Thy fifter's naught: oh Regan, fhe hath tied
Sharp-tooth'd unkindness like a vulture here;
[Points to his heart.
I can scarce fpeak to thee; thou'lt not believe,
With how deprav'd a quality-oh Regan!-

Reg. I pray you, Sir, take patience; I have Hope, You lefs know how to value her defert,

Than fhe to fcant her duty.

Lear. Say? How is that?

Reg. I cannot think my fifter in the leaft Would fail her obligation. If, perchance, She have reftrain'd the riots of your followers; 'Tis on fuch ground, and to fuch wholesome end, As clears her from all blame.

Lear. My curfes on her!

Reg. O Sir, you are old, Nature in you stands on the

very verge

Of her confine; you should be rul'd and led
By fome difcretion, that difcerns your ftate
Better than you yourfelf: therefore, I pray you,
That to our fifter you do make return;
Say, you have wrong'd her, Sir.

Lear. Afk her forgiveness ?

Do you but mark, how this becomes the House?
Dear daughter, I confefs, that I am old;
Age is unneceffary: On my knees I beg,
That you'll vouchfafe me raiment, bed, and food.
Reg. Good Sir, no more; these are unfightly tricks:
Return you to my fifter.

Lear. Never, Regan:

She hath abated me of half my train ;

*Look'd black upon me; ftruck me with her tongue,

*Look'd black upon me;] So all the Editions. Mr. Theobald alters it to blank. A fmall Alteration, only turning black to white. His Reason is, because to look black upon him is a Phrafe he does not underftand. But it alludes to a Serpent's turning black, when it swells with Rage and Venom, the very Creature to which Lear here compares his Daughter. VOL. VII.

D

Moft

Moft ferpent-like, upon the very heart.
All the ftor'd vengeances of heaven fall
On her ingrateful Top! ftrike her young bones,
You taking airs, with lamenefs!

Corn. Fie, Sir! fie!

[flames

Lear. You nimble lightnings, dart your blinding Into her fcornful eyes! infect her beauty,

You fen-fuck'd fogs, drawn by the pow'rful fun
To fall, and blaft her pride.

Reg. O the bleft Gods!

So will you wish on me, when the rash mood is on.
Lear. No, Regan, thou fhalt never have my curfe :
Thy tender-hefted nature fhall not give

Thee o'er to harshness; her eyes are fierce, but thine
Do comfort, and not burn. 'Tis not in thee
To grudge my pleasures, to cut off my train,
To bandy hafty words, to fcant my fizes,
And, in conclufion, to oppose the bolt
Against my coming in. Thou better know'ft
The offices of nature, bond of child-hood,
Effects of courtefy, dues of gratitude:

Thy half o'th' kingdom thou haft not forgot,
Wherein I thee endow'd.

Reg. Good Sir, to th' purpose.

[Trumpets within. Lear. Who put my man i'th' Stocks?

Enter Steward.

Corn. What trumpet's that?

Reg. I know't, my mafter's: this approves her letter, That he would foon be here. Is your lady.come? Lear. This is a flave, whose easy-borrow'd pride Dwells in the fickle grace of her he follows. Out, varlet, from my fight.

Corn. What means your Grace?

Lear. W

SCENE

Enter Gonerill.

XII.

HO ftockt my fervant? Regan, I've good hope,

Thou

Thou didst not know on't.--Who comes here?
O Heav'ns,

If you do love old men, if your sweet sway
Hallow obedience, if yourfelves are old,

Make it your caufe; fend down, and take my part: Art not afham'd to look upon this beard?

O Regan, will you take her by the hand? [fended? Gon. Why not by th' hand, Sir? how have I ofAll's not offence, that indifcretion finds,

And dotage terms fo.

Lear. O fides, you are too tough!

Will you yet hold?-how came my man i'th'Stocks? Corn. I fet him there, Sir: but his own disorders Deferv'd much lefs advancement.

Lear. You? did you?

