And put upon him fuch a deal of Man,
That worthied him, got praises of the King,
For him attempting, who was felf-fubdued,
And in the fleshment of this dead Exploit,
Drew on me here again.

Kent. None of thefe Rogues, and Cowards,
But Ajax is their Fool.

Corn. Fetch forth the Stocks.

You ftubborn ancient Knave, you reverent Braggart,
We'll teach you.

Kent. Sir, I am too old to learn:

Call not your Stocks for me, I ferve the King;
On whofe imployment I was fent to you.

You fhall do fmall Refpects, fhew too bold Malice,
Against the Grace and Perfon of my Mafter,
Stocking his Messenger.

Corn. Fetch forth the Stocks;

As I have Life and Honour, there shall he fit 'till Noon. Reg. 'Till Noon! 'till Night my Lord, and all Nigh: too. Kent. Why Madam, if I were your Father's Dog,

You should not use me fo.

Reg. Sir, being his Knave, I will,

[Stocks brought out.

Corn. This is a Fellow of the felf-fame Colour,

Our Sifter speaks of. Come, bring away the Stocks.
Glo. Let me befeech your Grace, not to do so,
The King his Mafter needs muft take it ill,
That he's fo flightly valued in his Meffenger,
To have him thus reftrained.

Corn. I'll answer that.

Reg. My Sifter may receive it much more worse,

[Kent is put in the Stocks.

[Exit.

To have her Gentleman abus'd, affaulted.

Gorn. Come, my Lord, away.

Glo. I am forry for thee, Friend, 'tis the Duke's pleasure,

Whose Difpofition all the World well knows

Will not be rubb'd nor ftopt, I'll intreat for thee.

Kent. Pray do not, Sir, I have watch'd and travel'd hard, Some time I shall fleep out, the reft I'll whiftle: A good Man's fortune may grow out at Heels; Give you good Morrow.

Glo. The Duke's to blame in this, 'twill be ill taken. [Exit.

Kent.

Kent. Good King, that muft approve the common Saw, Thou out of Heav'ns Benediction com'ft

To the warm Sun.

Approach thou Beacon to this under Globe,
That by thy comfortable Beams I may
Perufe this letter. Nothing almoft fees Miracles
But Mifery. I know 'tis from Cordelia,
Who hath most fortunately been inform'd
Of my obfcured courfe. I fhall find time.
For this enermous State, and feck to give
Loffes their Remedies. All weary and o'er-watch'd,
Take vantage heavy Eyes, not to behold

This fhameful Lodging. Fortune, good Night,
Smile once more, turn thy Wheel.

Enter Edgar.

Edg. I have heard my lelf proclaim'd, And by the happy hollow of a Tree,

સે

Efcap'd the hunt. No Port is free, no Place
That guard, and moft unusual Vigilance

Does not attend my taking. Whiles I may fcape
I will preferve my felf: And am bethought
To take the bafeft and most pooreft Shape
That ever penury in contempt of Man,

[He Neeps

Brought near to Beaft: My Face I'll grime with filth,
Blanket my Loins, put all my Hair in knots,
And with prefented Nakednefs out-face
The Winds, and perfecutions of the Sky.
The Country gives me proof and prefident
Of Bedlam Beggars, who with roaring Voices
Strike in their numm'd and mortified Arms,
Pins, wooden Pricks, Nails, Sprigs of Rofemary;
And with this horrible Object, from low Farms,
Poor pelting Villages, Sheeps-coats, and Mills,
Sometimes with Lunatick Bans, fometimes with Prayers,
Inforce their Charity: Poor Turlyged, poor Tom,

That's fomething yet: Edgar I nothing am.

Enter Lear, Fool, and Gentleman.

[Exit.

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 purpofe in them

Of

Of this remove.

Kent. Hail to thee, Noble Mafter.

Lear. Ha, mak'ft thou this Shame thy Paftime?
Kent. No, my Lord.

Fool. Ha, ha, he wears Crewel 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 she,

Your Son 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 Murther, To do upon respect fuch violent outrage:

Refolve me with all modeft hafte, which way

Thou might'ft deferve, or they impofe this ufage,
Coming from us?

Kent. My Lord, when at their home

1

I did commend your Highnefs Letters to them,
E'er I was rifen from the Place, that fhewed
My Duty kneeling, came there a reeking Poft,
Stew'd in his hafte, half breathlefs, panting forth
From Gonerill his Miftrefs, Salutation;
Deliver'd Letters fpight of intermiffion,

Which presently they read: on those Contents
They fummon'd up their meiny, ftraight took Horse,

Commanded me to follow and attend

The leifure of their Anfwer, gave me cold Looks,
And meeting here the other Meffenger,

Whose welcome I perceiv'd had poifon'd mine,
Being the very Fellow which of late
Difplay'd fo fawcily against your Highness,
Having more Man than Wit about me, I drew;

He

He rais'd the Houfe, with loud and coward cries,
Your Son and Daughter found this Trefpafs worth
The Shame which here it fuffers.

Fool. Winter's not gone yet, if the wild Geefe fly that way, Fathers that wear Rags do make their Children blind,

But Fathers that bear Bags, fhall 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 dolours for thy dear Daughters, as thou canst tell in a Year.

Lear. Oh how this Mother fwells up toward my Heart! Hysterica paffio, down thou climbing Sorrow,

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

Gen. Made you no more Offence,

But what you speak of.

Kent. None;

[Exit.

How chance the King comes with fo fmall a Number? Fool. And thou hadst been fet i' th' Stocks for that Queftion, thou'dft well deferv'd it.

Kent. Why, Fool?

Fool. We'll fet thee to School to an Ant, to teach thee there's no labouring i'th' Winter. All that follow their Nofes, are led by their Eyes, but blind Men; and there's not a Nofe among twenty, but can fmell him that's ftinkingLet go thy hold, when a great Wheel runs down a Hill, left it break thy Neck with following; but the great one that goes upward, let him draw thee after. When a wife Man gives thee better Counfel, give me mine again; I would have Bone but Knaves follow it, fince a Fool gives it.

That, Sir, which ferves and feeks for Gain,

And follows but for Form;

Will pack when it begins to Rain,

And leave thee in a Storm,

And I will tarry, the Fool will ftay,

And let the wife Man fly:

The Knave turns Fool that runs away,

The Fool no Knave perdy.

Enter Lear and Glofter. Kent. Where learn'd you this, Fool? Fool. Not i'th Stocks, Fool.

Lear.

Lear. Deny to fpeak with me? they are fick, they are

They have travell'd all the Night? meer fetches,

The Images of revolt and flying off.
Fetch me a better Anfwer-

Glo. My dear Lord,

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

In his own courfe.

Lear. Vengeance! Plague! Death! Confufion!Fiery? what quality? why Glofter, Glofter,

(weary?

I'd fpeak with the 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 fpeak with Cornwall, the dear Fa

(ther Would with his Daughter fpeak, Command tends Service, 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 are not our felves,

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 indifpos'd and fickly fit,

For the found Man. Death on my State; wherefore
Should he fit here? This A&t perfuades me,
That this remotionof the Duke and her

Is practice only, give me my Servant forth;

Go, tell the Duke and's Wife, I'd speak with them:
Now prefently- -Bid them come forth and hear me,
Or at their Chamber Door I'll beat the Drum,

Till it cry Sleep to Death.

[Exit.

Glo. I would have all well betwixt you. 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' Pafte alive, he knapt 'em o'th' Coxcombs with a Stick, and cry'd, down wantons, down; 'twas

his