;

Create her child of fpleen, that it may live,
And be a thwart difnatur'd torment to her
Let it ftamp wrinkles in her brow of youth,
With candent tears fret chanels in her cheeks: (5)
Turn all her mother's pains and benefits

To laughter and contempt; that she may feel,
How sharper than a ferpent's tooth it is,

To have a thanklefs child.

Go, go, my people.

Alb. Now, Gods, that we adore, whereof comes this? Gon. Never afflict your self to know of it: But let his difpofition have that scope,

That dotage gives it.

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

Alb. What's the matter, Sir?

-

Lear. I'll tell thee life and death! I am afham'd That thou haft power to shake my manhood thus ;

[To Gon. 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 this Cause again, I'll pluck ye out,
And caft you, with the waters that you lofe,
To temper clay. Ha! is it come to this?
Let it be fo: I have another daughter,
Who, I am fure, is kind and comfortable;
When the fhall hear this of thee, with her nails
She'll flea thy wolfifh vifage. Thou shalt find,
That I'll resume the fhape, which thou dost think

(5) With cadent Tears.] Mr. Warburton very happily here fufpects our Author wrote, candent: as an Epithet of much more Energy, and more likely to effect Lear's Imprecation. He brings in Confirmation, what the King fays prefently after;

That these hot Tears, that break from me perforce, And what he fays towards the. End of the 4th A&: but I am bound

Upon a Wheel of Fire, that mine own Tears

De fcald like molten Lead.

I have caft off for ever.

[Ex. Lear and attendants.

Gon. Do you mark that?
Alb. I cannot be fo partial, Gonerill,
To the great love I bear you,

What, Ofwald, ho! after your master. tarry, take the fool

Gon. Pray you, be content.
You, Sir, more knave than fool,
Fool. Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear,
with thee:

A Fox, when one has caught her,
And fuch a daughter,

Should fure to the flaughter,

? If my cap would buy a halter,

So the fool follows after.

Gon. This man hath had good counsel,

[Exit.

a hundred [Knights!

'Tis politick, and fafe, to let him keep
A hundred Knights; yes, that on ev'ry dream,
Each buz, each fancy, each complaint, dislike,
He may enguard his dotage with their pow'rs,
And hold our lives at mercy: Ofwald, I say.
Alb. Well, you may fear too far; -
Gon. Safer than trust too far.

Let me ftill take away the harms I fear,
Not fear ftill to be harm'd. I know his heart;
What he hath utter'd, I have writ my fifter;.
If fhe'll fuftain him and his hundred Knights,
When I have fhew'd th unfitnefs-

Enter Steward.

How now, Ofwald ?:

What, have you writ that letter to my fister ?

Stew. Ay, Madam.

Gon. Take you fome

company, and away to horfe;

Inform her full of my particular fears,

And thereto add fuch reafons of your own,

As may compact it more.

So get you gone,

And haften your return.

[Exit Steward.

No, no, my lord,

This milky gentlenefs and courfe of yours,

Though I condemn it not, yet, under pardon,
B. 3

You

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.

Gon. Nay, then —

Alb. Well, well, th' event.

SCENE, a Court-Yard belonging to the Duke of Albany's Palace.

Re-enter Lear, Kent, Gentleman and Fool.

Lear. Go

O 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 shall be there afore you.

Kent. I will not fleep, my lord, 'till I have delivered your letter.

[Exit. Fool. If a man's brain were in his heels, wer't not in danger of kibes?

Lear. Ay, boy.

Fool. Then, I pr'ythee, be merry, thy wit fhall not go flip-fhod.

Lear. Ha, ha, ha.

Fool. Shalt fee, thy other daughter will ufe thee kindly; for though he's as like this as a crab's like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell.

Lear. What can't tell, boy?

Fool. She will tafte as like this, as a crab does to a crab. Can't thou tell, why one's nose stands i'th' middle of one's face?

Lear. No.

Fool. Why, to keep one's eyes of either fide one's nofe; that what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into.

Lear. I did her wrong

Fool. Can't tell how an oyster makes his fhell?

Lear. No.

Fool. Nor I neither; but I can tell, why a fail 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: fo 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!

titude!

monfter ingra

Fool. If you were my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time.

Lear. How's that?

Fool. Thou fhould'ft not have been old, 'till thou hadft been wife.

Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, fweet heav'n! Keep me in temper, I would not be mad.

Enter Gentleman.

How now, are the horses ready?

Gent. Ready, my lord.

Lear. Come, boy.

Fool. She that's a maid now, and laughs at my de

parture,

Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut shorter.

[Exeunt

ACT