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Where guards and most unusual vigilance
Do not attend to take me.- -How easy now
'Twere to defeat the malice of my trial,

And leave my griefs on my sword's reeking point;
But love detains me from death's peaceful cell,
Still whispering me, Cordelia's in distress:
Unkind as she is, I cannot see her wretched,
But must be near to wait upon her fortune.
Who knows but the blest minute yet may come,
When Edgar may do service to Cordelia ?
That charming hope still ties me to the oar
Of painful life, and makes me too submit,
To th' humblest shifts to keep that life a-foot.
My face I will besmear, and knit my locks;
The country gives me proof and precedent
Of Bedlam beggars, who, with roaring voices,
Strike in their numb'd and mortify'd bare arms
Pins, iron spikes, thorns, sprigs of rosemary :
And thus from sheep-cotes, villages and mills,
Sometimes with pray'rs, sometimes with lunatic bans, (1)
Enforce their charity. Poor Turlygood! poor Tom! (2)
That's something yet. Edgar I am no more. [Exit, r.h.

SCENE IV. Before the Earl of Gloster's Castle.

KENT, discovered, in the stocks (Flourish of Drums and Trumpets, l.h.)

Enter King Lear, his Knights and Physician, l.h.

Lear. 'Tis strange, that they should so depart from home, And not send back our messenger.

Kent. Hail, noble master!

Lear. How! mak'st thou this shame thy pastime ? What's he that has so much mistook thy place,

To set thee here?

Kent. It is both he and she, sir; your son and daughter. Lear. No.

(1) To ban, is to curse

(2) We should read, Turlupin. In the fourteenth century there was a new species of gipsies called Turlupins, a fraternity of naked beggars, which ran up and down Europe.

Kent. Yes.

Lear. No, I say.

Kent. I say, yea.

Lear. They durst not do't;

They could not, would not do't.—

Resolve me with all modest haste, which way
Thou may'st deserve, or they impose this usage.
Kent. My lord, when at their home

I did commend your highness' letters to them
Ere I was ris'n, arrived another post,

Stew'd in his haste, breathless and panting forth
From Goneril, his mistress, salutations;
Whose message being delived, they took horse,
Commanding me to follow, and attend
The leisure of their answer; which I did:
But meeting here that other messenger,
Whose welcome I perceived had poison'd mine,
Being the very fellow that of late

Had shewn such rudeness to your highness, I,
Having more man than wit about me, drew;
On which he rais'd the house with coward cries:—
This was the trespass, which your son and daughter
Thought worth the shame which you see it suffer here.
Lear. Oh! this spleen swells upwards to my heart,
And heaves for passage !—Down, thou climbing rage,
Thy element's below. Where is this daughter?

Enter Gloster, from the Castle—he advances, l.h.

Kent. Within, sir, at a masque.

Lear. Now, Gloster?—Ha ! (Gloster whispers Lear.) Deny to speak with me? Th'are sick, th'are weary, They've travell'd hard to-night ?—Mere fetches, sir: Bring me a better answer.

Glost. My dear lord,

You know the fiery quality of the duke

Lear. Vengeance! death plague confusion! Fiery? What quality ?—Why, Gloster, Gloster, I'd speak with the Duke of Cornwall and his wife. Glost. I have inform'd them so.

Lear. Inform'd them? dost thou understand me, man? I tell thee, Gloster,---

Glost. Ay, my good lord.

Lear. The king would speak with Cornwall; the dear father

Would with his daughter speak, commands her service.
Are they inform'd of this? My breath and blood!
Fiery? The fiery duke ?―Tell the hot duke,-

No, but not yet; may be, he is not well;
Infirmity doth still neglect all office;

I beg his pardon, and I'll chide my rashness

That took the indispos'd and sickly fit

For the sound man -But wherefore sits he there?

Death on my state! This act convinces me

(Pointing to the stocks.)

That this retiredness of the duke and her

Is plain contempt.—Give me my servant forth.—
Go, tell the duke and's wife I'd speak with 'em,
Now, instantly.- -Bid 'em come forth and hear me ;
Or at their chamber door I'll beat the drum,

'Till it cry, Sleep to death.

