Albany. Where was his son, when they did take his

Mess. Come with my lady hither.

Alb.

eyes?

He is not here.

Mess. No, my good lord; I met him back again.
Alb. Knows he the wickedness?

Mess. Ay, my good lord; 't was he inform'd against him,
And quit the house, on purpose that their punishment
Might have the freer course.

Gloster, I live

Alb.
To thank thee for the love thou show'dst the king,
And to revenge thine eyes. Come hither, friend:
Tell me what more thou knowest.

SCENE III.

The French Camp near Dover.

Enter KENT, and a Gentleman.

[Exeunt.

Kent. Why the king of France is so suddenly gone back, know you the reason?

Gentleman. Something he left imperfect in the state, which since his coming forth is thought of; which imports to the kingdom so much fear and danger, that his personal return was most requir'd, and necessary.

Kent. Who 2 hath he left behind him general?

Gent. The Marshal of France, Monsieur la Far. Kent. Did your letters pierce the queen to any demonstration of grief?

Gent. Ay, Sir; she took them, read them in my presence; And now and then an ample tear trill'd down

Her delicate cheek: it seem'd, she was a queen
Over her passion, who, most rebel-like,

Sought to be king o'er her.
Kent.

O then it mov'd her.

Gent. Not to a rage: patience and sorrow strove Who should express her goodliest. You have seen Sunshine and rain at once: her smiles and tears Were like a better day: those happy smilets,3

1. i. e. the kingdom of France. 2. Who, for whom, which is not unfrequent in Shakespeare, and may, in

deed, often be heard in the present day.

3. Smilets, diminutive of smiles.

That play'd on her ripe lip, seem'd not to know
What guests were in her eyes; which parted thence,
As pearls from diamonds dropp'd. In brief, sorrow
Would be a rarity most belov'd,

If all could so become it.

Kent.

Made she no verbal question? 1

Gent. 'Faith, once, or twice, she heav'd the name of

Pantingly forth, as if it press'd her heart;

"father"

Cried, "Sisters! sisters! Shame of ladies! sisters!

Kent! father! sisters! What? i' the storm? i' the night?
Let pity not be believed!" There she shook
The holy water from her heavenly eyes,

And clamour moisten'd: 3 then, away she started
To deal with grief alone.

4

Kent.
It is the stars,
The stars above us, govern our conditions;
Else one self mate and mate could not beget
Such different issues. You spoke not with her since?
Gent. No.

Kent. Was this before the king return'd?
Gent.

No, since.
Kent. Well, Sir, the poor distress'd Lear 's i' the town,
Who sometime, in his better tune, remembers
What we are come about, and by no means
Will yield to see his daughter.

Gent.

Why, good Sir?

Kent. A sovereign shame so elbows him; his own
unkindness,

That stripp'd her from his benediction, turn'd her
To foreign casualties, gave her dear rights
To his dog-hearted daughters: these things sting
His mind so venomously, that burning shame
Detains him from Cordelia.

Gent.

Alack, poor gentleman!

Kent. Of Albany's and Cornwall's powers you heard not?
Gent. 'T is so, they are afoot.

1. Did she enter into no conversation with you? Shakspeare frequently uses question for conversation, and not only for interrogation.

2. Let not such a thing as pity be supposed to exist.

3. And her outcries were accompanied with tears.

4. i. e. regulate our dispositions.

1

Kent. Well, Sir, I'll bring you to our master Lear, And leave you to attend him. Some dear cause Will in concealment wrap me up awhile: When I am known aright, you shall not grieve 2 Lending me this acquaintance. I pray you, go Along with me.

[Exeunt.

Q

SCENE IV.

The Same. A Tent.

Enter CORDELIA, Physician, and Soldiers.

Cordelia. Alack! 't is he: why, he was met even now As mad as the vex'd sea: singing aloud;

Crown'd with rank fumiter,3 and furrow weeds,4
With hoar-docks,5 hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers,6
Darnel,' and all the idle weeds that grow

8

In our sustaining corn. A century send forth;
Search every acre in the high-grown field,
And bring him to our eye. [Exit an Officer.]

