Dear daughter, I confefs, that I am old;
Age is unneceffary: On my knees I beg,

That you'll vouchfafe me raiment, bed, and food.
Reg. Good Sir, no more; these are unfightly tricks:
fifter.

Return you to my

Lear. Never, Regan:

She hath abated me of half my train;

Look'd blank upon me; ftruck me with her tongue (10)
Moft ferpent-like, upon the very heart.

All the ftor'd vengeances of heaven fall

On her ingrateful Top! ftrike her young bones,
You taking airs, with lameness!

Corn. Fie, Sir! fie!

Lear. You nimble lightnings, dart your blinding flames.
Into her fcornful eyes! infect her beauty,

You fen-fuck'd fogs, drawn by the pow'rful fun
To fall, and blaft her pride.

Reg. O the bleft Gods!

So will you wish on me, when the rafh mood is on.
Lear. No, Regan, thou shalt never have my curfe:
Thy tender-hefted nature shall not give

Thee o'er to harshness; her eyes are fierce, but thine
Do comfort, and not burn. 'Tis not in thee
To grudge my pleasures, to cut off my train,
To bandy hafty words, to fcant my fizes,
And, in conclufion, to oppose the bolt
Against my coming in. Thou better know'ft
The offices of nature, bond of child-hood,
Effects of courtefie, dues of gratitude:
Thy half o'th' Kingdom thou hast not forgot,
Wherein I thee endow'd.

Reg. Good Sir, to th' purpose.
Lear. Who put my man i' th' Stocks?

[Trumpet within.

(10) Look'd black upon me,] This is a Phrafe which I do not understand; neither have I any where elfe met with it. But to look blank is a known Expreffion, fignifying, either to give dif couraging Looks to another, or to stand difmay'd and difappointed one's-felf. The Poet means here, that Gonerill gave him cold Looks, as he before phrafes it in this play.

Enter

Enter Steward.

Corn. What trumpet's that?.

Reg. I know't, my fifter's: this approves her letter, That fhe would foon be here. Is your lady come? Lear. This is a flave, whofe éafie-borrowed pride Dwells in the fickle grace of her he follows. Out, varlet, from my fight.

Corn. What means your Grace?

Enter Gonerill.

Lear. Who ftockt my fervant? Regan, I've good hope,
Thou didst not know on't. Who comes here?
O Heav'ns,

If you do love old men, if your fweet fway, (11)
Hallow obedience, if your felves are old,

Make it your caufe; fend down, and take my part.
Art not afham'd to look upon this beard?

O Regan, will you take her by the hand?

Gon. Why not by th' hand, Sir? how have I offended! All's not offence, that indifcretion finds,

And dotage terms fo.

Lear. Ofides, you are too tough!

Will you yet hold? -how came my man i' th' Stocks? Corn. I fet him there, Sir: but his own disorders Deferv'd much lefs advancement.

Lear. You? did you ?

Reg. I pray you, Father, being weak, seem fo.
If, 'till the expiration of your month,

You will return and fojourn with my sister,
Difmiffing half your train, come then to me;
I'm now from home, and out of that provifion

(11)

if your fwest fway

Allow Obedience,] Could any Man in his Senses, and Lear has 'em yet, make it a Question whether Heaven allow'd Obedience? Undoubtedly, the Poet wrote ——————— Hallow Obedience, i. e. if by your Ordinances you hold and pronounce it fancti fied; and punish the Violators of it as facrilegious Perfons.

Mr. Warburton. ·

fter,

Which fhall be needful for your entertainment.
Lear. Return to her, and fifty men dismiss'd?
No, rather 'I abjure all roofs, and chufe (12)
To be a comrade with the wolf and owl;
To wage, against the enmity o' th' air,
Neceffity's fharp pinch Return with her?
Why, the hot-blooded France, that dow'rless took
Our youngest born, I could as well be brought
To knee his throne, and 'Squire-like pension beg,
To keep bafe life a-foot; Return with her?
Perfuade me rather to be flave, and fumpter,
To this detefted groom.

Gon. At your choice, Sir.

