Lear. 'Tis ftrange, that they fhould fo depart from home,

b

And not fend back my meffenger.

Gent. As I learn'd

The night before there was no purpose in them

Of this remove.

Kent. Hail to thee, noble master !

Lear. How? mak'st thou f this fhame thy paftime?

& Kent. No, my lord.

Fool. Ha, ha! look! he wears cruel garters. Horses are ty'd by the heads, dogs and bears by the neck, monkeys by th' loins

This defeription of the feene is first inferted by P. 7. fays, it is not very clearly difcovered why Lear comes hither. In the foregoing part he fent letters to Glafer, but no hint is given of their contents. He feems to have gone to vifit Clyder, while Cornwall and Fegan might prepare to entertain him. J. Poffibly Glofter's caftle might be in the way to Regar's; though their name and fituation are forgot to be mentioned. See Act i. Sc. xvii.

a The qu's read hence for home.
b The 1st and 2d fo's read meffengers.
The qu's omit in them.

The qu's read his for this.

So the qu's; the rest ha for bow.

f so the qu's, fo`s, and R.; P. and H. omit this; T. W. and J. read thy for this.

This fpeech is not in the qu's.

So the qu's; all the reft omit look; and qu's read crewel garters; fo 3d and 4th fo's, and R.'s 8vo.

The qu's read heels for heads: horfes are tied by the heels when they are fuftened to feed in a corn-field; Lut ends feems preferable. The fool makes

th' loins, and men by th' legs. When a man's over-lufty at legs, then he wears wooden nether k stocks.

Lear. What's he, that hath fo much thy place miftook,

To fet thee here?

Kent. It is both he and fhe,

Your fon and daughter.

Lear. No.

Kent. Yes.

Lear. No, I fay.

Kent. I fay, yea.

Lear. No, no, they would not.

Kent, Yes, they have.

Lear. By Jupiter, I fwear, no.

Kent. By Juno, I fwear, ay.

Lear. They durft not do't:

They would not, could not do't; 'tis worse than murder,

To do upon refpect fuch violent outrage.

Refolve me with all modeft hafte, which way

Thou might'st deserve, or they 9 impose this usage,
Coming from us?

Kent. My lord, when at their home

I did commend your highnefs' letters to them,

'Ere I was rifen from the place, that shew'd

makes a progreffion downwards, from the head to the neck, the neck to the doins, and the loins to the legs.

Heath is of opinion we should read focks.

H. reads but If, yea.

m Thefe two speeches in italic are omitted by all but qu's.

This fpeech is omitted in the qu's.

So the qu's; all the reft could not, would not.

The qu's read may'ft for might'ft.

4 The qu's read purpofe for impofe.

My

My duty kneeling, there came a reeking post,
Stew'd in his hafte, half-breathlefs, panting forth,
From Gonerill his miftrefs, falutations;

Deliver❜d letters fpight of intermiffion,

u

t

Which presently they read; on whose contents
They fummon'd up their " men, ftrait took horse,
Commanded me to follow, and attend

The leifure of their answer; gave me cold looks;
I, meeting here the other messenger,
Whofe welcome, I perceiv'd, had poifon'd mine,
(Being the very fellow, which of late
Difplay'd fo fawcily against your highness)
Having more man than wit about me, y drew;
He rais'd the houfe with loud and coward cries.
Your fon and daughter found this trefpafs worth
The fhame which here it fuffers.

z Fool. Winter's not gone yet, if the wild geefe Ay that way, Fathers that wear rags

Do make their children blind

But fathers that bear bags

Shall fee their children kind.

So all before P.; he and all after omit there.

So the qu's and 1ft f.; all the rest salutation.

So the qu's, T. W. and J.; the reft thofe for whofe.

u So the qu's; the rest meiney, which P. interprets people.

w All the editions read and for I; which cannot be right, as it makes Cornwall and Regan meet the meffenger; but Kent's intention is to tell Lear that he met the messenger.

The qu's read that for which.

y Before drew R. inserts I, (followed by the rest) which is necessary, but more proper above. See Note W.

z This fpeech of the fool is omitted in the qu's.

Fortune,

Fortune, that arrant whore,

Ne'er turns the key to the poor.

a

But for all this thou fhalt have as many dolours b from thy

dear daughters, as thou canft tell in a year.

Lear. Oh, how this mother fwells up to my heart!

Hyfterica paffio, down, thou climbing forrow,

Thy element's below. Where is this daughter?

Kent. With the earl,

fir, d here within.

e

Lear. Follow me not; stay here.

[Exit.

Gent. Made you no more offence but what you speak of? Kent. None.

How chance the king comes with so small a

h train?

Foot. i An thou hadft been fet i'th' ftocks for that question, thou'dft well k deserved it.

Kent. Why, fool?

Fool. We'll fet thee to school to an ant, to teach thee there's no labouring i'th' winter. All that follow their nofes are led by their eyes, but blind men; and there's not a nose among m twenty, but can smell him that's ftinking. Let go thy hold, when a great wheel runs down a hill, left it break

A quibble intended between dolours and dollars. H.

All before T. read for for from,

The ft f. and J. omit dear
The qu's omit bere.

The qu's read there for here.

f The qu's read than for but. The qu's read no for none.

So the qu's; the reft number for train.

A The ad q. reads if for an.

* P. reads deferve: so that by thou'dft he means thou wouldst not thou hadft. 17. pretends to read All men are led by their eyes, but blind men, and they follow their noses, and there's not a nofe, &c. But pray, Dr. J. don't all men follow their nofes, as well as blind men?

The qu's read a hundred for twenty.

thy

thy neck with following it; but the great one that goes up the hill, let him draw thee after. When a wife man gives better counsel, give me mine again; I would have none but knaves follow it, fince a fool gives it.

t

That, fir, P which ferves 4 and feeks for gain,

And follows but for form,

Will pack when it begins to rain,

And leave thee in r the ftorm.

But I will tarry, the fool will ftay
And let the wife man fly;

The knave turns fool, that runs away;

The fool no knave, perdy.

Kent. Where learn'd you this, fool?

Fool. Not i'th' ftocks, u fool.

SCEN E X.

Enter Lear and Glo'fter.

Lear. Deny to fpeak with me? they're fick? they're weary? w They have travell'd all the night? Meere fetches;

n The fo's, R. P. and H. omit it.

• So the qu's; all the rest upward for up the hill.

P The qu's read that for which.

q The qu's, P. T. H. W. and J. omit and feeks.

The 4th f. R. P. and H. read a for the.

The qu's, the 1ft and 2d fo's, T. W. and J. read but; the rest and, 7. propofes reading,

The fool turns knave, that runs away;

The knave no fool

The qu's omit focl.

The qu's read they traveld hard to-night, mearė justice, Ithe images, &c.

The