Page:King Lear (1917) Yale.djvu/86

70  Edg. Who gives anything to poor Tom?

whom the foul fiend hath led through fire and

through flame, through ford and whirlpool, o'er

bog and quagmire; that hath laid knives under

his pillow, and halters in his pew; set ratsbane

by his porridge; made him proud of heart, to

ride on a bay trotting-horse over four-inched

bridges, to course his own shadow for a traitor.

Bless thy five wits! Tom's a-cold. O! do de,

do de, do de. Bless thee from whirlwinds, star-

blasting, and taking! Do poor Tom some charity,

whom the foul fiend vexes. There could I have

him now, and there, and there again, and there.

Storm still.

Lear. What! have his daughters brought him to this pass?

Could'st thou save nothing? Didst thou give them all?

Fool. Nay, he reserved a blanket, else we had

been all shamed.

Lear. Now all the plagues that in the pendulous air

Hang fated o'er men's faults light on thy daughters!

Kent. He hath no daughters, sir.

Lear. Death, traitor! nothing could have subdu'd nature

To such a lowness, but his unkind daughters.

Is it the fashion that discarded fathers

Should have thus little mercy on their flesh?

Judicious punishment! 'twas this flesh begot

Those pelican daughters.

 49 Who gives, etc.; cf. n.

59 taking: influence of malignant powers

66 pendulous: overhanging

74 pelican; cf. n.

