e

Therefore, I do advise you, take this note.
My lord is dead; Edmund and I have talk'd;
And more convenient is he for my hand,
Than for your lady's. You may gather more.
If you do find him, pray you, give him this;
And when your mistress hears thus much from you,
I pray, defire her call her wisdom to her. f So farewel.
If you do chance to hear of that blind traitor,

Preferment falls on him that cuts him off.

Stew. Would I could meet him, madam, I h would fhew What party I do follow.

Enter Glo'fter, and Edgar as a peasant.

Glo. When fhall 1 we come to th' top of that fame hill? Edg. You do climb m up it now. Look, how we labour. Glo. Methinks, the ground is even.

Edg. Horrible fteep. Hark, do you hear the fea?

Glo. No, truly ".

7. fays that note means in this place not a letter but a remark: but the words give him this a little below explain it to be a letter.

f H. omits fo farewell; the fo's and R. read fo fare you well.

g The 1ft f. omits him.

h So the qu's; the reft fhould for would.

i The qu's read lady for party.

The fo's call this fcena quinta.

1 So the qu's; the rest I for we. m The qu's read it up.

After truly H. reads not.

Edg.

Edg. Why then your other fenfes grow imperfect By your eyes anguish.

Glo. So may it be, indeed.

Methinks, thy voice is alter'd; and thou speak't

With better phrafe and matter than thou didst.

Edg. You're much deceiv'd in nothing am I chang'd,

But in my garments.

Edg. Come on, fir; here's the place. Stand ftill.-How

fearful

And dizzy 'tis to caft one's eyes fo low!

The crows and choughs, that wing the midway air,
Shew fcarce fo grofs as beetles. Half way down
Hangs one that gathers famphire; dreadful trade 1
Methinks, he feems no bigger than his head.
The fisher-men, that walk upon the 9 beach,
Appear like mice; and yond tall anchoring bark,
Diminish'd to her cock; her cock, a buoy
Almoft too fmall for fight.
That on the unnumbred idle pebbles chafes,

The murmuring furge,

t

Cannot be heard fo high. I'll look no more,

Left my brain turn, and the deficient fight

Topple down headlong.

Gh. Set me where you stand.

Edg. Give me your hand. You are now within a foot

So the qu's; the reft in for with.

So all before P. who reads fure for methinks; followed by the rest.

The ad q. reads beake.

The ft q. reads a boui; the ad above.

• The 1st

The ad q reads chafe.

The qu's read it is fo high I'll look, c.

Of th'extreme verge; for all w beneath the moon
Would I not leap * upright.

X

Glo. Let go my hand.

Here, friend, 's another purfe, in it a jewel

Well worth a poor man's taking. Fairies and Gods
Profper it with thee! Go thou further off;
Bid me farewel, and let me hear thee going.
Edg. Now fare you well, good fir.

Glo. With all my heart.

[Seems to go.

Edg. Why I do trifle thus with his a despair Is done to cure it.

Glo. O you mighty Gods!

This world I do renounce; and in your fights
Shake patiently my great affliction off:

If I could bear it longer, and not fall

To quarrel with your great oppofelefs wills,

C

My fnuff and loathed part of nature should

Burn itself out. If Edgar live, O blefs & him!
Now, fellow, fare thee well.

Edg. Gone, fir?-farewel.

[b He kneels.

[He leaps and falls along.

w So all before P. who reads below for beneath; followed by the reft.

* H. W. and J. read outright. See Heath in loc.

So the qu's; the rest ye for you.

2 So the qu's,

So the 1ft q.

1ft and 2d fo's, and H.; the reft do I.

and 1ft and 2d fo's, and H.; the rest defpair? 'Tis, &c. but the ad q. has no mark of interrogation after defpair, nor the 3d and 4th

eSo the qu's and 1ft f. but without an interrogation; the rest good jir,

farewel

And

And yet I know not how conceit f may rob

The treafury of life, when life itfelf

Yields to the theft. Had he been where he thought,

By this, had thought been past.Alive or dead?

Hoa, you, fir! friend! hear you, fir? fpeak!

Thus might he país indeed-yet he revives.

What are you, fir?

Glo. Away, and let me die.

Edg. Hadft thou becn aught but gofs'mer, feathers] k air,

So many fathom down precipitating,

Thou'dft fhiver'd like an egg; but thou doft breathe,

Haft heavy fubftance. Bleed'ft not? fpeak; art found?
Ten mafts at each make not the altitude,

m

. Which thou haft perpendicularly " fell. Thy life's a miracle; fpeak yet again.

Glo. But have I fall'n or no?

f The 1ft q. reads my for may.

The three laft fo's and R. read treasure.

b So the fo's, R. P. and H. except that all of thefe befide the 1ft f. read bere for bear the qu's read ho you fir, heare you fir, Speak: T. and the rest boa, you, hear you, friend! fir! fir! Speak!

i The white and cobweb-like exhalations that fly about in hot funny weather. See Grey in loc. But these are not exhalations, but fpun by a fmall fpider.

* Before air the three laft fo's and R. infert and.

Speak'st,

1 The qu's and 1ft and 2d f. and 7. read bleed'st not, speak'st, art found. ` So all before R. who reads at leaft; P. H. and W. read attacht; J. conjectures on end; and we might offer another conjecture, a-ftretch; but the old reading is intelligible enough, and means, each maft placed at the end

of the other.

So all before R. he and all after read fall'n.

K 2

Edg

P

Edg. From the dread fummit of this chalky borne. Look up a-height; the 4 fhrill-gorg'd lark fo far Cannot be feen or heard. Do but look up.

Glo. Alack, I have no eyes.

Is wretchedness depriv'd that benefit,

To end itself by death? 'Twas yet fome comfort,
When mifery could beguile the tyrant's rage,
And fruftrate his proud will.

Edg. Give me your arm.

"Up, fo-how is't? feel you your legs? you stand.

Glo. Too well, too well.

Edg. This is above all strangeness.

Upon the crown o'th' cliff, what thing was that,
Which parted from you?

t

Edg. As I ftood here below, methought his eyes Were two full moons; he had a thousand noses, Horns u welk'd and wav'd like the enridged fea :

W

It was fome fiend. Therefore, thou happy father,

Think that the cleareft Gods, who make them honours Of men's impoffibilities, have preferv'd thee.

• The qu's read fummons; the 1st f. fomnet.

P So the qu's and H.; the reft bourn, which fignifies a brook; but borne is a limit, or boundary.

The three laft fo's and R. read fhrill-gor'd.

The qu's read up, fo, how feel you your legs? &c.

The 1ft q. reads bagger.

The ift q. reads methoughts.

ui. e. twisted. W. The 1ft and ad fo's read wealk'd; the 3d and 4th, and R. walk'd; H. whelk'd. See Jun. in voce Welken.

w The fo's and R. read enraged fea.

x P. reads dearejt, as in no other edition. Cleareft, i. e. most righte

Ou6. T.

y The qu's read made their honours.

Glo.

1