SCENE VII.

Glo. I'm forry for thee, friend, 'Tis the Duke's pleasure,

Whose difpofition, all the world well knows,

Will not be rubb'd nor ftopp'd. (6) I'll intreat forthee. Kent. Pray do not, Sir. I've watch'd and travell'd hard;

Sometime I fhall fleep out, the reft I'll whistle.
A good man's fortune may grow out at heels.
Give you good morrow.

Glo. The Duke's to blame in this, 'twill be ill taken

[Exit. Kent. Good King, that must approve the common

Saw, (7)

That out of heav'n's benediction com'ft

To the warm fun!

Approach, thou beacon to this under-globe,

[Looking up to the moon.

That by thy comfortable beams I may

L.

Perufe this letter. Nothing almoft fees miracles,
But mifery. I know, 'tis from Cordelia, (8)

[Reading the letter.

Who

(6) Will not be rubb'd nor stopp'd.] Metaphor from bowling.

WARBURTON.

(7) Good King, that must approve the common Saw,] That art now to exemplify the common proverb,

That out of, &c.

That changest better for worfe. Hanmer obferves, that it is a proverbial faying, applied to those who are turned out of house and home to the open weather. It was perhaps firft used of men difmiffed from an hofpital, or houfe of charity, fuch as was erected formerly in many places for travellers. Thofe houfes had names properly enough alluded to by Heaven's Benedic

tion.

(8) I know, 'tis from Cordelia, &c.] This paffage, which fome of the editors have degraded, as fpurious, to the margin, and others have filently altered, I have faithfully printed according: to the quarto, from which the folio differs only in punctuation.. The paffage is very obfcure, if not corrupt. Perhaps it may be read thus:

03

-Cordelia

Who hath moft fortunately been inform'd
Of my obfcured course, and shall find time
From this enormous ftate feeking to give
Loffes their remedies. All weary and o'er-watch'd,
Take 'vantage, heavy eyes, not to behold

This fhameful lodging.

Fortune, good night; fmile once more; turn thy wheel.

SCENE VIII.

Changes to part of a Heath.
Enter Edgar.

[He fleeps.

Edg. I've heard myself proclaim'd;
And, by the happy hollow of a tree,
Efcap'd the hunt. No port is free, no place,
That guard and most unusual vigilance
Does not attend my taking. While I may 'scape,
I will preferve myfelf, and am bethought
To take the bafeft and the poorest shape,
That ever Penury in contempt of man

Brought near to beaft. My face I'll grime with filth;
Blanket my loins ; elfe all my hair in knots ;
And with prefented nakednefs out-face
The winds, and perfecutions of the sky.
The country gives me proof and precedent
Of bedlam beggars, who, with foaring voices,
Strike in their numb'd and mortify'd bare arms
Pins, wooden pricks, nails, fprigs of rosemary,
And with this horrible object, from low farms,

Cordelia has been-informed

Of my obfcured course, and shall find time
From this enormous ftate-feeking, to give

Loffes their remedies.

Cordelia is informed of our affairs, and when the enormous care of feeking her fortune will allow her time, he will employ it in remedying loffes. This is harfh; perhaps fomething better may be found. I have at leaft fupplied the genuine reading of the old copies. Enormous is unwonted, out of rule, out of the ordinary courfe of things.

Poor

Poor pelting villages, (9) fheep cots and mills, Sometimes with lunatick bans, fometimes with pray'rs, Inforce their charity. Poor Turlygood! poor Tom! (1) That's fomething yet. Edgar I nothing am. (2)

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

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 mafter!

Lear. Ha! mak'ft thou thy fhame thy paftime?
Kent. No, my Lord.

(9) Poor pelting villages, Pelting is ufed by Shakespeare in the fenfe of beggarly I fuppofe from pelt a fkin, the poor being generally clothed in leather.

WARBURTON.

Pelting is, I believe, only an accidental deprivation of petty. Shakespeare ufes it in the Midfummer Night's dream of Small brooks.

