Edg. Hail, gentle sir.

Gent.

Sir, speed you: What's

your will?

Edg. Do you hear aught, sir, of a battle toward ? Gent. Most sure, and vulgar: every one hears that, Which can distinguish sound.

Edg.

How near's the other army?

But, by your favour,

Gent. Near, and on speedy foot; the main descry Stands on the hourly thought.7

I thank you, sir: that's all.

Edg. Gent. Though that the queen on special cause is here, Her army is mov'd on.

Edg.

I thank you, sir.

[Exit Gent. Glo. You ever gentle gods, take my breath from me; Let not my worser spirit tempt me again

8

To die before you please!

Edg.

Well pray you, father.

Glo. Now, good sir, what are you?

Edg. A most poor man, made tame+ by fortune's

blows;

Who, by the art of known and feeling sorrows,

Am pregnant to good pity. Give me your hand,

I'll lead you to some biding.

Glo.

Hearty thanks:

The bounty and the benizon of heaven

To boot, and boot!

Stew,

Enter Steward.

A proclaim'd prize! Most happy!

That eyeless head of thine was first fram'd flesh
To raise my fortunes. - Thou old unhappy traitor,

Stands on the hourly thought.] The main body is expected to be descry'd every hour. The expression is harsh.

ተ

· my worser spirit —-] Perhaps, my evil genius. "made lame" - MALONE.

Dar'st thou support a publish'd traitor? Hence;
Lest that the infection of his fortune take
Like hold on thee. Let go his arm.

Edg. Chill not let go, zir, without vurther 'casion.
Stew. Let go, slave, or thou diest.

Edg. Good gentleman, go your gait', and let poor volk pass. And ch'ud ha' been zwagger'd out of my life, 'twould not ha' been zo long as 'tis by a vortnight. Nay, come not near the old man; keep out, che vor'ye, or ise try whether your costard3 or my bat be the harder: Ch'ill be plain with you.

Stew. Out, dunghill !

2

Edg. Ch'ill pick your teeth, zir: Come; no matter vor your

foins.

5

[They fight; and EDGAR knocks him down. Stew. Slave, thou hast slain me:-Villain, take my

purse;

If ever thou wilt thrive, bury my body;

And give the letters, which thou find'st about me,
To Edmund earl of Gloster; seek him out

Upon the British party: O, untimely death!

[Dies.

9 Briefly thyself remember :] i. e. Quickly recollect the past offences of thy life, and recommend thyself to heaven.

go your gait,] Gang your gait is a common expression in the North.

2 che vor'ye,] I warn you. Edgar counterfeits the western dialect.

3

4

your costard -] Costard, i. e. head.

my bat] i. e. club, or staff.

no matter vor your foins.] To foin is to make what we call a thrust in fencing. Shakspeare often uses the word.

Edg. I know thee well: A serviceable villain; As duteous to the vices of thy mistress,

As badness would desire.

Glo.

What, is he dead?

Edg. Sit you down, father; rest you.

Let's see his pockets: these letters, that he speaks of, May be my friends. He's dead; I am only sorry He had no other death's-man.

Let us see:

Leave, gentle wax: and, manners, blame us not:
To know our enemies' minds, we'd rip their hearts;
Their papers, is more lawful.

[Reads.] Let our reciprocal vows be remembered. You have many opportunities to cut him off: if your will want not, time and place will be fruitfully offered. There is nothing done, if he return the conqueror: Then am I the prisoner, and his bed my gaol; from the loathed warmth whereof deliver me, and supply the place for your labour. Your wife, (so I would say,) and your

affectionate servant,
GONERIL.

O undistinguish'd space of woman's will! 6
A plot upon her virtuous husband's life;

And the exchange, my brother! - Here, in the sands,
Thee I'll rake up, the post unsanctified 7

Of murderous lechers: and, in the mature time,
With this ungracious paper strike the sight
Of the death-practis'd duke: For him 'tis well,
That of thy death and business I can tell.

[Exit EDGAR, dragging out the Body.

• O undistinguish'd space of woman's will!] O undistinguishing licentiousness of a woman's inclinations!

7 Thee I'll rake up, the post unsanctified, &c.] I'll cover thee. In Staffordshire, to rake the fire, is to cover it with fuel for the night. The epithet, unsanctified, refers to his want of burial in consecrated ground.

Glo. The king is mad: How stiff is my vile sense, That I stand up, and have ingenious feeling Of my huge sorrows! Better I were distract: So should my thoughts be sever'd from my griefs; And woes, by wrong imaginations, lose

The knowledge of themselves.

Re-enter EDGAR.

Edg.

Give me your

hand:

Far off, methinks, I hear the beaten drum.
Come, father, I'll bestow you with a friend.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VII.

A Tent in the French Camp. LEAR on a Bed, asleep; Physician, Gentleman, and Others, attending: Enter CORDELIA and KENT.

Cor. O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work, To match thy goodness? My life will be too short, And every measure fail me.

Kent. To be acknowledg'd, madam, is o'er-paid. All my reports go with the modest truth;

Nor more, nor clipp'd, but so.

Cor.

Be better suited: 8

These weeds are memories 9 of those worser hours;
I pr'ythee, put them off.

Kent.

Pardon me, dear madam;

Yet to be known, shortens my made intent:
My boon I make it, that you know me not,

Till time and I think meet.

1

Cor. Then be it so, my good lord. - How does the

king?

8 Be better suited :] i. e. Be better dressed.

[To the Physician.

9 These weeds are memories —] i. e. memorials, remembrancers.

1

my made intent:] An intent made, is an intent formed.

Phys. Madam, sleeps still.

Cor. O you kind gods,

Cure this great breach in his abused nature!
The untun'd and jarring senses, O, wind up
Of this child-changed father! 2

Phys. So please your majesty, That we may wake the king? he hath slept long. Cor. Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed I' the sway of your own will. Is he array'd?

Gent. Ay, madam; in the heaviness of his sleep, We put fresh garments on him.

Phys. Be by, good madam, when we do awake him; I doubt not of his temperance.

Cor.

Very well.

Phys. Please you, draw near.-Louder the musick

there.

Cor. O my dear father! Restoration, hang
Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss

Repair those violent harms, that my two sisters
Have in thy reverence made!

Kent.

Kind and dear princess!

Cor. Had you not been their father, these white flakes
Had challeng'd pity of them. Was this a face
To be expos'd against the warring winds?

To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder?
In the most terrible and nimble stroke

Of quick, cross lightning? to watch (poor perdu !)
With this thin helm 3? Mine enemy's dog,

Though he had bit me, should have stood that night
Against my fire; And wast thou fain, poor father,
To hovel thee with swine, and rogues forlorn,

2 Of this child-changed father!] i. e. changed to a child by his years and wrongs; or changed by his children.

to watch (poor perdu!)

With this thin helm ?] The allusion is to the forlorn hope in an army, which are put upon desperate adventures, and called in French enfans perdus. With this thin helm? i. e. bare-headed.