Lear. Detefted kite! thou lieft:

[To Gonerill.

My train are men of choice and rarest parts,
That all particulars of duty know;

And in the most exact regard fupport

The worships of their names.-O moft fmall fault! How ugly didft thou in Cordelia fhew?

6

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, [Striking his head.
And thy dear judgment out!-Go, go, my people.
Alb. My lord, I am guiltlefs, as I am ignorant
Of what hath mov'd you.

Lear. It may be fo, my lord.

Hear, Nature! hear; dear goddess, hear!
Sufpend thy purpose, if thou didst intend
To make this creature fruitful!
Into her womb convey fterility;
Dry up in her the organs of increase;
And 7 from her derogate body never spring
A babe to honour her! If fhe muft teem,
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 cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks;
Turn all her mother's pains, and benefits,
To laughter and contempt; that she may feel,
How fharper than a ferpent's tooth it is,
To have a thanklefs child! Away, away!
Alb. Now, gods, that we adore, whereof comes
this?

[Exit.

6 like an engine,-] Mr. Edwards conjectures that an engine is the rack. He is right. To engine is, in Chaucer, to frain upon the rack. STEEVENS.

7-from ber derogate body-] Derogate for unnatural. WARB. Rather, I think, degraded; blafted. JOHNSON.

8 - cadent tears] i. e. Falling tears. Dr. Warburton would read candent. STEEVENS.

Gon. Never afflict yourself to know the cause, But let his difpofition have that scope

That dotage gives it.

Re-enter Lear.

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 afhan'd That thou haft power to shake 'my manhood thus:

[To Gonerill. 9 That these hot tears, which break from me perforce, Should make thee worth them.-Blafts and fogs upon thee!

The untented woundings of a father's curfe Pierce every fenfe about thee!-Old fond eyes, Beweep this caufe again, I'll pluck ye out; And caft you, with the waters that you lofe, To temper clay. Ha! is it come to this? 2 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 wolfish vifage. Thou shalt find, That I'll refume the fhape, which thou dost think I have caft off for ever; thou fhalt, I warrant thee. [Exeunt Lear and attendants.

9 I will transcribe this paffage from the first edition, that it may appear to thofe who are unacquainted with old books, what is the difficulty of revifion, and what indulgence is due to those that endeavour to restore corrupted paffages.- That these hot tears, that breake from me perforce, should make the worst blafts and fogs upon the untender woundings of a father's curse, perufe every Jenfe about the old fond eyes, berweep this caufe again, &c. JOHNSON. -] Untented wounds, means wounds in their worft ftate, not having a tent in them to digeft them, and may poffibly mean here fuch as will not admit of having a tent put into them for that purpose. One of the quarto's reads, untender. STEEVENS.

1

The untented woundings

2 Let it be fo, &c.] The reading is here gleaned up, part from the firft, and part from the fecond edition. JOHNSON.

Gon.

Gon. Do you mark that, my lord? 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 master.

[To the Fool. 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 flaughter,

If my cap would buy a halter;

So the fool follows after.

[Exit.

Gon. This man hath had good counfel.-A hundred knights!

'Tis politic, and fafe, to let him keep

3 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 at mercy.-Ofwald, I fay!-
Alb. Well, you may fear too far.

Gon. Safer than truft too far:

Let me still take away the harms I fear,
Not fear ftill to be taken. I know his heart:
What he hath utter'd, I have writ my fifter;
If she'll sustain him and his hundred knights,
When I have fhew'd the unfitnefs-How now,
Ofwald ?

Enter Steward.

What, have you writ that letter to my fifter?

Stew. Ay, madam,

Gon. Take you fome company, and away to horse: Inform her full of my particular fear;

And thereto add fuch reafons of your own,

3 At point, I believe, means completely armed, and confequently ready at appointment or command on the flighteft

notice. STEEVENS.

As may 3 compact it more. Get you gone,
And haften your return. No, no, my lord;

[Exit Steward.
This milky gentleness, and courfe of yours,
Though I condemn it not, yet, under pardon,
You are much 4 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; the event.

S

C E NE V.

[Exeunt.

A court-yard belonging to the duke of Albany's palace.

Enter Lear, Kent, Gentleman, and Fool.

Lear. Go you before to Glo'fter with these 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.

I

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 shall not go flip-fhod.

3 compact it more.

4

-] Unite one circumstance with another, fo as to make a confiftent account. JoHNSON. more at task-] It is a common phrase now with parents and governeffes. I'll take you to task, i. e. I will reprebend and correct you. To be at task, therefore, is to be liable to reprehenfion and correction. JOHNSON.

there afore you.] He feems to intend to go to his daughter, but it appears afterwards that he is going to the houfe of Glo'fter. JOHNSON.

Lear.

Lear. Ha, ha, ha!

Fool. Shalt fee, thy other daughter will use thee kindly for though fhe's as like this as a crab is 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 does to a crab. Canft thou tell, why one's nofe ftands i' thé 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. Canft tell how an oyster makes his fhell?
Lear. No.

Fool. Nor I neither; but I can tell why a fnail 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 horses ready

Fool. Thy affes are gone about 'em. The reason, why the seven stars are no more than seven, is a pretty

reason.

Lear. Because they are not eight?

Fool. Yes, indeed. Thou wouldst make a good fool. Lear. 3 To take it again perforce!-Monfter, ingratitude!

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

2

Lear. How's that?

I did her wrong] He is mufing on Cordelia. JOHNS. 3 To take it again perforce!] He is meditating on the refumption of his royalty. JOHNSON.

He is rather meditating on his daughter's having in fo violent a manner deprived him of those privileges which before she had agreed to grant him. STEEVENS.