And, in conclufion, to oppose the bolt

Against my coming in. Thou better know'st
The offices of nature, bond of childhood,
Effects of courtefy, dues of gratitude:

Thy half o'th' kingdom u thou haft not forgot,
Wherein I thee endow'd.

Reg. Good fir, to th' purpose.

Lear. Who put my man i'th' ftocks?

Enter Steward.

Corn. What trumpet's that? Reg. I know't, my fifter's. That she would foon be here.

[Trumpet within.

This approves her w letter,
Is your lady come?

Lear. This is a flave, whofe eafy-borrow'd pride

Dwells in the x fickle grace of her he follows.

Out, varlet, from my fight.

Corn. What means your grace?

Lear. Who y stockt my fervant? Regan, I have good hope, Thou didst not know on't.Who comes here? O heav'ns, If you do love old men, if your fweet fway

z Allow obedience, if yourfelves are old,

Make it your caufe; fend down and take my part.

The qu's, fo's, and R.'s 8vo haft thou.

w The qu's read letters.

* The 1st and 2d fo's read fickly; the 3d and 4th, and R. fickly. The qu's read ftruck for flockt.

2 T. IV. and H. read hallow for allow.

Art

Art not asham'd to look upon this beard?

O Regan, a wilt thou take her by the hand?

Gen. Why not by th' hand, fir? How have I offended?

All's not offence, that indifcretion finds,

And dotage terms fo.

Lear. O fides, you are too tough!·

Will you yet hold?

How came my man i'th' stocks?

с

Corn. I fet him there, fir; but his own diforders.

Why, the 8 hot-blooded France, that dow'rlefs took
Our youngest born, I could as well be brought
To knee his throne, and 'fquire-like pension ↳ beg,
To keep base life a-foot-Return with her?
Persuade me rather to be flave, and fumpter,
To this detefted groom.

Gon. At your choice, Sir.

Lear. Now I pr'ythee, daughter, do not make me mad; I will not trouble thee, my child. Farewell;

We'll no more meet, no more fee one another;

But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter,—
Or rather a difeafe k that's in my flesh,

Which I must needs call mine; thou art a bile,
A plague-fore, an imboffed carbuncle,

In my corrupted blood. But I'll not chide thee:
Let shame come when it will, I do not call it ;
I do not bid the m thunder bearer shoot,
Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove.
Mend when thou canft, be better at thy leifure.
I can be patient, I can stay with Regan;

I and my hundred knights.

fure this is grammar.To wage necessity's sharp pinch is nonsense; (though T. fays it makes the sense fine and easy) it is that pinch which forces a man to wage; war is understood, or might be the very word (instead of wage); greater corruptions have happened in the editions of Shakespeare.

■ The qu's read hot blood in France, &c. the fo's and R. hot-bloodied France, &c.

h The ift q. reads bag for beg.

So the qu's; the rest omit now.

The qu's read that lies within my flefa.

So the qu's; the rest or for an,

WV. reads thunder-beater.

Reg:

Reg. Not altogether " fo, fir:

I look'd not for you yet, nor am provided

For your fit welcome; give ear, P fir, to my fifter;
For those that mingle reafon with your paffion

Must be content to think you old, and fo—
But she knows what she does.

Lear. Is this well spoken
Reg. I dare avouch it, fir.

now?

What, fifty followers?
Is it not well? what should you need of more?

Yea or fo many, fith that both charge and danger
Speak 'gainst so great a number? How in one house
Should many people under two commands

Hold amity? 'Tis hard, almost impoffible.

Gon. Why might not you, my lord, receive attendance From those that she calls fervants, or from mine?

Reg. Why not, my lord? if then they chanc'd to flack ye, We could controul them. If you will come to me, For now I fpy a danger, I entreat you

To bring but five and twenty; to no more

Will I give place or notice.

Lear. I gave you

all

Reg. And in good time you gave it.

Lear. Made you my guardians, my depofitaries;

But kept a reservation to be followed

So the qu's; P. and H. omit fo, fir; and all the rest omit fir.

• The qu's read look.

So the ift q. the fo's, and R.; the rest omit fir.

9 So the qu's; the rest omit now.

So all before P.; he and all after read fince both, &c

■ The qu's read speakes.

So the qu's, fo's, and R.; the rest you'll.

The 3d and 4th fo's omit but.

The 3d and 4th fo's, and R.'s 8vo, read keep.

F4

With

X

With fuch a number; what, must I come to you
With five and twenty? Regan, faid you fo?

Reg. And fpeak't again, my lord, no more with me.

*

Lear. Those wicked creatures yet do feem well-favour'd, When others are more wicked. Not being the worst,

Stands in fome rank of praife. I'll go with thee;

Thy fifty yet doth double five and twenty;

And thou art twice her love.

Gon. Hear me, my lord;

What need you five and twenty, ten, or five,
To follow in a houfe, where twice fo many
Have a command to tend you?

Reg. What needs one?

[To Gon.

Lear. O, reafon not the need: our bafeft beggars Are in the pooreft thing fuperfluous.

Allow not nature more than nature needs,

Man's d life's as cheap as beaft's. Thou art a lady;

If only to go warm were gorgeous,

Why, nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear'ft,

Which fcarcely keeps thee warm;. but for true need,—

e

You heavens, give me that: patience, patience I need.
You fee me here, you Gods, a poor f old man,

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

W. reads wrinkled for wicked.

So the qu's; all after lock for feem.

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

2 P. and H. read haft for art.

b The fo's and R. read need.

The qu's read deed for need.

So the ad q.; the 1ft life as, &c. all the reft life is cheap, &e.

The qu's, fo's, and R. give me that patience, patience I need. P. and

all after give me that patience which I need.

f The qu's read old fellow.

As