CORN.
Get horses for your mistress.
GON. Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.

CORN. Edmund, farewell.

[Exeunt GONERIL, EDMUND, and OSWALD.

Go, seek the traitor, Gloucester,
Pinion him like a thief, bring him before us.

[Exeunt other Servants.

Though well we may not pass upon his life
Without the form of justice, yet our power
Shall do a courtesy to our wrath, which men

May blame, but not control. Who's there? the traitor?

Re-enter Servants with GLOUCESTER.

REG. Ingrateful fox! 'tis he.

20

25

CORN. Bind fast his corky arms.

GLO. What mean your graces? Good my friends, consider 30 You are my guests: do me no foul play, friends.

CORN. Bind him, I say.

[Servants bind him.

Hard, hard. O filthy traitor!

REG.
GLO. Unmerciful lady as you are, I'm none.

CORN. To this chair bind him. Villain, thou shalt find—

[REGAN plucks his beard.

35

GLO. By the kind gods, 'tis most ignobly done

To pluck me by the beard.

REG. So white, and such a traitor!
GLO.

Naughty lady,

These hairs which thou dost ravish from my chin
Will quicken and accuse thee: I am your host;
With robbers' hands my hospitable favours

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You should not ruffle thus. What will you do?

CORN. Come, sir, what letters had you late from France?
REG. Be simple answer'd, for we know the truth.
CORN. And what confederacy have you with the traitors
Late footed in the kingdom?

45

REG. To whose hands have you sent the lunatic king?

Speak.

GLO. I've a letter guessingly set down,

Which came from one that's of a neutral heart,

And not from one opposed.

REG. Wherefore to Dover? Wast thou not charged at

peril

CORN. Wherefore to Dover? Let him first answer that.

GLO. I am tied to the stake, and I must stand the course.
REG. Wherefore to Dover, sir?

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GLO. Because I would not see thy cruel nails

Pluck out his poor old eyes, nor thy fierce sister
In his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs.

The sea, with such a storm as his bare head

In hell-black night endured, would have buoy'd up,
And quench'd the stelled fires :

60

Yet, poor old heart, he holp the heavens to rain.

If wolves had at thy gate howled that stern time,

Thou shouldst have said, "Good porter, turn the key";
All cruels else subscribed: but I shall see

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The winged vengeance overtake such children.

CORN. See't shalt thou never. Fellows, hold the chair.

Upon these eyes of thine I'll set my foot.

GLO. He that will think to live till he be old,

Give me some help! O cruel! O you gods!

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REG. One side will mock another; the other too.

CORN. If you see vengeance—

FIRST SERV.

Hold your hand, my lord;

I have served you ever since I was a child;
But better service have I never done you

REG.

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How now, you dog!

FIRST SERV. If you did wear a beard upon your chin, I'd shake it on this quarrel: what do you mean?

CORN. My villain !

[Draws and runs at him. FIRST SERV. Nay, then come on, and take the chance of [Draws. They fight. CORNWALL is wounded. 80 REG. Give me thy sword.-[To another Servant.] A peasant stand up thus!

anger.

[Snatches a sword, comes behind, and stabs him.
My lord, you have one eye left

FIRST SERV. O, I am slain!
To see some mischief on him.

O!

CORN. Lest it see more, prevent it. Out, vile jelly!

Where is thy lustre now?

GLO. All dark and comfortless. Where's my son Edmund, enkindle all the sparks of nature,

To quit this horrid act.

REG.

[Dies.

85

Edmund ?

Out, treacherous villain!

Thou call'st on him that hates thee: it was he
That made the overture of thy treasons to us;

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Who is too good to pity thee.

GLO. O my follies! Then Edgar was abused.

Kind gods, forgive me that, and prosper him!

REG. Go thrust him out at gates, and let him smell

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His way to Dover. [Exit one with GLOUCESTER.] How is't,

my lord? How look you?

CORN. I have received a hurt: follow me, lady.

Turn out that eyeless villain; throw this slave
Upon the dunghill. Regan, I bleed apace :
Untimely comes this hurt: give me your arm.

[Exit CORNWALL, led by REGAN.

SECOND SERV. I'll never care what wickedness I do,

If this man come to good.

THIRD SERV.

If she live long,

And in the end meet the old course of death,
Women will all turn monsters.

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105

SECOND SERV. Let's follow the old earl, and get the Bedlam To lead him where he would; his roguish madness

Allows itself to anything.

THIRD SERV. Go thou; I'll fetch some flax and whites of eggs

To apply to his bleeding face. Now, heaven help him!

[Exeunt severally.

110

ACT IV.

SCENE I. The heath.

Enter EDGAR.

EDG. Yet better thus, and known to be contemn'd,
Than still contemn'd and flatter'd. To be worst,
The lowest and most dejected thing of fortune,
Stands still in esperance, lives not in fear:

5

Welcome then,

The lamentable change is from the best;
The worst returns to laughter.

Thou unsubstantial air that I embrace !

The wretch that thou hast blown unto the worst
Owes nothing to thy blasts. But who comes here?

Enter GLOUCESTER, led by an Old Man.

My father, poorly led? World, world, O world!

10

But that thy strange mutations make us hate thee,

Life would not yield to age.

OLD MAN. O, my good lord, I have been your tenant, and

your father's tenant, these fourscore years.

GLO. Away, get thee away; good friend, be gone;

15

Thy comforts can do me no good at all,

Thee they may hurt.

OLD MAN. Alack, sir, you cannot see your way.

GLO. I have no way and therefore want no eyes;

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I stumbled when I saw full oft 'tis seen

Our means secure us, and our mere defects

Prove our commodities.

Ah, dear son Edgar,