Humanity must perforce prey on itself,

Like monsters of the deep."

Gon.

Milk-liver'd man!

That bear'st a cheek for blows, a head for wrongs;

Who hast not in thy brows an eye discerning
Thine honour from thy suffering; that not know'st,
Fools do those villains pity, who are punish'd

Ere they have done their mischief. Where's thy drum?
France spreads his banners in our noiseless land;
With plumed helm thy slayer begins threats;
Whilst thou, a moral fool, sit'st still, and cry'st,
Alack! why does he so?

Alb.

See thyself, devil! Proper deformity seems not in the fiend

So horrid, as in woman.

Alb. Thou changed and self-cover'd thing, for shame, Be-monster not thy feature. Were it my fitness

To let these hands obey my blood,

They are apt enough to dislocate and tear

Thy flesh and bones :-Howe'er thou art a fiend,
A woman's shape doth shield thee.

Gon. Marry, your manhood now!

Enter a Messenger.

Alb. What news?

Mess. O, my good lord, the duke of Cornwall's dead: Slain by his servant, going to put out

The other eye of Gloster.

Alb.

Gloster's eyes!

Mess. A servant that he bred, thrill'd with remorse, Oppos'd against the act, bending his sword

To his great master; who, thereat enrag'd,

Y — monsters of the deep.] Fishes are the only animals that prey upon their own species.-JOHNSON.

JOHNSON.

self-cover'd thing,] i. e. That hast disguised nature by wickedness.

feature,] In Shakspeare's time, meant the general cast of countenance, and often beauty.-MALONE.

Flew on him, and amongst them fell'd him dead :
But not without that harmful stroke, which since
Hath pluck'd him after.

Alb.

This shows you are above,
You justicers, that these our nether crimes

So speedily can venge!-But, O, poor Gloster!
Lost he is other eye!

Mess.

Both, both, my lord.This letter, madam, craves a speedy answer; "Tis from your sister.

Gon. [Aside.] One way I like this well;c But being widow, and my Gloster with her, May all the building in my fancy pluck Upon my hateful life: Another way,

The news is not so tart.-I'll read, and answer.

[Exit.

Alb. Where was his son, when they did take his eyes? Mess. Come with my lady hither.

Alb.

He is not here.

Mess. No, my good lord; I met him back again.
Alb. Knows he the wickedness?

Mess. Ay, my good lord; 'twas he inform'd against him; And quit the house on purpose, that their punishment Might have the freer course.

Alb.

Gloster, I live

To thank thee for the love thou showd'st the king,
And to revenge thine eyes.-Come hither, friend;
Tell me what more thou knowest.

SCENE III.

The French Camp, near Dover.

Enter KENT, and a Gentleman.

[Exeunt.

Kent. Why the king of France is so suddenly gone back know you the reason?

b amongst them fell'd him dead :] i. e. They (Cornwall and his other servants) amongst them fell'd him dead.-MALONE.

e One way I like this well ;] The death of Cornwall was the removal of one impediment to possessing the whole of the kingdom.-M. MASON.

Gent. Something he left imperfect in the state, Which since his coming forth is thought of; which Imports to the kingdom so much fear and danger, That his personal return was most requir'd,

And necessary.

Kent. Who hath he left behind him general?

Gent. The mareschal of France, Monsieur le Fer. Kent. Did your letters pierce the queen to any demonstration of grief?

Gent. Ay, sir; she took them, read them in my presence; And now and then an ample tear trill'd down

Her delicate cheek: it seem'd, she was a queen

Over her passion; who, most rebel-like,
Sought to be the king o'er her.

Kent.

O, then it mov'd her?

Gent. Not to a rage: patience and sorrow strove
Who should express her goodliest. You have seen
Sunshine and rain at once: her smiles and tears
Were like a better day: Those happy smiles,
That play'd on her ripe lip, seem'd not to know
What guests were in her eyes; which parted thence,
As pearls from diamonds dropp'd. In brief, sorrow
Would be a rarity most belov'd, if all

Could so become it.

