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That are to cenfure them.

Cor. We're not the first,

Who with best meaning have incurr'd the worst:
For thee, oppreffed King, am I caft down;
My felf could elfe out-frown falfe fortune's frown.
Shall we not see these daughters and these fifters ?
Lear. No, no, no, no; come, let's away to prison;
We two alone will fing, like birds i'th' cage :
When thou doft ask me Bleffing, I'll kneel down,
And ask of thee Forgiveness: fo we'll live,
And pray, and fing, and tell old tales, and laugh
At gilded butterflies; and hear poor rogues
Talk of Court-news, and we'll talk with them too,
Who lofes and who wins; who's in, who's out:
And take upon's the mystery of things,

As if we were God's fpies. And we'll wear out,
In a wall'd prifon, packs and fects of Great ones,
That ebb and flow by th' moon.

Edm. Take them away.

Lear. Upon fuch Sacrifices, my Cordelia,
The Gods themselves throw incenfe. Have I caught thee?
He that parts us, fhall bring a brand from heav'n,
And fire us hence, like foxes; wipe thine eye,
The good-jers fhall devour them, flesh and fell,

Ere they shall make us weep; we'll see them starv'd first.
Come.
[Exeunt Lear and Cordelia guarded.
Edm. Come hither, Captain, hark.

Take thou this note; go, follow them to prison.
One ftep I have advanc'd thee; if thou doft
As this inftructs thee, thou doft make thy way
To noble fortunes: know thou this, that men
Are as the time is; to be tender-minded

Do's not become a fword; My great Employment (27)
Will

thy great Employment

(27) Will not bear Question;] All the Copies concur in reading thus; but, without doubt, erroneously. The Perfon, whom Edmund is here speaking to, was of no higher Degree than a Captain; and therefore, certainly, accountable to his Superiours. Edmund, 'tis plain, muft mean; “ I leading one of the Conquerors' VOL. VI. Forces,

E

Will not bear queftion; either fay, thou'lt do't;

Or thrive by other means.

Capt. I'll do't, my lord.

Edm. About it, and write happy, when thou'ft done. Mark, I fay, inftantly; and carry it fo,

As I have fet it down.

[Exit Captain.

Flourish. Enter Albany, Gonerill, Regan, and Soldiers.

Alb. Sir, you have shew'd to day your valiant ftrain, And fortune led you well: you have the Captives, Who were the oppofites of this day's ftrife: We do require them of you, fo to use them, As we fhall find their merits and our fafety May equally determine.

Edm. Sir, I thought it fit

To fend the old and miserable King

To fome retention, and appointed guard; Whofe has charms in it, whofe title more, age

To pluck the common bofoms on his fide;

And turn our impreft launces in our eyes,

Which do command them. With him I sent the Queen ; My reafon all the fame; and they are ready

To morrow, or at further space, t' appear

Where you fhall hold your Seffion. At this time,

We fweat and bleed; the Friend hath loft his Friend;

And the best Quarrels, in the Heat, are curst

By thofe that feel their Sharpness.

-

The Queftion of Cordelia, and her Father,
Requires a fitter Place.

Alb. Sir, by your patience,

I hold you but a Subject of this war,

Not as a Brother.

Reg. That's as we lift to grace him.

Methinks, our pleasure might have been demanded,
Ere
you had spoke fo far. He led our Pow'rs;
Bore the Commiffion of my Place and Perfon;

"Forces, and having employ'd thee in this Business, will be

"thy sufficient Warrant, and will secure Thee from being que"ftion'd about it."

The

The which immediacy may well stand up,
And call it felf your brother.

Gon. Not fo hot :

In his own grace he doth exalt himself,
More than in your advancement.
Reg. In my Right,

By me invested, he compeers the best.

Alb. That were the moft, if he should husband you.' Reg. Jefters do oft prove Prophets.

Gon. Holla, Holla!

That eye, that told you fo, look'd but a-fquint.
Reg. Lady, I am not well, elfe I should answer
From a full-flowing ftomach. General,

Take thou my foldiers, prifoners, patrimony,
Difpofe of them, of me; the walls are thine
Witness the World, that I create thee here
My lord and mafter.

Gon. Mean you to enjoy him?

Alb. The Lett alone lyes not in your good Will. Edm. Nor in thine, lord.

