1778Kent. Here is the place my Lord, good my Lord enter,

1779The tirrany of the open night's too rough

1780For Nature to endure. Storme still

1781Lear. Let me alone.

1782Kent. Good my Lord enter heere.

1783Lear. Wilt breake my heart?

1784Kent. I had rather breake mine owne,

1785Good my Lord enter.

1786Lear. Thou think'st 'tis much that this contentious (storme

1787Inuades vs to the skinso: 'tis to thee,

1788But where the greater malady is fixt,

1789The lesser is scarce felt. Thou'dst shun a Beare,

1790But if they flight lay toward the roaring Sea,

1791Thou'dst meete the Beare i'th'mouth, when the mind's free,

1792The bodies delicate: the tempest in my mind,

1793Doth from my sences take all feeling else,

1794Saue what beates there, Filliall ingratitude,

1795Is it not as this mouth should teare this hand

1796For lifting food too't? But I will punish home;

1797No, I will weepe no more; in such a night,

1798To shut me out? Poure on, I will endure:

1799In such a night as this? O Regan, Gonerill,

1800Your old kind Father, whose franke heart gaue all,

1801O that way madnesse lies, let me shun that:

1802No more of that.

1803Kent. Good my Lord enter here.

1804Lear. Prythee go in thy selfe, seeke thine owne ease,

1805This tempest will not giue me leaue to ponder

1806On things would hurt me more, but Ile goe in,

1807In Boy, go first. You houselesse pouertie, Exit.

1808Nay get thee in; Ile pray, and then Ile sleepe.

1809Poore naked wretches, where so ere you are

1810That bide the pelting of this pittilesse storme,

1811How shall your House-lesse heads, and vnfed sides,

1812Your lop'd, and window'd raggednesse defend you

1813From seasons such as these? O I haue tane

1814Too little care of this: Take Physicke, Pompe,

1815Expose thy selfe to feele what wretches feele,

1816That thou maist shake the superflux to them,

1817And shew the Heauens more iust.

1819Edg. Fathom, and halfe, Fathom and halfe; poore Tom.

1820Foole. Come not in heere Nuncle, here's a spirit, helpe

1821me, helpe me.

1822Kent. Giue me thy hand, who's there?

1823Foole. A spirite, a spirite, he sayes his name's poore

1824Tom.

1825Kent. What art thou that dost grumble there i'th'

1826straw? Come forth.

1827Edg. Away, the foule Fiend followes me, through the

1828sharpe Hauthorne blow the windes. Humh, goe to thy

1829bed and warme thee.

1830Lear. Did'st thou giue all to thy Daughters? And art

1831thou come to this?

1832Edgar. Who giues any thing to poore Tom? Whom

1833the foule fiend hath led though Fire, and through Flame,

1834through Sword, and Whirle-Poole, o're Bog, and Quag-

1835mire, that hath laid Kniues vnder his Pillow, and Halters

1836in his Pue, set Rats-bane by his Porredge, made him

1837Proud of heart, to ride on a Bay trotting Horse, ouer foure

1838incht Bridges, to course his owne shadow for a Traitor.

1839Blisse thy fiue Wits, Toms a cold. O do, de, do, de, do de,

1840blisse thee from Whirle-Windes, Starre-blasting, and ta-

1841king, do poore Tom some charitie, whom the foule Fiend

1842vexes. There could I haue him now, and there, and there

1843againe, and there. Storme still.

1844Lear. Ha's his Daughters brought him to this passe?

1845Could'st thou saue nothing? Would'st thou giue 'em all?

1846Foole. Nay, he reseru'd a Blanket, else we had bin all

1847sham'd.

1848Lea. Now all the plagues that in the pendulous ayre

1849Hang fated o're mens faults, light on thy Daughters.

1850Kent. He hath no Daughters Sir.

1851Lear. Death Traitor, nothing could haue subdu'd (Nature

1852To such a lownesse, but his vnkind Daughters.

1853Is it the fashion, that discarded Fathers,

1854Should haue thus little mercy on their flesh:

1855Iudicious punishment, 'twas this flesh begot

1856Those Pelicane Daughters.

1857Edg. Pillicock sat on Pillicock hill, alow: alow, loo, loo.

1858Foole. This cold night will turne vs all to Fooles,and

1859Madmen.

1860Edgar. Take heed o'th'foule Fiend, obey thy Pa-

1861rents, keepe thy words Iustice, sweare not, commit not,

1862with mans sworne Spouse: set not thy Sweet-heart on

1863proud array. Tom's a cold.

1864Lear. What hast thou bin?

