ear. I'll tell thee--Life and death! I am alham'd That thou haft power to shake my manhood thus; [To Gon. That these hot tears, which break from me perforce,

Should make thee worth them.-Blasts and fogs upon thee! Th’ untented woundings of a father's curse * Pierce every f sense about thee! Old fond eyes,

Beweep this cause again, I'll pluck' ye out,
And a cast you, with the waters that you 'make,
To temper clay. m Ha! is it come to this?

Let it be so: PI have another daughter,
Who, I am sure is kind and comfortable;
When she shall hear this of thee with her nails
She'll flay thy s wolfish visage. Thou Malt find,
That I'll resume the shape, which thou dost think
I have cast off for ever. s Thou shalt I warrant thee.

[Exeunt Lear and attendants.

© The qu's read that for which.

1 The qu’s read Showld make the worst blasts and fogs upon the untented (ad q. entender, fo P.) woundings, bc.

« The ad q. read peruse for pierce.
f W. reads fence.
1 The qu's read the old fond eyes, Gr.

So the qu's, ift f. T. W. and J. the other fo’s beweep ibee once again, R. P. and H. beweep ber once again.

i The qu's read you for ye.
k The qu's read you cast for cast you.

So the qu’s; the ist and ad fo's loose for make; the rest loje. - The qu's read yea for ha! # The ift 4. reads is't for is it. The fo's and R. omit is it comes this: o The qu's omit la it be so. p The qu's read yet have I left a daughter. I The qu's read flay; all the rest flea. "So T. W. and J. the rest wolvish. • All but the qu's omit thou shalt I warrant tree.

SCENE

Gon. Do you mark that, “my lord ?

Alb. I cannot be fo partial, Gonerill,
To the great love I bear you,
Gon. "Pray you,

w be content. * What, Ofwald, ho! You, y sir, more knave than fool, after your master. [To the

fool. Fool. Nuncle Lear, nuncle Lear, tarry, ? and take the fool with a thee.

A fox, when one has caught her,
And such a daughter,
Should sure to the slaughter,
If my cap would buy a halter ;
So the fool follows after.

[Exit.
Gon. This man hath had good counsel.- A hundred knights!
C 'Tis politic, and safe, to let hin keep
At point a hundred knights ; yes, that on ev'ry dream,
Each buz, each fancy, each complaint, dislike,
He may enguard his datage with their powers,
And hold our lives d at mercy. Oswald, I say.

Alb. Well, you may fear too far.

All but the qu's omit any lord. u The qu's read come, jir, no more, for pray you, be content, w Be is not in the fo's; R. first puts it in. * The qu's omit what, Oswald, lo! y The qu's omit sir. ? All but the qu's omit and. a The qu's omit thee.

What is in italic is omitted in the qu's, C H. reads is't for 'iis.

The Lo's and R, read in for af.

Gon.

Gon. Safer than truft too far.
Let me still take away the harms I fear,
Not fear still to be e taken. I know his heart!
What he bath utter'd, I have writ my sisters
If the sustain him and his hundred knights,
When I have sbew'd th’ unfitness,

Enter Steward.

& How now, Oswald?
What, have you writ that letter to my fifter?

Stew. h Yes, madam.

Gon. Take you some company, and away to horse;
Inform her full of my particular * fears,
And thereto add such reasons of your own,
As may compact it more.

I Go, get you gone,
And m hasten your return.

[Exit Steward. "No, no, my lord, . This milky, gentle, easy course of yours,

e P. and all after but J. read harm'd for taken.

So the 1st and 2d fo's: the rest me'll. & The qu's read - what Oswald, ho!

Ofw. Here, madam.

Gon. What have you writ this letter, 6C. So the qu's, the fo's, J. the rest ay. i P. and H. omit end. $ The fo's, R. and J. read fear.

| There is no word in the place of go in either qu's, fo's, or R.; P. puts fe; followed by the rest. ** For baften the 2d q. reads after.

The qu's read now, my lord, &c. • All the editions read this milky (2d q. mildie) gentleness and course, com So that the alteration in the text is conjectural.

Though IP condemn 9 not, yet under " your pardon, . s You are much more at talk for want of wisdom, Than w prais'd for * harmless mildness.

Alb. How far your eyes may pierce, I cannot tell; y Striving to better, oft we mar what's well.

Gon. Nay, then-
Alb. Well, well, th' event.

[Exeunt.

? A court-yard belonging to the Duke of Albany's palace.

Enter, Lear, Kent, * Gentleman, and Fool.

Lear. [to a Gentleman.] Go you before to Glo'fter with these letters. —You with this to my daughter Regan. [to Kent.] Acquaint my daughter no further with any thing you know, than comes from her demand out of the letter; if your diligence be not speedy, I shall be there 6 before you.

p The qu's read dislike for condemn.
9 After condemn, P. and all after read it.
r Your is conjectural, being in none of the editions.
$ The ist f. reads your are, doc.

"For at task the ist q. reads attaskt; which perhaps Shakespear might have written, meaning thereby callid to talk. The ad q. reads slapt for af talk.

w The qu's read praise. ? So R. P. and H. the rest read harmful. y The qu's read striving to better ought, we mar, &c. 2 This description of the scene first given by T. followed by W. and 7.

* The qu’s omit, the rest add Gentleman after Kent: and rightly: for it is plain the letter to Regan was fent by Kent; those to Glofter by another : the order to kent is left out; I have therefore fupplied is. So chi qu's; all the rest «fore,

Kent.

Kent. I will not neep, my lord, till I have delivered your letter.

[Exit. Fool. If a man's c brains were in his heels, wer't not in danger of kibes?

Lear. Ay, boy.

Fool. Then I pr’ythee, be merry, thy wit shall e not go lipshod.

Lear. Ha, ha, ha.

Fool. Shalt see, thy other daughter will use thee kindly; for though she's as like this as a crab's like an apple, yet' I can tell what I can tell.

Lear. & Why what can'st thou tell, my boy?

Fool. She will taste as like this, as a' crab does to a crab. Thou can'st not tell why one's nose stands i'th' middle i of one's face?

Lear. No.

Fool. Why to k keep one's eyes of either side one's nose, that what a man cannot smell out, he may spy into.

Lear. I did her wrong
Fool. Can'st tell how an oyster makes his shell?
Lear. No.
Fool. Nor I neither; but I can tell why a snail has a house.
Lear. Why?

· P. alters this to brain; followed by all after.
• The ift q. reads where.
e The qu's read nere for not.
f The qu's read I con what I can tell.

So the qu's; the rest what can'st tell, boy ?

So the qu’s; the ift and 2d fo's thou canst tc!!, &c. the 3d f. and all after can't thou tell, 66. i The qu's read of his face; the fo's and R. on’s face.

The qu's read keep his eyes on either side his nose, &c. 1 The fo's read fide's nose, &c.

Foor.

D3