Re-enter EDMUND.

Edm. The enemy 's in view; draw up your powers. Here is the guess of their true strength and forces By diligent discovery; but your haste

Is now urged on you.

Alb.

We will greet the time. [Exit.

Edm. To both these sisters have I sworn my

love;

Each jealous of the other, as the stung

Are of the adder.

Which of them shall I take?

Both? one? or neither? Neither can be enjoy'd,
If both remain alive: to take the widow
Exasperates, makes mad her sister Goneril;
And hardly shall I carry out my side,

Her husband being alive. Now then we'll use
His countenance for the battle; which being done,
Let her who would be rid of him devise

His speedy taking off. As for the mercy
Which he intends to Lear and to Cordelia,
The battle done, and they within our power,
Shall never see his pardon; for my state
Stands on me to defend, not to debate.

[Exit.

SCENE II. A field between the two camps.

Alarum within. Enter, with drum and colours, LEAR, CORDELIA, and Soldiers, over the stage; and exeunt.

Enter EDGAR and GLOUCESTER.

Edg. Here, father, take the shadow of this tree

54. greet the time, meet the

occasion.

56. jealous, suspicious.

60

61. carry out my side, win my game.

69. Stands on me, it is incumbent on me.

For your good host; pray that the right may thrive : If ever I return to you again,

Edg. Away, old man ; give me thy hand; away! King Lear hath lost, he and his daughter ta'en: Give me thy hand; come on.

Glou. No farther, sir; a man may rot even here. Edg. What, in ill thoughts again? Men must endure

Their going hence, even as their coming hither:
Ripeness is all: come on.

Glou.

And that's true too. [Exeunt.

SCENE III. The British camp near Dover.

Enter, in conquest, with drum and colours, EDMUND LEAR and CORDELIA, prisoners; Captain, Soldiers, etc.

Edm. Some officers take them away: good guard,

Until their greater pleasures first be known

That are to censure them.

Cor. We are not the first Who with best meaning have incurr'd the worst. For thee, oppressed king, am I cast down; Myself could else out-frown false fortune's frown. Shall we not see these daughters and these sisters? Lear. No, no, no, no! Come, let's away to

prison :

11. Ripeness, readiness.

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 's the mystery of things,

As if we were God's spies: and we'll wear out,
In a wall'd prison, packs and sects of great ones,
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 heaven,
And fire us hence like foxes. Wipe thine eyes ;
The good-years shall devour them, flesh and fell,
Ere they shall make us weep: we'll see 'em starve
first.

Come.

[Exeunt Lear and Cordelia, guarded.

Edm. Come hither, captain; hark.

Take thou this note [giving a paper]; go follow

them to prison:

One step I have advanced thee; if thou dost
As this instructs thee, thou dost make thy way
To noble fortunes: know thou this, that men
Are as the time is: to be tender-minded
Does not become a sword: thy great employment
Will not bear question; either say thou 'lt do 't,
Or thrive by other means.

Capt.

I'll do 't, my lord. Edm. About it; and write happy when thou

hast done.

18. packs, confederacies.

24. good-years, a corruption of

the French name for a disease.

33. question, discussion.

10

20

30

Mark, I say, instantly; and carry it so
As I have set it down.

Capt. I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats; If't be man's work, I'll do it.

[Exit.

Flourish. Enter ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN,
another Captain, and Soldiers.

Alb. Sir, you have shown to-day your valiant
strain,
And fortune led you well: you have the captives
That 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;

Whose age has charms in it, whose title more,
To pluck the common bosom on his side,

And turn our impress'd lances in our eyes

Which do command them. With him I sent the

queen ;

My reason all the same; and they are ready
To-morrow, or at further space, to appear

Where you shall hold your session.

At this time

We sweat and bleed: the friend hath lost his

friend;

And the best quarrels, in the heat, are cursed

By those that feel their sharpness:

The question of Cordelia and her father

Requires a fitter place.

Alb.

I hold you but a subject of this war,
Not as a brother.

Reg.

40

50

Sir, by your patience,

60

That's as we list to grace him.

50. impress'd, pressed into our service.

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.

1 Gon.

Not so hot :

In his own grace he doth exalt himself,

More than in your addition.

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 look'd but a-squint.

Reg. Lady, I am not well; else I should answer From a full-flowing stomach. General, Take thou my soldiers, prisoners, patrimony; Dispose of them, of me; the walls are thine : Witness the world, that I create thee here

My lord and master.

Gon.

Mean you to enjoy him?

Alb. The let-alone lies not in your good will.
Edm. Nor in thine, lord.

Alb.

70

Half-blooded fellow, yes. 80

Reg. [To Edmund] Let the drum strike, and

prove my title thine.

Alb. Stay yet; hear reason.

thee

Edmund, I arrest

On capital treason; and in thine attaint

65.

immediacy, immediate

tenure of authority.
68. in your addition, by virtue
of your title.

72. That eye, etc. Alluding to the proverb: 'Love being jealous makes a good eye look

a-squint.'

74. stomach; the seat of anger.

79. The let-alone, the saying nay; prevention.

83. attaint, impeachment. Qq'arrest.