Cry'd, fifters! fifters!

Shame of ladies! fiflers!

Keut! father! fifters! What m'i'th' ftorm? i'th' night?
Let pity not believe it! P There she shook

n

The holy water from her heavenly eyes;

S

9 And clamour moisten'd her; then away fhe started To deal with grief alone.

The stars above us govern our conditions:

Elfe one" felf mate and matè could not beget

Kent. Well, fir; the poor diftreffed Lear's y i'th' town,

Who fometimes, in his better tune, remembers

What we are come about, and by no means

Will yield to fee his daughter.

Gent. Why, good fir?

Kent. A fovereign fhame fo elbows him: his a own unkindness,

! This in italic is omitted by P. and H.

P. and H. read i'th' ftorm of night?

So the qu's, which P. alters to ne'er; followed by the reft.
The 1ft q. reads not be beleeft, &c.; the 2d not be beleev'd, &c.
P. reads then for there.

P. and H. omit and clamour moisten'd her.

So the qu's and J.; the reft clamour-motion'd, omitting her.

P. and H. read and then retir'd to deal, &c.

↑ P. and H. omit it is the stars.

The 1ft q. reads felf mate and make.

So the qu's; P. and all after spoke you with her fince?

X P. and H. omit well, fir.

So the qu's; P. and all after in town.

So the qu's; P. alters elbows to bows; followed by the reft.
So the qu's; P. omits own; followed by the reft.

That

That ftript her from his benediction, turn'd her
To foreign cafualties, gave her dear rights
To his dog-hearted daughters: these things fting
His mind fo venemously, that burning fhame
Detains him from Cordelia.

Gent. Alack, poor gentleman!

Kent. Of Albany's and Cornwall's pow'rs you heard not?
Gent. 'Tis fo, they are a foot.

Kent. Well, fir: I'll bring you to our master Lear,
And leave you to attend him. Some dear cause
Will in concealment wrap me up awhile:

When I am known aright, you fhall not grieve
Lending me this acquaintance. I pray you go
Along with me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. A Camp.

Enter Cordelia, Phyfician, and Soldiers.

Cor. Alack, 'tis he; why, he was met even now As mad as the vext fea, finging aloud,

Crown'd with rank f fumiterr, and furrow weeds,

So the qu's and J.; instead of his mind, P. and the rest read him.

So the qu's and J.; P. and the reft infert bis before Cordelia.

So the qu's; P. and the rest pray, along with me.

The qu's read vent for vext.

The qu's read femiter; the fo's, R. and P. fenitar; H. fumitory, which is only another name for fumiterr; Chaucer has femeterre to signify the fame weed, (fee the gloffary in Urry's Chaucer) which very nearly agrees with the fpelling of the qu's. Lat. fumaria. Miller.

With burdocks, hemlock,

nettles, cuckow flowers,

Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow

In our fuftaining corn.

A century fend forth;

Search every acre in the high-grown field,

And bring him to our eye. What can man's wisdom *

In the restoring his bereaved fenfe?

He that helps him, take all my outward worth.

Phy. There are means, madam.

Our fofter nurse of nature is repose,

The which he lacks; that to provoke in him,

Are many fimples operative; whofe power
Will close the eye of anguish.

Cor. All bleft fecrets,

All you unpublish'd virtues of the earth,

Spring with my tears; be aidant and n remediate
In the good man's diftrefs! Seek, feek for him,
Left his ungovern'd rage dissolve the life,

That wants the means to lead it.

Enter a Messenger.

Mel. News, madam:

The British pow'rs are marching hitherward.

The qu's read hor-docks; the fo's, R. P. T. and W. bardocks; but Heath says he never heard of such a plant. It is not to be found in Miller. Burdock frequently grows among corn, and is most likely to be what ShakeSpeare means.

h 7. reads nettle.

i The qu's read a century is fent forth; P. T. H. and W. fend forth

sent'ry. J. spells the word sent'ry.

* After wisdom the ad q. reads do.

1 The qu's read can help him.

The fo's and qu's read is for are.

J. reads remediant, as no other edition.

For diftrefs, the three first fo's read defires; the 4th and R. defire.

Cor.

Cor. 'Tis known before. Our preparation stands
In expectation of them. O dear father,

It is thy business that I go about;
Therefore great France

My mourning and P important tears hath pitied.
No blown ambition doth our arms 9 incite,

But love, dear love, and our ag'd father's right:
Soon may I hear, and fee him.

S CENE V.

Regan's Palace.

Enter Regan and Steward.

Reg. But are my brother's powers fet forth?

Stew. Ay, madam.

Reg. Himself in person there?

Stew. Madam, with much ado.

Your fifter is the better foldier.

u

Reg. Lord Edmund spake not with your lord at home?

Stew. No, madam.

Reg. What might import my sister's letter to him?

Stew. I know not, lady.

Reg. Faith, he is posted hence on serious matter.

P Important, as in other places in this author, for importunate. J. The fo's and R. read importun'd.

9 The 1ft q. reads in fight; the ad infite.

The ift and 2d fo's read rite.

The fo's call this fcena quarta.

So all before P. who omits madam; followed by the rest.

So the fo's and R.; the qu's and the reft read lady; and J. fays lady is the better reading: but why? The fecond fcene of this act, to which this paffage most probably refers, will clear this matter up.

7

It was great ignorance, Glo'fter's eyes being out,

To let him live; where he arrives, he moves

All hearts against us. w Edmund, I think, is gone,
In pity of his mifery, to dispatch

His nighted life; moreover, to defcry

Stew. I muft needs after him, madam, with my y letter. Reg. Our troops set forth to-morrow; ftay with us; The ways are dangerous.

Stew. I may not, madam;

My lady charg'd my duty in this business.

Reg. Why fhould fhe write to Edmund? might not you Tranfport her purposes by word? z Belike,

Something-I know not what-I'll love thee muchLet me unfeal the letter.

Stew. Madam, I had rather

Reg. I know your lady does not love Her husband;
I'm fure of that; and at her late being here,
She gaveftrange coeiliads, and most speaking looks
To noble Edmund. I know you are of her bofom.
Stew. I, madam ?

Reg. I fpeak in understanding; y'are; I know't:

The qu's read and now I think is gone.

The 1ft q. reads at'h army; the 2d of the army.

The qu's read letters.

* P. omits belike; H. reads by word of mouth.

The fo's and R. read fome things.

b W. omits frange.

The qu's read aliads; the 1ft f. Eliads; the other fo's Iliads. Oeliads, glances; Fr. villades. The emendation is R.'s.

So the fo's; R.'s octavo you're; all after you are; the qu's read for I know't.

Therefore,