SCENE III. The British Camp near Dover. Enter, in conquest, with drum and colors, EDMUND; LEAR and CORDELIA, as prisoners; Officers, Soldiers, &c. Edm. Some officers take them away; good guard; Until their greater pleasures first be known That are to censure1 them. Cor. We are not the first, Who, with best meaning, have incurred the worst.2 For thee, oppressed king, am I cast down; Myself could else outfrown false fortune's frown. Shall we not see these daughters, and these sisters? Lear. No, no, no, no! Come, let's away to prison: We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage. When thou dost ask me 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, Who loses, and who 'wins; who's in, who's out ;And take upon us the mystery of things, 3 4 As if we were God's spies. And we'll wear out, 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 heaven, 5 1 i. e. to pass sentence or judgment on them. 2 That is, "the worst that fortune can inflict." 3 "As if we were angels, endowed with the power of prying into the original motives of action, and the mysteries of conduct." 4 Packs and sects are combinations and parties. 5 Alluding to the old practice of smoking foxes out of their holes. The goujeers shall devour them, flesh and fell,1 Ere they shall make us weep; we'll see them starve first. Come. [Exeunt LEAR and CORDELIA, guarded. Edm. Come hither, captain; hark. Take thou this note; 2 [Giving a paper.] go, follow them to prison. One step I have advanced thee; if thou dost Does not become a sword.-Thy great employment Off. I'll do't, my lord. Edm. About it; and write happy, when thou hast done. Mark, I say instantly; and carry it So, As I have set it down. Off. I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats; If it be man's work, I will do it. [Exit Officer. Flourish. Enter ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, Officers, and Attendants. Alb. Sir, you have shown to-day your valiant strain, And fortune led you well. You have the captives, Who 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 To some retention, and appointed guard; 1 "The goujeers shall devour them, flesh and fell." The goujeers, i. e. morbus Gallicus. The quartos have good yeares, the common corruption in Shakspeare's time. Flesh and fell is flesh and skin. 2 This was a warrant signed by the bastard and Goneril, for the execution of Lear and Cordelia, referred to in a subsequent scene by Edmund. 3 i. e. admit of debate. Whose age has charms in it, whose title more, Which do command them. With him I sent the queen; The question of Cordelia, and her father, Alb. Sir, by your patience, I hold you but a subject of this war, Reg. That's as we list to grace him. 3 Methinks our pleasure might have been demanded, Gon. Not so hot: In his own grace 5 he doth exalt himself, Reg. In my rights, By me invested, he compeers the best. Gon. That were the most, if he should husband you. Reg. Jesters do oft prove prophets. Gon. Holla, holla! That eye that told you so looked but asquint." 1 That is, the lancemen we have hired by giving them press-money. 2 i. e. the determination of what shall be done with Cordelia and her father should be reserved for greater privacy. This is not in the folio. 3 Commission for authority. 4 Immediacy, says Malone, is close and immediate connection with me, and direct authority from me. Immediate is the reading of the quartos. 5 Grace here means noble deportment. The folio has addition, instead of advancement, in the next line. 6 "If he were married to you, you could not say more than this, nor could he enjoy greater power." In the folio this line is given to Albany. 7 Alluding to the proverb, "Love, being jealous, makes a good eye look asquint." Reg. Lady, I am not well; else I should answer Gon. Alb. Half-blooded fellow, yes. Reg. Let the drum strike, and prove my title thine.3 [To EDMUND. Alb. Stay yet; hear reason. Edmund, I arrest thee On capital treason; and, in thine, attaint This gilded serpent. [Pointing to GoN.]-For your claim, fair sister, I bar it in the interest of my wife; 'Tis she is subcontracted to this lord, And I, her husband, contradict your bans. My lady is bespoke. Gon. An interlude! Alb. Thou art armed, Gloster.-Let the trumpet sound; If none appear to prove upon thy person, Ere I taste bread, thou art in nothing less Then I have here proclaimed thee. Reg. Gon. If not, I'll ne'er trust poison. Sick, O, sick! [Aside. Edm. There's my exchange. [Throwing down a glove.] What in the world he is 1 A metaphor taken from the camp, and signifying to surrender at discretion. This line is not in the quartos. 2 «To obstruct their union lies not in your good pleasure." It appears, from this speech, that Regan did not know that Albany had discharged her forces. This line is given to Edmund in the quartos 4 The folio reads "thy arrest." That names me traitor, villain-like he lies. 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 Took their discharge. Reg. This sickness grows upon me. Enter a Herald. Alb. She is not well; convey her to my tent. Come hither, herald. Let the trumpet sound, And read out this. Off. Sound, trumpet. Herald reads. [Exit REGAN, led. [A trumpet sounds. If any man of quality, or degree, within the lists of the army, will maintain upon Edmund, supposed earl of Gloster, that he is a manifold traitor, le. him appear at the third sound of the trumpet. He is bold in his defence. Edm. Sound. Her. Again. trumpet. [2 trumpet. [3 trumpet. [Trumpet answers within. Enter EDGAR, armed, preceded by a trumpet. Alb. Ask him his purposes, why Upon this call o' the trumpet. Her. why he appears What are you? Your name, your quality? And why you answer This present summons? 1 i. e. valor; a Roman sense of the word. |