Reg. I pray you, Father, being weak, deem't fo. If, 'till the expiration of your month,

You will return and fojourn with my fifter,
Difmiffing half your train, come then to me;
I'm now from home, and out of that provifion
Which shall be needful for your entertainment.
Lear. Return to her, and fifty men difmifs'd?
No, rather I abjure all roofs, and chufe.
To wage against the enmity o'th' air;
To be a comrade with the wolf and owl,
Neceffity's fharp pinch- -Return with her?
Why, the hot-blooded France, that dow'rlefs took
Our youngest born, I could as well be brought
To knee his throne, and 'Squire-like penfion beg,
To keep bafe life a-foot;Return with her?
Perfuade me rather to be a flave, and fumpter,
To this detefted groom.

Gon. At your choice, Sir.

Lear. I pr'ythee, daughter, do not make me mad; I will not trouble thee, my child. Farewel; We'll no more meet, no more fee one another; But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter,Or rather a disease that's in my flesh,

D 2

Which

Which I muft needs call mine; thou art a bile,
A plague-fore, or imboffed carbuncle,

In my corrupted blood; but I'll not chide thee,
Let fhame come when it will, I do not call it;
I do not bid the thunder-bearer shoot,
Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove.
Mend when thou canft; be better at thy leisure.
I can be patient, I can ftay with Regan;
I, and my hundred Knights.

Reg. Not altogether fo;

I look'd not for you yet, nor am provided
For your fit welcome; give ear to my fister;
For those that mingle reafon with your paffion,
Must be content to think you old, and fo-
But she knows what she does.

Lear. Is this well spoken?

Reg. I dare avouch it, Sir; what fifty followers ? Is it not well? what fhould you need of more? Yea, or fo many? fince both charge and danger Speak 'gainst fo great a number: how in one house Should many people under two commands Hold amity? 'tis hard, almoft impoffible.

Gon. Why might not you, my lord, receive atten

dance

From those that she calls fervants, or from mine? Reg. Why not, my lord? if then they chanc'd to

flack ye,

We could controul them; if you'll come to me, (For now I fpy a danger) I intreat you

To bring but five and twenty; to no more

Will I give place or notice.

Lear. I give you all

Reg. And in good time you gave it.

Lear. Made you my Guardians, my depofitaries;

But kept a refervation to be follow'd

With fuch a number; muft I come to you
With five and twenty? Regan, faid you fo?

Reg. And speak't again, my lord, no more with me.

Lear.

Lear. *Those wrinkled creatures yet do look well

favour'd,

When others are more wrinkled. Not being worst, Stands in fome rank of praife; I'll go with thee; Thy fifty yet doth double five and twenty;

And thou art twice her love.

Gon. Hear me, my lord;

What need you five and twenty, ten, or five,
To follow in a house, were twice fo many
Have a command to tend you?

Reg. What needs one?

Lear. O, reafon not the need: our baseft beggars Are in the pooreft thing fuperfluous;

Allow not nature more than nature needs,
Man's life is cheap as beafts. Thou art a lady;
If only to go warm were gorgeous,

Why, nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear'ft,
Which scarcely keeps thee warm; but for true need,-
You heav'ns, give me that patience which I need!
You fee me here, you Gods, a poor
old man,
As full of grief as age; wretched in both!
If it be you, that ftir thefe daughters' hearts
Against their father, fool me not so much
To bear it tamely; touch me with noble anger;
O let not women's weapons, water-drops,

Stain my man's cheeks. No, you unnat❜ral hags,
I will have fuch revenges on you both,
That all the world fhall-

I will do fuch things,

Thofe wicked creatures yet do look well-favour'd, When others are more wicked: As a little before, in the Text [like flatterers] the Editors had made a Similitude where the Author intended none; fo here, where he did, they are not in the Humour to give it us, because not introduced with the formulary Word, like. Lear's fecond Daughter proving ftill more Unkind than the firft, he begins to entertain a better Opinion of this, from the other's greater Degree of Inhumanity; and expreffes it by a Similitude taken from the Deformities which old Age brings on.

Thofe wrinkled creatures yet do look well-favour'd,
When others are more wrinkled :.

D 3

Warburton.

What