Lear. The little dogs and all, Tray, Blanch, and Sweetheart, see, they bark at me.

Edg. Tom will throw his head at 'em: 'vaunt, ye

curs!

Be thy mouth or black, or white,
Tooth that poisons, if it bite
Mastiff, greyhound, mongrel grim,
Hound, or spaniel, brache, or lym,
Bob-tail tike, or trundle-tail;
Tom will make 'em weep and wail;
For with throwing thus my head,
Dogs leap the hatch, and all are fled.

See, see, see. [Throws his straw head-dress at them.
Come, march to wakes, and fairs, and market towns.
Poor Tom, thy horn is dry.

[Crosses to L.

Lear. You, sir, I entertain you for one of my hundred; only I do not like the fashion of your garments; you'll say they're Persian; but no matter, let 'em be changed.

Edg. This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibbet; he begins at curfew, and walks till the first cock: he gives the web, and the pin; knits the elflock; squints the eye, and makes the hair-lip; mildews the white wheat, and hurts the poor creatures of the earth.

Saint Withold footed thrice the wold;

He met the night-mare, and her nine fold,
'Twas there he did appoint her;

He bid her alight, and her troth plight,
And, aroint the witch, aroint her.

Enter GLOSTER, and two Servants with Torches, L.

?

Glost. What, has your grace no better company Edg. The prince of darkness is a gentleman; Modo he is call'd, and Mahu.

Glost. [To LEAR.] Go with me, sir; hard by I have a tenant. My duty cannot suffer me to obey in all your daughters hard commands; though their injunctions be to bar my doors, and let this tyrannous night take hold upon you, yet I have ventur'd to come seek you out, and bring you where both fire and food are ready. Kent. Good, my lord, take this offer. Lear. First, let me talk with this philosopher.

[LEAR and EDGAR sit on the ground, Say, Stagyrite, what is the cause of thunder? Glost. (R.) Beseech you, sir, go with me.

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

What is your study?

Edg. (L. c.) How to prevent the fiend, and to kill vermin.

Lear. Let me ask you a word in private.

[Whispers EDGAR. Kent. (R. C.) His wits are quite unsettled; good sir,

[To GLOSTER.

let's force him hence. Glost. Can'st blame him? His daughters seek his death,

[TO KENT.

This bedlam but disturbs him the more: fellow, be gone. [EDGAR rises.

Edg. Child Rowland to the dark tower came, His word was still fie, foh, and fum, [Crosses to R. I smell the blood of a British man.-O, torture! [Aside. [Exit R. U. E. into the Hovel. Glost. Now, I pr'ythee, friend, let's take him in our

arms;

There is a litter ready; lay him in't,

And drive toward Dover, friend, where thou shalt meet Both welcome and protection.

Good sir, along with us.

Lear. You say right; let 'em anatomize Regan, see what breeds about her heart. Is there any cause in nature for these hard hearts?

Kent. I beseech your grace[They raise him. Lear. Hist!-make no noise, make no noise ;-draw the curtains; closer, closer;-so, so, so we'll go to supper i'the morning-so, so, so.

[KING LEAR falls asleep, and is carried off by GLOSTER and KENT, R.- -Thunder and lightning

Enter CORDELIA and ARANTHE, L. U. E.

Ar. Dear madam, rest you here, our search is vain ; Look, here's a shed; beseech you, enter here.

Cord. Pr'ythee, go in thyself, seek thy own ease;
Where the mind's free, the body's delicate;

This tempest but diverts me from the thought
Of what would hurt me more.

Enter two Ruffians, L. U. E.

1 Ruff. We've dogg'd them far enough; this place is private; I'll keep 'em prisoners here within this hovel, whilst you return and bring Lord Edmund hither: but help me first to house 'em.-Now, dispatch.

[They seize CORDELIA and ARANTHE.

Cord. Help!-murder !-help!-Gods, some kind

thunderbolt

To strike me dead!

Ar. Help! help!

Enter EDGAR from the Hovel, R. U. E.

Edg. What cry was that?-Ha! women seiz'd by ruffians.

Is this a place and time for villainy ?

Avaunt, ye bloodhounds.

· [Drives them off with his quarter-staff, L.

O, speak, what are ye, that appear to be

O' th' tender sex, and yet unguarded wander
Through the dead mazes of this dreadful night,

Where, though at full, the clouded moon scarce darts
Imperfect glimmerings?

Cord. First, say, what art thou?

Our Guardian Angel, that wert pleas'd to assume
That horrid shape to fright the ravishers?