Alb. Half-blooded fellow, yes.

Reg. Let the drum ftrike, and prove my Title thine. Alb. Stay yet; hear reafon: Edmund, I arreft thee On capital treafon; and, in thy Arrest,

This gilded Serpent; for your Claim, fair fister,
I bar it in the interest of my wife;

'Tis fhe is fub-contracted to this lord,

And I, her husband, contradict your banes. you will marry, make your

If

My lady is bespoke.

Gon. An enterlude !

loves to me,

Alb. Thou art arm'd, Glo'fter; let the trumpet found:

If none appear to prove upon thy perfon

Thy heinous, manifeft, and many treasons,

There is my Pledge: I'll prove it on thy heart,
Ere I tafte bread, thou art in nothing less

Than I have here proclaim'd thee.

Reg. Sick, O fick

Gon. If not, I'll ne'er trust poison.

[Afide.

Edm. There's my exchange; what in the world he is,

E 2

That

That names me Traitor, villain-like he lies;
Call by thy trumpet: he that dares approach,
On him, on you, (who not?) I will maintain
My truth and honour firmly.

Alb. A herald, ho!

Enter a Herald.

Truft to thy fingle virtue; for thy foldiers,
All levied in my name, have in my name
Took their discharge.

Reg. This fickness grows upon me.

Alb. She is not well, convey her to my Tent.

[Exit Reg. led.

Come hither, herald, let the trumpet found,
And read out this.

I

Herald reads.

[A trumpet founds.

Fany man of Quality, or Degree, within the lifts of the army, will maintain upon Edmund fuppofed Earl of Glo'fter, that he is a manifold traitor, let him appear by the third found of the trumpet: he is bold in bis defence.

Her. Again.
Her. Again.

I trumpet. 2 trumpet. 3 trumpet.

[Trumpet afwers, within.

Enter Edgar, armed. 1

Alb. Ask him his purposes, why he appears

Upon this Call o'th' trumpet.

Her. What are you?

Your name, your quality, and why you answer
This present fummons?

Edg. Know, my name is loft;

By treafon's tooth bare-gnawn, and canker-bit ;
Yet am I noble, as the Adverfary

I come to cope.

Alb. Which is that Adversary ?

Edg. What's he,, that speaks for Edmund Earl of

Glofter?

Edm.

Edm. Himfelf; what fay'ft thou to him?
Edg. Draw thy Sword,

That if my speech offend a noble heart,
Thy arm may do thee juftice; here is mine:.
Behold, it is the privilege of mine Honours,
My Oath, and my Profeffion. I proteft,
Maugre thy ftrength, place, youth, and eminence,
Spite of thy victor-fword, and fire-new fortune,
Thy valour, and thy heart, thou art a traitor;
Falfe to thy Gods, thy brother, and thy father;
Confpirant 'gainst this high illuftrious Prince,
And from th' extreameft upward of thy head,
To the descent and duft below thy foot,

A moft toad-fpotted traitor. Say thou, no;
This fword, this arm, and my beft fpirits are bent
To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak,

Thou lieft.

Edm. In Wisdom I should ask thy name;

But fince thy out-fide looks fo fair and warlike,
And that thy tongue fome 'Say of Breeding breathes ;
What fafe and nicely I might well delay
By rule of Knight-hood, I difdain and spurn:
Back do I tofs thefe treafons to thy head,
With the hell-hated lie o'erwhelm thy heart;
Which (for they yet glance by, and scarcely bruife)
This fword of mine fhall give them inftant way,
Where thou shalt reft for ever. Trumpets, fpeak.
[Alarm. Fight.

Gon. O, fave him, fave him; This is Practice,
Glofter: (28)

By th' law of war, thou waft not bound to answer
An unknown oppofite; thou art not vanquish'd,
But cozen'd and beguil'd.

Alb. Shut your mouth, Dame,

(28) Alb. Save him, save him.

Gon. This is Practice, Glo'fter:] Thus all the Copies have diftinguish'd these Speeches: but I have ventur'd to place the two Hemiftichs to Gonerill. 'Tis abfurd, that Albany, who knew Edmund's Treafons, and his own Wife's Paffion for him, ould be follicitous to have his Life fav'd.

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