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gorged lark so far cannot be seen or heard. Do but look up." 66 Alack," said Gloster, "I have no eyes." "Give me your arm," Edgar said. "Up. Feel you your legs? You stand. Your life's a miracle. But who comes here?" It was the poor king; quite mad, and dressed up in flowers. Edgar was shocked. Gloster exclaimed, "I know that voice." The king went on talking in the wildest manner. "Is it not the king?" asked Gloster. Every inch a king," said Lear. "O, let me kiss that hand," cried Gloster. Lear talked in a sadly strange way about poor Gloster's loss of sight, and many other things. Meanwhile, a gentleman entered with attendants. Cordelia, who was now at Dover, had sent them to look for her father; having received Kent's messenger, and heard that the king had set out for Dover, they tried to pursuade him to go with them to Cordelia; but, instead, he ran away, and they pursued him. One event seemed to crowd upon another, for the steward, the man who had caused Kent to be put into the stocks, appeared, and seeing

D

the Earl of Gloster, called out with savage joy that he was a prize; called him an old unhappy traitor; that it would make his fortune, having found him. But Edgar would not allow him to touch the earl. They fought, and the steward was knocked down. "Slave, thou hast slain me. Villain, take my purse, and give the letters which thou find'st about me to Edmund, Earl of Gloster. Seek him out upon the British army." "What," said Gloster, "is the steward dead." "Sit you down father; rest you," said Edgar. "Let's see his pockets. These letters that he speaks of may be my friends. He's dead. Give me your hand (to Gloster). Far off, methinks I hear a beaten drum. Come father, I'll bestow you with a friend."

CHAPTER XI.

We must now see what had become of the unhappy king. Cordelia's servants had overtaken him, and conducted him to a tent in the French camp. There

were assembled a physician and attendants. King Lear was asleep upon a bed. Cordelia and her so faithful friend, the Duke of Kent, came in. Cordelia, in great excitement, addressed Kent, "How shall I live and work to match thy goodness? my life will be too short." Kent answered, "To be acknowledged, madam, is o'erpaid." Cordelia begged him to take off his disguise; it reminded her of painful times; but Kent wished to be excused, for he did not think the time had yet come for making himself known. "Then be it so, my good lord," said Cordelia. Turning to the physician, she asked, "How does the king?" "Madam, he sleeps still. If it pleases your majesty, we will wake him. Be by, good madam, when we do awake him. Please you draw near." "O, my dear father!" said Cordelia. "Let this kiss repair those violent harms that my two sisters have in thy reverence made." "Kind and dear princess," exclaimed Kent. Cordelia went on talking, or rather speaking to herself, "Was this a face to be

me?”

exposed against the warring winds? To stand against the deep, dread-bolted thunder? Mine enemy's dog, though it had bit me, should have stood that night against my fire. He wakes; speak to him." "Madam, do you," said the physician. “How fares your majesty?" she asked. "Sir, do you not know "He's scarce awake; let him alone," the physician said. Presently, Lear asked, "Where have I been? Where am I?" "O, look upon me, sir," Cordelia softly said, "and hold your hands in benediction o'er me." No, sir; you must not kneel." "Pray do not mock me," said the poor king. "I am a very foolish, fond old man; four-score and upward; and, to deal plainly, I fear I am not in my perfect mind. Methinks I should know you and know

this man; yet I am doubtful. Do not laugh at me; for, as I am a man, I think this lady to be my child, Cordelia." "And so I am, I am," Cordelia cried. The king went on most mournfully, "Be your tears wet? Yes, faith. I pray, weep not. If you have

poison for me, I will drink it. I know you do not love me, for your sisters have, as I remember, done me wrong. You have some cause. They have not.” "No cause, no cause," said Cordelia. She had long forgotten and forgiven her own wrongs. "Am I in France ?" asked Lear. "In your own kingdom, sir,” answered Kent. The physician said they had better not talk any more to him about the past, until he was more fully recovered. Cordelia asked her father if he would walk. He answered, "You must bear with me. Pray, now, forget and forgive. I am old and foolish." Then all went out, with the exception of Kent and a gentleman, who asked him if it was true that the Duke of Cornwall was slain. "Most certain," said Kent. "Who conducts his people?" "It is said the Duke of Gloster's base son, Edmund." The gentleman then said it was reported that the banished son, Edgar, was with the Earl of Kent in Germany. Kent did not make himself known to him, for the right time had not yet come.