the tadpole, the wall-newt and the water122, that in the fury of
his heart, when the foul fiend rages, eats cow-dung for
salads, swallows the old rat and the ditch-dog124, drinks the
green mantle of the standing pool, who is whipped125 from
tithing126 to tithing, and stocked, punished and imprisoned,
who hath had three suits to his back, six shirts127 to his body:
Horse to ride, and weapon to wear,
But mice and rats and such small deer129
Have been Tom’s food for seven long year.
Beware my follower. Peace, Smulkin131, peace, thou fiend!
GLOUCESTER What, hath your grace no better company?
EDGAR The prince of darkness is a gentleman: Modo he’s133
called, and Mahu.
To Lear
GLOUCESTER Our flesh and blood, my lord, is grown so vile135,
That it doth hate what gets136 it.
EDGAR Poor Tom’s a-cold.
GLOUCESTER Go in with me: my duty cannot suffer
T’obey in all your daughters’ hard commands:
Though their injunction be to bar my doors
And let this tyrannous night take hold upon you,
Yet have I ventured to come seek you out
And bring you where both fire and food is ready.
LEAR First let me talk with this philosopher.—
To Edgar
What is the cause of thunder?
KENT Good my lord, take his offer: go into th’house.
LEAR I’ll talk a word with this same learnèd Theban147.—
To Edgar
What is your study?
EDGAR How to prevent149 the fiend and to kill vermin.
They talk apart
LEAR Let me ask you one word in private.
To Gloucester
KENT Importune151 him once more to go, my lord:
His wits begin t’unsettle152.
GLOUCESTER Canst thou blame him?
Storm still
His daughters seek his death. Ah, that good Kent!
He said it would be thus, poor banished man!
Thou sayest the king grows mad: I’ll tell thee, friend,
I am almost mad myself. I had a son,
Now outlawed from my blood158: he sought my life
But lately, very late. I loved him, friend:
No father his son dearer. True to tell thee,
The grief hath crazed my wits. What a night’s this!—
To Lear
I do beseech your grace—
LEAR O, cry you mercy163, sir.—
To Edgar
Noble philosopher, your company.
EDGAR Tom’s a-cold.
To Edgar
GLOUCESTER In, fellow, there, into th’hoveclass="underline" keep thee warm.
LEAR Come let’s in all.
KENT This way, my lord.
LEAR With him;
I will keep still170 with my philosopher.
To Gloucester
KENT Good my lord, soothe171 him: let him take the fellow.
To Kent
GLOUCESTER Take him you on172.
To Edgar
KENT Sirrah, come on: go along with us.
LEAR Come, good Athenian174.
GLOUCESTER No words, no words: hush.
EDGAR Child Rowland to the dark tower came176,
His word was stilclass="underline" fie, foh and fum,177
I smell the blood of a British man.
Exeunt
Act 3 Scene 5
running scene 9
Enter Cornwall and Edmund
CORNWALL I will have my revenge ere I depart his1 house.
EDMUND How, my lord, I may be censured, that nature2 thus
gives way to loyalty, something fears3 me to think of.
CORNWALL I now perceive it was not altogether your brother’s
evil disposition made him seek his death, but a provoking5
merit set a-work by a reprovable badness in himself.
EDMUND How malicious is my fortune — that I must repent
to be8 just! This is the letter which he spoke of Shows a letter
which approves him an intelligent party9 to the advantages of
France. O heavens! That this treason were not, or not I the
detector!
CORNWALL Go with me to the duchess.
EDMUND If the matter of this paper be certain, you have
mighty business in hand.
CORNWALL True or false, it hath made thee Earl of Gloucester.
Seek out where thy father is, that he may be ready for our
apprehension17.
Aside
EDMUND If I find him comforting the king, it will stuff
his suspicion19 more fully.— I will persevere in my course of
loyalty, though the conflict be sore between that and my
blood.
CORNWALL I will lay trust upon thee, and thou shalt find a dear
father in my love.
Exeunt
Act 3 Scene 6
running scene 10
Enter Kent and Gloucester
GLOUCESTER Here is better than the open air, take it thankfully. I
will piece out2 the comfort with what addition I can: I will not
be long from you.
Exit
KENT All the power of his wits have given way to his
impatience5: the gods reward your kindness!
Enter Lear, Edgar and Fool
Edgar disguised as Poor Tom
EDGAR Frateretto calls me, and tells me Nero is an angler6 in
the lake of darkness7. Pray, innocent, and beware the foul
fiend.
FOOL Prithee, nuncle, tell me whether a madman be a
gentleman or a yeoman10?
LEAR A king, a king!
FOOL No, he’s a yeoman that has a gentleman to12 his son,
for he’s a mad13 yeoman that sees his son a gentleman before
him.
LEAR To have a thousand15 with red burning spits
Come hizzing in upon ’em16—
EDGAR Bless thy five wits!
KENT O pity! Sir, where is the patience now
That you so oft have boasted to retain?
Aside
EDGAR My tears begin to take his part so much
They mar my counterfeiting21.
LEAR The little dogs and all,
Trey, Blanch and Sweetheart23, see, they bark at me.
EDGAR Tom will throw his head at them. Avaunt24, you curs!
Be thy mouth or black or25 white,
Tooth that poisons26 if it bite,
Mastiff, greyhound, mongrel grim27,
Hound or spaniel, brach or him28,
Or bobtail tyke or trundle-tail29,
Tom will make him weep and waiclass="underline"
For, with throwing thus my head,
Dogs leapt the hatch32, and all are fled.
Do de, de, de. Sessa! Come, march to wakes33 and fairs and
market towns. Poor Tom, thy horn34 is dry.
LEAR Then let them anatomize35 Regan: see what breeds
about her heart. Is there any cause in nature that make
To Edgar
these hard hearts?— You, sir, I entertain37 for one of
my hundred; only I do not like the fashion of your garments:
you will say they are Persian39; but let them be changed.
Enter Gloucester
At a distance
KENT Now, good my lord, lie here and rest awhile.