By her, that elfe will take the thing the begs,
A little to difquantity your Train;
And the remainders that fhall ftill depend,
To be fuch Men as may befort your Age,
Which know themselves, and you.
Lear. Darkness and Devils!

Saddle my Horfes, call my Train together
Degenerate Baftard! I'll not trouble thee;
Yet have I left a Daughter.

Gon. You ftrike my People, and your disorder'd Rabble make Servants of their Betters.

Enter Albany.

Lear. Woe! that too late repents

Is it your will, fpeak, Sir? Prepare my Horfes [To Alb.
Ingratitude! thou Marble-hearted Fiend,

More hideous when thou fhew'st thee in a Child,
Than the Sea-monster.

Alb. Pray, Sir, be patient;

Lear. Detefted Kite! thou liest.

1

My Train are Men of choice and rarest parts,
That all particulars of Duty know,

And in the most exact regard, fupport

[To Goneril.

The worships of their Names. Omoft fmall Fault !
How ugly didft thou in Cordelia fhew?

Which like an Engine, wrencht my frame of Nature
From the fixt place; drew from my Heart all love,
And added to the gall. O Lear, Lear, Lear!
Beat at this Gate that let thy Folly in,

And thy dear Judgment out. Go, go, my Peoples
Alb. My Lord, I am guiltlefs, as I am ignorant
Of what hath moved you.

Lear. It may be fo, my Lord

Hear Nature, hear, dear Goddefs, hear?
Sufpend thy Purpofe, if thou didst intend
To make this Creature fruitful:
Into her Womb convey fterility,
Dry up in her the Organs of Increase,
And from her derogate Body, never spring
A Babe to honour her. If the muft teem,
Create her Child of Spleen, that it may live,

And

And be a thwart, difnatur'd torment to her;
Let it ftamp wrinkles in her Brow of Youth,
With cadent Tears fret Chanels in her Cheeks,
Turn all her Mother's Pains and Benefits

To Laughter and Contempt; that she may feel,
How fharper than a Serpent's Tooth it is,
To have a thanklefs Child. Away, away
Alb. Now Gods that we adore,

Whereof comes this ?

Gen. Never afflict your felf to know of it:
But let his Difpofition have that Scope
As dotage gives it.

Enter Lear.

Lear. What, fifty of my Followers at a clap? Within a fortnight?

Alb. What's the matter, Sir?

[Exit:

Lear. I'll tell thee Life and Death, I am afham'd.
That thou haft power to fhake my Manhood thus,
That these hot Tears, which break from me perforce,
Should make thee worth them ---- Blafts and Fogs upon thee;
Th' untented Woundings of a Father's Curfe

Pierce every Sense about thee. Old fond Eyes,
Beweep her once again, I'll pluck ye out,

And caft you with the Waters that

To temper Clay. Ha! Let it be fo

I have another Daughter,

you lofe

Who I am fure is kind and comfortable;

When the shall hear this of thee, with her nails
She'll flea thy Wolvifh Vifage. Thou shalt find,
That I'll refume the fhape which thou doft think
I have caft off for ever.

Gon. Do you mark that?

[Exit Lear and Attendantsi

Alb. I cannot be fo partial, Gonerill,

To the great Love I bear you.

Gon. Pray you be content.

What, Ofwald, ho!

You, Sir, more Knave than Fool, after your Mafter.
Fool. Nuncle Lear, Nuncle Lear,

Tarry, take the Fool with thee:
A Fox, when one has caught her,
And fuch a Daughter,

Should fure to the Slaughter,
VOL. V.

If my Cap would buy a Halter,

So the Fool follows after.

Gon. This Man hath had good Counsel,
Knights!

'Tis politick, and safe to let him keep

[Exit.

a hundred

At point a hundred Knights; yes, that on every Dream,
Each buz, each Fancy, each Complaint, Dislike,
He may enguard his dotage with their Powers,
And hold our lives in Mercy. Ofwald, I fay.
Alb. Well, you may fear too fear ;-
Gon. Safer than truft too far;
Let me ftill take away the harms I far,

Not fear ftill to be taken. I know his Heart;
What he hath utter'd, I have writ my Sifter;
If she'll fuftain him, and his hundred Knights
When I have fhew'd th' unfitnefs

How now, Ofwald?

