Sir, this I hear,-The king is come to his | SCENE II.-A Field between the Two Camps. daughter, With others, whom the rigour of our state Most just and heavy causes make oppose.t Reg. Why is this reason'd? Gon. Combine together 'gainst the enemy: or these domestic and particular broils rt not to question here. Alb. Let us then determine ith the ancient of war on our proceedings. Edm. I shall attend you presently at your tent. If you have victory, let the trumpet sound SCENE III.-The British Camp near Dover. Enter, in Conquest, with Drum and Colours, EDMUND; LEAR and CORDELIA, as Prisoners, Officers, Soldiers, &c. Edm. Some officers take them away: good Until their greater pleasures first be know guard; That are to censuret them. Cor. We are not the first, [worst. Who, with best meaning, have incurr'd the For thee, oppressed king, am I cast down; For him that brought it: wretched though I Myself could else out-frown false fortune's seem, Edm. The enemy's in view; draw up your powers. [forces Here is the guess of their true strength and By diligent discovery;-but your haste Is now urg'd on you. Alb. We will greet the time.§ [Exit. Let her, who would be rid of him, devise frown. [sisters? Shall we not see these daughters, and these Lear. No, no, no, no! Come, let's away to We two alone will sing like birds i'the cage: prison: When thou dost ask my blessing, I'll kneel down, And ask of thee forgiveness: So we'll live, And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues Talk of court news; and we'll talk with them too,[outWho loses, and who wins; who's in, who's And take upon us the mystery of things, As if we were God's spies: And we'll wear out, [ones, In a wall'd prison, packs and sects of great That ebb and flow by the moon. Edm. Take them away. Lear. Upon such sacrifices, my Cordelia, The gods themselves throw incense. Have I caught thee? He, that parts us, shall bring a brand from Come. [Exeunt LEAR and CORDELIA, guarded. One step I have advanc'd thee; if thou dost *I. e. To be ready prepared, is all. + Pass judgement on them. The French disease Skin. iant strain, Alb. Sir, you have shown to-day your val. [tives And fortune led you well: You have the capWho were the opposites of this day's strife: We do require them of you; so to use them, As we shall find their merits and our safety May equally determine. Edm. Sir, I thought it fit To send the old and miserable king My reason all the same; and they are ready Alb. Sir, by your patience, I hold you but a subject of this war, Reg. That's as we list to grace him. Methinks, our pleasure might have been demanded, Ere you had spoke so far. He led our powers; Bore the commission of my place and person; The which immediacy may well stand up, And call itself your brother. Gon. Not so hot : Reg. Let the drum strike, and prove my title thine. [To EDMUND. Alb. Stay yet; hear reason:-Edmund, I arrest thee On capital treason; and, in thy arrest, I bar it in the interest of my wife; Gon. An interlude! Alb. A herald, ho! Edm. A herald, ho, a herald! Alb. Trust to thy single virtue; for thy soldiers, All levied in my name, have in my name Reg. This sickness grows upon me. Maugre thy strength, youth, place, and emi- | And, when 'tis told, O, that my heart would The bloody proclamation to escape, [burst! That follow'd me so near, (O our lives' sweet nence, Despite thy victor sword, and fire-new fortune, To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak Edm. In wisdom, I should ask thy name; But, since thy outside looks so fair and warlike, [breathes, And that thy tongue some 'sayt of breeding What safe and nicely I might well delay By rule of knighthood, I disdain and spurn: Back do I toss these treasons to thy head; With the hell-hated lie o'erwhelm thy heart; Which, (for they yet glance by, and scarcely bruise,) [way, This sword of mine shall give them instant Where they shall rest for ever.-Trumpets, speak. [Alarums.-They fight.-EDMUND falls. save him, save him! Alb. Gon. This is mere practice, Gloster: By the law of arms, thou wast not bound to answer An unknown opposite; thou art not vanBut cozen'd and beguil'd. [quish'd, Alb. Shut your mouth, dame, Or with this paper shall I stop it:-Hold, Sir:Thou worse than any name, read thine own evil: No tearing, lady; I perceive, you know it. [Gives the Letter to EDMUND. Gon. Say, if I do; the laws are mine, not Who shall arraign me for't? [thine: Alb. Most monstrous! Know'st thou this paper? Gon. Ask me not what I know. [Exit GONERIL. Alb. Go after her: she's desperate; govern her. [To an OFFICER, who goes out. Edm. What you have charg'd me with, that have I done; [out; And more, much more: the time will bring it 'Tis past, and so am I: But what art thou," That hast this fortune on me? If thou art noble, I do forgive thee. Edg. Let's exchange charity. I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund; The dark and vicious place where thee he got, Edm. Thou hast spoken right, 'tis true; The wheel is come full circle; I am here. Alb. Methought, thy very gait did prophesy A royal nobleness:-I must embrace thee; Let sorrow split my heart, if ever 1 Did hate thee, or thy father! Edg. Worthy prince, I know it well. Alb. Where have you hid yourself? [ther? ness! That with the pain of death