Beware my follower. Peace, Smolkin, peace, thou Smolkin

fiend!

Glo. What, hath your Grace no better company?

Edg. The Prince of Darkness is a gentleman; M Modu bu he's called, and abu.

Glo. Our flesh and blood, my Lord, is grown fo vile, That it doth hate what gets it.

Edg. Tom's a-cold. ·

Glo. Go in with me; my duty cannot fuffer
T'obey in all your Daughters? hard commands;
Though their injunction be to bar my doors,
And let this tyrannous night take hold upon you,
Yet have I ventur'd to come feek you out,
And bring you, where both fire and food is ready.
Lear. First, let me talk with this Philofopher.
-What is the cause of thunder?

Kont. My good Lord, take his offer.

Go into th' house.

Lear. I'll talk a word with this fame learned Theban.
-What is your study?

Edg. How to prevent the fiend, and to kill vermin.
Lear. Let us afk you one word in private.

Kent. Importune him once more to go, my Lord.
His wits begin t'unfettle.

Glo. Canft thou blame him?

[Storm fill.
His Daughters feek his death. Ah, that good Kent!-
He faid, it would be thus-poor banish'd man!
Thou fay'ft, the King grows mad; I'll tell thee, friend,
I'm almoft mad myfelf; I had a fon,

Now out-law'd from my blood; he fought my life,
But lately, very late; I lov'd him, friend,

No father his fon dearer. True to tell thee,

The grief hath craz'd my wits. What a night's this!

I do beseech your Grace.

Lear. O cry you mercy, Sir.

-Noble Philofopher, your company.

Edg. Tom's a-cold.

Glo. In, fellow, into th' hovel; keep thee warm.

Maho.

Lear.

Lear. Come, let's in all.

Kent. This way, my Lord.
Lear. With him;

I will keep ftill with my Philofopher.

Kent. Good my Lord, footh him; let him take the fellow.

Glo. Take him you on.

Kent. Sirrah, come on; along with us.
Lear. Come, good Athenian.

Glo. No words, no words, hush.

3

Edg. Child Rowland to the dark tower came, His word was fill, fy, fob, and fum,

1 fmell the blood of a British man.

SCENE

[Exeunt.

VIII.

Corn.

I

Changes to Glo'fter's Caftle.

Will have revenge, ere I depart his house. Edm. How, my Lord, I may be cenfur'd that Nature thus gives way to loyalty, fomething fears me to think of.

Corn. I now perceive, it was not altogether your brother's evil difpofition made him feek his death; * but a provoking merit, fet a-work by a reprovable badnefs in himself.

3 Child Rowland-] In the maker tranflated, Child Roland. old times of chivalry, the noble WARBURTON. youth who were candidates for This word is in fome of our knighthood, during the feafon ballads. There is a fong of of their probation, were called Child Walter, and a Lady. Infans, Varlets, Damoyfels, Bacheliers. The most noble of the youth particularly, Infans. Here a story is told, in fome old ballad, of the famous hero and giant-killer Roland, before he was knighted, who is, therefore, called Infans; which the ballad

4 but a provoking merit,] i. e. a merit which being neglected by the father, was provoked to an extravagant act. The Oxford Editor, not understanding this, alters it to provoked Spirit.

WARBURTON.

Edm.

Edm. How malicious is my fortune, that I must repent to be juft? This is the letter, which he spoke of; which approves him an intelligent party to the advantages of France. Oh heavens! that this treafon were not; or not I the detector!

Corn, Go with me to the Dutchess.

Edm. If the matter of this paper be certain, you have mighty business in hand.

Corn. True or falfe, it hath made thee Earl of Glofter. Seek out where thy father is, that he may be ready for our apprehenfion.

Edm. [Afide.] If I find him 5 comforting the King, it will ftuff his fufpicion more fully.-I will perfevere in my courfe of loyalty, though the conflict be fore between that and my blood.

Corn. I will lay truft upon thee; and thou fhalt find a dearer father in my love.

Glo.

H

[Exeunt.

ERE is better than the open air, take it thankfully. I will piece out the comfort with what addition I can; I will not be long from you.

Exit.

Kent. All the power of his wits has given way to his impatience. The Gods reward your kindness!

3 comforting] He ufes the its derivation; falvia confortat word in the juridical fenfe for Schol. Sal. Supporting, helping, according to

ne vos.

Enter

Enter Lear, Edgar, and Fool.

Frateretto Edg. Fraterreto calls me, and tells me, Nero is an angler in the lake of darknefs. Pray, Innocent, and beware the foul fiend.

Fool. Pr'ythee, nuncle, tell me, whether a madman be a gentleman, or a yeoman?

Lear. A King, a King.

Fool. No, he's a yeoman, that has a gentleman to his fon for he's a mad yeoman, that fees his fon a gentleman before him.

Lear. To have a thousand with red burning fpits
• Come hizzing in upon 'em-
Edg. The foul fiend bites my back.

Fool. He's mad that trufts in the tameness of a wolf,
7a borfe's health, a boy's love, or a whore's oa b.
Lear. It shall be done, I will arraign them ftrait.
Come, fit thou here, most learned justicer;

Thou fapient Sir, fit bere-now, ye fhe foxes!
Edg. Look, where he stands and glares. Wanteft
thou eyes?

At trial, Madam.

6 Come hizzing in upon 'emThen follow in the old edition' feveral fpeeches in the mad way, which probably were left out by the Players, or by Shakefper himself; I fhall however infert them here, and leave them to the reader's mercy. POPE.

As Mr. Pope had begun to infert feveral Speeches in the mad way, in this Scene, from the Old Edition; I have ventured to replace feveral others, which ftand upon the fame Footing, and had an equal Right of be

ing reftor'd.

THEOBALD.

What is omitted in the folio, and inferted from the older copy, I have printed in Italicks.

7 the HEALTH of a horse,] Without doubt we should read HEELS, . e. to ftand behind him. WARBURTON.

Shakespeare is here speaking not of things maliciously treach erous, but of things uncertain and not durable. A horfe is above all other animals fubject to dif eafes.

Come o'er the Broom, Bey, to me.
Fool. Her Boat hath a Leak, and the must not speak,
Why the dares not come over to thee.

Edg. The foul fiend haunts poor Tom in the voice of

a nightingale. Hopdance cries in Tom's belly for two Hoberdi white Herrings. Croak not, black angel, I have no food dance for thee.

Kent. How do you, Sir? Stand you not so amaz'd; Will you lie down, and rest upon the Cushions?

Lear. I'll fee their trial first, bring me in the evidence:

Thou robed man of justice, take thy place;

And thou bis yoke-fellow of equity,

Bench by bis fide. You are oth' commiffion, fit you too.
Edg. Let us deal justly.

Sleepeft, or wakeft thou, jolly Shepherd?
Thy Sheep be in the Corn

And for one blaft of thy minikin Mouth,
Thy Sheep fhall take no Harm,

Purre, the Cat is grey..

Lear. Arraign her firft; 'tis Gonerill. I bere take my
Oath before this honourable Affembly, she kick'd the poor
King ber Father.

Fool. Come hither, Miflrefs, is your name Gonerill?
Lear. She cannot deny it.

Fool. Cry you mercy, I took you for a Joint-tool.
Lear. And bere's another, whose warpt looks pro-.

claim

What store her heart is made of. Stop her there;
Arms, arms, fword, fire.-Corruption in the place!
Falfe jufticer, why hast thou let her 'Scape?
Edg. Blefs thy five wits."