And with presented nakedness out-face The winds, and persecutions of the sky. [Exit. SCENE IV. Before Gloster's Castle. Enter LEAR, Fool, and Gentleman. Lear. 'Tis strange, that they should so depart from home, 4 Of Bedlam beggars,] These were a species of beggars, such as had been in Bedlam, and when partly recovered and allowed to go out, were licensed to beg. Edgar borrows his dress from them, and the phrases of Poor Tom, Poor Tom is a-cold. 5 wooden pricks,] i. e, skewers. 6 Poor pelting villages,] beggarly or petty. 7 lunatick bans,] To ban, is to curse. 8 -poor Turlygood! poor Tom!] For Turlupin. In the fourteenth century there was a new species of gipsies, called Turlupins, a fraternity of naked beggars, which ran up and down Europe. Fool. Ha, ha; look! he wears cruel garters"! Horses are tied by the heads; dogs, and bears, by the neck; monkies by the loins, and men by the legs: when a man is over-lusty at legs, then he wears wooden netherstocks.1 Lear. What's he, that hath so much thy place mistook To set thee here? Kent. I say, yea. Lear. No, no; they would not. Kent. Yes, they have. Lear. By Jupiter, I swear, no. Lear. They durst not do't; They could not, would not do't; 'tis worse than murder, To do upon respect such violent outrage: 2 Resolve me, with all modest haste, which way Thou might'st deserve, or they impose, this usage, Kent. he wears cruel garters!] Probably a quibble was here intended. Crewel signifies worsted, of which stockings, garters, nightcaps, &c. are made. wooden nether-stocks.] Nether-stocks is the old word for stockings. Breeches were at that time called " men's overstockes." To do upon respect such violent outrage:] To be so grossly deficient in respect. spite of intermission,] i. e. without pause, without suffering time to intervene. Which presently they read: on whose contents, They summon'd up their meiny, straight took horse; The leisure of their answer; gave me cold looks: Whose welcome, I perceiv'd, had poison'd mine, Display'd so saucily against your highness,) Fool. Winter's not gone yet, if the wild-geese fly that way. Fathers, that wear rags, Do make their children blind; But fathers, that bear bags, Shall see their children kind. Fortune, that arrant whore, Ne'er turns the key to the poor. But, for all this, thou shalt have as many dolours for thy daughters, as thou can'st tell in a year. Lear. O, how this mother swells up toward my heart! Hysterica passio! down, thou climbing sorrow, Lear. Stay here. Follow me not; [Exit. Gent. Made you no more offence than what you speak of? They summon'd up their meiny,] Meiny, i. e. people; from mesne, a house. Mesnie, a family, Fr. 5 dolours-] Quibble between dolours and dollars. 6 O, how this mother, &c.] Lear here affects to pass off the swelling of his heart ready to burst with grief and indignation, for the disease called the Mother, or Hysterica passio, which, in our author's time, was not thought peculiar to women only. Kent. None. How chance the king comes with so small a train? Fool. An thou hadst been set i'the stocks for that question, thou hadst well deserved it. Kent. Why, fool? Fool. We'll set thee to school to an ant, to teach thee there's no labouring in the winter. All that follow their noses are led by their eyes, but blind men; and there's not a nose among twenty, but can smell him that's stinking. Let go thy hold, when a great wheel runs down a hill, lest it break thy neck with following it; but the great one that goes up the hill, let him draw thee after. When a wise man gives thee better counsel, give me mine again; I would have none but knaves follow it, since a fool gives it. That, sir, which serves and seeks for gain, And follows but for form, Will pack, when it begins to rain, And leave thee in the storm. And let the wise man fly: The knave turns fool, that runs away; Kent. Where learn'd you this, fool? Fool. Not i'the stocks, fool. Re-enter LEAR, with GLOSTER. Lear. Deny to speak with me? They are sick? they are weary? They have travell'd hard to-night? Mere fetches; The images of revolt and flying off! Fetch me a better answer. Glo. My dear lord, You know the fiery quality of the duke; How unremoveable and fix'd he is Lear. Vengeance! plague! death! confusion! - Glo. Well, my good lord, I have inform'd them so. Lear. Inform'd them! Dost thou understand me, man? Glo. Ay, my good lord. Lear. The king would speak with Cornwall; the dear father Would with his daughter speak, commands her service: Are they inform'd of this? — My breath and Fiery? the fiery duke?- Tell the hot duke, that— Whereto our health is bound; we are not ourselves, And am fallen out with my more headier will, To take the indispos'd and sickly fit For the sound man. Death on my state! wherefore [Looking on Kent. Should he sit here? This act persuades me, 8 Is practice only. Give me my servant forth: Go, tell the duke and his wife, I'd speak with them, Till it cry-Sleep to death. Glo. I'd have all well betwixt you. [Exit. Lear. O me, my heart, my rising heart! — but, down. Fool. Cry to it, nuncle, as the cockney did to the 7 this remotion] From their own house to that of the earl of Gloster. 8 Is practice only.] Practice is, in Shakspeare, and other old writers, used commonly in an ill sense for unlawful artifice. |