That

ture

for

of

Thou must not ftay behind.

Glo. Come, come, away.

[To Fool.

[Exeunt, bearing off the King.

Manet Edgar.

Edg. When we our Betters fee bearing our Woes,
We fcarcely think our Miseries our Foes.
Who alone fuffers, fuffers most i'th' Mind;
Leaving free things, and happy Shows behind:
But then the Mind much Suff'rance does o'erskip,
When Grief hath Mates, and Bearing Fellowship.
How light, and portable, my pain feems now,
When That, which makes me bend, makes the King bow;
He childed, as I father'd!-Tom, away;
Mark the high Noifes, and thyfelf bewray,

When falfe Opinion, whofe wrong Thought defiles thee,
In thy juft Proof repeals, and reconciles thee.

What will, hap more to Night; fafe fcape the King!
Lurk, Lurk.

[Exit Edgar,

SCENE changes to Glo'fter's Caftle.

Enter Cornwall, Regan, Gonerill, Edmund, and

Corn.

POST

Servants.

DOST (peedily to my lord your husband, fhew him this letter; the army of France is landed; feek out the traitor Glofter.

Reg. Hang him inftantly.

Gon. Pluck out his eyes.

Corn. Leave him to my difpleafure. Edmund, keep you our fifter company; the revenges, we are bound to take upon your traiterous father, are not fit for your beholding. Advife the Duke, where you are going, to a moft feftinate preparation; we are bound to the like. Our Pofts fhall be fwift, and intelligent betwixt us. Farewel, dear fifter; farewel, my lord of Glofter.

Enter Steward.

How now? where's the King?

Stew.

Stew. My lord of Glo'fter hath convey'd him hence. Some five or fix and thirty of his Knights,

Hot Queftrifts after him, met him at gate;
Who with fome other of the Lords dependants,
Are gone with him tow'rd Dover; where they boast
To have well-armed friends.

Corn. Get horfes for your

mistress.

Gon. Farewel, fweet lord, and fifter..

[Exeunt Gon. and Edm: Corn. Edmund, farewel :-go feek the traitor. Glofter Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us: Though well we may not pafs upon his life. Without the form of juftice; yet our pow'r Shall do a court'fie to our wrath, which men May blame, but not controul.

Enter Glo'fter, brought in by Servants..

Who's there? the traitor?

Reg. Ingrateful fox! 'tis he.

Corn. Bind faft his corky arms.

Glo. What mean your Graces? Good my Friends,

confider.

You are my Guefts: Do me no foul play, friends.

Corn. Bind him, I fay.

Reg. Hard, hard: O filthy traitor !

[They bind bim.

Glo. Unmerciful lady as you are! I'm none.

Corn. To this chair bind him. Villain, thou fhalt find

Glo. By the kind gods, 'tis moft ignobly done

To pluck me by the beard.

Reg. So white, and fuch a traitor?

Glo. Naughty lady,

These hairs, which thou doft ravish from my chin,
Will quicken and accufe thee; I'm your Hoft;
With robbers' hands, my hofpitable favours
You fhould not ruffle thus. What will you do?
Corn. Come, Sir, what letters had you late from
France?

Reg. Be fimple anfwerer, for we know the truth.
Corn. And what confed'racy have you with the traitors.

Late

ce,

Late footed in the kingdom?

Reg. To whofe hands

Have you fent the lunatick King? fpeak.
Glo. I have a letter gueffingly fet down,

Which came from one that's of a neutral heart,
And not from one oppos'd.

Corn. Cunning.

Reg. And falfe.

Corn. Where haft thou fent the King?
Glo. To Dover.

Reg. Wherefore to Dover?

Waft thou not charg'd, at peril.

Corn. Wherefore to Dover? let him first answer that. Glo. I am ty'd to th' ftake, and I muft ftand the courfe.

Reg. Wherefore to Dover?

Glo. Because I would not see thy cruel nails

Pluck out his poor old

In his anointed flesh stick boarish phangs.

eyes; nor thy fierce fifter

The fea, with fuch a storm as his bare head
In hell-black night indur'd, would have buoy'd up,
And quench'd the ftelled fires; (18)

Yet poor old heart, he help'd the heav'ns to rain.
If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that stern time,
Thou should't have faid, "

go, porter, turn the key;

All cruels else subscrib'd; but I shall see

The winged vengeance overtake fuch children.

Corn. See't fhalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair. Upon these eyes of thine I'll fet my foot.

[Glo'fter is held down, while Cornwall treads out

one of his eyes,

Glo. He, that will think to live 'till he be old,

Give me fome help.

O cruel! O you gods!

(18) And quench'd the steeled fires.] The fagacious Editors have all blunder'd in this Word without the leaft Variation: It is indifputable, that the Author must have wrote,

And quench'd the ftelled fires.

i, e. the starry Fires; an adjective coin'd from Stella.

Reg.

Reg. One fide will mock another; th' other too.
Corn. If you fee vengeance

Serv. Hold your hand, my lord:

I've ferv'd you, ever fince I was a child;
But better fervice have I never done you,
Than now to bid you hold.

Reg. How now, you dog?

Serv. If you did wear a beard upon your chin, I'd shake it on this quarrel. What do you mean? Corn. My villain!

Serv. Nay then come on, and take the chance of anger. [Fight; in the Scuffle Cornwall is wounded. Reg. Give me thy fword. A peasant ftand up thus?

[Kills him.

my lord, you have one

Oh

Corn. Left it fee more, prevent it; out, vile gelly:

Where is thy luftre now?

Gla. All dark and comfortless

Edmund ?

[Dies.

Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature

To quit this horrid act.

Reg. Out, treacherous villain.

Thou call'ft on him, that hates thee: It was he,
That made the overture of thy treasons to us :
Who is too good to pity thee.

Glo. O my follies!

Then Edgar was abus'd. Kind gods, forgive

Me that, and prosper him!

Reg. Go thruft him out

At gates, and let him smell his way to Dover.

How is't, my lord, how look you?

[Ex. with Glo'fter.

Corn. I have receiv'd a hurt; follow me, lady.-
Turn out that eyelefs villain; throw this flave
Upon the dunghil.Regan, I bleed apace.
Untimely comes this hurt.

Give me your arm.
[Exit Corn. led by Regan.
ift. Serv.

ft. Serv. I'll never care what Wickedness I do (19) If this Man come to Good.

2d. Serv. If fhe live long,

And, in the End, meet the old course of Death,
Women will all turn Monsters.

ft. Serv. Let's follow the old Earl, and get the
Bedlam

To lead him where he would; his roguish Madness
Allows itfelf to any Thing.

2d. Serv. Go thou; I'll fetch fome Flax and whites
of Eggs

apply to's bleeding Face. Now, Heaven help him!

ACT

[Exeunt feverally.

IV.

Y

SCENE, an open Country.

Enter EDGAR.

ET better thus, and known to be contemn'd,
Than ftill contemn'd and flatter'd. To be worft,
The lowest, moft dejected thing of Fortune,

Stands ftill in efperance; lives not in fear.

The lamentable change is from the beft;
The worst returns to laughter. Welcome then,
Thou unfubftantial air, that I embrace!

The wretch, that thou haft blown unto the worst,
Owes nothing to thy blafts.

(19) I'll never care what Wickedness I do,] This short Dialogue I have inferted from the Old Quarto, because I think it full of Nature. Servants, in any Houle, could hardly fee fuch a Barbarity committed on their Mafter, without Reflexions of Pity; and the Vengeance that they prefume must overtake the Actors of it, is a Sentiment and Doctrine well worthy of the

Stage.

Enter