Page 1858 - Shakespeare - Vol. 3

KENT

Who’s there? What is’t you seek? [120]

GLOUCESTER
What are you there? Your names?

EDGAR
Poor Tom; that eats the swimming frog, the toad, the todpole, the wall-newt,
and the water; that in the fury of his heart, when the foul fiend rages, eats

cow-dung for sallets; swallows the old rat and the ditch-dog; drinks the [125]
green mantle of the standing pool; who is whipp’d from tithing to tithing, and
stock-punish’d, and imprison’d; who hath had three suits to his back, six shirts
to his body,
Horse to ride, and weapons to wear,

But mice and rats and such small deer, [130]
Have been Tom’s food for seven long year.
Beware my follower. Peace, Smulkin! peace, thou fiend!

GLOUCESTER
What! hath your Grace no better company?

EDGAR

The Prince of Darkness is a gentleman; Modo he’s called, and Mahu. [135]

GLOUCESTER

Our flesh and blood, my lord, is grown so vile,
That it doth hate what gets it.

EDGAR
Poor Tom’s a-cold.

GLOUCESTER
Go in with me. My duty cannot suffer
T’obey in all your daughters’ hard commands: [140]

Though their injunction be to bar my doors,
And let this tyrannous night take hold upon you,
Yet I have ventured to come seek you out