If you do find him, pray you, give him this;
And when your Mistress hears thus much from you,
pray, defire her call her wisdom to her.

I

If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor,

Preferment falls on him that cuts him off.

Stew. Would I could meet him, Madam, I fhould fhew What party I do follow.

Reg. Fare thee well.

[Exeunt

SCENE VI. The Country near Dover,
Enter Glo'fter, and Edgar as a Peafant.

Glo. When fhall I come to th'top of that fame hill ?
Edg. You do climb up it now.

Look how we labour.

Glo. Methinks the ground is even.

Edg. Horrible fteep.

Hark, do you hear the fea?

Gle. No truly, not.

Edg. Why then your other fenfes grow imperfect

By your eyes anguish.

Glo. So may it be indeed.

Methinks thy voice is alter'd, and thou speak'ft

In better phrase and matter than thou didst.

Edg. You're much deceiv'd: in nothing am I chang'e

But in my garments.

Glo. Sure you're better spoken.

Edg. Come on, Sir, here's the place

And dizzy 'tis, to caft one's eyes fo low !
The crows and choughs, that wing the midway air,
Shew scarce fo grofs as beetles. Half way down
Hangs one that gathers famphire; dreadful trade!
Methinks he seems no bigger than his head.
The fisher-men that walk upon the beach
Appear like mice; and yond tall anchoring bark,
Diminish'd to her cock; her cock, a buoy
Almost too small for fight. The murmuring furge,
That on th' unnumbred idle pebbles chafes,
Cannot be heard fo high. I'll look no more,
Left my brain turn and the deficient fight

Topple down headlong.

Glo. Set me where you stand.

[fearful

Edg. Give me your hand: you're now within a foot

of

Of th' extream verge: for all below the moon
Would not I leap outright.

Glo. Let go my hand:

Here, friend,'s another purfe, in it a Jewel
Well worth a poor man's taking. Fairies and Gods
Profper it with thee! Go thou further off,

Bid me farewel, and let me hear thee going.
Edg. Now fare ye well, good Sir !
Glo. With all my heart..

Edg. Why I do trifle thus with his defpair, Is done to cure it,

Glo. O you mighty Gods!

This world I do renounce, and in your fights
Shake patiently my great affliction off:
If I could bear it longer, and not fall
To quarrel with your great opposeless wills,
My fnuff and loathed part of nature should
Burn it felf out. If Edgar live, O bless him!

[Seems to go.

Now, fellow, fare thee well! [He leaps and falls along.
Edg. Good Sir, farewel!

And yet I know not how conceit may rob
The treasury of life, when life it self

Yields to the theft. Had he been where he thought,
By this had thought been past. - Alive or dead?
Hoa, you, Sir! friend! hear you, Sir? fpeak!
Thus might he pass indeed yet he revives.
What are you, Sir?

--

Glo. Away, and let me die...

Edg. Had'ft thou been ought but Gofs'mer, feathers, air, So many fathom down precipitating,

Thou'dft fhiver'd like an egg: but thou doft breathe,
Haft heavy fubftance, bleed'ft not; fpeak, art found?
Ten mafts attacht make not the altitude
Which thou haft perpendicularly fall'n.

Thy life's a miracle. Speak yet again..
Glo. But have I fall'n, or no?

Edg. From the dread fummit of this chalky borne!
Look up a height, the thrill-gorg'd Lark so far
Cannot be feen or heard: do but look up,

Gle. Alack, I have no eyes.

Is wretchedness depriv'd that benefit

To end it felf by death? 'twas yet fome comfort,
When mifery could beguile the tyrant's rage,
And fruftrate his proud will.

Edg. Give me your arm.

Up, fo

how is't feel you your legs? you stand.

Glo. Too well, too well.

Edg. This is above all ftrangeness.

Upon the crown o' th' cliff, what thing was that
Which parted from you?

Glo. A poor unfortunate beggar.

Edg. As I ftood here below, methought his eyes Were two full moons; he had a thousand nofes, Horns whelk'd and wav'd like the enridged fea : It was fome fiend. Therefore, thou happy father, Think that the cleareft Gods, who make them honours Of men's impoffibilities, have preferv'd thee.

Glo. I do remember now: henceforth I'll bea
Affliction, 'till it do cry out itself,

Enough, enough, and die. That thing you speak of,
I took it for a man; often 'twould fay

The fiend, the fiend

he led me to that place.

Edg. Bear free and patient thoughts.

SCENE VII. Enter Lear, dreft madly with flowers.

But who comes here ?

The fafer fenfe would ne'er accommodate

His mafter thus.

