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fox in stealth, wolf in greedi ness, dog in madness, lion in prey. Let not the creaking of shoes nor the rustling of silks betray thy poor heart to woman: keep thy foot out of brothels, thy hand out of plackets, thy pen from lenders' books, and defy the foul fiend. Still through the hawthorn blows the cold wind; says suum, mun, nonny. Dolphin my boy, my boy; sessa! let him trot by.

ha no

[Storm still.

Lear. Why, thou thou wert better in thy grave than to answer with thy uncovered

fi body this extremity of the 10 skies. Is man no more than

this? Consider him well. Thou owest the worm no silk, the beast no hide, the sheep no wool, the cat no perfume. Ha! here's three on's are sophisticated; thou art the thing itself; unaccommodated man is no more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art. Off, off, you lendings! Come; unbutton here. [Tearing off his clothes.

Fool. Prithee, nuncle, be contented; 'tis a naughty night to swim in. Now a little fire in a wild field were

like an old lecher's heart; a small spark, all the rest on's body cold. Look! here comes a walking fire.

Enter GLOUCESTER, with a
torch.

Edg. This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibbet: he begins at curfew, and walks till the first cock; he gives the web and the pin, squints the eye, and makes the harelip; mildews the white wheat, and hurts the poor creature of

earth.

a

Swithold footed thrice the

wold;

He met the night-mare, and her nine-fold;

Bid her alight,

And her troth plight,

And aroint thee, witch, aroint thee!

Kent. How fares

grace?

Lear. What's he?

your

Kent. Who's there? What

is't you

seek?

Glou. What are you there? Your names?

Edg. Poor Tom; that eats the swimming frog, the toad,

the tadpole, the wall-newt, and the water; that in the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend rages, eats cowdung for sallets; swallows the old rat and the ditch-dog; drinks the green mantle of the standing pool; who is whipped from tithing to tithing, and stocked, punished, and imprisoned; who hath had three suits to his back, six shirts to his body,

Horse to ride, and weapon to

wear,

But mice and rats and such

small deer,

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