Lear. She cannot deny it.
Fool. Cry you mercy, I took you for a joint-stool.
Lear. And here's another, whose warp'd looks proclaim 56
What store her heart is made on. Stop her there!
Arms, arms, sword, fire! Corruption in the place!
False justicer, why hast thou let her 'scape?]
Edg. Bless thy five wits! 60
Kent. O pity! Sir, where is the patience now
That you so oft have boasted to retain?
Edg. [Aside.] My tears begin to take his part so much,
They'll mar my counterfeiting. 64
Lear. The little dogs and all,
Tray, Blanch, and Sweet-heart, see, they bark at me.
Edg. Tom will throw his head at them.
Avaunt, you curs! 68
Be thy mouth or black or white,
Tooth that poisons if it bite;
Mastiff, greyhound, mongrel grim,
Hound or spaniel, brach or lym; 72
Or bobtail tike or trundle-tail;
Tom will make them weep and wail:
For, with throwing thus my head,
Dogs leap the hatch, and all are fled. 76
Do de, de, de. Sessa! Come, march to wakes
and fairs and market-towns. Poor Tom, thy
horn is dry. 79
Lear. Then let them anatomize Regan, see
what breeds about her heart. Is there any cause
in nature that makes these hard hearts? [To
55 joint-stool; cf. n.
72 lym: leash-hound
73 tike: cur
trundle-tail: curly tail
76 hatch: lower half of the house-door
77 wakes: church consecrations
