Some dear caufe

And leave you to attend him.

Will in Concealment wrap me up awhile:

When I am known aright, you shall not grieve Lending me this acquaintance. Pray, along with me.

Cor.

SCENE, a CAMP.

Enter Cordelia, Phyfician, and Soldiers.

'A'

[Exeunt.

LACK, 'tis he; why, he was met even now As mad as the vext fea; finging aloud; Crown'd with rank fumiterr, and furrow-weeds, (24) With hardocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers, Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow

In our fuftaining corn.

Send forth à cent'ry; Search every acre in the high-grown field,

And bring him to our eye. What can man's Wisdom
In the reftoring his bereaved fenfe,

He, that helps him, take all my outward worth.
Phy. There are means, Madam:

Our fofter nurfe of nature is repose;
The which he lacks; that to provoke in him,
Are many Simples operative, whofe power
Will clofe the eye of anguish.

(24) Crown'd with rank Fenitar;] There is no fuch Herb, or Weed, that I can find, of English Growth; tho' all the Co. pies agree in the Corruption. I dare fay, I have reftor'd its right Name; and we meet with it again in our Author's Henry V. and partly in the fame Company as we have it here;

ber fallow Leas

The darnel, hemlock, and rank fumitory

Do root upon.

For this Weed is call'd both Fumitory and Fumiterr, nearer to the French Derivation Fume-terre: which the Latin Shopmen term Fumaria. I obferve, in Chaucer it is written Femetere; by a Corruption either of the Scribe, or of vulgar Pronunciation; if of the latter, it might from thence easily slide, in progress of time, into Fenitar.

Cor.

Cor. All bleft Secrets,

All you unpublish'd Virtues of the Earth,

Spring with my tears; be aidant, and remediate
In the good man's diftrefs! feek, feek for him;
Left his ungovern'd rage diffolve the life,
That wants the means to lead it.

Enter a Meffenger:

Mef. News, Madam :

The British Pow'rs are marching hitherward.
Cor. 'Tis known before. Our preparation ftands
In expectation of them. O dear father,

It is thy bufinefs that I go about: therefore great France
My Mourning and important Tears hath pitied.
No blown ambition doth our arms incite,

But love, dear love, and our ag'd father's right:
Soon may I hear, and see him!

[Exeunt.

SCENE, Regan's PALACE.

Reg. BUT

Enter Regan, and Steward.

UT are my Brother's Powers fet forth?
Stew. Ay, Madam.

Reg. Himfelf in perfon there?

Stew. With much adoe.

Your fifter is the better foldier..

Reg. Lord Edmund fpake not with your lady at home?

Stew. No, Madam.

Reg. What might import my fifter's letter to him?
Stew. I know not, lady.

Reg. Faith, he is posted hence on serious matter.
It was great ign'rance, Glofter's eyes being out,
To let him live; where he arrives, he moves
All hearts against us: Edmund, I think, is gone,
In pity of his mifery, to dispatch

His nighted life: moreover, to descry

The ftrength o'th' enemy.

Stew. I must needs after him, Madam, with my letter.

D 5

Reg.

Reg. Our troops fet forth to morrow: stay with us: The ways are dangerous.

Stew. I may not, Madam;

My lady charg'd my duty in this business.

Reg. Why should the write to Edmund ? might not

you

Tranfport her purposes by word? Belike,

Something much

I know not what

Let me unfeal the letter.

Stew. Madam, I had rather

-I'll love thee

Reg. I know, your lady do's not love her husband: I'm fure of that; and, at her late being here, She gave ftrange iliads, and moft speaking looks To noble Edmund. I know, you're of her bofom. Stew. I, Madam ?

Reg. I fpeak in understanding: you are; I know't; Therefore, I do advise you, take this note. My lord is dead; Edmund and I have talk'd, And more convenient is he for my hand, Than for your lady's: you may gather more: If you do find him, pray you, give him this; And when your Miftrefs hears thus much from you, pray, defire her call her wisdom to her.

