Glo. By the kind gods, 'tis most ignobly done To pluck me by the beard. Reg. So white, and such a traitor! Glo. Naughty lady, These hairs, which thou dost ravish from my chin, Will quicken, and accuse thee: I am your host; With robbers' hands, my hospitable favours1 You should not ruffle thus. What will you do? Corn. Come, sir, what letters had you late from France? Reg. Be simple-answer'd, for we know the truth. Corn. And what confederacy have you with the traitors Late footed in the kingdom? Reg. To whose hands have you sent the lunatick king? Speak. Glo. I have a letter guessingly set down, Which came from one that's of a neutral heart, And not from one oppos'd. Corn. Reg. Cunning. Corn. Where hast thou sent the king? Glo. Reg. And false. To Dover. Wherefore To Dover? Wast thou not charg'd at thy peril—† Corn. Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer that. Glo. I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course. 1 Reg. Wherefore to Dover? Glo. Because I would not see thy cruel nails 9 Will quicken,] i. e. quicken into life. 1 my hospitable favours-] Favours means the same as features, i. e. the different parts of which a face is composed. 1 + "at peril"- MALONE. the course.] The running of the dogs upon me. Pluck out his poor old eyes; nor thy fierce sister The sea, with such a storm as his bare head If wolves had at thy gate howl'd that stern time, The winged vengeance overtake such children. Corn. See it shalt thou never: - Fellows, hold the Upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot. [GLOSTER is held down in his Chair, while Glo. He that will think to live till he be old, Serv. Hold your hand, my lord: How now, you dog? Reg. Corn. My villain! [Draws, and runs at him. Serv. Nay, then come on, and take the chance of anger. [Draws. They fight. CORNWALL is wounded. Reg. Give me thy sword. -[To another Servant.] A peasant stand up thus! [Snatches a Sword, comes behind, and stabs him. 2 occasion. subscrib'd.] Yielded, submitted to the necessity of the Serv. O, I am slain! - My lord, you have one eye left To see some mischief on him: —O! [Dies. Corn. Lest it see more, prevent it:-Out, vile jelly! Where is thy lustre now? [Tears out GLOSTER's other Eye, and throws it on the Ground. Glo. All dark and comfortless.-Where's my son Edmund ? Edmund enkindle all the sparks of nature, To quit this horrid act. Out, treacherous villain! Reg. Glo. Then Edgar was abus’d. — O my 3 follies! Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him! Reg. Go, thrust him out at gates, and let him smell His way to Dover. How is't, my lord? How look you? Corn. I have receiv'd a hurt: Turn out that eyeless villain; Follow me, lady. throw this slave Upon the dunghill. -Regan, I bleed apace: [Exit CORNWALL, led by REGAN;- Servants unbind GLOSTER, and lead him out. 1 Serv. I'll never care what wickedness I do, If this man come to good. 2 Serv. If she live long, And, in the end, meet the old course of death, * Women will all turn monsters. 3 1 Serv. Let's follow the old earl, and get the bedlam the overture of thy treasons —] Overture is here used for an opening or discovery. It was he who first laid thy treasons open to us. 4 the old course of death,] that is, die a natural death. To lead him where he would; his roguish madness 2 Serv. Go thou; I'll fetch some flax, and whites of eggs, To apply to his bleeding face. Now, heaven help him! [Exeunt severally. ACT IV. SCENE I.-The Heath. Enter EDGAR. Edg. Yet better thus, and known to be contemn'd, The wretch, that thou hast blown unto the worst, Enter GLOSTER, led by an old Man. My father, poorly led?-World, world, O world! World, world, O world! But that thy strange mutations make us hate thee,] O world! if reverses of fortune and changes such as I now see and feel, from ease and affluence to poverty and misery, did not show us the little value of life, we should never submit with any kind of resignation to the weight of years, and its necessary consequence, infirmity and death. MALONE. Old Man. O my good lord, I have been your tenant, and your father's tenant, these fourscore years. Glo. Away, get thee away; good friend, be gone : Thy comforts can do me no good at all, Thee they may hurt. Old Man. Alack, sir, you cannot see your way. Glo. I have no way, and therefore want no eyes; I stumbled when I saw: Full oft 'tis seen, Our mean secures us : and our mere defects Ah, dear son Edgar, The food of thy abused father's wrath! I'd say, I had eyes again! Old Man. How now? Who's there? Edg. [aside.] O gods! Who is't can say, I am at the worst ? I am worse than e'er I was. Old Man. 'Tis poor mad Tom. 1. Edg. [aside.] And worse I may be yet: The worst is not, So long as we can say, This is the worst. Old Man. Fellow, where goest? Is it a beggar-man? Old Man. Madman and beggar too. Glo. He has some reason, else he could not beg. I'the last night's storm I such a fellow saw; Which made me think a man a worm: My son Came then into my mind; and yet my mind Was then scarce friends with him: I have heard more since: As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; They kill us for their sport. Edg. How should this be? Bad is the trade must play the fool to sorrow, 6 Our mean secures us ;] Mean is here a substantive, and signifies a middle state. Mr. Malone reads " Our means secure us." |