Serv. Oh, I am flain-My lord, y yet have you one eye

left,

To fee fome mifchief on him. Oh-
Oh-

[Dies.

Corn. Left it fee more, prevent it. Out z vilde gelly: Where is thy luftre now?

[Treads out the other eye.

Glo. All dark and comfortlefs-Where's my fon Edmund? Edmund, enkindle all the fparks of nature

To quit this horrid act.

Reg. Out! b treacherous villain,

Thou call'ft on him that hates thee; it was he

That made the overture of thy treasons to us,

Who is too good to pity thee.

Glo. O my follies!

Then Edgar was abus'd. Kind Gods, forgive

Me that, and profper him!

Reg. Go thruft him out

At gates, and let him fmell his way to Dover. [Ex. with

d

Glo.

Follow me, lady-
Throw this flave

How is't, my lord? how do you?
Corn. I have receiv'd a hurt.
Turn out that eyelefs villain.

y So the qu's; the reft read you have, &c. omitting yet.

z So all editions before P. who alters it to vile; followed by the rest: but vilde was a method of fpelling the word in Shakespeare's time, as may be feen by the contemporary writers. The editors of Spencer have been exact in preferving the words as he fpelt them; why fhould not the fame exactnefs be obferved in treating Shakespeare?

a The qu's read unbridle for enkindle.

The qu's omit treacherous.

c H. reads at th' gates.

d All the editions read lock for do: but he could never afk how he look'd; fhe faw that.

Upon

Upon the dunghill.-Regan, I bleed apace.
Untimely comes this hurt. Give me your arm.

[Exit Cornwall led by Regan.

ift Serv. I'll never care what wickedness I do,

If this man come to good.

2d Serv. If he live long,

And in the end meet the old courfe of death,

Women will all turn monsters.

ift Serv. Let's follow the old earl, and get the bedlam To lead him where he would; his froguifh madness Allows itself to any thing.

2d Serv. Go thou; I'll fetch fome flax and whites of eggs T'apply to's bleeding face. Now, heaven help him.

[Exeunt feverally.

What follows in italic is only in the qu's, T. W. and J. f The ift q. omits rogui.

ACT

ACT IV.

SCENE I. An open Countrys

Enter Edgar.

Edgar.

ET better thus, and known to be contemn'd,

YET

Than ftill contemn'd and flatter'd. To be worft, The loweft, a and moft dejected thing of fortune,

с

b

Stands ftill in efperance; lives not in fear.

The lamentable change is from the best;

The worst returns to laughter.

d

Welcome then,

Thou unfubftantial air, that I embrace!

The wretch, that thou haft blown unto the worst,

Owes nothing to thy blafts.

Enter Glo'fter led by an old man.

e But who comes here?

My father f poorly led? World, world, O world!
But that thy ftrange mutations make us hate thee,
Life would not yield to age.

a So all before P. who omits and; followed by the reft.

b The 2d, 3d, and 4th fo's, and R. read deject for dejecteds The qu's read experience for efperance.

d What is in italic is omitted in the qu's.

e The qu's read who's here, &c.

f The 1st q reads parti, eyd for poorly led.

8 The fenfe of this paffage is, Thefe changes make us fick of life; elfe we should be loth to die; to refign life to the weight of years. All copies read hate but T. who has altered it to wait.

Old Man. O my good lord,

I have been your tenant, and your father's tenant,

Glo. Away, get thee away. Good friend, be gone; Thy comforts can do me no good at all,

Thee they may hurt.

Old Man. i Alack, fir, you cannot fee your way.

Glo. I have no way, and therefore want no eyes:
Full oft 'tis feen,

I ftumbled when I faw.

The food of thy abused father's wrath;

Might I but live to fee thee in my touch,

I'd fay I had eyes again!

Old Man. How now? who's there?

Edg. [afide.] O Gods! who is't can fay, I am at the worst?

I am worfe than e'er I was.

Old Man. 'Tis poor mad Tom.

Edg. [afide.] And worfe I may be yet; the worst is not, So long as we can fay, this is the worst.

Old Man. Fellow, where go'ft?

Glo. Is it a beggar-man?

The qu's omit years, and put a dash after fourscore.

i All but the qu's omit alack, fir.

So all before P. If this reading be right, by means may perhaps be understood, mean things, (ufing the adjective fubftantively) i. e. adverfæ res. H. reads meanness for our means; P. and the reft, our mean fecures us; which W. interprets, moderate, mediocre condition. J. proposes two readings, our means feduce us, i. e. our powers of body or fortune draw us into evils: or, our maims fecure us, i. e. that hurt or deprivation which makes us defenceless, proves our fafety.

So the qu's; the rest oh.
The qu's read as for fî.

Old

Old Man. Madman, and beggar too.

Glo. He has fome reafon, elfe he could not beg.
I'th' laft night storm I fuch a fellow faw;

Which made me think a man, a worm. My fon

Came then into my mind; and yet my mind

Was then scarce friends with him. I have heard more fince.

n

As flies to wanton boys, are we to th' Gods;

They kill us for their sport.

Edg. How fhould this be?

Bad is the trade that must play the fool to forrow,

Ang'ring itself and others. [afide] - Blefs thee, master.

Glo. Is that the naked fellow?

Old Man. Ay, my lord.

t

Glo. Then pr'ythee get thee gone. If, for my fake,

Thou wilt o'ertake us " hence a mile or twain

I'th way w toward Dover, do it for ancient love;
And bring fome covering for this naked foul,
x Whom I'll entreat to lead me.

Old Man. Alack, fir, he is mad.

Glo. 'Tis the time's plague, when madmen lead the blind.

Do as I bid thee, or rather do thy pleasure;

Above the reft, be gone.

n Before to the qu's read are.

• The qu's, 3d and 4th fo's, and R. read th' before wanton.

P The qu's read bit for kill.

q The ad f. read their for this.

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

• H. and W. read anguishing for ang'ring.

So the qu's; all the reft get thee away. If, &c.

The qu's read here for hence.

w The 2d q. reads to for toward.

x The qu's read who; the fo's and R. which.

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

old