Keep their furr dry; unbonnetted he runs,
And bids what will, take all.

Kent. But who is with him?

:

Gent. None but the fool, who labours to out-jeft His heart-ftruck injuries.

Kent. Sir, I do know you,

And dare, upon the warrnt of my note,

Commend a dear thing to you.

There's divifion

(Although as yet the face of it is cover'd

With mutual cunning) 'twixt Albany and Cornwall:
Who have (as who have not, whom their great ftars (13)
Throne and fet high?) fervants, who feem no lefs;
Which are to France the fpies and fpeculations
Intelligent of our ftate. What hath been seen,
Either in fnuffs and packings of the Dukes;
Or the hard rein, which both of them have borne
Against the old kind king; or fomething deeper,
(Whereof, perchance, these are but furnishings-)
But true it is, from France there comes a power
Into this fcatter'd kingdom; who already,
Wife in our negligence, have fecret fea
In fome of our beft ports, and are at point
To fhow their open banner- -Now to you,
If on my credit you dare build fo far
To make your speed to Dover, you shall find
Some that will thank you, making just report,
Of how unnatural and bemadding forrow
The King hath caufe to plain.

I am a gentleman of blood and breeding,
And from fome knowledge and afsurance of you,
Offer this Office.

Gent. I'll talk further with you.

Kent. No, do not:

For confirmation that I am much more

(13) Who bave, as who have not, -] The eight fubfequent Verfes were degraded by Mr. Pepe, as unintelligible, and to no pur pofe. For my part, I fee nothing in them but what is very eafy to be understood; and the Lines feem abfolutely neceifary to clear up the Motives, upon which France prepared his Invafion: nor without them is the Senfe of the Context compleat.

Than

Than my out-wall, open this purfe and take
What it contains. If you fhall fee Cordelia,
(As, fear not, but you shall) fhew her that ring,
And she will tell you who this fellow is,

That yet you do not know. Fy on this ftorm!
I will go feek the King.

Gent. Give me your hand, have you no more to say ? Kent. Few words, but, to effect, more than all yet; That, when we have found the King, (in which you take That way, I this :) he that firft lights on him, Halloo the other.

[Exeunt feverally.

Lear. Blow winds, and crack your cheeks; rage, blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, fpout

"Till you have drencht our fieeples, drown'd the cocks!
You fulph'rous and thought-executing fires,
Vaunt-couriers of oak-cleaving thunder-bolts,
Singe my white head. And thou all-fhaking thunder,
Strike flat the thick rotundity o'th' world;

Crack nature's mould, all germins fpill at once (14)
That make ingrateful man.

Fool. O nuncle, court-holy-water in a dry houfe is better than the rain-waters out o' door. Good nuncle, in, and afk thy daughters bleffing: here's a night, that pities neither wife men nor fools.

(14) Crack Nature's Mould, all Germains fill at once.] Thus all the Editions have given us this Paffage, and Mr. Pope has explained Germains to mean relations, or kindred Elements. Then it must have been germanes (from the Latin Adjective, germanus ;) a Word more than once used by our Author, tho' always falfe fpelt by his Editors. But the Poet means here, "Crack Nature's Mould, and fpill all the "Seeds of Matter, that are hoarded within it." To retrieve which Senfe, we muft write Germins; (a Subftantive derived from Germen, Oroga: as the old-Gloffaries expound it :) And to put this Emen dation beyond all Doubt, I'll produce one Paffage, where our Author not only uses the fame Thought again, but the Word that afcertains my Explication. In Winter's Tale;

Let Nature crush the Sides o'th' Earth together,

And marr the Seeds within."

Lear. Rumble thy belly full, fpit fire, fpout rain; Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire, are my daughters; I tax not you, you elements, with unkindness; I never gave you kingdom, call'd you children; You owe me no fubfcription. Then let fall Your horrible pleasure ;· here I ftand, your flave; A poor infirm, weak, and defpis'd old man! But yet I call you fervile minifters,

That have with two pernicious daughters join'd
Your high-engender'd battles, "gainst a head
So old and white as this, Oh! oh! 'tis foul:

Fool. He that has a houfe to put's head in, has a good head-piece :

The codpiece that will houfe, before the head has any, The head and she fhall lowfe; fo beggars marry many. That man that makes his toe, what he his heart should

make,

Shall of a corn cry woe, and turn his fleep to wake. For there was never yet fair woman, but he made mouths in a glass.

