Osw. My Lord of Gloucester hath convey'd him hence.

15 Some five or six and thirty of his knights, Hot questrists after him, met him at gate, Who, with some other of the lord's dependants, Are gone with him toward Dover, where they boast To have well-armed friends. Corn.

Get horses for your mistress, Gon. Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.

21 Corn. Edmund, farewell.

[Exeunt (Goneril, Edmund, and Oswald.]

Go seek the traitor Gloucester. Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us.

[Exeunt other Servants.] Though well we may not pass upon his life Without the form of justice, yet our power

25 Shall do a courtesy to our wrath, which men May blame, but not control.

Enter GLOUCESTER and Servants.

Who's there? The traitor ? Reg. Ingrateful fox! 't is he. Corn. Bind fast his corky arms. Glou. What means your Graces ? Good my friends,

consider You are my guests. Do me no foul play, friends. Corn. Bind him, I say.

[Servants bind him.] Reg.

Hard, hard. O filthy traitor! Glou. Unmerciful lady as you are, I'm none. Corn. To this chair bind him. Villain, thou shalt find

[Regan plucks his beard.] Glou. By the kind gods, 't is most ignobly done To pluck me by the beard.

36 17. questrists=searchers.

30

Reg. So white, and such a traitor!
Glou.

Naughty lady,
These hairs, which thou dost ravish from my chin,
Will quicken, and accuse thee. I am your host:
With robber's hands my hospitable favours 40
You should not ruffle thus. What will you do?
Corn. Come, sir, what letters had you late from

France ? Reg. Be simple answered, for we know the truth. Corn. And what confederacy have you with the

traitors Late footed in the kingdom?

45 Reg. To whose hands you have sent the lunatic

king, Speak.

Glou. I have a letter guessingly set down,
Which came from one that's of a neutral heart,
And not from one oppos’d.
Corn.

Cunning.
Reg.

And false. Corn. Where hast thou sent the King ?

50 Glou. To Dover. Reg. Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charg'd

at peril Corn. Wherefore to Dover ? Let him answer that. Glou. I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the

course,

Reg. Wherefore to Dover ?

55

40. my hospitable favours=features of me your host. For favour = feature, cf. II, iv, 259; for the construction, cf. high noises, III, vi, 118.

41. ruffle=violently disturb; cf. II, iv, 304.

Glou. Because I would not see thy cruel nails
Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister
In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.
The
sea,

with such a storm as his bare head
In hell-black night endur’d, would have buoy'd up 60
And quench'd the stelled fires ;
Yet, poor old heart, he holp the heavens to rain.
If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that stern time,
Thou shouldst have said, “Good porter, turn the

key."

All cruels else subscribe ; but I shall see

65 The winged vengeance overtake such children. Corn. See 't shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the

chair. Upon these eyes of thine I 'll set my foot.

Glou. He that will think to live till he be old,
Give me some help! — O cruel! O you gods ! 70

Reg. One side will mock another; the other too.
Corn. If you see vengeance,
First Serv.

Hold

your hand, my lord ! I have serv'd you ever since I was a child ; But better service have I never done you Than now to bid you hold. Reg.

How now, you dog! 75 First Serv. If you did wear a beard upon your chin, I'd shake it on this quarrel. What do you mean? Corn. My villain !

[They draw and fight.] 58. anointed: anointed with holy oil at coronation as a sign of vine right.

61. stelled=starry.

65. All cruels else subscribe : All other cruel creatures show feeling, submission, all except you. But many other interpretations have been offered for this puzzling clause.

First Serv. Nay, then, come on, and take the

chance of anger. Reg. Give me thy sword. A peasant stand up

thus? [Takes a sword, and runs at him behind. 80 First Serv. Oh, I am slain! My lord, you have

one eye left To see some mischief on him. Oh!

[Dies.] Corn. Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly ! Where is thy lustre now? Glou. All dark and comfortless. Where's my son Edmund ?

85 Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature, To quit this horrid act. Reg.

Out, treacherous villain ! Thou call'st on him that hates thee. It was he That made the overture of thy treasons to us, Who is too good to pity thee.

90 Glou. O my follies ! then Edgar was abus'd. Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him!

Reg. Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell His way to Dover. How is ’t, my lord ? How look you?

Exit (one) with Gloucester. Corn. I have received a hurt ; follow me, lady. 95 Turn out that eyeless villain ; throw this slave Upon the dunghill. Regan, I bleed apace; Untimely comes this hurt. Give me your arm.

[Exit Cornwall, led by Regan.] 85. All dark and comfortless: Similar scenes of physical horror were not uncommon in Elizabethan tragedy. After the mental agony of Lear in the preceding scenes, perhaps the physical suffering here has its place in completing the picture of the wicked and brutal children.

89. overture=disclosure.

[ Sec. Serv. I'll never care what wickedness I do, If this man come to good. Third Serv.

If she live long, 100
And in the end meet the old course of death,
Women will all turn monsters.
Sec. Serv. Let's follow the old earl, and get the

Bedlam
To lead him where he would ; his roguish madness
Allows itself to anything.

105 Third Serv. Go thou : I'll fetch some flax and

whites of eggs

To apply to his bleeding face. Now, Heaven help him!]

[Ereunt (severally.]

ACT IV

SCENE I. The open country near GLOUCESTER's castle.

Enter EDGAR. Edg. Yet better thus, and known to be contemn'd, Than, still contemn'd and flatter'd, to be worst. The lowest and most dejected thing of fortune Stands still in esperance, lives not in fear. The lamentable change is from the best ;

5 The worst returns to laughter. Welcome, then, Thou unsubstantial air that I embrace! The wretch that thou hast blown unto the worst Owes nothing to thy blasts. Enter GLOUCESTER, led by an Old Man.

But who comes here?

101. old=familiar, natural.

3. most dejected thing of fortune=thing most dejected by fortune.