man fly:

The knave turns fool, that runs away;
The fool no knave, perdy.

Kent. Where learn'd you this, fool?
Fool. Not i'th' Stocks, fool.

Enter Lear and Glo'fter.

Lea. 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,

Bring me a better answer

Glo. My dear Lord,

You know the fiery quality of the Duke :
How unremovable, and fixt he is

In his own course.

Lear. Vengeance! plague! death! confufion!-Fiery? what fiery quality? why, Glo'fter,

I'd speak with th' Duke of Cornwall, and his wife.
Glo. Well, my good Lord, I have inform'd them fo.
Lear. Inform'd them? doft thou understand me, man?
Glo. Ay, my good Lord ?

Lear. The King would speak with Cornwall, the dear father

Wou'd with his daughter fpeak; commands her fervice :
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 ftill neglect all office,

Whereto our health is bound; we're not ourselves,
When Nature, being oppreft, commands the mind
To fuffer with the body. I'll forbear;

And am fall'n out with my more headier will,
To take the indispos'd and fickly fit

For the found man.-Death on my ftate! but wherefore
Should he fit here? this Act perfuades me,

That this remotion of the Duke and her

Is practice only. Give me my fervant forth;
Go, tell the Duke and's wife, I'd speak with them:
Now, presently,-bid them come forth and hear me,

Or

Or at their chamber-door I'll beat the drum, 'Till it cry, fleep to death.

Glo. I would have all well betwixt you.

[Exit.

Lear. Oh me, my heart! my rifing heart! but down. Fool. Cry to it, nuncle, as the cockney did to the Eels, when he put them i'th' Pafty alive; the rapt 'em o'th' coxcombs with a stick, and cry'd, down wantons, down; 'Twas her brother, that in pure kindness to his horse butter'd his hay.

Enter Cornwall, Regan, Glo'fter, and Servants.

Lear. Good-morrow to you both.

Corn. Hail to your Grace!

[Kent is fet at Liberty. Reg. I am glad to fee your Highness.

Lear. Regan, I think, you are; I know, what reason I have to think fo; if thou wert not glad,

I would divorce me from thy mother's tomb,
Sepulchring an adultrefs. O, are you free? [To Kent.
Some other time for that. Beloved Regan,
Thy fifter's naught: oh Regan, the hath tied
Sharp-tooth'd unkindness, like a vulture here;

[Points to his heart. I can fcarce fpeak to thee; thou'lt not believe, With how deprav'd a quality

oh Regan!· Reg. I pray you, Sir, take patience; I have hope, You lefs know how to value her defert,

Than fhe to fcant her duty.

Lear. Say? How is that?

Reg. I cannot think my fifter in the leaft

Would fail her obligation. If, perchance,
She have reftrain'd the riots of your followers ;
'Tis on fuch ground, and to fuch wholefom end,
As clears her from all blame.

Lear. My curfes on her

Reg. O Sir, you are old,

Nature in you ftands on the very verge
Of her confine; you fhould be rul'd and led
By fome difcretion, that difcerns your state
Better than you your Self; therefore, I pray you,
That to our fifter you do make retur;

Say

Say, you have wrong'd her, Sir.
Lear. Ask her forgiveness ?

Do you

but mark, how this becomes the use? (9) Dear daughter, I confefs, that I am old,

Age is unneceffary: On my knees I beg,

That you'll vouchfafe me raiment, bed, and food.
Reg. Good Sir, no more; these are unfightly tricks :
Return you to my fifter.

Lear. Never, Regan:

She hath abated me of half my train ;

Look'd blank upon me; ftruck me with her tongue, (10) Moft ferpent-like, upon the very heart.

All the flor'd vengeances of heaven fall

On her ingrateful Top! ftrike her young bones,-
You taking airs, with lameness !-

Corn. Fy! Sir, fy!

Lear. You nimble lightnings, dart your blinding flames Into her fcornful eyes! infect her beauty,

You fen-fuck'd fogs, drawn by the pow'rful fun
To fall, and blast her pride.

Reg. O the bleft Gods!

So will

you wifh on me, when the rafh mood is on. Lear. No, Regan, thou shalt never have my curfe : Thy tender hefted nature fhall not give

Thee o'er to harfhnefs; her eyes are fierce, but thine
Do comfort, and not burn. "Tis not in thee.
To grudge my pleasures, to cut off my train,

() Do you but mark how this becomes the House?] This Phrase to me is unintelligible, and feems to say nothing to the purpofe: Neither can it mean, as I conceive, how this becomes the Order of Families. Lear would certainly intend to reply, how does asking my Daughters, Forgiveness become me as a Father, and agree with common Fashion, the establish'd Rule and cuftom of Nature? It feems, therefore, no Doubt to me, but the Poet wrote, as I have alter'd the Text. And that Shakespear employs Ufe in this Signification is

tco obvious to want a Proot

(10) Lock'd black upon me.] This is a Phrafe which I do not underftand; neither have I any where else met with it. But to look blank is a known Expreflion, fignifying, either to give difcouraging, Looks to another, or to ftand difmay'd and difappointed one's felf, The Poet means here, that Generill gave him cold Looks, as he before phrafes it in this Play

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