For thee, oppreffed King, am I caft down;
Myself could elfe outfrown falfe Fortune's frown.
Shall we not fee thefe daughters and thefe fifters ?
Lear. No, no, no, no; come, let's away
to prifon;
We two alone will fing, like birds i' th' cage.
When thou doft afk me bleffing, I'll kneel down,
And afk of thee forgivenefs: 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 facrifices, my Cordelia, "The gods themfelves throw incenfe." Have I caught thee?

He that parts us, shall bring a brand from heav'n,
And fire us hence, like foxes. Wipe thine eye;
The goujeres 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. [Whispering.
Take thou this note; go, follow them to prifon.
One ftep I have advanc'd thee; if thou dost
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
Does not become a fword; thy great employment
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.

SCENE VI.

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

Alb. Sir, you have fhew'd to-day your valiant ftrain,

And

And Fortune led you well. You have the captives,
Who were the oppofites of this day's strife ;
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 miferable King
To fome retention and appointed guard;
Whofe age has charms in it, whofe title more,
To pluck the common bofoms on his fide;
And turn our imprefs'd launces 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 we shall hold our feffion. At this time
We sweat and bleed; the friend hath loft his friend;

And the best quarrels, in the heat, are curs'd

By thofe that feel their fharpness.

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

Alb. Sir, by your patience,

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 fpoke fo far. He led our powers;
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 that told
eye
you

fo look'd but a-fquint.

Reg. Lady, I am not well, elfe 1 should answer From a full-flowing ftomach. General,

† commiffion, for authority.

immediacy, for representation.

Take

Take thou my foldiers, prifoners, patrimony,
Dispose of them, of me; the walls are thine :
Witnefs 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. Half-blooded fellow, yes.

Reg. Let the drum ftrike, and prove my title thine. [To Edmund. They offer to go out.

Alb. Stay hear my reason.

Edmund, I arreft thee On capital treafon; and, in thy arrest,

This gilded ferpent. For your claim, fair sister,
I bar it in the intereft of my wife;

'Tis fhe is fubcontracted to this Lord,
And I her husband contradict your bans.
If you will marry, make your loves to me,

My Lady is bespoke.

Gon. An interlude !

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

If none appear to prove upon thy person

Thy heinous, manifest, and many treasons,

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 trust poison.

Afile.

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

That names me traitor, villain-like he lyes.
Call by thy trumpet: he that dares approach,
On him, on you, (whom 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 ficknefs grows upon me.

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

[Exit Regan led.

SCENE VII.

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

Herald reads.

[A trumpet founds.

If any man of quality or degree. within the lifts of the army, will maintain upon Edmund fuppofed Earl of Glofter, that he is a manifold traitor, let him appear by the third found of the trumpet. He is bold in his defence. I trumpet. Her. Again.

Her. Again.

2 trumpet.

3 trumpet.

[Trumpet anfwers, 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 answer
This prefent fummons?

Edg. Know my name is loft;

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

I come to cope.

Alb. Which is that adverfary?

Edg. What's he that speaks for Edmund Earl of Edm. Himself. What fay'ft thou to him? [Glo'fter? 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 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' extremeft 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 best spirits are bent
To prove upon thy heart, whereto Î speak,

Thou

Thou lyeft.

Edm. In wifdom I fhould ask thy name;

But fince thy outfide looks fo fair and warlike,

And that thy tongue fome 'fay + of breeding breathes;
What fafe and nicely I might well delay

By rule of knighthood, I difdain and spurn:
Back do I tofs these treasons to thy head,
With the hell-hated lye o'erwhelm thy heart;
To which (for they yet glance by, scarcely bruifing)
This fword of mine fhall give them inftant way,
Where they shall reft for ever. Trumpets, fpeak.

[Alarm. Fight. Edmund falls. Gon. O, fave him, fave him; this is practice, Glo'fter: 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,

Or with this paper shall I stop 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. Monster, know'st thou this paper?

Gon. Afk me not what I know

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

SCENE VIII.

Edm. What you have charg'd me with, that I have

done,

And more, much more;

'Tis paft, and fo am I.

the time will bring it out.

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 lefs 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 just, and of our pleasant vices
"Make inftruments to fcourge us:

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

H 3

'fay, for eay, fome fhew or probability.

Edm.