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You beastly knave, know you no reverence?
Kent. Yes, sir; but anger has a privilege.
Corn. Why art thou angry?

Kent. That such a slave as this should wear a

sword,

Who wears no honesty. Such smiling rogues as these, Like rats, oft bite the holy cords atwain

Which are too intrinse t'unloose: smooth every passion

;

That in the natures of their lords rebels;
Bring oil to fire, snow to their colder moods
Renege, affirm, and turn their halcyon3 beaks
With every gale and vary of their masters,
As knowing nought, like dogs, but following.
A plague upon your epileptick visage!
Smile you my speeches, as I were a fool?
Goose, if I had you upon Sarum plain,
I'd drive'ye cackling home to Camelot.*/
Corn. What, art thou mad, old fellow?

Glo. Say that.

How fell you out?

Kent. No contraries hold more antipathy, Than I and such a knave.

Corn. Why dost thou call him knave? What's his offence?

Kent. His countenance likes me not.5

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3 The bird called the king-fisher, which, when dried and hung up by a thread, is supposed to turn his bill to the point from whence the wind blows.

4 In Somersetshire where are bred great quantities of geese.

5 i. e. Pleases me not.

Corn. No more, perchance, does mine, or his, or

hers.

Kent. Sir, 'tis my occupation to be plain;

I have seen better faces in my time,

Than stands on any shoulder that I see
Before me at this instant.

This is some fellow,

Corn. Who, having been prais'd for bluntness, doth affect A saucy roughness; and constrains the garb,

Quite from his nature: He cannot flatter, he !—

An honest mind and plain, he must speak truth:

An they will take it, so; if not, he's plain.

These kind of knaves I know, which in this plainness
Harbour more craft, and more corrupter ends,
Than twenty silly" ducking observants,

That stretch their duties nicely.

Kent. Sir, in good sooth, in sincere verity, Under the allowance of your grand aspéct, Whose influence, like the wreath of radiant fire On flickering Phoebus' front,

Corn.

What mean'st by this? Kent. To go out of my dialect, which you discommend so much. I know, sir, I am no flatterer: he that beguiled you, in a plain accent, was a plain knave; which, for my part, I will not be, though I should win your displeasure to entreat me to it.

Corn. What was the offence you gave
Stew.

It pleas'd the king his master, very late,

him?

Never any:

To strike at me, upon his misconstruction;
When he, conjunct, and flattering his displeasure,

6 Simple or rustick.

Tripp'd me behind; being down, insulted, rail'd,
And put upon him such a deal of man,
That worthy'd him, got praises of the king
For him attempting who was self-subdu'd;
And, in the fleshment of this dread exploit,
Drew on me here.

Kent.

None of these rogues, and cowards,

But Ajax is their fool."

Corn.

Fetch forth the stocks, ho!

You stubborn ancient knave, you reverend braggart,

We'll teach you—

Kent.

Sir, I am too old to learn:

Call not your stocks for me: I serve the king;
On whose employment I was sent to you:

You shall do small respect, show too bold malice
Against the
grace and person of my master,
Stocking his messenger.

Corn.

Fetch forth the stocks:

As I've life and honour, there shall he sit till noon. Reg. Till noon! till night, my lord; and all night

too.

Kent. Why, madam, if I were your father's dog, You should not use me so.

Reg.

Sir, being his knave, I will. [Stocks brought out.

Corn. This is a fellow of the self-same colour

Our sister speaks of:-Come, bring away the stocks.
Glo. Let me beseech your grace not to do so:
His fault is much, and the good king his master
Will check him for't: your purpos'd low correction
Is such, as basest and contemned'st wretches,

7 i. e. Ajax is a fool to them.

For pilferings and most common trespasses,
Are punish'd with: the king must take it ill,
That he's so slightly valued in his messenger,
Should have him thus restrain'd.

Corn.

I'll answer that.

Reg. My sister may receive it much more worse, To have her gentleman abus'd, assaulted,

For following her affairs.-Put in his legs.—

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[KENT is put in the Stocks.

Come, my good lord; away.

[Exeunt REGAN and CORNWALL.

Glo. I am sorry for thee, friend; 'tis the duke's

pleasure,

Whose disposition, all the world well knows,
Will not be rubb'd, nor stopp'd: I'll entreat for thee.
Kent. Pray, do not, sir; I have watch'd, and tra-

vell'd hard;

Some time I shall sleep out, the rest I'll whistle.
A good man's fortune may grow out at heels :
Give you good morrow!

Glo. The duke's to blame in this; 'twill be ill

taken.

[Exit.

Kent. Good king, that must approve the common

saw !8

Thou out of heaven's benediction com'st

To the warm sun!

Approach, thou beacon to this under globe,

That by thy comfortable beans I may

Peruse this letter !-Nothing almost sees miracles,
But misery ;-I know 'tis from Cordelia ;
Who hath most fortunately been inform'd

8 Saying or proverb.

Of my obscured course; and shall find time
From this enormous state,—seeking to give
Losses their remedies:-All weary and o'er-watch'd,
Take vantage, heavy eyes, not to behold

This shameful lodging.

Fortune, good night; smile once more; turn thy wheel!

[He sleeps.

SCENE III.

A Part of the Heath.

Enter EDGAR.

Edg. I heard myself proclaim'd;

And, by the happy hollow of a tree,
Escap'd the hunt. No port is free; no place,
That guard, and most unusual vigilance,

Does not attend my taking. While I may scape,
I will preserve myself: and am bethought
To take the basest and most poorest shape,

That every penury, in contempt of man,

Brought near to beast: my face I'll grime with filth;
Blanket my loins; elf9 all my hair in knots;

And with presented nakedness outface
The winds, and persecutions of the sky.
The country gives me proof and precedent
Of Bedlam beggars, who, with roaring voices,
Strike in their numb'd and mortified bare arms
Pins, wooden pricks,' nails, sprigs of rosemary;
And with this horrible object, from low farms,

Hair thus knotted, was supposed to be the work of elves and fairies in the night.

1 Skewers.

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