Whose reverence even the head-lugg'd bear would lick,-
Most barbarous, most degenerate!—have you madded.
Could my good brother suffer you to do it?

A man, a prince, by him so benefited!

If that the heavens do not their visible spirits
Send quickly down to tame these* vile offences,
"T will come, humanity must perforce prey on 'tself,
Like. monsters of the deep.

GON.

Milk-liver'd man!

That bear'st a cheek for blows, a head for wrongs;
Who hast not in thy brows an eye discerning

Thine honour from thy suffering;a that not know'st,
Fools do those villains pity who are punish'd

Ere they have done their mischief. Where's thy drum?
France spreads his banners in our noiseless land;
With plumed helm thy state begins to threat
Whiles thou, a moral fool, sitt'st still, and criest,
Alack! why does he so?

ALB.
See thyself, devil!
Proper deformity seems not in the fiend
So horrid as in woman.

GON.

O vain fool!c

ALB. Thou changed and self-cover'd thing, for shame, Be-monster not thy feature! Were 't my fitness

To let these hands obey my blood,

They are apt enough to dislocate and tear

Thy flesh and bones:-howe'er thou art a fiend,
A woman's shape doth shield thee.

GON. Marry, your manhood now!

MESS. O, my good lord, the duke of Cornwall's dead, Slain by his servant, going to put out

The other eye of Gloster.

ALB.

Gloster's eyes!

MESS. A servant that he bred, thrill'd with remorse, Oppos'd against the act, bending his sword

To his great master; who, thereat enrag'd,t

Flew on him, and amongst them fell'd him dead;
But not without that harmful stroke, which since
Hath pluck'd him after.

ALB.

You justicers, that these our nether crimes

This shows you are above,

(*) Old copies, this, the.

(†) First folio, threat-enrag'd.

(1) First folio, Iustices.

• Thine honour from thy suffering;] In the folio, Goneril's speech ends here.

b

thy state begins to threat;] The first quarto has,-"thy state begins thereat;" the second, "thy slaier begins threats."

O vain fool!] In the folio, the Messenger enters here, and begins immediately,'O, my good lord," &c.

So speedily can venge!-But, O poor Gloster!

Lost he his other eye?

MESS.

Both, both, my lord.

This letter, madam, craves a speedy answer;

"T is from your sister.

GON. [Aside.]

One way I like this well;

But being widow, and my Gloster with her,

May all the building in my fancy pluck

Upon my hateful life: another way,

The news is not so tart.-I'll.read, and answer.

ALB. Where was his son, when they did take his eyes?
MESS. Come with my lady hither.

ALB.

He is not here.

MESS. No, my good lord, I met him back again.

ALB. Knows he the wickedness?

MESS. Ay, my good lord; 't was he inform'd against him;
And quit the house on purpose that their punishment
Might have the freer course.

ALB. [Aside.]

Gloster, I live

To thank thee for the love thou show'dst the king,
And to revenge thine eyes.-Come hither, friend;
Tell me what more thou know'st.

[Exit.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. The French Camp near Dover.

Enter KENT, and a Gentleman.

KENT. Why the king of France is so suddenly gone back know you the reason?

GENT. Something he left imperfect in the state, which since his coming forth is thought of; which imports to the kingdom so much. fear and danger, that his personal return was most required and necessary.

KENT. Who hath he left behind him general?

GENT. The mareschal of France, Monsieur le Far.

KENT. Did your letters pierce the queen to any demonstration of grief?

GENT. Ay, sir; she took them, read them in my presence;

And now and then an ample tear trill'd down

Her delicate cheek: it seem'd, she was a queen

Over her passion; who, most rebel-like,

Sought to be king o'er her.

KENT.

O, then it mov'd her.

GENT. Not to a rage: patience and sorrow strove† Who should express her goodliest. You have seen Sunshine and rain at once: her smiles and tears

Were like a better day: those happy smilets,
That play'd on her ripe lip, seem'd not to know
What guests were in her eyes; which parted thence,
As pearls from diamonds dropp'd.—In brief,
Sorrow would be a rarity most belov'd,

If all could so become it.

KENT.

Made she no verbal question?

GENT. Faith, once or twice she heav'd the name of father Pantingly forth, as if it press'd her heart;

Cried, Sisters! sisters!—Shame of ladies! sisters!

Kent! father! sisters! What, i' the storm? i the night?
Let pity not be believ'd!-There she shook

The holy water from her heavenly eyes,

And clamour moisten'd: then away she started
To deal with grief alone.

KENT.

It is the stars,

The stars above us, govern our conditions;

Else one self mate and mate could not beget

Such different issues.-You spoke not with her since?
GENT. No.

KENT. Was this before the king return'd?