Kent.

--

Made she no verbal question?

Gent. 'Faith, once, or twice, she heav'd the name of

father

Pantingly forth, as if it press'd her heart;

Cried, Sisters! sisters!—Shame of ladies! sisters!

Kent! father! sisters! What? i'the storm? i'the night?
Let pity not be believed!-There she shook

— a better day:] A better day is the best day, and the best day is a day most favourable to the productions of the earth. Such are the days in which there is a due mixture of rain and sunshine. The comparative is often used by Milton and others, as well as Shakspeare, instead of the positive and superlatite. STEEVENS.

Made she no verbal question?] Means only, Did she enter into no conversation with you? In this sense our poet frequently uses the word question, and not simply as the act of interrogation.-STEEVENS.

Let pity not be believed !] i. e. Let not such a thing as pity be supposed to exist! STEEVENS.

G 2

The holy water from her heavenly eyes,

And clamour moisten'd:-then away she started
To deal with grief alone.

Kent.

It is the stars,

The stars above us, govern our conditions ;h

Else one self mate and mate' could not beget

Such different issues. You spoke not with her since? Gent. No.

Kent. Was this before the king return'd?

Gent.

No, since.

Kent. Well, sir; The poor distress'd Lear is i'the town. Who sometime, in his better tune, remembers

What we are come about, and by no means

Will yield to see his daughter.

Gent.

Why, good sir?

Kent. A sovereign shame so elbows him: his own un

kindness,

That stripp'd her from his benediction, turn'd her
To foreign casualties, gave her dear rights

To his dog-hearted daughters, these things sting
His mind so venomously, that burning shame
Detains him from Cordelia.

Gent.

Alack, poor gentleman!

Kent. Of Albany's and Cornwall's powers you heard

not?

Gent. 'Tis so; they are afoot.

Kent. Well, sir, I'll bring you to our master Lear,
And leave you to attend him: some dear cause*
Will in concealment wrap me up awhile;
When I am known aright, you shall not grieve
Lending me this acquaintance. I pray you, go
Along with me.

g

[Exeunt.

· clamour moisten'd:] That is, her out-cries were accompanied with tears.— JOHNSON.

h govern our conditions ;] i. e. Regulate our dispositions.-MALONE. 1 —one self mate and mate.] i. e. The same husband and wife. Self is here used, as in many other places, for self-same.-JOHNSON and MALONE. k some dear cause-] Some important business.-MALONE.

SCENE IV.

The same. A Tent.

Enter CORDELIA, Physician, and Soldiers.
Cor. Alack, 'tis he; why, he was met even now
As mad as the vex'd sea: singing aloud;
Crown'd with rank fumiter,' and furrow weeds,
With harlocks, hemlock, nettles, cuckoo-flowers,
Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow

In our sustaining corn.-A century send forth;
Search every acre in the high-grown field,

And bring him to our eye. [Exit an Officer.]—What can man's wisdom do,

In the restoring his bereaved sense?

He, that helps him, take all my outward worth.
Phy. There is means, madam:

Our foster-nurse of nature is repose,

The which he lacks; that to provoke in him,
Are many simples operative, whose power
Will close the eye of anguish.

Cor.

All bless'd secrets,

All you unpublish'd virtues of the earth,

Spring with my tears! be aidant and remediate,
In the good man's distress!-Seek, seek for him;
Lest his ungovern'd rage dissolve the life

That wants the means to lead it."

Mess.

Enter a Messenger.

Madam, news;

The British powers are marching hitherward.

Cor. 'Tis known before; our preparation stands In expectation of them.-O dear father,

It is thy business that I go about;

Therefore great France

My mourning, and important tears, hath pitied.

fumiter,] i. e. Fumitory.

harlocks,] For charlocks, the wild mustard.-TODD.

-the means to lead it.] The reason which should guide it.-JOHNSON. important-] For importunate.