(1) -poor TURLY GOOD! pour Tom !] We fhould read TURLUPIN. In the fourteenth century there was a new fpecies of gypfies, called Turlupins, a fraternity of naked beggars, which ran up and down Europe. However, the Church of Rome hath dignified them with the name of Hereticks, and actually burned fome of them at Paris. But what fort of Religionifts they were, appears from Genebrard's account of them. Turlupin Cynicorum fectam fufcitantes, de nuditate pudendorum, & publico coitu. Plainly, no more than a band of Tom-o' Bedlams.

WARBURTON.

Hanmer reads, poor Turlurù. It is probable the word Turlygood was the common corrupt pronunciation.

(2) -Edgar I nothing am.] As Edgar I am out-lawed, dead in law; I have no longer any political exiftence.

*Earl of Glo'fter's Castle.] It is not very clearly discovered why Lear comes hither. In the foregoing part he fent a letter to Glofter, but no hint is given of its contents. He feems to have gone to vifit Glofter while Cornwall and Regan might prepare to entertain him.

Fool. Ha, ha, he wears cruel garters. (3)

Horfes are ty'd by the heads, dogs and bears by the neck, monkeys by th' loins, and men by th' legs. When a man is over-lufty at legs, then he wears wooden nether stocks.

Lear. What's he, that hath so 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. By Jupiter, I fwear, no.

Kent. By Juno, I swear, ay.

Lear. They durst not do't.

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

To do upon refpect fuch violent outrage. (4)
Refolve me with all modest hafte, which way
Thou might'st deserve, or they impose this ufage,
Coming from us?

Kent. My Lord, when at their home,

I did commend your Highness' letters to them,
Ere I was rifen from the place, that shew'd
My duty kneeling, came a reeking Post,
Stew'd in his hafte, half breathles, panting forth
From Gonerill his mistress, falutation,
Deliver'd letters fpight of intermiffion, (5)

(3) He wears cruel garters.] I believe a quibble was here intended. Crewel fignifies worfied, of which ftockings, garters, night caps, &c. are made, and is used in that fenfe in Beaumont and Fletcher's Scornful Lady, act ii.

"For who that had but half his wits about him,

Would commit the counfel of a ferious fin

"To such a crewel night-cap."

Mr. STEEPHENS.

(4) To do upon refpect such violent outrage.] To violate the pubfick and venerable character of a meffenger from the King.

(5) Deliver'd letters spight of intermiffion,] Intermiffion for another meffage which they had then before them, to confider of; called intermiffion, because it came between their leisure and the Steward's meilage.

WARBURTON.

Which prefently they read; on whose contents
They fummon'd up their meiny, (6) ftrait took horfe
Commanded me to follow, and attend

The leifure of their anfwer; gave me cold looks;
And meeting here the other meffenger,
Whose welcome, I perceiv'd, had poifon'd mine,
Being the very fellow, which of late

Difplay'd fo faucily againft your Highness,
Having more man than wit about me, I drew ;
He rais'd the house with loud and coward cries.
Your fon and daughter found this trefpafs worth
The shame which here it fuffers.

Fool. Winter's not gone yet,
that way.

Fathers, that wear rags,
Do make their children blind;
But fathers that wear bags,
Shall fee their children kind.
Fortune, that arrant whore,
Ne'er turns the key to th' poor.

*if the wild geese fly

But, for all this, thou fhalt have as many dolours (7) from thy dear daughters, as thou canft tell in a year. Lear. Oh, how this mother fwells up tow'rd my heart!

Hyfterica paffio. Down, thou climbing forrow,
Thy element's below. Where is this daughter?
Kent. With the Earl, Sir, here within.
Lear. Follow me not; stay here.

[Exit.

Gent. Made you no more offence, but what you fpeak of?

Kent. None.

How chance the King comes with fo fmall a number? Fool An thou hadft been fet i' th' ftocks for that question, thou'dft well deferved it.

Kent. Why, Fool?

Fool. We'll fet thee to fchool to an Ant, to teach

(6) They fummon'd up their meiny,-] Meiny, i. e. people.

POPE.

Winter's not gone yet, &c.] If this be their behaviour, the

King's troubles are not yet at an end.

(7) dolours] Quibble intended between dolours and dollars.

HANMER.