Kent. With you, goodman boy, if you pleafe; come, I'll flesh ye; come on, young mafter.

Glo. Weapons? arms? what's the matter here? Corn. Keep peace, upon your lives; he dies that Arikes again; what's the matter?

Reg. The meflenger from our fifter and the King ? Corn. What is your difference? fpeak.

Stew. I am fcarce in breath, my Lord.

Kent. No marvel, you have fo bestirr'd your valour; you cowardly rafcal! nature disclaims all fhare in thee: a tailor made thee.

Corn. Thou art a ftrange fellow; a tailor make a man?

Kent. I, a tailor, Sir; a ftone-cutter, or a painter could not have made him fo ill, tho' they had been but two hours o'th' trade,

Corn. Speak yet, how grew your quarrel?

Stew. This ancient ruffian, Sir, whofe life I have fpar'd at fuit of his grey beard

Kent. Thou whorfon zed! thou unneceffary letter! my Lord, if you will give me leave, I will tread this unbolted* villain into mortar, and daub the wall of a jakes with him. Spare my grey beard? you wag tail!

Corn. Peace, firrah!

You beastly knave, know you no reverence?

Kent. Yes, Sir, but anger hath a privilege.
Gorn. Why art thou angry?

Kent. That fuch a flave as this fhould wear a fword,

Who wears no honefty: fuch fmiling rogues as these
Like rats, oft bite the holy cords in twain

Too intrinficate t' unloofe; footh every paffion
That in the nature of their lords rebels;
Bring oil to fire, fnow to their colder moods;
Renege, affirm, and turn their halcyon beaks
With ev'ry gale and vary of their masters,
As knowing nought, like dogs, but following.
A plague upon your epileptic vifage!
Smile you my fpeeches as I were a fool?..
Goofe, if I had you upon Sarum plain,

i. e. unrefined by education, the bran yet in him; a metaphor from the bakehouse,

I'd drive ye cackling home to Camelot *.
Corn. What, art thou mad, old fellow?
Glo. How fell you out? fay that.

Kent. No contraries hold more antipathy
Than band fuch a knave.

Corn. Why dost thou call him knave? what is his fault2

Kent. His countenance likes me not.

Corn. No more perchance does mine, nor his, nor Kent. Sir, 'tis my occupation to be plain; [her's. I have feen better faces in my time

Than stand on any fhoulders that I fee
Before me at this inftant.

Corn." This is fome fellow,

"Who having been prais'd for bluntnefs, doth affect "A faucy roughnefs; and conftrains the garb†

Quite from his nature, He can't flatter, he,

"An honeft mind and plain, he must speak truth; "An' they will take it, fo; if not, he's plain. "These kind of knaves I know, which in this plainness` "Harbour more craft, and more corrupter ends "Than twenty filky ducking observants, That ftretch their duties nicely.

Kent. Sir, in good faith, in fincere verity, Under th' allowance of your grand afpect, Whofe influence, like the wreath of radiant fire On flickering Phoebus' front

Corn. What mean'st by this?

Kent. To go out of my dialect, which you difcommend fo much. I know, Sir, I am no flatterer; he that beguil'd you in a plain accent, was a plain knave; which for my part I will not be, though I should win your difpleasure to intreat me to't.

Corn. What was th' offence you gave him?
Stew. I never gave him any.

It pleas'd the King his mafter very lately
To strike at me upon his mifconstruction:
When he conjunct, and flatt'ring his displeasure,

* Camelot was the place where the romances fay King Arthur kept his court in the weft. So this alludes to fome proverb al fpeech in thofe

romances.

t-garb, for babit, cuflom.

2

Tript

Tript me behind; being down, infulted, rail'd,
And put upon him fuch a deal of man,
That worthied him; got praifes of the King,
For him attempting who was felf-fubdu'd;
And, in the fleshment of this dread exploit,
Drew on me here again.

Kent. None of thefe rogues and cowards,
But Ajax is their foil.

Corn. Fetch forth the ftocks.

You ftubborn ancient knave, you rev'rend braggart, We'll teach you

Kent. Sir, I am too old to learn.

Call not your stocks for me; I ferve the King;
On whofe employment I was fent to you.

You fhall do finall respect, fhew too bold malice
Against the grace and perfon of my mafter,
Stocking his messenger.