I

So farewel

If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor,
Preferment falls on him that cuts him off.

Stew. 'Would I could meet him, Madam, I should

What

Glo.

fhew

party I do follow.

Reg. Fare thee well.

[Exeunt.

SCENE, the Country, near Dover.

Enter Glo'fter, and Edgar as a Peasant.

WEdg. You do climb up it now. Look, how

Hen fhall I come to th' top of that fame hill?

we labour.

Glo. Methinks, the ground is even.
Edg. Horrible fteep.

Hark,

Hark, do you hear the sea ?

Glo. No, truly.

Edg. Why then your other fenfes grow imperfect By your eyes' anguish.

Glo. So may it be, indeed.

Methinks, thy voice is alter'd; and thou fpeak'st
In better phrase and matter than thou didft.

Edg. You're much deceiv'd: in nothing am I chang'd, But in my garments.

Glo. Sure, you're better spoken.

Edg. Come on, Sir, here's the place--ftand ftill. How fearful

And dizzy 'tis, to caft one's eyes fo low !

The crows and choughs, that wing the midway air,
Shew scarce fo grofs as beetles. Half way down
Hangs one, that gathers Samphire; dreadful trade!
Methinks, he feems no bigger than his head.
The fishermen, that walk upon the beach,
Appear like mice; and yond tall anchoring bark,
Diminish'd to her cock; her cock, a buoy
Almost too small for fight. The murmuring furge,
That on th' unnumbred idle pebbles chafes,
Cannot be heard fo high. I'll look no more,
Left my brain turn, and the deficient fight
Topple down headlong.

Glo. Set me, where you ftand.

Edg. Give me your hand: you're now within a foot Of th' extream verge: for all below the moon

Would I not leap upright.

Glo. Let go my hand:

Here, friend,'s another purfe, in it a Jewel

Well worth a poor man's taking. Fairies, and Gods,
Profper it with thee! Go thou further off,

Bid me farewel, and let me hear thee going.
Edg. Now fare ye well, good Sir.

Glo. With all my heart.

[Seems to go.

Edg. Why do I trifle thus with his despair?

'Tis done to cure it.

Glo. O you mighty Gods!

This world I do renounce; and in your fights

Shake

Shake patiently my great affliction off:
If I could bear it longer, and not fall
To quarrel with your great oppofelefs Wills,
My fnuff and loathed part of nature should
Burn it felf out. If Edgar live, O bless him!
Now, fellow, fare thee well. [He leaps, and falls along.
Edg. Good Sir, farewel.

And yet I know not how Conceit may rob
The treasury of life, when life it felf

Yields to the theft. Had he been where he thought,
By this, had thought been paft.Alive or dead?
Hoa, you, hear you, friend! Sir! Sir! fpeak!
Thus might he pafs, indeed-yet he revives.
What are you, Sir?

Glo. Away, and let me die.

Edg. Had'ft thou been aught but Gofs'mer, feathers, air,

So many fathom down precipitating,

Thou'd'ft fhiver'd like an egg: but thou doft breathe,
Haft heavy fubftance, bleed'ft not; fpeak, art found?
Ten mafts at each make not the altitude,
Which thou haft perpendicularly fall'n.

Thy life's a miracle. Speak yet again.
Glo. But have I fall'n, or no?

Edg. From the dread fummit of this chalky bourn! Look up a-height, the fhrill-gorg'd Lark fo far Cannot be feen or heard: do but look up.

Glo. Alack, I have no eyes.

Is wretchedness depriv'd that benefit,

To end it felf by death? 'twas yet fome comfort,
When mifery could beguile the tyrant's rage,
And frustrate his proud will.

Edg. Give me your arm.

Up, fo-how is't? feel you your legs? you stand.
Glo. Too well, too well.

Edg. This is above all ftrangeness.

Upon the crown o'th' cliff, what thing was that,

Which parted from you?

Glo. A poor unfortunate beggar.

Edg. As I ftood here, below, methought, his eyes

Were