To them, Enter Kent.

Lear. No, I will be the pattern of all patience, I ill fay nothing.

Kent. Who's there?

Fool. Marry here's grace, and a cod-piece, that's a wife man and a fool.

Kent. Alas, Sir, are you here? things, that love night, Love not fuch nights as thefe: the wrathful skies Gallow the very wand'rers of the dark,

And make them keep their caves: fince I was a man,
Such fheets of fire, fuch burfts of horrid thunder,
Such groans of roaring wind and rain, I never
Remember to have heard. Man's nature cannot carry
Th' affliction, nor the force.

Lear. Let the great Gods,

That keep this dreadful pother o'er our heads,

Find out their enemies now.

Tremble, thou wretch,

That haft within thee undivulged crimes,

Unwhipt of juftice. Hide thee, thou bloody hand,

Thou

Thou perjure, and thou fimular of virtue,
That art incestuous: caitiff, fhake to pieces,
That under covert and convenient feeming,
Haft practis'd on man's life!-Clofe pent-up guilts,
Rive your concealing continents and ask
Thefe dreadful fummoners grace.
More finn'd againft, than finning.
Kent. Alack, bare-headed?

-1 am a man,

Gracious my Lord, hard by here is a hovel;
Some friendship will it lend you 'gainft the tempeft,
Repofe you there, while I to this hard house
(More hard than is the ftone whereof 'tis rais'd;
Which ev'n but now, demanding after you,
Deny'd me to come in) return, and force
Their fcanted courtefy.

Lear. My wits begin to turn.

Come on, my boy. How doft, my boy art cold?
I'm cold myfelf. Where is the ftraw, my fellow ?
The art of our neceffities is ftrange,

That can make vile things precious. Come, your hovel,
Poor fool and knave, I've one part in my heart,
That's forry yet for thee.

Fool. He that has an a

little tyny wit,

With heigh bo, the wind and the rain;
Muft make content with his fortunes fit,
Though the rain it raineth every day.

Lear. True, my good boy: come, bring us to this hovel.

Fool. "Tis a brave night to cool a courtefan.
I'll speak a prophefy, or ere I go;

When priests are more in words than matter,
When brewers marr their malt with water;
When nobles are their tailors' tutors;
No hereticks burn'd, but wenches' fuitors;
When every cafe in law is right,

No 'Squire in debt, nor no poor Knight;
When slanders do not live in tongues,
And cut-purfes come not to throngs;

C 4

[Exit.

When

When ufurers tell their gold i'th' field,
And bawds and whores do churches build:
Then fhall the realm of Albion

Come to great confufion :

Then comes the time, who lives to fee't,
That going fhall be us'd with feet, at et

This prophecy Merlin fhall make, for I do live before his time.

Glo.

[Exit.

SCENE, An Apartment in Glo'fter's Cafile.

Enter Glo'fter, and Edmund.

tural dealing; when I defir'd their leave that I might pity him, they took from me the ufe of mine own houfe; charg'd me on pain of perpetual displeasure, neither to speak of him, entreat for him, or any way fuftain him.

Edm. Moft favage and unnatural!

Glo. Go to; fay you nothing. There is divifion between the Dukes, and a worfe matter than that: I have receiv'd a letter this night, 'tis dangerous to be fpoken; (I have lock'd the letter in my clofet :) thefe injuries, the King now bears, will be revenged home; there is part of a power already footed; and we must incline to the King; I will look for him, and privily relieve him; go you, and maintain talk with the Duke, that my charity be not of him perceiv'd; if he afk for me, I am ill, and gone to bed; if I die for it, as no lefs is threaten'd me, the King my old mafter muft be relieved. There are ftrange things toward, Edmund; pray, you, be careful. [Exit. Edm. This curtefy, forbid thee, fhall the Duke Inftantly know, and of that letter too.

This feems a fair deferving, and muft draw me
That which my father lofes; no less than all.
The younger rifes, when the old doth fall.

!! D[Exit,

SCENÉ