white wheat, and hurts the poor creatures of the

earth.

Swithin footed thrice the wold *.

He met the night-mare and her ninefold,
"Twas there he did appoint her;

He bid her alight, and her troth plight,
And aroynt the witch, aroynt her.

Enter Glocefter.

Lear. What's he?

Gloc. What, has your grace no better company? Edgar. The prince of darkness is a gentleman; Modo he is call'd, and Mahu.

Gloc. Go with me, Sir; hard by I have a tenant. My duty cannot suffer me

To obey in all your daughters' hard commands,
Who have enjoin'd me to make fast my doors,
And let this tyrannous night take hold upon you.
Yet have I ventur'd to come feek you out,
And bring you where both fire and food are ready.

* Swithin footed thrice the WOLD.] I was furprised to see in the Appendix to the laft edition of Shakespeare, that my reading of this paffage was "Swithin footed thrice the WORLD." I have ever been averfe to capricious variations of the old text; and in the prefent inftance the rhime, as well as the fenfe, would have induced me to abide by it. WORLD was a mere error of the prefs. WOLD is a word ftill in ufe in the North of England; fignifying a kind of Down near the fea. A large tract of country in the Eaft-Riding of Yorkshire is called the WOULDS.

Kent. Good my lord, take this offer. Lear. Firft let me talk with this philosopher; What is the cause of thunder?

Gloc. Befeech you, Sir, to go into the house. Lear. I'll talk a word with this fame learned Theban. What is your study?

Edgar. How to prevent the fiend, and to kill

vermin.

Lear. Let me afk you a word in private.

Kent. His wits are quite unfettled; good Sir, let's force him hence.

Gloc. Canft blame him? his daughters feek his death; this bedlam but difturbs him the more. Fellow, be gone.

Edgar. Child Rowland to the dark tower came, His word was ftill fie, foh, and fum,

I fmell the blood of a British man

[Exit.

Gloc. Now, prithee, friend, let us take him in

him where he fhall find both

our arms, and carry welcome and protection.

Lear. You fay right.

Good Sir, along with us!

Let them anatomize Re

gan! See what breeds about her heart! Is there

any

cause in nature for these hard hearts?

Kent. I do befeech your grace.

Lear. Hift!-make no noife! make no noise! -fo, fo! we'll to fupper in the morning. [Exeunt.

Scene

Scene changes to Glocefter's Palace.

Enter Cornwall, Regan, Gonerill, Edmund, and Attendants.

Cornw. I'll have revenge ere I depart this house. Regan, fee here! a plot upon our state; "Tis Glo'ster's character; he has betray'd His double truft, of subject and of hoft. Regan. Then double be our vengeance ! Edm. Oh, that this treafon had not been, or I Not the discoverer !

Cornw. Edmund, thou fhalt find

A dearer father in our love.

We call thee earl of Glo'fter.

Henceforth

Edm. I am much bounden to your grace, and will perfevere in my loyalty, tho' the conflict be fore between that and my blood.

Cornw. Our dear fifter Gonerill, do you poft speedily to my lord your husband; fhew him this letter The army of France is landed; seek out the traitor Glo'fter.

Regan. Hang him inftantly.

Gon. Pluck out his eyes.

Cornw. Leave him to my displeasure. Edmund, keep you our fifter company; the revenges we are bound to take upon your father, are not fit for your beholding. Advise the duke, where you are going,

M 4

going, to a moft hafty preparation; we are bound to the like. Our pofts fhall be fwift, and intelligent betwixt us. Farewell, dear fifter; farewell, my lord of Glo'fter.

Enter Steward.

How now? where's the King?

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

Are gone with him tow'rd Dover! where they boast To have well-armed friends.

Cornw. Get horses for your mistress.

Gon. Farewell, fweet lord and fifter.

[Exeunt Gon. and Edm.

Cornw. Edmund, farewell.-Go seek the traitor

Glo'fter!

Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us:

Though well we may not pass upon his life
Without the form of justice; yet our pow'r
Shall do a court'fy to our wrath, which men
May blame, but not controul.

Enter Glocefter, brought in by Servants.

Who's there? the traitor?

Regan. 'Tis he. Thank Heaven, he's ta'en

Cornw. Bind fast his arms.

Gloc. What mean your graces?

You are my guefts. Do me no foul play, friends,

Cornw. Bind him, I say.

[They bind him.

Regan,

Regan. Hard, hard: Oh, traitor! thou shalt findCornw. Come, Sir, what letters had you late from France?

And what confed'racy have you with the traitors, Late footed in the kingdom?

Regan. To whose hands

Have you fent the lunatick king? speak.
Cornw. Where hast thou sent the king?

Gloc. To Dover.

Regan. Wherefore to Dover?

Waft thou not charg'd, at peril

Cornw. Wherefore to Dover? let him first answer

that.

Gloc. I am tied to th' ftake, and I muft ftand the courfe.

Regan. Wherefore to Dover?

Gloc. Because I would not fee thy cruel nails Pluck out his poor old eyes, nor thy fierce fifter Carve his anointed flefh; but I fhall fee

The winged vengeance overtake fuch children. Cornw. See't thou shalt never; flaves, perform

your work;

Out with thofe treacherous eyes; difpatch, I fay! [Exeunt Gloc. and Serv,

If thou feeft vengeance

Gloc. [without] He that will think to live 'till he

be old

Give