Enter Cornwall, Regan, Page, two Soldiers, Captain of the Guard, and Guards, from the Castle, l.h.

Oh! are you come?

Corn. Health to the king!

Reg. I am glad to see your highness.

Lear. Regan, I think you are: I know what cause

I have to think so. Should'st thou not be glad,

I would divorce me from thy mother's tomb,

Sepulch'ring an adultress.—

(Cornwall signs to Captain of Guard, Captain to the two Guards—they set Kent at liberty, who goes to r.h. of Physician, behind the King.)

Beloved Regan, thou wilt shake to hear

What I shall utter ;—thou cou'd'st ne'er ha' thought it ;— Thy sister's naught: O Regan she hath tied

Ingratitude like a keen vulture, here;

I scarce can speak to thee.

Reg. I pray you, sir, take patience; I have hope That you know less to value her desert,

Than she to slack her duty.

Lear. Ha! How's that?

Reg. I cannot think my sister in the least
Would fail in her respects, but if, perchance,
She has restrain'd the riots of your followers,
'Tis on such grounds, and to such wholesome ends,
As clear her from all blame.

Lear. My curses on her !
Reg. O sir! you're old,

And shou'd content you to be rul'd and led
By some discretion that discerns your state
Better than you yourself; therefore, good sir,

Return to our sister, and say you have wrong'd her.
Lear. Ha! ask her forgiveness !

Do you but mark how this becomes the house: (1)

Dear daughter, I confess that I am old :

Age is unnecessary; (2) on my knees I beg,

(Kneeling.)

That you'll vouchsafe me raiment, bed, and food.
Reg. Good sir, no more of these unsightly passions
Return back to our sister.

Lear. Never, Regan;

She hath abated me of half my train,

Look'd black upon me, stabb'd me with her tongue :
All the stor'd vengeances of heav'n fall

On her ingrateful head! Strike her young bones,
Ye taking airs, with lameness !—

Reg. O the blest gods! thus will you wish on me,
When the rash mood-

Rises.)

Lear. No, Regan, thou shalt never have my curse; Thy tender nature cannot give thee o'er

To such impiety: thou better know'st

The offices of nature, bond of childhood,

And dues of gratitude; thou bear'st in mind
The half o'th' kingdom, which our love conferred
On thee and thine.

Reg. Good sir, to th' purpose.

Lear. Who put my man i'th' stocks?

(Trum et s unds, l.h ) Cor

. What t umpet's that?

(1) The order of families, duties of relation. (2) Old age has few wants.

Reg. I know't, my sister's; (1) this confirms her letters

Enter Oswald, l.h.

Sir, is your lady come?

Lear. More torture still!

Out, varlet, from my sight!

(Strikes Oswald, who runs off crying, r.h.u.E

Corn. What means your grace?

Lear. Who stock'd my servant? Regan, I have hope Thou did'st not know it.

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(Trumpet sounds.)

Enter Goneril, Page and two Ladies, l.h.

Who comes here? Oh, heav'ns !

If you do love old men; if your sweet sway

Allow obedience; if yourselves are old,

Make it your cause; (To Goneril.) send down and take my part! (Crosses to r.h.)

Why, Gorgon, dost thou come to haunt me here?

(To Goneril.) Art not asham'd to look upon this beard ?—(Regan takes Goneril by the hand.)

Darkness upon my eyes, they play me false !—

O Regan! wilt thou take her by the hand?

Gon. Why not by th' hand, sir? How have I offended? All's not offence that indiscretion finds, (2)

And dotage terms so.

Lear. Heart, thou art too tough!

Reg. I pray you, sir, being old, confess you are so.
If, till the expiration of your month,

You will return, and sojourn with our sister,
Dismissing half your train, come then to me:
I'm now from home, and out of that provision
That shall be needful for your entertainment.

Lear. Return with her, and fifty knights dismiss'd ?
No, rather I'll abjure all roofs, and choose

To be companion to the midnight wolf,

(1) It seems from this passage, that the approach of great personages was announced by some distinguishing note or tune appropriately used by their own trumpeters.

(2) Finds is here used in the same sense as when a jury is said to find a bill.

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