Corn. What was th' offence you gave him? It pleas'd the King his mafter very lately Kent. None of thefe rogues and cowards, Corn. Fetch forth the Stocks. You ftubborn ancient knave, you rev'rend braggart, Kent. Sir, I am too old to learn : Call not your Stocks for me, I ferve the King;- Corn. Fetch forth the Stocks; As I have life and honour, there fhall he fit till noon. Reg. 'Till noon! till night, my lord, and all night too. Kent. Why, Madam, if I were your father's dog, You could not ufe me fo. Reg. Sir, being his knave, I will: [Stocks brought out. Corn. This is a fellow of the felf fame nature Our fifter fpeaks. of. Come, bring away the Stocks. Corn. I'll answer that. Reg. My Sifter may receive it much more worse, To To have her Gentleman abus'd, affaulted, [Kent is put in the Stocks. Come, my lord, away. [Exeunt Regan and Cornwall. Glo I'm forry for thee, friend; 'tis the Duke's pleafure, Whofe difpofition, all the world well knows, Will not be rubb'd nor ftop'd. I'll intreat for thee. Some time I fhall fleep out, the reft I'll whiftle: Glo. The Duke's to blame in this, 'twill be ill taken. [Exit. Kent. Good King, that muft approve the common Saw, Thou out of heaven's benediction com'st To the warm fun! Approach, thou beacon to this under-globe, [Looking up to the moons. That by thy comfortable beams I may Perufe this letter. Nothing almoft fees miracles, This fhameful lodging. Fortune, good night; fmile once more, turn thy wheel. [He fleeps. SCENE changes to a part of a Heath. Enter Edgar.. T'VE heard my felf proclaim'd; Edg. I And, by the happy hollow of a tree, Efcap'd the hunt. No port is free, no place, Does not attend my taking. Whiles I may 'fcape, I will I will preserve my felf: and am bethought Brought near to beaft: my face I'll grime with filth; SCENE changes, again, to the Earl of Lear. Enter Lear, Fool, and Gentleman. IS ftrange, that they should so depart from home, 'TIS And not send back my messenger. Gent. As I learn'd, The night before, there was no purpose in them Kent. Hail to thee, noble master ! Lear. Ha! mak'ft thou thy fhame thy paftime? Fool. Ha, ha, he wears cruel garters; horses are ty'd by the heads, dogs and bears by th' neck, monkeys by th' loins, and men by th' legs; when a man is overlufty at legs, then he wears wooden nether stocks. Lear. What's he, that hath so much thy Place mistook, To fet thee here? Kent. It is both he and she, Your fon and daughter. Lear. No. Kent Kent. Yes. Lear. No, I fay. Kent. I fay, yea. Lear. By Jupiter, I fwear, no. Kent. By Juno, I fwear, ay. Lear. They durft not do't. They could not, would not do't; 'tis worse than murther, To do upon refpect fuch violent outrage: Refolve me with all modeft hafte, which way Thou might'st deserve, or they impofe this ufage, Kent. My lord, when at their home I did commend your Highness' letters to them, The leisure of their answer; gave me cold looks; Fool. Winter's not gone yet, if the wild geefe fly that way. Fathers, that wear rags, Do make their children blind; Fortune, that arrant whore, Ne'er turns the key to th' poor. But, for all this, thou fhalt have as many dolours from Thy dear daughters, as thou canst tell in a year. Lear. Lear. Oh, how this mother fwells up tow'rd my heart! Kent. With the Earl, Sir, here within. Gen. Made you no more offence, But what you speak of? Kent. None. [Exit How chance the King comes with fo fmall a number? Fool. An thou hadst been fet i' th' ftocks for that queftion, thou'dft well deferved it. Kent. Why, fool? Fool. We'll fet thee to fchool to an Ant, to teach thee there's no lab'ring i' th' winter. All, that follow their nofes are led by their eyes, but blind men; and there's not a nofe among twenty, but can smell him that's finking- -let go thy hold, when a great wheel runs down a hill, left it break thy neck with following it; but the great one that goes upward, let him draw thee after. When a wife man gives thee better counfel, give me mine again; I would have none but knaves follow it, fince a fool gives it. That Sir, which ferves for gain, Will pack, when it begins to rain, 'The knave turns fool, that runs away; The fool no knave, perdy. Kent. Where learn'd you this, fool? Fool. Not i' th' Stocks, fool. Enter Lear and Glo'fter. Lear. Deny to speak with me? they're fick, they're weary, They have travell'd all the night? mere fetches, The images of revolt and flying off, Bring me a better answer Gl. My dear lord,. You |