Lear. No, they cannot touch me for coyning, I am the King himself.

Edg. O thou fide-piercing fight!

Lear. Nature's above art in that refpect. There's your prefs-mony. That fellow handles his bow like a crowkeeper: draw me a clothier's yard. Look, look, a mouse! Peace, peace, this piece of toafted cheefe will do'tthere's my gauntlet, I'll prove it on a giant. Bring up the brown bills. O, well flown, barb! i'th clout, i'th'clout: hewgh. Give the word.

Edg. Sweet marjoram.

Lear. País.

Glo. I know that voice.
VOL. IV.

P

Lear

Lear. Ha! Gonerill! hah, Regan! they flatter'd me like a dog, and told me I had white hairs in my beard, ere the black ones were there. To fay ay, and no, to every thing that I said -Ay and no too, was no good divinity. When the rain came to wet me once, and wind to make me chatter when the thunder would not peace at my; bidding, there I found 'em, there I fmelt 'em out. Go to, they are not men o' their words; they told me I was every thing 'tis a lie, I am not ague-proof.

Glo. The trick of that voice I do well remember: is't not the King?

Lear. Ay, every inch a King.

When I do ftare, fee how the fubject quakes.

ers.

I pardon that man's life. What was thy caufe? Adultery thou shalt not die; die for adultery? no, the wren goes to't, and the fmall gilded flie does letcher in my fight. Let copulation thrive: for Glo'fter's baftard-fon was kinder to his father, than my daughters got 'tween the lawful fheets. To't, luxury, pell-mell; for I lack foldiBehold yon fimpering dame, whofe face 'tween her forks prefages fnow; that minces virtue, and does shake the head to hear of pleasure's name. The fitchew, nor the foyled horfe goes to't with a more riotous appetite : down from the waste they are centaurs, though women all above; but to the girdle do the Gods inherit, beneath is all the fiends. There's hell, there's darkness, there is the fulphurous pit, burning, fcalding, ftench, confumption: fie, fie, fie; pah, pah; give me an ounce of civet, good apothecary, to sweeten my imagination! there's mony for thee. Glo. O, let me kiss that hand.

Lear. Let me wipe it firft, it fmells of mortality. Glo. O ruin'd piece of nature! this great world Shall fo wear out to nought. Do'st thou know me ? Lear. I remember thine eyes well enough: doft thou fquint at me? no, do thy worst, blind Cupid, I'll not love. Read thou this challenge, mark but the penning of it. Glo. Were all the letters funs, I could not fee one. Edg. I would not take this from report;

It is, and my heart breaks at it.

Lear. Read.

Gle

Glo. What, with this cafe of eyes?

in your

Lear. Oh ho, are you there with me? no eyes head, nor mony in your purfe? your eyes are in heavy cafe, your purfe in a light, yet you fee how this world goes.

Glo. I fee it feelingly.

Lear. What, art mad? a man may fee how this world goes with no eyes. Look with thine ears: fee how yond Juftice rails upon yond fimple thief. Hark in thine ear; change places, and handy-dandy, which is the Juftice, which is the thief? thou haft feen a farmer's dog bark at a beggar. Glo. Ay, Şir.

Lear. And the creature run from the cur: there thou might'ft behold the great image of authority; a dog's obey'd in office.

Thou rafcal bedel, hold thy bloody hand :

Why doft thou lafh that whore? ftrip thy own back,
Thou hotly luft'ft to ufe her in that kind,

For which thou whipp'ft her. Th'ufurer hangs the cozener,
Through tatter'd 'cloaths fmall vices do appear;
Robes and furr'd gowns hide all. Plate fins with gold,
And the ftrong lance of juftice hurtlefs breaks :
Arm it in rags, a pigmy's ftraw doth pierce it.
None does offend, I fay, none, I'll abfolve 'em ;
Take that of me, my friend, who have the pow'r
To feal th' accufer's lips. Get thee glafs eyes,
And, like a fcurvy politician, feem

To fee the things thou do'ft not.

Now, now, now, now. Pull off my boots: harder, harder, fo, Edg. O matter and impertinency mixt,

Reafon in madness !

५.

Leak If thou wilt weep my fortunes, take my eyes. I know thee well enough, thy name is Glo'fter; Thou must be patient; we came crying hither: Thou know'ft, the first time that we fmell the air We wawle and cry. I will preach to thee: mark Glo.Alack, alack the day!

Lear. When we are born, we cry that we are come To this great ftage of fools. This a good block!

It were a delicate ftratagem to fhoe

A troop of horse with Felt; I'll put't in proof;

And