Does not become a fword; my great employment (27)
Will not bear question; 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 say, inftantly; and carry it fo,

As I have fet it down.

[Exit Captain.

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

Alb. Sir, you have fhew'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 safety May equally determine.

Edm. Sir, I thought it fit

To fend the old and miserable King
To fome retention, and appointed guard;

Whose age has charms in it, whose title more,
To pluck the common bofoms on his fide;

And turn our impreft lances in our eyes,

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

To-morrow, or at further space, t'appear

Where you shall hold your feffion. At this time,

We sweat and bleed; the friend hath loft his friend; And the beft quarrels, in the heat, are curst

By thofe that feel their fharpnefs.

The Queftion of Cordelia, and her father,
Requires a fitter place:.

Alb. Sir, by your patience,

(27)

-thy great Employment

Will not bear Queftion;] All the Copies concur in reading thus; but, without doubt, erroneously. The Perfon, whom Edmund is here fpeaking to, was of no higher Degree than a Captain; and therefore, certainly, accountable to his Superiors. Emund, it is plain, muft mean; "I leading one of the Conquerors' Forces, and having "employed thee in this Bufinefs, will be thy fufficient Warrant, "and will fecure thee from being questioned about it." E

VOL. VI.

I hold

I hold you but a fubject 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;
The which immediacy may well stand up,
And call itself 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 invefted, he compeers the best.

Alb. That were the most, 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 anfwer
From a full-flowing ftomach. General,

Take thou my foldiers, prifoners, patrimony,
Difpofe of them, of me; the walls are thine:
Witnefs the world, that I create thee here
My Lord and master.

Goa. Mean you to enjoy him?

Alb. The lett alone lies 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 ferpent; for your claim, fair fifter,
I bar it in the intereft of my wife;

'Tis fhe is fub-contracted to this Lord,

And I, her husband, contradict your banes.

will marry, make

My lady is bespoke.

Gon. An enterlude!.

your loves to me,

found:

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

If none appear to prove upon thy perfon
Thy heinous, manifeft, and many treafons,

There

There is my pledge: I'll prove it on thy heart,
Ere I tafte bread, thou art in nothing lefs
Than I have here proclaim'd thee.

Reg. Sick, O fick

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

[Afide.

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

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 difcharge.

Reg. This fickness grows upon me.

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

[Exit Regs led. Come hither, herald, let the trumpet found, And read out this.

Herald reads.

[A trumpet founds.

F any 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 his defence.

Her. Again.

I trumpet.

2 trumpet.

Her. Again.

3 trumpet.

[Trumpet answers, within.

Enter Edgar, armed.

Alb. Afk him his purposes, why he appears

Upon this call o'th' trumpet.

Her. What are you?

Your name, your quality, and why you anfwer
This prefent fummons?

Edg. Know, my name is loft;

By treafon's tooth bare-gnawn, and canker-bit;

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Yet

Yet am I noble, as the adverfary

I come to cope.

Alb. Which is that adverfary?

Edg.What's he, that fpeaks for Edmund Earl of Glo'fter?
Edm. Himfelf; what fay'ft thou to him?
Edg. Draw thy fword,

That if my fpeech 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 protest,
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 'gainft this high illuftrious Prince,
And from th' extreameft upward of thy head,
To the descent and dust below thy foot,

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

Edm. In wifdom Ì should ask thy name;

But fince thy out-fide looks fair and warlike,
And that thy tongue fome 'fay of breeding breathes ;
What fafe and nicely I might well delay
By rule of Knight-hood, I difdain and fpurn:
Back do I tofs these treasons to thy head,
With the hell-hated lye o'erwhelm thy heart;
Which (for they yet glance by, and fcarcely bruife)
This fword of mine fhall give them inftant way,
Where thou shalt reft for ever. Trumpets, speak.
[Alarm. Fight.
Gon. O, fave him, fave him; this is practice, Glo'fter: (28)

(28) Alb. Save him, fave him.

Gon. This is Practice, Glo'ster:] Thus all the Copies have diftinguished thefe Speeches: but I have ventured to place the two Hemiftichs to Gonerill. 'Tis abfurd, that Albany, who knew Edmund's Treafons, and his own Wife's Pathon for him, fhould be follicitous to have his Life aved.

By

By th' law of war, thou waft not bound to anfwer
An unknown oppofite: thou art not vanquifh'd,
But cozen'd and beguil'd.

Alb. Shut your mouth, Dame,

Or with this paper fhall I ftop it;

Thou worse than any thing, read thine own evil :
No tearing, lady; I perceive, you know it.

Gon. Say, if I do; the laws are mine, not thine;
Who can arraign me for't?

Alb. Monfter, know'st thou this paper?
Gon. Ask me not, what I know

[Exit Gon. Alb. Go after her, fhe's defperate, govern her.

Ed. What you have charg'd me with, that I have done, And more, much more; the time will bring it out. 'Tis paft, and fo am I: but what art thou,

That haft this fortune on me? If thou'rt noble,
I do forgive thee.

Edg. Let's exchange charity :

I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund ;
If more, the more thou'ft wrong'd me.
My name is Edgar, and thy father's fon.

The Gods are juft, and of our pleasant vices
Make inftruments to fcourge us :

The dark and vicious place, where thee he got,
Coft him his eyes.

Edm. Thou'ft fpoken right, 'tis true,

The wheel is come full circle; I am here.
Alb. Methought, thy very gait did prophefy
A royal nobleness: I must embrace thee :-
Let forrow split my heart, if ever I
Did hate thee, or thy father!

Edg. Worthy Prince, I know't.

Alb. Where have you hid yourfelf?

How have you known the miferies of your father?
Edg. By nurfing them, my Lord. Lift a brief tale,
And, when 'tis told, O, that my heart would burst!--
The bloody proclamation to escape

That follow'd me fo near, (O our lives' sweetness !
That we the pain of death would hourly bear,
Rather than die at once) taught me to shift

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