Lear. I pr'ythee, daughter, do not make me mad :
I will not trouble thee, my child. Farewel;
We'll no more meet, no more fee one another;
But yet thou art my flefh, my blood, my daughter,
Or rather a disease that's in my flefh,

Which I must needs call mine; thou art a bile,
A plague-fore, or imboffed carbuncle,

In my corrupted blood; but I'll not chide thee.
Let fhame come when it will. I do not call it :
I do not bid the thunder-bearer shoot,

Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove.
Mend when thou canft; be better at thy leisure.
I can be patient, I can stay with Regan;
I, and my hundred Knights.

Reg. Not altogether fo;

I look'd not for you yet, nor am provided
For your fit welcome; give ear to

(12)

:

my fifter ;

and chufe

To wage against the enmity o' the Air,

To be a Comrade with the Wolf and Owl,

Neceffity's fharp Pinch.] The Breach of the Senfe here is a manifeft Proof, that these Lines were tranfpos'd by the first Editors: Neither can there be any Syntax or Grammatical Coherence, unless we fuppofe Neceffity's fharp Pinch to be the Accufative to wage. As I have plac'd the Verfes, the Senfe is fine and eafy; and the Sentence compleat and finish'd. C

VOL. VI.

For

For thofe that mingle reafon with your paffion,
Muft be content to think you old, and fo
But fhe knows what he does.
Lear. Is this well spoken ?

Reg. I dare avouch it, Sir; what, fifty followers?
Is it not well? what should you need of more?
Yea, or fo many? fince both charge and danger
Speak 'gainst fo great a number: how in one houfe
Should many people under two commands
Hold amity? 'tis hard, almoft impoffible.

Gon. Why might not you, my lord, receive attendance From thofe that the calls fervants, or from mine?

Reg. Why not, my lord? if then they chanc'd to flack ye,

We could controul them; if you'll come to me,
(For now I fpy a danger) I intreat you

To bring but five and twenty; to no more
Will I give place or notice.

Lear. I gave you all

Reg. And in good time you gave it.

Lear. Made you my Guardians, my depofitaries;

But kept a refervation to be follow'd

With fuch a number; muft I come to you
With five and twenty? Regan, faid you fo?

Reg. And fpeak't again, my lord, no more with me.
Lear.Thofe wicked creatures yet do look well-favour'd,
When others are more wicked: Not being worft,
Stands in fome rank of praife; I'll go with thee;
Thy fifty yet doth double five and twenty;
And thou art twice her love.

Gon. Hear me, my lord;

What need you five and twenty, ten, or five,
To follow in a houfe, where twice fo many
Have a command to tend you?

Reg. What needs one ?

Lear. O, reafon not the need: our basest beggars

Are in the pooreft thing fuperfluous;

Allow not nature more than nature needs,

Man's life is cheap as beafts'. Thou art a lady;

If only to go warm were gorgeous,

Why

ance

Why, nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear'st,
Which scarcely keeps thee warm; but for true need,
You heav'ns, give me that patience which I need!
You fee me here, you Gods, a poor old man,
As full of grief as age; wretched in both!
If it be you, that ftir thefe daughters' hearts'
Against their father, fool me not so much
To bear it tamely; touch me with noble anger;
O'let not womens' weapons, water-drops,
Stain my man's cheeks. No, you unnat'ral hags,
I will have fuch revenges on you both,

That all the world fhall I will do fuch things
What they are, yet I know not; but they shall be
The terrors of the earth: you think, I'll weep:
No, I'll not weep.
I have full caufe of weeping:
This heart fhall break into a thousand flaws
Or ere I weep. O fool, I fhall go mad.

[Exeunt Lear, Glo'fter, Kent and Fool.

Corn. Let us withdraw, 'twill be a storm.

[Storm and tempeft. Reg. This houfe is little; the old man and his people Cannot be well beftow'd.

Gon. 'Tis his own blame hath put himself from rest,
And must needs tafte his folly.

Reg. For his particular, I'll receive him gladly
But not one follower.

Gon. So am I purpos'd.

Where is my Lord of Glofter?

Enter Glo'fter.

Corn. Follow'd the old man forth;

he is return'd.

Glo. The King is in high rage, and will I know not
whither.

Corn. 'Tis beft to give him way, he leads himself.
Gon. My lord, intreat him by no means to stay.

Glo. Alack, the night comes on: and the high winds
Do forely ruffle, for many miles about

There's fcarce a bush.

Reg. O Sir, to wilful men,

The injuries, that they themselves procure,