Edg. This is the foul fiend Flibbertigibbet. He begins at curfew, and walks till the first c.o.c.k. He gives the web and the pin, squints the eye, and makes the harelip; mildews the white wheat, and hurts the poor creature of earth.
Saint Withold footed thrice the "old; He met the nightmare, and her nine fold; Bid her alight And her troth plight, And aroint thee, witch, aroint thee!
Kent. How fares your Grace?
Lear. What"s he?
Kent. Who"s there? What is"t you seek?
Glou. What are you there? Your names?
Edg. Poor Tom, that eats the swimming frog, the toad, the todpole, the wall-newt and the water; that in the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend rages, eats cow-dung for sallets, swallows the old rat and the ditch-dog, drinks the green mantle of the standing pool; who is whipp"d from t.i.thing to t.i.thing, and stock-punish"d and imprison"d; who hath had three suits to his back, six shirts to his body, horse to ride, and weapons to wear;
But mice and rats, and such small deer, Have been Tom"s food for seven long year.
Beware my follower. Peace, Smulkin! peace, thou fiend!
Glou. What, hath your Grace no better company?
Edg. The prince of darkness is a gentleman!
Modo he"s call"d, and Mahu.
Glou. Our flesh and blood is grown so vile, my lord, That it doth hate what gets it.
Edg. Poor Tom "s acold.
Glou. 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 ventur"d to come seek you out And bring you where both fire and food is ready.
Lear. First let me talk with this philosopher.
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 learned Theban.
What is your study?
Edg. How to prevent the fiend and to kill vermin.
Lear. Let me ask you one word in private.
Kent. Importune him once more to go, my lord.
His wits begin t" unsettle.
Glou. Canst thou blame him?
Storm still.
His daughters seek his death. Ah, that good Kent!
He said it would be thus- poor banish"d man!
Thou say"st the King grows mad: I"ll tell thee, friend, I am almost mad myself. I had a son, Now outlaw"d from my blood. He sought my life But lately, very late. I lov"d him, friend- No father his son dearer. True to tell thee, The grief hath craz"d my wits. What a night "s this!
I do beseech your Grace- Lear. O, cry you mercy, sir.
n.o.ble philosopher, your company.
Edg. Tom"s acold.
Glou. In, fellow, there, into th" hovel; keep thee warm.
Lear. Come, let"s in all.
Kent. This way, my lord.
Lear. With him!
I will keep still with my philosopher.
Kent. Good my lord, soothe him; let him take the fellow.
Glou. Take him you on.
Kent. Sirrah, come on; go along with us.
Lear. Come, good Athenian.
Glou. No words, no words! hush.
Edg. Child Rowland to the dark tower came; His word was still
Fie, foh, and fum!
I smell the blood of a British man.
Exeunt.
Scene V.
Gloucester"s Castle.
Enter Cornwall and Edmund.
Corn. I will have my revenge ere I depart his house.
Edm. How, my lord, I may be censured, that nature thus gives way to loyalty, something fears me to think of.
Corn. I now perceive it was not altogether your brother"s evil disposition made him seek his death; but a provoking merit, set awork by a reproveable badness in himself.
Edm. How malicious is my fortune that I must repent to be just!
This is the letter 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!
Corn. Go with me to the d.u.c.h.ess.
Edm. If the matter of this paper be certain, you have mighty business in hand.
Corn. True or false, it hath made thee Earl of Gloucester.
Seek out where thy father is, that he may be ready for our apprehension.
Edm. [aside] If I find him comforting the King, it will stuff his suspicion more fully.- I will persever in my course of loyalty, though the conflict be sore between that and my blood.
Corn. I will lay trust upon thee, and thou shalt find a dearer father in my love.
Exeunt.
Scene VI.
A farmhouse near Gloucester"s Castle.
Enter Gloucester, Lear, Kent, Fool, and Edgar.
Glou. 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 G.o.ds reward your kindness!
Exit [Gloucester].
Edg. 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 hizzing in upon "em- Edg. The foul fiend bites my back.
Fool. He"s mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a horse"s health, a boy"s love, or a wh.o.r.e"s oath.
Lear. It shall be done; I will arraign them straight.
[To Edgar] Come, sit thou here, most learned justicer.
[To the Fool] Thou, sapient sir, sit here. Now, you she-foxes!
Edg. Look, where he stands and glares! Want"st thou eyes at trial, madam?
Come o"er the bourn, Bessy, to me.
Fool. Her boat hath a leak, And she must not speak Why she dares not come over to thee.
Edg. The foul fiend haunts poor Tom in the voice of a nightingale.