_Kent._ Good my lord, soothe him; let him take the fellow.[3802] 170 _Glou._ Take him you on. _Kent._ Sirrah, come on; go along with us.[3803] _Lear._ Come, good Athenian.[3804] _Glou._ No words, no words: hush.[3804] _Edg._ Child Rowland to the dark tower came:[3805] 175 His word was still 'Fie, foh, and fum, I smell the blood of a British man.' [_Exeunt._[3806] SCENE V. _Gloucester's castle._ _Enter_ CORNWALL _and_ EDMUND.[3807] _Corn._ I will have my revenge ere I depart his house.[3808] _Edm._ How, my lord, I may be censured, that nature thus gives way to loyalty, something fears me to think of. _Corn._ I now perceive, it was not altogether your brother's evil disposition made him seek his death, but a provoking[3809] 5 merit, set a-work by a reproveable badness in himself.[3809][3810] _Edm._ How malicious is my fortune, that I must repent to be just! This is the letter he spoke of, which approves[3811] him an intelligent party to the advantages of France. O[3812] heavens! that this treason were not, or not I the detector![3813] 10 _Corn._ Go with me to the duchess. _Edm._ If the matter of this paper be certain, you have mighty business in hand. _Corn._ True or false, it hath made thee earl of Gloucester. Seek out where thy father is, that he may be ready for our 15 apprehension. _Edm._ [_Aside_] If I find him comforting the king, it will[3814] stuff his suspicion more fully.--I will persever in my course[3815] of loyalty, though the conflict be sore between that and my blood. 20 _Corn._ I will lay trust upon thee, and thou shalt find a dearer father in my love. [_Exeunt._[3816] SCENE VI. _A chamber in a farmhouse adjoining the castle._ _Enter_ GLOUCESTER, LEAR, KENT, Fool, _and_ EDGAR.[3817] _Glou._ Here is better than the open air; take it thankfully. I will piece out the comfort with what addition I can: I will not be long from you. _Kent._ All the power of his wits have given way to his[3818] impatience: the gods reward your kindness! 5 [_Exit Gloucester._[3819] _Edg._ Frateretto calls me, and tells me Nero is an[3820] angler in the lake of darkness. Pray, innocent, and beware[3821] the foul fiend. _Fool._ Prithee, nuncle, tell me whether a madman be a[3822] gentleman or a yeoman.[3823] 10 _Lear._ A king, a king! _Fool._ No, he's a yeoman that has a gentleman to his[3824] son, for he's a mad yeoman that sees his son a gentleman[3824][3825] before him.[3824] _Lear._ To have a thousand with red burning spits[3824][3826] 15 Come hissing in upon 'em,--[3826][3827]