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Saddle my horfes, call my train together.--
Degen'rate baftard! I'll not trouble thee;
Yet have I left a daughter.

[rabble

Gon. You ftrike my people, and your disorder'd Make fervants of their betters.

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Lear.

To them, Enter Albany.

WOE
OE! that too late repents-O, Sir, are

you come?

Is it your will, fpeak, Sir? prepare my horfes.

[To Albany. Ingratitude thou marble-hearted fiend,

More hideous, when thou fhew'ft thee in a child,
Than the fea-monster.

Alb. Pray, Sir, be patient.

Lear. Detefted kite! thou lieft.

My train are men of choice and rareft
That all particulars of duty know;
And in the moft exact regard fupport

[To Gonerill.

parts,

The worships of their names. O most small fault! How ugly didft thou in Cordelia fhew?

Which, like an engine, wrencht my frame of nature From the fixt place; drew from my heart all love, And added to the gall. O Lear, Lear, Lear!

Beat at this gate that let thy folly in,

[Striking his head. And thy dear judgment out.-Go, go, my people. Alb. My lord, I'm guiltlefs, as I'm ignorant,

Of what hath moved you.

Lear. It may be fo, my lord-—

Hear, Nature, hear; dear Goddess, hear a Father! Sufpend thy purpose, if thou didst intend

To make this creature fruitful:

Into her womb convey fterility,

Dry up in her the organs of increase,
And from her derogate body never spring

A Babe to honour her! If fhe muft teem,.
Create her child of fpleen, that it may live,
And be a thwart difnatur'd torment to her;
Let it ftamp wrinkles in her brow of youth,
*With candent tears fret channels in her cheeks:
Turn all her mother's pains and benefits
To laughter and contempt; that fhe may feel,
How sharper than a ferpent's tooth it is,

To have a thankless child.-Go, go, my people.
Alb. Now, Gods, that we adore, whereof comes
this?

Gon. Never afflict yourself to know of it: But let his difpofition have that scope,

That dotage gives it.

Lear. What, fifty of my followers at a clap ?Within a fortnight ?-

Alb. What's the matter, Sir?

Lear. I'll tell thee--life and death! I am afham'd That thou haft power to fhake my manhood thus;

[To Gonerill. That these hot tears, which break from me perforce, Should make thee worth them,-blafts and fogs. upon thee!

Th' untented woundings of a father's curfe

+ Pierce every fence about thee! Old fond eyes,
Beweep this Cause again, I'll pluck ye out,
And caft you, with the waters that you lofe,.
To temper clay. Ha! is it come to this?
Let it be fo: I have another daughter,
Who, I am fure, is kind and comfortable;
When she shall hear this of thee, with her nails
She'll flea thy wolfifh visage. Thou shalt find,

*With cadent tears---] We fhould read, candent, i. e. hot, fcalding.

+ Pierce every fenfe about thee !] We should read,

Pierce every fence about thee!]

i. e. Guard, Security, Barrier. Let nothing ftand against a Father's Curse.

Warburton.

That

That I'll refume the shape, which thou doft think
I have caft off for ever. [Ex. Lear and Attendants.

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mark that?

Gon. Dll. I cannot be fo partial, Gonerill,
To the great love I bear you,-
Gon. Pray you, be content.

What, Ofwald, ho! You, Sir, more knave than fool, after your master. Fool. Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, take the fool with thee:

A Fox, when one has caught her,

And fuch a daughter,

Should fure to the flaughter,

If my cap would buy a halter,

So the fool follows after.

[Exit.

Gon. This man hath had good counfel-a hundred Knights?

'Tis politic, and safe, to let him keep

A hundred Knights; yes, that on ev'ry dream,
Each buz, each fancy, each complaint, diflike,
He may enguard his dotage with their pow'rs,
And hold our lives at mercy: Ofwald, I fay. -
Alb. Well, you may fear too far;

Gon. Safer than trust too far.

Let me still take away the harms I fear,
Not fear ftill to be harm'd. I know his heart;
What he hath utter'd, I have writ my fifter;
If fhe'll fuftain him and his hundred Knights,
When I have fhew'd th'unfitnefs-

How now, Ofwald?

Enter Steward.

What, have you writ that letter to my fifter?
Stew. Ay, Madam.

Gon. Take you fome company, and away to horse; Inform her full of my particular fears,

G 4

And

And thereto add fuch reasons of your own,

As may compact it more.
And haften your return.
No, no, my lord,

So get you gone,

[Exit Steward.

This milky gentlenefs and courfe of yours,
Though I condemn it not, yet, under pardon,
You are much more at tafk for want of wisdom,
Than prais'd for harmful mildness.

Alb. How far your eyes may pierce, I cannot tell; Striving to better, oft we mar what's well.

Gon. Nay then

Alb. Well, well, th' event.

SCENE

[Exeunt.

XVII

A Court-Yard belonging to the Duke of Albany's Palace.

Re-enter Lear, Kent, Gentlemen and Fool.

Lear. O you before to Glo'fter with these letters; acquaint my daughter no further with any thing you know, than comes from her demand out of the letter: if your diligence be not speedy, I fhall be there afore you.

Kent. I will not fleep, my lord, 'till I have delivered your letter.

[Exit.

Fool. If a man's brain were in his heels, were't not in danger of kibes?

Lear. Ay, boy.

Fool. Then, I pr'ythee, be merry, thy wit shall not go flip-fhod.

Lear. Ha, ha, ha.

Fool. Shalt fee, thy other daughter will use thee kindly; for though fhe's as like this as a crab's like an apple, yet I can tell what I can tell.

Lear. What canft tell, boy?

Fool. She will tafte as like this, as a crab does to a crab. Canft thou tell, why one's nofe ftands i'th'

middle of one's face?

Lear.

Lear. No.

Fool. Why, to keep one's eyes of either fide one's nofe; that what a man cannot fmell out, he may spy

into.

Lear. I did her wrong

Fool. Canft tell how an oyfter makes his fhell?
Lear. No.

Fool. Nor I neither; but I can tell, why a 'fnail has a house.

Lear. Why?

Fool. Why, to put's head in, not to give it away to his daughters, and leave his horns without a cafe. Lear. I will forget my nature: fo kind a father! be my horses ready?

Fool. Thy affes are gone about 'em; the reason, why the feven stars are no more than seven, is a pretty reafon.

Lear, Because they are not eight.

Fool. Yes, indeed; thou would't make a good fool.

Lear. To take't again perforce !monster ingratitude!

Fool. If you were my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time.

Lear. How's that?

Fool. Thou fhould'ft not have been old, 'till thou hadft been wife.

Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, fweet heav'n! Keep me in temper, I would not be mad.

Enter Gentleman.

How now, are the horses ready?

Gent. Ready, my lord.

Lear. Come, boy.

Fool. She that's a maid now, and laughs at my

departure,

Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut shorter.

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