GENT.

No, since.

KENT. Well, sir, the poor distressed Lear's i' the town;

Who sometime, in his better tune, remembers

What we are come about, and by no means

Will yield to see his daughter.

GENT.

Why, good sir?

KENT. A Sovereign shame so elbows him: his own unkindness, That stripp'd her from his benediction, turn'd her

To foreign casualties, gave her dear rights

To his dog-hearted daughters, these things sting
His mind so venomously, that burning shame
Detains him from Cordelia.

GENT.

Alack, poor gentleman!

KENT. Of Albany's and Cornwall's powers you heard not?

GENT. 'Tis so, they are a-foot.

KENT. Well, sir, I'll bring you to our master Lear,

And leave you to attend him: some dear cause

Will in concealment wrap me up awhile;

When I am known aright, you shall not grieve
Lending me this acquaintance. I pray you, go
Along with me.

SCENE IV.-The same. A Tent.

Enter CORDELIA, Physician, and Soldiers.

COR. Alack, t' is he; why, he was met even now

[Exeunt.

- a better day :] The old text has, "a better way," which can hardly be what Shakespeare wrote. This has been changed to "a wetter May," and "a better day;" of the two we prefer the latter.

As mad as the vex'd sea, singing aloud;
Crown'd with rank fumiter, and furrow weeds,
With burdocks,a hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers,
Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow

In our sustaining corn.-A century send forth;
Search every acre in the high-grown field,

And bring him to our eye. [Exit an Officer.]-What can man's

wisdom

In the restoring his bereaved sense?

He that helps him take all my outward worth.

PHYS. There is means, madam:

Our foster-nurse of nature is repose,

The which he lacks; that to provoke in him,
Are many simples operative, whose power

Will close the eye of anguish.

COR.

All bless'd secrets,

All you unpublish'd virtues of the earth,

Spring with my tears! be aidant and remediate
In the good man's distress!*-Seek, seek for him;
Lest his ungovern'd rage dissolve the life

That wants the means to lead it.

MESS.

Enter a Messengerl

News, madam!

The British powers are marching hitherward.

COR. 'Tis known before; our preparation stands In expectation of them.-O dear father,

It is thy business that I go about;

Therefore great France

My mourning, and important tears hath pitied.
No blown ambition doth our arms incite,

But love, dear love, and our ag'd father's right:
Soon may I hear and see him!

SCENE V.-A Room in Gloucester's Castle.

Enter REGAN and OSWALD.

[Exeunt.

- burdocks,-] The folio has "Hardokes," the quartos "hordocks." Farmer suggested harlocks, citing the following lines from Drayton,

"The honey-suckle, the harlocke,

The lilly, and the lady-smocke," &c.

- important tears-] Important for importunate; the folio has importun'd.

VOL. V.

F

REG. Lord Edmund spake not with your lord at home?
Osw. No, madam.

REG. What might import my sister's letter to him?
Osw. I know not, lady.

REG. Faith, he is posted hence on serious matter.

It was great ignorance, Gloster's eyes being out,

To let him live; where he arrives he moves

All hearts against us. Edmund, I think, is gone,
In pity of his misery, to despatch

His nighted life; moreover, to descry

The strength o' the enemy.

Osw. I must needs after him, madam, with my letter. REG. Our troops set forth to-morrow: stay with us; The ways are dangerous.

Might not you

Osw.
I may not, madam ;
My lady charg'd my duty in this business.
REG. Why should she write to Edmund?
Transport her purposes by word? Belike,
Something*-I know not what :-I'll love thee much,
Let me unseal the letter.

Osw.

Madam, I had rather-
REG. I know your lady does not love her husband;
I'm sure of that: and at her late being here
She gave strange ciliads and most speaking looks
To noble Edmund. I know you are of her bosom.—
Osw. I, madam?

REG. I speak in understanding; you are, I know 't;
Therefore I do advise you, take this note:

My lord is dead; Edmund and I have talk'd';
And more convenient is he for my hand
Than for your lady's:-you may gather more.

If you do find him, pray you, give him this;

And when your mistress hears thus much from you, pray, desire her call her wisdom to her.

I

So, fare you well.

If

you do chance to hear of that blind traitor,

Preferment falls on him that cuts him off.

Osw. Would I could meet him,† madam! I would† show What party I do follow.

REG.

Fare thee well.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.-The Country near Dover.

Enter GLOUCESTER, and EDGAR, dressed like a Peasant.
GLO. When shall I come to the top of that same hill?
EDG. You do climb up it now: look, how we labour.

(*) First folio, Some things. (†) First folio omits, him. (+) First folio, should. ciliads-] See note (*), p. 358, Vol. II.