we'd hourly die, Rather than die at once!) taught me to shift Into a madman's rags; to assume a blance sem That very dogs disdain'd: and in this habit (Alack, too weak the conflict to support!) Twixt two extremes of passion, joy and grief, Burst smilingly. Edm. This speech of yours hath mov'd me, And shall, perchance, do good: but speak you on; You look as you had something more to say. Alb. If there be more, more woeful, hold it For I am almost ready to dissolve, [in; Hearing of this. Edg. This would have seem'd a period To such as love not sorrow; but another, To amplify too much, would make much more, And top extremity. [man, Whilst I was big in clamour, came there a Who having seen me in my worst estate, Shunn'd my abhorr'd society; but then, finding Who 'twas that so endur'd, with his strong arins He fasten'd on my neck, and bellow'd out Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him, Alb. But who was this? Edg. Kent, Sir, the banish'd Kent; who in disguise Follow'd his enemy king, and did him service Improper for a slave. Enter a GENTLEMAN hastily, with a bloody Knife. Gent. Help! help! O help! Edg. What kind of help? Alb. Speak, man. Edg. What means that bloody knife? It came even from the heart of- Gent. Your lady, Sir, your lady By her is poison'd; she confesses it. and her [sister Edm. I was contracted to them both; all Now marry in an instant. [three Alb. Produce their bodies, be they alive or dead! This judgement of the heavens, that makes us tremble, How have you known the miseries of your fa-Touches us not with pity. [Exit GENTLEMAN. Edg. By nursing them, my lord.-List|| a brief tale; Enter KENT. Edg. Here comes Kent, Sir. Alb. O! it is he. The time will not allow the compliment, Which very manners urges. Kent. I am come To bid my king and master aye* good night; Ath. Great thing of us forgot!— See'st thou this object, Kent? [The Bodies of GONERIL and REGAN Kent. Alack, why thus? Edm. Yet Edmund was belov'd: Alb. Even so.-Cover their faces. Edm. I pant for life:-Some good I mean to Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send,— Alb. Run, run, O, run Lear. I'll see that straight. Kent. That, from your first of difference and Have follow'd your sad steps. [decay, Lear. You are welcome hither. and deadly. Kent. Nor no man else; all's cheerless, dark, Alb. He knows not what he says; and vain Edg. To who, my lord?-Who has the of- That we present us to him. fice? send men of stones; Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so That heaven's vault should crack :-O, she is gone for ever!— I know when one is dead, and when one lives; If that her breath will mist or stain the stone, Kent. Is this the promis'd end? Lear. This feather stirs; she lives! if it be 80, It is a chance that does redeem all sorrows Kent. O my good master! Lear. Pr'ythee, away. [Kneeling. Edg. 'Tis noble Kent, your friend. Lear. A plague upon you, murderers, trai-tors all! [ever!I might have sav'd her; now she's gone for Cordelia, Cordelia, stay a little. Ha! What is't thou say'st?-Her voice was ever soft, [man: Gentle, and low; an excellent thing in woI kill'd the slave that was a hanging thee. Of. 'Tis true, my lords, he did. Lear. Did I not, fellow? I have seen the day, with my good biting faulI would have made them skip: I am old now, And these same crosses spoil me.-Who are you? Edg. Very bootless." Enter an OFFICER. Of. Edmund is dead, my lord. [it is You lords, and noble friends, know our intent. taste The cup of their deservings.-, see, see! Lear. And my poor fool|| is hang'd! No, no, Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, no more, Do you see this? Look on her,―look,-her Pray you, undo this button: Thank you, Sir.lips, Look there, look there! He dies. Edg. He faints-My lord, my lord,- Kent. Vex not his ghost: O, let him pass!¶ he hates him, That would upon the rack of this tough world Stretch him out longer. Edg. O, he is gone, indeed. Kent. The wonder is, he hath endur'd so He but usurp'd his life. [long: Alb. Bear them from hence.-Our present business Is general woe. Friends of my soul, you twain [To KENT and EDGAR. Rule in this realm, and the gor'd state sustain. Kent. I have a journey, Sir, shortly to go; My master calls, and I must not say, no. Alb. The weight of this sad time we must Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say. obey; The oldest hath borne most: we, that are [straight. Shall never see so much, nor live so long. [Exeunt, with a dead March. Gre. But thou art not quickly moved to strike. Sam. A dog of the house of Montague moves me. Gre. To move, is-to stir; and to be valiant, is-to stand to it: therefore, if thou art mov'd, thou run'st away. Sam. A dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague's. Gre. That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall. Sam. True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall: therefore I will push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall. Gre. The quarrel is between our masters, and us their men. Sam. "Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids; I will cut off their heads. Gre. The heads of the maids? Sam. Ay, the heads of the maids, or ther maidenheads; take it in what sense thou wilt. Gre. They must take it in sense, that feel |