1865Edg. A Seruingman? Proud in heart, and minde; that

1866curl'd my haire, wore Gloues in my cap; seru'd the Lust

1867of my Mistris heart, and did the acte of darkenesse with

1868her. Swore as many Oathes, as I spake words, & broke

1869them in the sweet face of Heauen. One, that slept in the

1870contriuing of Lust, and wak'd to doe it. Wine lou'd I

1871deerely, Dice deerely;and in Woman, out-Paramour'd

1872the Turke. False of heart, light of eare, bloody of hand;

1873Hog in sloth, Foxe in stealth, Wolfe in greedinesse, Dog

1874in madnes, Lyon in prey. Let not the creaking of shooes,

1875Nor the rustling of Silkes, betray thy poore heart to wo-

1876man. Keepe thy foote out of Brothels, thy hand out of

1877Plackets, thy pen from Lenders Bookes, and defye the

1878foule Fiend. Still through the Hauthorne blowes the

1879cold winde: Sayes suum, mun, nonny, Dolphin my Boy,

1880Boy Sesey: let him trot by. Storme still.

1881Lear. Thou wert better in a Graue, then to answere

1882with thy vncouer'd body, this extremitie of the Skies. Is

1883man no more then this? Consider him well. Thou ow'st

1884the Worme no Silke; the Beast, no Hide; the Sheepe, no

1885Wooll; the Cat, no perfume. Ha? Here's three on's are

1886sophisticated. Thou art the thing it selfe; vnaccommo-

1887dated man, is no more but such a poore, bare, forked A-

1888nimall as thou art. Off, off you Lendings: Come, vn-

1889button heere.

1891Foole. Prythee Nunckle be contented, 'tis a naughtie

1892night to swimme in. Now a little fire in a wilde Field,

1893were like an old Letchers heart, a small spark, all the rest

1894on's body, cold: Looke, heere comes a walking fire.

1895Edg. This is the foule Flibbertigibbet; hee begins at

1896Curfew, and walkes at first Cocke : Hee giues the Web

1897and the Pin, squints the eye, and makes the Hare-lippe;

1898Mildewes the white Wheate, and hurts the poore Crea-

1899ture of earth.

1904Kent. How fares your Grace?

1905Lear. What's he?

1906Kent. Who's there? What is't you seeke?

1907Glou. What are you there? Your Names?

1908Edg. Poore Tom, that eates the swimming Frog, the

1909Toad, the Tod-pole, the wall-Neut, and the water: that

1910in the furie of his heart, when the foule Fiend rages, eats

1911Cow-dung for Sallets; swallowes the old Rat, and the

1912ditch-Dogge; drinkes the green Mantle of the standing

1913Poole: who is whipt from Tything to Tything, and

1914stockt, punish'd, and imprison'd: who hath three Suites

1915to his backe, sixe shirts to his body:

1919Beware my Follower. Peace Smulkin, peace thou Fiend.

1920Glou. What, hath your Grace no better company?

1921Edg. The Prince of Darkenesse is a Gentleman. Modo

1922he's call'd, and Mahu.

1923Glou. Our flesh and blood, my Lord, is growne so

1924vilde, that it doth hate what gets it.

1925Edg. Poore Tom's a cold.

1926Glou. Go in with me; my duty cannot suffer

1927T'obey in all your daughters hard commands:

1928Though their Iniunction be to barre my doores,

1929And let this Tyrannous night take hold vpon you,

1930Yet haue I ventured to come seeke you out,

1931And bring you where both fire, and food is ready.

1932Lear. First let me talke with this Philosopher,

1933What is the cause of Thunder?

1934Kent. Good my Lord take his offer,

1935Go into th'house.

1936Lear. Ile talke a word with this same lerned Theban:

1937What is your study?

1938Edg. How to preuent the Fiend, and to kill Vermine.

1939Lear. Let me aske you one word in priuate.

1940Kent. Importune him once more to go my Lord,

1941His wits begin t' vnsettle.

1942Glou. Canst thou blame him? Storm still

1943His Daughters seeke his death: Ah, that good Kent,

1944He said it would be thus: poore banish'd man:

1945Thou sayest the King growes mad, Ile tell thee Friend

1946I am almost mad my selfe. I had a Sonne,

1947Now out-law'd from my blood: he sought my life

1948But lately: very late: I lou'd him (Friend)

1949No Father his Sonne deerer: true to tell thee

1950The greefe hath craz'd my wits. What a night's this?

1951I do beseech your grace.

1952Lear. O cry you mercy, Sir:

1953Noble Philosopher, your company.

1954Edg. Tom's a cold.

1955Glou. In fellow there, into th'Houel; keep thee warm.

1956Lear. Come, let's in all.

1957Kent. This way, my Lord.

1958Lear. With him;

1959I will keepe still with my Philosopher.

1960Kent. Good my Lord, sooth him:

1961Let him take the Fellow.

1962Glou. Take him you on.

1963Kent. Sirra, come on: go along with vs.

1964Lear. Come, good Athenian.

1965Glou. No words, no words, hush.

1966Edg. Childe Rowland to the darke Tower came,

1967His word was still, fie, foh, and fumme,

1968I smell the blood of a Brittish man. Exeunt