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Gloft. To Douer.

Reg. Wherefore to Douer? waft thou not charg'd at perill

Corn. Wherefore to Douer? let him firft answer that.

Gloft. I am tide tot'h stake, and I must stand the course.
Reg. Wherefore to Douer fir?

Gloft. Because I would not fee thy cruell nayles
Plucke out his poore olde eyes, nor thy fierce fifter
In his aurynted flesh rash borish phangs,

The fea with fuch a ftorme of his lou'd head
In hell blacke night endur'd, would haue laid vp
And quencht the fteeled fires, yet poore old heart,
He holpt the heauens to rage,

If wolues had at thy gate heard that dearne time,
Thou fhouldft haue faid, good porter turn the key,
All cruels elfe fubfcrib'd, but I fhall fee

The winged vengeance ouertake fuch children.

Corn. See't fhalt thou neuer, fellowes hold the chaire,

Vpon thofe eies of thine, Ile fet my foote.

Gloft. He that will thinke to liue till he be old

Giue me fome helpe, ô cruell, ô ye gods!

Reg. One fide will mocke another, tother to.
Corn. If you fee vengeance-

Seruant. Hold your hand my lord,

I haue feru'd you euer fince I was a childe,

(hold.

But better feruice haue I neuer done you, then now to bid you

Reg. How now you dog.

Ser. If you did weare a beard vpon your chin, ide shake it on this quarrell, what do you meane ?

Corn. My villaine.

Draw and fight.

Ser. Why then come on, and take the chance of anger. Reg. Giue me thy fword, a pesant stand vp thus.

She takes a fword, and runs at him behinde.

Seruant.

Seruant. Oh I am flaine my

lord, yet haue you one eye

left

He dies.

to fee fome mifchiefe on him, oh!

Corn. Leaft it fee more, preuent it, out vilde ielly,

Where is thy lufter now?

Gloft. All darke and comfortles, wheres my fonne Edmund? Edmund vnbridle all the fparkes of nature, to quit this horrid

acte.

Reg. Out villaine, thou calft on him that hates thee, it was hee that made the ouerture of thy treasons to vs, who is too good to pitty thee.

Gloft. O my follies, then Edgar was abused,

Kinde gods forgiue me that, and prosper him.

Reg. Goe thrust him out at gates, and let him smell his way to Douer, how ist my lord? how looke you?

Corn. I haue receiued a hurt, follow me lady,
Turne out that eyeleffe villaine, throw this flaue vpon
The dunghill, Regan I bleed apace, vntimely
Comes this hurt, giue me your arme,

Seruant. Ile neuer care what wickednesse I do,

If this man come to good.

Exit.

2 Seruant. If she liue long, and in the end meet the old

course of death, women will all turne monsters.

1 Ser. Let's follow the old earle, and get the bedlam To lead him where he would, his rogish madnesse Allowes it felfe to any thing.

2 Ser. Goe thou, ile fetch fome flaxe and whites of to apply to his bleeding face, now heauen helpe him.

Enter Edgar.

Edg. Yet better thus, and knowne to be contemn'd,
Then still contemn'd and flattered to be worst,
The lowest and most deiected thing of fortune
Stands ftill in experience, liues not in feare,
L 4

egges

Exit.

The

The lamentable change is from the best,

The worst returnes to laughter,

Who's here, my father poorely led, world, world, ô world! But that thy ftrange mutations make vs hate thee,

Life would not yeeld to age.

Enter Glofter led by an olde man.

Old man. O my good lord, I haue bene your tenant, and your fathers tenant this fourefcore

Gloft. Away, get thee away, good friend be gone, Thy comforts can do me no good at all,

Thee they may hurt.

Old man. Alacke fir, you cannot see your way.

Gloft. I haue no way, and therefore want no eies,

I ftumbled when I faw, full oft tis feene

Our meanes fecure vs, and our meere defects
Prooue our commodities; ah deare fonne Edgar,
The food of thy abufed fathers wrath,
Might I but liue to fee thee in my tuch,
Ide fay I had eyes againe.

Old man. How now, who's there?

Edg. O gods, who ift can fay I am at the worst, I am worfe then ere I was.

Old man. Tis poore mad Tom.

Edg. And worse I may be yet, the worst is not, As long as we can fay, this is the worst.

Old man. Fellow where goeft?

Gloft. Is it a begger man?

Old man. Mad man and begger too.

Gloft. He has fome reason, else he could not beg,
In the last nights ftorme I fuch a fellow faw,
Which made me thinke a man a worme, my fonne
Came then into my minde, and yet my minde

Was

Was then scarfe friends with him, I haue heard more fince, As flyes are to'th wanton boyes, are we to'th gods,

They bit vs for their sport.

Edg. How fhould this be? bad is the trade that must play the foole to forrow, angring it felfe and others; blesse thee master.

Gloft. Is that the naked fellow ?

Old man. I my lord.

Gloft. Then prethee get thee gone, if for my fake

Thou wilt ore-take vs here a mile or twaine

Ith' way to Douer, do it for ancient loue,

And bring some couering for this naked foule,
Who ile entreate to lead me.

Old man. Alacke fir he is mad.

Gloft. Tis the times plague, when madmen leade the blinde, Do as I bid thee, or rather do thy pleasure,

Aboue the reft, be gone.

Old man. Ile bring him the best parrell that I haue, Come on't what will.

Glo. Sirra, naked fellow.

Edg. Poore Toms a colde, I cannot dance it farther.
Glo. Come hither fellow.

Edg. Bleffe thy fweete eyes, they bleed.

Glo. Knowft thou the way to Douer ?

Edg. Both stile and gate, horfe-way, and foot-path,
Poore Tom hath beene fcard out of his good wits,
Bleffe the good man from the foule fiend,

Fiue fiends haue beene in poore Tom at once,

Of luft, as Obidicut, Hobbididence prince of dumbneffe, Mahu of stealing, Modo of murder, Stiberdigebit of mobing, And Mohing who fince poffeffes chambermaids

And waiting women, fo, bleffe thee master.

Gle.

Glo. Here take this purfe, thou whom the heauens plagues Haue humbled to all ftrokes, that I am wretched, makes thee The happier, heauens deale fo ftill,

Let the fuperfluous and luft-dieted man

That ftands your ordinance, that will not fee
Because he doth not feele, feele your power quickly,

So diftribution fhould vnder exceffe,

And each man haue enough: doft thou know Douer?
Edg. I mafter.

Glo. There is a cliffe, whose high and bending head
Lookes firmely in the confined deepe,

Bring me but to the very brim of it,

And ile repaire the mifery thou doft beare,

With fomething rich about me,

From that place fhall I no leading need.

Edg. Giue me thy arme, poore Tom fhall lead thee.

Enter Gonorill and Baftard.

Gon. Welcome my lord, I maruaile our milde husband Not met vs on the way: now, where's your master ?

Enter Steward.

Stew. Madame within, but neuer man fo chang'd; I tolde him of the army that was landed, he fmiled at it, I told him you were coming, his anfwer was, the worfe; of Glofters treachery, and of the loyall feruice of his fonne, when I enformd him, then he cald me fot, and told me I had turnd the wrong fide out, what hee should moft defire, feemes pleafant to him, what like offenfiue.

Gon. Then fhall you go no further.

It is the cowish curre of his fpirit

That dares not vndertake, heel not feele wrongs

Which tye him to an anfwer, our wishes on the way

May

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