Manet Edgar.

Edg. When we our Betters fee bearing our Woes, We fcarcely think cur Miferies our Foes. Who alone fuffers, fuffers most i' th' mind; Leaving * free things, and happy Shows behind: But then the Mind much Suff'rance does o'erfkip, When Grief bath Mates, and Bearing, Fellowship. How light, and portable, my pain feems now, When that, which makes me bend, makes the King bow; He childed, as I father'd!-Tom, away;

+ Mark the high Noifes, and thyself bewray, When falfe Opinion, whofe wrong Thought defiles thee, In thy juft Proof repeals, and reconciles thee. What will, hap more to Night; fafe 'Scape the King! Lurk, Lurk.[Exit Edgar,

SCENE X.

Changes to Glo'fter's Caftle.

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

Corn.

is landed.

OST fpeedily to my Lord your husband, fhew him this letter. The army of France Seek out the traitor Glofter.

Reg. Hang him inftantly.

Gon. Pluck out his eyes.

Corn. Leave him to my difpleafure. Edmund, keep you our fifter company; the revenges, we are bound to take upon your traiterous father, are not fit for your beholding. Advise the Duke, where you are going, to a most festinate preparation; we are bound to the like. Our Posts shall be swift, and intelligent be

•-free things,] States clear from diftrefs.

+ Mark the high noifes,] Attend to the great events that are approaching, and make thyfelf known when that false opinion

now prevailing against thee fhall, in confequence of just proof of thy integrity, revoke its erroneous fentence, and recall thee to honour and reconciliation.

twixt

twixt us. Farewell, dear fifter. Farewel, my Lord

of Glofter.

Enter Steward.

How now? where's the King?

Stew. My Lord of Glo'fter hath convey'd him hence. Some five or fix and thirty of his Knights,

Hot Queftrifts after him, met him at gate,
Who with fome other of the Lords dependants,
Are gone with him tow'rd Dover; where they boaft
To have well-armed friends.

Corn. Get horfes for your mistress.

Gon. Farewell, fweet Lord, and fifter.

[Exeunt Gon. and Edm. Corn. Edmund, farewell.-Go feek the traitor Glofter: Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us; Though well we may not pals upon his life Without the form of juftice; yet our pow'r Shall do a court'fy to our wrath, which men May blame, but not controll.

Enter Glo'fter, brought in by Servants.

Who's there? the traitor?

Reg. Ingrateful fox! 'tis he.

Corn Bind faft his corky arms.

Glo. What mean your Graces? Good my Friends,

confider,

You are my Guefts: Do me no foul play, friends.

Corn. Bind him, I fay.

Reg. Hard, hard. O filthy traitor!

[They bind him.

Glo. Unmerciful lady as you are! I'm none.

4-my Lord of Glo'fter.] Meaning Edmund, newly invefted with his Father's titles. The Steward, speaking immediately after,

mentions the old Duke by the fame title.

s.] Dry, win

-corky arms. thered, hulky arms. H3

Corn..

Corn. To this chair bind him. Villain, thou shalt

find

5

[Regan plucks his beard. Glo. By the kind gods, 'tis molt ignobly done To pluck me by the beard.

Reg. So white, and fuch a traitor?
Glo. Naughty lady.

Thefe hairs, which thou doft ravish from my chin,
Will quicken and accuse thee; I'm your Hoft;
With robbers' hands, my hofpitable favour
You should not ruffle thus. What will you do?
Corn. Come, Sir, what letters had you late from
France?

Reg. Be fimple anfwer'd, for we know the truth.
Corn. And what confed'racy have you with the
traitors,

Late footed in the kingdom?

Reg. To whofe hands

mation that he would revenge her injuries. In Coriolanus when that Hero is exasperated at the fickle inconftant temper of the multitude, he fwears by the clouds; and again when he meets his wife after a long abfence, by the jealous Queen of Heaven; for Juno was fuppofed the aveng❜refs of conjugal infidelity. In Othello the double Iago is made to fwear by Fanus. And in this very play of Lear, a pagan much given to judicial Aftrology, very confonantly to his character, fwears. By all the operations of the orbs, By whom we do exift, and ceaje to be.

6

WARB.

-my bofpitable FAVOURS] It is nonfenfe to understand it of gifts, kindneffes, &r. We should read FAVOUR, i.e. vifage.. For they pluck'd him by the beard.

WARBURTON.

Have

Have you fent the lunatick King? Speak.
Glo. I have a letter gueffingly fet down,

Which came from one that's of a neutral heart,
And not from one oppos'd.

Corn. Cunning-

Reg. And falle.

Corn. Where haft thou fent the King?

Glo. To Dover?

Reg. Wherefore to Dover?

Waft thou not charg'd, at peril-

Corn. Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer

that.

7

Glo. I am ty'd to th' ftake, and I must ftand the course.

Reg. Wherefore to Dover?

Glo. Because I would not see thy cruel nails Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce fifter In his anointed flesh stick boarish phangs.

The fea, with fuch a ftorm as his bare head

In hell black night indur'd, would have buoy'd up,
And quench'd the ftelled fires;

Yet poor old heart, he help'd the heav'ns to rain.
If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that stern time,
Thou shouldft have faid, "go, porter, turn the key;"
All cruels elfe fubfcrib'd; but I fhall fee

The winged vengeance overtake fuch children.
Corn. See't fhalt thou never.

chair.

Fellows, hold the

Upon these eyes of thine I'll fet my foot.

[Glo'fter is held down, while Cornwall treads out one of his eyes.

Glo. He, that will think to live till he be old, Give me fome help.-O cruel!-O you gods! Reg. One fide will mock another; th' other too.

7 the courfe.] The running of the dogs upon me.

fubfcrib'd;] Yielded, fub

mitted to the neceffity of the occafion.

H4

Corn.

Corn. If you fee vengeance

Serv. Hold your hand, my Lord.
I've ferv'd you, ever fince I was a child,
But better service have I never done you,
Than now to bid you hold.

Reg. How now, you dog?

Serv. If you did wear a beard upon your chin, I'd shake it on this quarrel. What do you mean? Corn. My villain!

anger.

Serv. Nay then come on, and take the chance of [Fight; Cornwall is wounded. Reg. [To another fervant.] Give me thy fword. A peasant stand up thus?

[Comes bebind and kills him. Serv. Oh. I am flain-My Lord, you have one eye left

To fee fome mischief on him. Oh

[Dies. Corn. Left it see more, prevent it. Out, vile gelly: Where is thy luftre now?

[Treads the other out.

Glo. All dark and comfortlefs-Where's my fon

Edmund?

Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature

To quit this horrid act.

Reg. Out! Treacherous villain,

Thou call'ft on him, that hates thee; it was he

That made the overture of thy treasons to us,

Who is too good to pity thee.

Glo. O my follies!

Then Edgar was abus'd. Kind gods, forgive

Me that, and prosper him!.

Reg. Go thrust him out

At gates, and let him fmell his way to Dover.

[Ex. with Glo'ster,

How is't, my Lord, how look you?

Corn. I have receiv'd a hurt. Follow me, ladyTurn out that eyelefs villain. Throw this flave Upon the dunghill.-Regan, I bleed apace.

Un