What can

man's wisdom,

In the restoring his bereaved sense?
He that helps him take all my outward worth.
Physician. There is means, Madam:

Our foster-nurse of nature is repose,
The which he lacks; that to provoke in him,
Are many simples 10 operative, whose power
Will close the eye of anguish.

Cordelia.

All bless'd secrets,

All you unpublish'd virtues of the earth,

Spring with my tears! be aidant, and remediate,
In the good man's distress! Seek, seek for him;

1. Some business of great importance

to me.

2. i. e. you shall not regret having lent me, &c.

3. Fumiter, or fumitory, or fumatory, from the French fumiterre, is the Fumaria officinalis, a species growing in hedges and waste places.

4. Furrow-weeds, a weed growing in furrowed land.

5. Hoar-docks supposed to be intended for charlock, the Sinapis arvensis, a King Lear.

very troublesome weed in corn-fields, sometimes called wild-mustard.

6. Cuckoo-flowers, the plant Cordamine pratensis, also called meadow lady's smock.

7. Darnel, or Lolium perenne, is the species of grass called rye-grass. 8. Sustaining, nourishing.

9. A century, a company of a hundred men.

10. Simples, drugs.

6

Lest his ungovern'd rage dissolve the life
That wants the means to lead it.1 1

Messenger.

Enter a Messenger.

News, Madam:

The British powers are marching hitherward.

Cordelia. T is known before; our preparation stands In expectation of them. O dear father!

It is thy business that I go about,

Therefore great France

My mourning, and important 2 tears, hath pitied.
No blown ambition 3 doth our arms incite,

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

SCENE V.

A Room in GLOSTER'S Castle.

Enter REGAN and OSWALD.

Regan. But are my brother's powers set forth?

Oswald. Ay, Madam.

Regan. Himself in person there?

Osw.

Your sister is the better soldier.

[Exeunt.

Madam, with much ado:

Reg. Lord Edmund spake not with your lord at home?
Osw. No, Madam.

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

Reg. 'Faith, he is posted hence on serious matter.

It was great ignorance, Gloster'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 misery, to despatch

His nighted life; moreover, to descry

The strength o' the enemy.

Osw. I must needs after him, Madam, with my letter.
Reg. Our troops set forth to-morrow: stay with us;

The ways are dangerous.

1. i. e. wants the ability to guide itself.

2. Important, for importunate.
3. No inflated, no swelling pride.

4. i. e. to put an end to his life, made dark as night by the extinction of his eyes.

Oswald.

I may not, Madam; My lady charg'd my duty in this business.

Regan. Why should she write to Edmund? Might not you Transport her purposes by word? Belike,

Something I know not what. I'll love thee much;

Let me unseal the letter.

Osw.

Reg.

Madam, I had rather

I know your lady does not love her husband," I am sure of that; and, at her late being here, She gave strange ciliads, and most speaking looks To noble Edmund. I know, you are of her bosom.2 Osw. I, Madam?

Reg. I speak in understanding: you are, I know it; 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 3 more.

If you do find him, pray you, give him this;

And when your mistress hears thus much from you,
I pray, desire her call her wisdom to her:

So, fare you well.

If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor,

Preferment falls on him that cuts him off.

Osw. Would I could meet him, Madam: I would show

What party I do follow.

Reg.

Fare thee well.

[Exeunt.

SCENE VI.

The Country near Dover.

Enter GLOSTER, and EDGAR dressed like a Peasant.

Gloster. When shall I come to the top of that same hill?
Edgar. You do climb up it now: look, how we labour.
Glos. Methinks, the ground is even.

Edg.

No, truly.

Horrible steep:

Edg. Why, then your other senses grow imperfect.

By your eyes' anguish.

1. Eiliads, from the French œillade, an ogle, or amorous glance.

2. i. e. in her confidence..

3. To gather, to infer.