Corn. Fetch forth the ftocks;

As I have life and honour, there fhall he fit till noon. Reg. Till noon! till night, my Lord, and all night

too.

Kent. Why, Madam, if I were your father's dog, You could not ufe me fo.

Reg. Sir, being his knave, I will. [Stocks brought out. Corn. This is a fellow of the felf-fame nature Our fifter speaks of. Come, bring away the stocks. Glo. Let me befeech your Grace not to do fo; His fault is much, and the good King his mafter Will check him for't; your purpos'd low correction Is fuch, as bafeft and the meaneft wretches For pilf'rings, and most common trefpaffes, Are punifh'd with. The King must take it ill, That he, fo flightly valued in his meffenger,. Should have him thus reftrain'd.

Corn. I'll answer that.

Reg. My fifter may receive it much more worse, To have her gentleman abus'd, affaulted,

For following her affairs. Put in his legs

[Kent is put in the flocks. Come, my Lord, away. [Exeunt Regan and Cornwall.

SCENE

Glo. I'm forry for thee, friend; 'tis the Duke's pleaWhofe difpofition, all the world well knows,... [fure, Will not be rubb'd nor ftopp'd*. Ill iatreat for thee.

Kent. Pray, do not, Sir. I've watch'd and travell❜d Some time I hall fleep out, the relt I'll whistle: [hard; A good man's fortune may grow out at heels; I Give you good morrow...

Glo. The Duke's to blame in this; 'twill be ill taken.

[Exit. Kent. Good King that must approve the common saw, Thou out of heaven's benediction com'ft To the warm funt! All weary and o'erwatch'd;" Take vantage, heavy eyes, not to behold

This fhameful lodging.

Fortune, good night; smile once more, turn thy wheel.

hoot[Ha fleeps.

SCENE changes to a part of a beath.

Enter Edgar.

Edg. I've heard myfelf proclaim'd; 17

0321%

And, by the happy hollow of a treej kon bisno vař
Efcap'd the hunt. No port is free, no place,
That guard and most unufual vigilance

Does not attend my taking. While I may 'fcape,
I will prefervemyfelf: and am bethought
To take the bafeft and the poorest fhape,
That ever penury, in contempt of man,
Brought near to beaft: my face I'll grim with filth;
Blanket my loins; elfe all my hair in knots;

*A metaphor from bowling.

An old proverbial faying applied to thofe who are turn'd out of house and home, deprived of all the comforts of life, excepting the common benefits of the air and fun.

I

warm fun!

Approach, thou beacon of this under-globe,
That by thy comfortable beams I may

[Looking up to the moon.

Perufe this letter. Nothing almoft fees miracles,
But mifery. I know 'tis from Cordelia;
Who hath most fortunately been inform'd
Of my obfcured coufe. I shall find time
From this enormous ftate, and feek to give
Loffes their remedies, All weary, &.
: VOL. VI.
D

And

And with prefented nakednefs outface
The winds and perfecutions of the sky.
The country gives me proof and precedent
Of bedlam beggars, who, with roaring voices,
Strike in their numb'd and mortify'd bare arms,
Pins, wooden pricks, nails, fprigs of rosemary;
And with this horrible object, from low farms,
Poor pelting villages, fheep-cotes, and mills,
Sometimes with lunatic bans, fometimes with pray'rs,
Inforce reer charity; poor Turlupin! poor Tom!-
That's fomething yet: Edgar I nothing am.

S CE NE IX.

Changes again to the Earl of Glofter's caftle.

Enter Lear, Fool, and Gentleman.

[Exit.

Lear. 'Tis ftrange, that they fhould fo depart from And not fend back my messenger.

Gent. As I learn'd,

[home,

The night before there was no purpose in them
Of this remove.

Kent. Hail to thee, Noble masters!ɔute,

Lear. Ha! mak'ft thou thy fhame thy paftime?
Kent. No, my Lord.

Fool. Ha, ha, he wears cruel garters; horfes are ty'd by the heads, dogs and bears by th' neck, monkeys by th' loins, and men by th' legs; when a man is over-lu fty at legs, then he wears wooden nether stocks.

Lear. What's he that hath fo much thy place mistook, To fet thee here?

Kent. It is both he and fhe,

Your fon and daughter.

They could not, would not do't; 'tis worse than mur

To do upon respect * fuch violent outrage:

Respect, for one in konourable employment.

[ther,

Refolve