France spreads his banners in our noiseless land;
With plumed helm thy slayer begins threats;
Whilst thou, a moral fool, sitt'st still, and criest,
"Alack! why does he so?"

Alb.

See thyself, devil! Proper deformity seems not in the fiend

So horrid, as in woman.

Gon.

O vain fool'!

Alb. Thou changed and self-cover'd thing, for shame, Be-monster not thy feature. Were it my fitness To let these hands obey my blood, They are apt enough to dislocate and tear Thy flesh and bones: howe'er thou art a fiend, A woman's shape doth shield thee.

Gon. Marry, your manhood now!—

Enter a Messenger.

Alb. What news?

Mess. O, my good lord! the duke of Cornwall's dead;

Slain by his servant, going to put out

The other eye of Gloster.

Alb.

Gloster's eyes

!

Mess. A servant that he bred, thrill'd with remorse, Oppos'd against the act, bending his sword

To his great master; who, thereat enrag'd',
Flew on him, and amongst them fell'd him dead,
But not without that harmful stroke, which since
Hath pluck'd him after.

Alb.
This shows you are above,
You justicers, that these our nether crimes

O vain fool!] What follows these words, until the entrance of the Messenger, and Albany's question, "What news?" is only in the quartos.

2 who, THEREAT ENRAGED,] The folio prints it "threat-enrag'd," a striking compound word, which might be right, if the quartos did not contradict it, and if the verse were not thereby injured.

3 You justicers,] Two of the quartos read "your justices," a third "you justicers," and the folio "you justices." We have had "justicers" before.

VOL. VII.

G g

So speedily can venge!-But, O poor Gloster!
Lost he his other eye?

Mess.

Both, both, my lord.— This letter, madam, craves a speedy answer;

"Tis from your sister.

Gon. [Aside.] One way I like this well; But being widow, and my Gloster with her, May all the building in my fancy pluck Upon my hateful life. Another way,

The news is not so tarts. [To him.] I'll read, and

answer.

[Exit. Alb. Where was his son, when they did take his

eyes?

Mess. Come with my lady hither.

Alb.

He is not here.

Mess. No, my good lord; I met him back again.
Alb. Knows he the wickedness?

Mess. Ay, my good lord; 'twas he inform'd against

him,

And quit the house, on purpose that their punishment Might have the freer course.

Alb.

Gloster, I live

To thank thee for the love thou show'dst the king,
And to revenge thine eyes.-Come hither, friend:
Tell me what more thou knowest.

May all the building IN my fancy pluck

Upon my hateful life.] So the folio; but the quartos read,

"May all the building on my fancy pluck

Upon my hateful life."

[Exeunt.

The text of the folio is evidently to be preferred; but, probably, on in the quartos is to be understood of, and then the meaning would be clear. On and of were sometimes used almost indifferently: an instance occurs lower down, where Malone, following the folio, 1664, printed ❝ And quit the house of purpose," instead of “on purpose.”

The news is not so TART.] The quartos have took for "tart." The folio omits to mark the exit of Goneril, after this speech, but it is noted in the quarto impressions.

SCENE III."

The French Camp near Dover.

Enter KENT, and a Gentleman.

Kent. Why the king of France is so suddenly gone back, know you the reason?

Gent. Something he left imperfect in the state, Which since his coming forth is thought of; which Imports to the kingdom so much fear and danger, That his personal return was most requir'd,

And necessary.

Kent. Whom hath he left behind him general? Gent. The Mareschal of France, Monsieur le Fer. Kent. Did your letters pierce the queen to any demonstration of grief?

Gent. Ay, sir'; she took them, read them in my pre

sence;

And now and then an ample tear trill'd down
Her delicate cheek: it seem'd, she was a queen
Over her passion, who, most rebel-like,

Sought to be king o'er her.

8

Kent. O! then it mov'd her. Gent. Not to a rage: patience and sorrow strove Who should express her goodliest. You have seen Sunshine and rain at once: her smiles and tears Were like a better May': those happy smilets,

Scene iii.] This scene is only in the quartos: it is found in all the editions in that form.

7 Ay, sir ;] The quartos read, I say. The change was made by Theobald. 8 patience and sorrow STROVE-] The quartos, for "strove," have streme. Pope made the correction.

a

9 Were like a better MAY:] The quartos read, with evident corruption, better way:" some of the commentators have preferred "a better day," for which " way" could hardly have been misprinted. Warburton, with some plausibility, recommended "a wetter May."

That play'd on her ripe lip, seem'd not to know What guests were in her eyes; which parted thence, As pearls from diamonds dropp'd.-In brief, sorrow Would be a rarity most belov'd, if all

Could so become it.

Kent.

Made she no verbal question?

Gent. 'Faith, once, or twice, she heav'd the name of "father"

Pantingly forth, as if it press'd her heart;

Cried, "Sisters! sisters!-Shame of ladies! sisters! Kent! father! sisters! What? i' the storm? i the night?

Let pity not be believed!"-There she shook
The holy water from her heavenly eyes,

And clamour moisten'd1o: then, away she started
To deal with grief alone.

Kent.

It is the stars,

The stars above us, govern our conditions;

Else one self mate and mate' could not beget

Such different issues. You spoke not with her since? Gent. No.

Kent. Was this before the king return'd?

Gent.

No, since.

Kent. Well, sir, the poor distress'd Lear's 'the

town,

Who sometime, in his better tune, remembers

What we are come about, and by no means

Will yield to see his daughter.

Gent.

Why, good sir?

Kent. A sovereign shame so elbows him; his own unkindness,

That stripp'd her from his benediction, turn'd her

10 And clamour moisten'd:] The compositor, not understanding the construction of the passage, added her after "moisten'd;" but it is an obvious error, running through the quarto impressions.

1 Else one self mate and mate-] i. e. the same husband and wife: the quarto with the address reads make for "mate" in the second instance; the quarto without the address prints it rightly, as in our text.

To foreign casualties, gave her dear rights

To his dog-hearted daughters: these things sting
His mind so venomously, that burning shame
Detains him from Cordelia.

Gent.

Alack, poor gentleman!

Kent. Of Albany's and Cornwall's powers you heard

not?

Gent. "Tis so they are afoot.

Kent. Well, sir, I'll bring you to our master Lear, And leave you to attend him. Some dear cause Will in concealment wrap me up awhile: When I am known aright, you shall not grieve Lending me this acquaintance. I pray you, go Along with me.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

The Same. A Tent.

Enter CORDELIA, Physician, and Soldiers.

Cor. Alack! 'tis he: why, he was met even now
As mad as the vex'd sea: singing aloud;

Crown'd with rank fumiter, and furrow weeds,
With hoar-docks2, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers,
Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow

In our sustaining corn.-A century send forth;
Search every acre in the high-grown field,
And bring him to our eye. [Exit an Officer.] - What
can man's wisdom,

In the restoring his bereaved sense?

He, that helps him, take all my outward worth.

2 With HOAR-DOCKS,] So the quarto without the stationer's address that with the address has it hor-docks, and the folio prints it hardokes; but it is no doubt the same word. The "hoar-dock," as Steevens informs us, is the dock with whitish woolly leaves. Some commentators read harlocks, others burdocks and charlocks; but of course the ancient text is to be preserved, if possible.