Page:King Lear (1917) Yale.djvu/89

King Lear, III. iv

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

whipped from tithing to tithing, and stock-

punished, and imprisoned; who hath had three

suits to his back, six shirts to his body, horse to

ride, and weapon 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.

Glo. What! hath your Grace no better company?

Edg. The prince of darkness is a gentleman;

Modo he's call'd, and Mahu.

Glo. Our flesh and blood, my lord, is grown so vile,

That it doth hate what gets it.

Edg. Poor Tom's a-cold.

Glo. Go in with me. My duty cannot suffer

To 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 the 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.

 135 sallets: salads

136 ditch-dog: dead dogs thrown away in ditches

138 tithing: district

142 deer: beast, German 'tier'

144 Smulkin; cf. n.

