That it doth hate what gets it.

Edg. Poor Tom's a-cold.

Glos. Go in with me; my duty cannot suffer To 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 ventured to come seek you out,

And bring you where both fire and food is ready. Lear. First let me talk with this philosopher.What is the cause of thunder?

Kent. Good my lord, take his offer;

Go into the house.

Lear. I'll talk a word with this same learned Theban.

What is your study?

Edg. How to prevent the fiend, and to kill vermin.

Lear. Let me ask you one word in private.

Kent. Importune him once more to go, my lord; His wits begin to unsettle.

Glos.

Canst thou blame him?

His daughters seek his death.-Ah, that good

Kent!

He said it would be thus :-poor banish'd man!— Thou say'st, the king grows mad: I'll tell thee, friend,

I am almost mad myself: I had a son,

Now outlaw'd from my blood; he sought my life,
But lately, very late; I loved him, friend,—
No father his son dearer: true to tell thee,

[storm continues.

The grief hath crazed my wits. What a night's

this!

I do beseech your grace,

Lear.

O, cry you mercy;

Noble philosopher, your company.

Edg. Tom's a-cold.

Glos. In, fellow, there, to the hovel: keep thee

I will keep still with my philosopher.

Kent. Good my lord, soothe him; let him take

the fellow.

Glos. Take him you on.

Kent. Sirrah, come on; go along with us.

Lear. Come, good Athenian.

Glos.

Hush.

No words, no words:

Edg. Child Rowland to the dark tower came; His word was still,-Fie, foh, and fum;

I smell the blood of a British man.'

[Exeunt.

1 Child is an old term for knight..

SCENE V.

A room in Gloster's castle.

Enter CORNWALL and EDMUND.

Corn. I will have my revenge ere I depart his house.

Edm. How, my lord, I may be censured, that nature thus gives way to loyalty, something fears me to think of.

Corn. I now perceive, it was not altogether your brother's evil disposition made him seek his death; but a provoking merit, set a-work by a reproveable badness in himself.

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

Corn. Go with me to the duchess.

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

you

Corn. True or false, it hath made thee earl of Gloster. Seek out where thy father is, that he may be ready for our apprehension.

Edm. [aside.] If I find him comforting the king, it will stuff his suspicion more fully.-I will persevere in my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore between that and my blood.

Corn. I will lay trust upon thee; and thou shalt find a dearer father in my love. [Exeunt.

SCENE VI.

A chamber in a farm-house adjoining the castle.
Enter GLOSTER, LEAR, KENT, FOOL, and Edgar.

Glos. Here 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.

:

Kent. All the power of his wits has given way to his impatience. The gods reward your kindness! [Exit Gloster.

Edg. Frateretto calls me, and tells me, Nero is an angler in the lake of darkness. Pray, innocent,1 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 son; for he's a mad yeoman that sees his son a gentleman before him.

Lear. To have a thousand with red burning spits Come whizzing in upon them!

Edg. The foul fiend bites my back.

Fool. He's mad, that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a horse's health, a boy's love, or a whore's oath.

Lear. It shall be done; I will arraign them straight.

Fools were formerly called innocents.

Come, sit thou here, most learned justicer;

[to Edgar.

Thou, sapient sir, sit here. [to the Fool.]-Now,

you she foxes!

Edg. Look, where he stands and glares!— Wantest thou eyes at trial, madam ?

'Come o'er the bourn,1 Bessy, to me.' Fool. Her boat hath a leak,

And she must not speak

Why she 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 white herring. Croak not, black angel; I have no food for thee.

Kent, How do you, sir? Stand you not so amazed.

Will you lie down and rest upon the cushions?
Lear. I'll see their trial first: bring in the evi-

dence.

Thou robed man of justice, take thy place ;

[to Edgar.

And thou, his yoke-fellow of equity,

[to the Fool.

Sit you too.

[to Kent.

Bench by his side: you are of the commission.

Edg. Let us deal justly.

'Sleepest, or wakest thou, jolly shepherd?

Thy sheep be in the corn;

1 Brook or rivulet.