Sirrah, come on. Go along with us.

LEAR (to Edgar)

Come, good Athenian.

GLOUCESTER

No words, no words. Hush.

EDGAR

Child Roland to the dark tower came,

His word was still ‘Fie, fo, and fum;

I smell the blood of a British man.’

Exeunt

3.5 Enter the Duke of Cornwall and Edmond

CORNWALL I will have my revenge ere I depart his house.

EDMOND How, my lord, I may be censured, that nature thus gives way to loyalty, something fears me to think of.

CORNWALL I now perceive it was not altogether your brother’s evil disposition made him seek his death, but a provoking merit set a-work by a reprovable badness in himself. 8

EDMOND How malicious is my fortune, that I must repent to be just! This is the letter which he spoke of, which approves him an intelligent party to the advantages of France. O heavens, that this treason were not, or not I the detector!

CORNWALL Go with me to the Duchess.

EDMOND 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 apprehension.

EDMOND ⌈aside⌉ If I find him comforting the King, it will stuff his suspicion more fully. (To Cornwall) I will persever 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 dearer father in my love. Exeunt

3.6 Enter the Earl of Kent disguised, and the Duke of Gloucester

GLOUCESTER Here is better than the open air; take it thankfully. I will piece out the comfort with what addition I can. I will not be long from you.

KENT All the power of his wits have given way to his impatience; the gods reward your kindness!

Exit Gloucester

Enter King Lear, Edgar as a Bedlam beggar, and Lear’s Fool

EDGAR Frateretto calls me, and tells me Nero is an angler in the lake of darkness. Pray, innocent, and beware the foul fiend.

FOOL Prithee, nuncle, tell me whether a madman be a gentleman or a yeoman.

LEAR A king, a king!

FOOL No, he’s a yeoman that has a gentleman to his son; for he’s a mad yeoman that sees his son a gentleman before him.

LEAR

To have a thousand with red burning spits

Come hissing in upon ’em!

EDGAR Bless thy five wits.

KENT (to Lear)

O, pity! Sir, where is the patience now

That you so oft have boasted to retain?

EDGAR (aside)

My tears begin to take his part so much

They mar my counterfeiting.

LEAR The little dogs and all,

Tray, Blanch, and Sweetheart—see, they bark at me.

EDGAR Tom will throw his head at them.—Avaunt, you curs!

Be thy mouth or black or white,

Tooth that poisons if it bite,

Mastiff, greyhound, mongrel grim,

Hound or spaniel, brach or him,

Bobtail tyke or trundle-tail,

Tom will make him weep and wail;

For with throwing thus my head,

Dogs leapt the hatch, and all are fled.

Do, de, de, de. Sese! Come, march to wakes and fairs

And market towns. Poor Tom, thy horn is dry.

LEAR Then let them anatomize Regan; see what breeds about her heart. Is there any cause in nature that makes these hard-hearts? (To Edgar) You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred, only I do not like the fashion of your garments. You will say they are Persian; but let them be changed.

KENT

Now, good my lord, lie here and rest a while.

LEAR Make no noise, make no noise. Draw the curtains.

So, so. We’ll go to supper i’th’ morning.

⌈He steps⌉

FOOL And I’ll go to bed at noon.

Enter the Duke of Gloucester

GLOUCESTER (to Kent)

Come hither, friend. Where is the King my master?

KENT

Here, sir, but trouble him not; his wits are gone.

GLOUCESTER

Good friend, I prithee take him in thy arms.

I have o’erheard a plot of death upon him.

There is a litter ready. Lay him in’t

And drive toward Dover, friend, where thou shalt meet

Both welcome and protection. Take up thy master.

If thou shouldst dally half an hour, his life,

With thine and all that offer to defend him,

Stand in assured loss. Take up, take up,

And follow me, that will to some provision

Give thee quick conduct. Come, come away.

Exeunt, ⌈Kent carrying Lear in his arms⌉

3.7 Enter the Duke of Cornwall, Regan, Goneril, Edmond the bastard, and Servants

CORNWALL (to Goneril)

Post speedily to my lord your husband.

Show him this letter. The army of France is landed.

(To Servants) Seek out the traitor Gloucester.

Exeunt some

REGAN Hang him instantly.

GONERIL

Pluck out his eyes.

CORNWALL

Leave him to my displeasure.

Edmond, keep you our sister company.

The revenges we are bound to take upon your traitorous

father are not fit for your beholding. Advise the Duke

where you are going, to a most festinate preparation;

we are bound to the like. Our posts shall be swift and

intelligent betwixt us. (To Goneril) Farewell, dear sister.

(To Edmond) Farewell, my lord of Gloucester.

Enter Oswald the steward

How now, where’s the King?

OSWALD

My lord of Gloucester hath conveyed him hence.

Some five- or six-and-thirty of his knights,

Hot questrists after him, met him at gate,

Who, with some other of the lord’s dependants,

Are gone with him toward Dover, where they boast

To have well-armèd friends.

CORNWALL Get horses for your mistress.

Exit Oswald

GONERIL Farewell, sweet lord, and sister.

CORNWALL

Edmond, farewell.

Exeunt Goneril and Edmond

(To Servants) Go seek the traitor Gloucester.

Pinion him like a thief; bring him before us.

Exeunt other Servants

Though well we may not pass upon his life

Without the form of justice, yet our power

Shall do a curtsy to our wrath, which men

May blame but not control.

Enter the Duke of Gloucester and Servants

Who’s there—the traitor?

REGAN

Ingrateful fox, ’tis he.

CORNWALL (to Servants) Bind fast his corky arms.

GLOUCESTER