Enter Steward.

What, have you writ that Letter to my Sifter?
Stew. Ay, Madam.

Gon. Take you fome Company, and away to Horfe,
Inform her full of my particular Fear,

And thereto add fuch Reasons of your own,
As may compact it more. Get you gone,
And haften your return. No, no, my Lord,

[Exit Steward.

This milky Gentlenefs, and courfe of yours,
Though I condemn not, yet under Pardon.
You are much more at Task for want of Wisdom,
Than prais'd for harmful Mildness.

Alb. How far your Eyes may pierce I cannot tell;
Striving to better, oft we mar what's well.

Gox. Nay then

Alb. Well, well, the 'vent.

[Exeunt.

Enter Lear, Kent, Gentleman, and Fool. Lear. Go you before to Glofter with thefe Letters; acquaint my Daughter no further with any thing you know, than comes from her demand out of the Letter, if your diligence be not speedy, I fhall be there afore you.

Kent.

Kent. I will not fleep, my Lord, 'till I have delivered your Letter.

[Exit.

Fool. If a Man's Brains were in his Heels, wer't not in danger of Kibes ?

Lear. Ay Boy.

Fool. Then I prethee be merry, thy Wit fhall not go flip-fhod.

Lear. Ha, ha, ha.

Fool. Shalt fee thy other Daughter will use thee kindly; for though fhe's as like this, as a Crab's like an Apple, yet I can tell what I can tell.

Lear. What canft tell, Boy?

Fool. She will tafte as like this, as a Crab do's to a Crab; canft thou tell why ones Nofe ftands i'th' middle

on's Face?

Lear. No.

Fool. Why, to keep ones Eyes of either fide one's Nose; that what a Man cannot fmell out, he may spy into. Lear. I did her wrong.

Fool. Canft tell how an Oyfter makes his Shell?

Lear. No.

Fool. Nor I neither; but I can tell why a Snail has a House.

Lear. Why?

Fool. Why to put's Head in, not to give it away to his Daughters, and leave his Horns without a Cafe.

Lear. I will forget my Nature, so kind a Father! Be my Horfes ready?

Fool. Thy Affes are gone about 'em; the reafon why the feven Stars are no more than feven, is a pretty Reafon. Lear. Because they are not eight.

Fool. Yes indeed; thou wouldst make a good Fool. Lear. To take't again perforce Monfter ingratitude! Fool. If you were my Fool, Nuncle, I'd have thee beat en for being old before thy time.

Lear. How's that?

Fool. Thou shouldft not have been Old, 'till thou hadst been Wife.

Lear. O let me not be mad, not mad, keep me in temper, I would not be mad. the Horfes ready?

Ee 2

fweet Heaven I How now, are

Gent.

Gent. Ready, my Lord,

Lear. Come, Boy.

Fool. She that's a Maid now, and laughs at my departure, Shall not be a Maid long, unless things be cut fhorter.

ACT II. SCENE I.

[Exeunt.

SCENE A Castle belonging to the Earl of

Baft.

Glofter.

Enter Baftard, and Curan, Severally.
AVE thee, Curan.

SAVE

Cur. And you, Sir, I have been

With your Father, and given him Notice

That the Duke of Cornwall, and Regan his Dutchefs
Will be here with him this Night.

Baft. How comes that?

Cur. Nay I know not; you have heard of the News abroad, I mean the whisper'd ones, for they are yet but Ear-kiffing Arguments.

Baft. Not I; pray you what are they?

Cur. Have you heard of no likely Wars toward, 'Twixt the Dukes of Cornwall and Albany ?

Baft. Not a word.

Cur. You may do then in time,

Fare you well, Sir.

[Exit.

Baft. The Duke be here to Night! the better, beft,
This weaves it felf perforce into my Bufinefs.
My Father hath fet guard to take my Brother,
And I have one thing of a queazy Question
Which I muft act; briefnefs, and Fortune work.

Enter Edgar.

Brother, a word, defcend, Brother, I fay,
My Father watches; O Sir, fly this place,
Intelligence is given where you are hid;
You have now the good advantage of the night-
Have
you not spoken 'gainst the Duke of Cornwall?

He's