We'll kneel to thee.

Edg. O, my tumultuous blood!

By all my trembling veins, Cordelia's voice!

[Kneels.

"Tis she herself!-My senses, sure, conform To my wild garb, and I am mad indeed.

[Aside.

Cord. Whate'er thou art, befriend a wretched virgin, And if thou can'st, direct our weary search. [Aside. Edg. Who relieves poor Tom, that sleeps on the nettle, with the hedge-pig for his pillow?

Whilst Smug ply'd the bellows,
She truck'd with her fellows;

The freckle-fac'd Mab

Was a blouze and a drab.

Yet Swithin made Oberon jealous.-O, torture!

[Aside.

Ar. Alack! madam, a poor wand'ring lunatic.
Cord. And yet his language seem'd but now well-tem-

per'd.

Speak, friend, to one more wretched than thyself;
And if thou hast one interval of sense,

Inform us, if thou canst, where we may find

A poor old man, who through this heath hath stray'd
The tedious night.-Speak, saw'st thou such a one?
Edg. The king her father, whom she's come to seek
Through all the terrors of this night: O gods!
That such amazing piety, such tenderness,
Shou'd yet to me be cruel!-

[Aside.

Yes, fair one, such a one was lately here,

And is convey'd by some that came to seek him
To a neighbouring cottage; but distinctly where
I know not.

Cord. Blessings on them!

Let's find him out, Aranthe; for thou seest
We are in heaven's protection

[Crosses to R.

[Going off, R.

-Thou know'st my name..

Edg. (c.) O, Cordelia !

Cord. Ha!

Edg. As you did once know Edgar's.

Cord. Edgar !

Edg. The poor remains of Edgar, what

Your scorn has left him.

Cord. Do we wake, Aranthe?

Edg. My father seeks my life, which I preserv❜d,
In hope of some blest minute to oblige

Distrest Cordelia, and the gods have given it;
That thought alone prevail'd with me to take
This frantic dress, to make the earth my bed,
With these bare limbs all change of seasons 'bide,
Noon's schorching heat, and midnight's piercing cold,
To feed on offals, and to drink with herds,

To combat with the winds, and be the sport
Of clowns, or, what's more wretched yet, their pity.
Cord. Was ever tale so full of misery!

Edg. But such a fall as this, I grant, was due
To my aspiring love; for 'twas presumptuous,
Though not presumptuously pursued;

For, well you know, I wore my flame conceal'd,
And silent, as the lamps that burn in tombs ;
Till you perceiv'd my grief, with modest grace
Drew forth the secret, and then seal'd my pardon.

Cord. You had your pardon, nor can challenge more.
Edg. What do I challenge more?

Such vanity agrees not with these rags:

When in my prosp'rous state, rich Gloster's heir,
You silenc'd my pretences, and enjoin'd me

To trouble you upon that theme no more;

Then what reception must love's language find

From these bare limbs, and beggar's humble weeds? Cord. Such as the voice of pardon to a wretch condemned;

Such as the shouts

Of succouring forces to a town besieg'd.

Edg. Ab! what new method now of cruelty?

D

Cord. Come to my arms, thou dearest, best of men, And take the kindest vows that e'er were spoke

By a protesting maid.

Edg. I'st possible?

Cord. By the dear vital stream that bathes my heart, These hallow'd rags of thine, and naked virtue,

These abject tassels, these fantastic shreds,

To me are dearer than the richest pomp

Of purpled monarchs.

Edg. Generous, charming maid!
Cord. Cold and weary,

[They embrace.

We'll rest a while, Aranthe, on that straw,

Then forward to find out the poor old king.

[Exit ARANTHE, into the hovel, R. U. E.

Edg. Look, I have flint and steel, the implements Of wand'ring lunatics; I'll strike a light,

And make a fire beneath this shed, to dry

Thy storm-drenched garments, ere thou lie to rest thee;
Then, fierce and wakeful as th' Hesperian dragon,
I'll watch beside thee to protect thy sleep:

Meanwhile the stars shall dart their kindest beams,
And angels visit my Cordelia's dreams.

[Exeunt into the hovel R. U. e.

END OF ACT III.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.-An Apartment in the Earl of Gloster's Castle.

Enter the DUKE OF CORNWALL, a letter in his hand ; REGAN, EDMUND, EDWARD, and Servants, R. Officer and four Guards, R. S. E.

Corn. (R.) I will have my revenge ere I depart his

house.

Regan, see here, a plot upon our state;

[Gives her a Letter.