dog; drinks the green mantle of the standing pool; who is
whipt from tything to tything, and stock-punish’d, and im-
prison'd: who hath had three suits to his back, fix shirts to
his body;

Horse to ride, and weapon to wear;
But mice and rats, and such small h deer

Have been Tom's food for seven long year.
Beware my follower.

follower. Peace, i Smulkin, peace, thou fiend.
Gl. What, hath your grace no better campany?
Edg. The prince of darkness is a gentleman, k Modo he's

cali'd and k Mahu.
Glo. Our flesh and blood, my lord, is grown so vile,
That it doth hate what gets it.

Edg. 'Poor Tom's a-cold.

Glo. Go in with me; my duty cannot suffer
T'obey in all your daughters' hard commands;
Though m their injunction be to bar my doors,
And let this tyrannous night take hold upon you,
Yet have I ventur'd to come seek you out,
And bring you where both fire and food is ready.

Lear. First, let me talk with this philosopher.
What is the cause of thunder?

Kent. My good lord, take his offer:
Go into th' house.

& The fo's, R. and P. omit had.

» H. reads geer, and is followed by W. But deer in old language is a pe-
neral word for wild ani.nals. 7.
į The qu's read Spulbug ; T. W. and 7. Smolkin.

7. reads Mobu for Modo, and Ahu for Mabu.
Iso before P. who omits poor ; followed by the rest.
. Before their the 3d and 4th fo's insert all.
- H. reads are for ii.

Lear.

Lear. I'll o talk a word with this P most learned Theban.
What is your study?
Edg. How to prevent the fiend, and to kill vermin.
Lear. Let 4 me ask you one word in private.
Kent. Importune him r to go, my lord; his wits begin to

unsettle.
Glo. Canft thou blame him?

[Storm continues. His daughters seek his death. Ah, that good Kent ! He said it would be thus-poor banish'd man ! Thou say'st, the king grows mad; I'll tell thee, friend, I am almost mad myself; I had a son, Now out-law'd from my blood ; he fought my life, But lately, very late; I lov'd him, friend, No father his son dearer. s True to tell thee, The grief hath craz’d my wits. What a night's this ! I do beseech your grace.

Lear. O cry you mercy, 'fir.-
Noble philosopher, your company.

Edg. Tom's a-cold.
Glo. In, fellow, there, into th’hovel, keep thee warm.
Lear. Come let's in all.
Kent. This way, my lord.

Lear. With hiin;
I will keep still with my philosopher.

Kent. Good my lord, footh him; let him take the fellow.

o The 3d and 4th fo's read take for talk,
P So the qu's; the relt same for most.
q So the qu's and it and ad fo's; the rest us for me.
I So the qu's and H.; the rest insert one more before to,
$ The ad q. reads truth for true.
i The qu's omit fir.
* So all before P. who omits there; followed by the rest.

Glo,

Glo. Take him you on.
Kent. Sirrah, come won; go along with us.
Lear. Come, good Athenian.
Glo. No words, no words, hush.

Edg. * Child Rowland to the dark y tower came,
His word was still, fy, foh, and fum,
I smell the blood of a British man.

[Exeunt.

So all before P. who omits on; followed by the rest. * The fables of such a turn as that from which these lines are quoted being originally taken from books of Spanish chivalry, it is probable the word stood there Infante Orlando, for which the translator ignorantly put Child Rowland: whereas Infante means a prince, one of the king's sons. H.

In the old times of chivalry, the noble youth who were candidates for knighthood, during the season of their probation were called Infans, Verlets, Damossels, Bacheliers. The most noble of the youth particularly Infans. Here a story is told, in some old ballad, of the famous hero and giant-killer Relazd, before he was knighted, who is therefore called Infans; which the ballad-maker translated Child Roland. W.

This word is in some of our ballads. There is a song of Child Walter, and a lady. J.

By these notes it should seem that neither H. W. or 7. had ever read Spencer, who in his Fairy Queen frequently makes use of child to signify a prince of young knight; and I hope he is not to be ranked among your ignoramus': or your ballad-makers. See Fairy Queen, Book V. Cant. xi. Stanza 8.

-But the sad steele seiz’d not where it was hight

Uppon the childe, (Prince Arthur) but somewhat frort did fallAnd Stanza 13 of the same Canto,

Nought fear'd the childe bis looks. ị The qu's read towne for tower,

SCENE

Corn. I will have a my revenge, ere I depart bhis house.

Edm. How, my lord, I may be censur'd that nature thus gives way to loyalty, something fears me to think of.

Corn. I now perceive, it was not altogether your brother's evil disposition made him seek his death ; but a c provoked spirit, set a-work hy a reproveable badness in d himself.

Edm. How malicious is my fortune, that I must repent to be just. This is the letter which he spoke of; which approves him an intelligent party to the advantages of France. Oh heavens! that this treason were f not, or not I the de. tector !

Corn. Go with me to the dutchess.

Ein. If the matter of this paper be certain, you have mighty business in hand.

Corn. True or false, it hath made thee earl of Gloster. Seck out where thy father is, that he may be ready for our apprehenfion.

2 Onnitted by 7. who makes nobody enter in this scene.
a So the qu's, and ift and 2d fo's; the rest omit my.
5 The qui's read the for his.

. This is His emendation; all the editions beside rcad provoking merit ; pliich !!'. expliins, merit which being neglected by the father, was própoke to an extravgant act.

Edm. If I find him comforting the king, it will stuff his suspicion more fully. [aside.]—I will persevere in my loý. alty, though the conflict be fore between that and my blood.

Corn. I will lay trust upon thee; and thou shalt find a #dearer father in my love.

[Exeunt.

Glo. Here is better than the open air ; take it thankfully, I will piece out the comfort with what addition I can; I will bot be long from you.

[Exit. Kent. All the power of his wits i have given way to k his impatience. The gods . reward your kindness.

Enter Lear, Edgar, and Fool.

Edg. m Frateretto calls me, and tells me, n Nero is an angler in the lake of darkness. Pray, innocent, and beware the foul fiend.

1

& The fo's and R. read dear for dearer:
b This is called Scena Sexta in the fo's; in R. Sc. V.

i So all before P. who alters it to bas; followed by the rest: but power nay be taken here as a noun of multitude (all the power of his wits, signify: ing no more than all bis wits) and consequently may be joined with a plural Ferb.

k The qu’s omit bis.
1 The qu’s read deserve for reward.
m So the three firft fo's; the qu's Fretereto; the rest Fraterreto.

* Upton is of opinion Shakespeare wrote Trajan instead of Nero. Critical
Observations, p. 234.
• The qu's omit and.
н

Fool.