If ever thou wilt thrive, bury my body;
And give the letters, which thou find'st about me,
To Edmund earl of Gloster; seek him out
Upon the British party :-O, untimely death!
Edg. I know thee well: A serviceable villain;
As duteous to the vices of thy mistress,

As badness would desire.

Glo.

What, is he dead?

Edg. Sit you down, father; rest you.

[Dies.

Let's see his pockets: these letters that he speaks of,
May be my friends.-He's dead; I am only sorry
He had no other death's-man.-Let us see :-
Leave, gentle wax: and, manners, blame us not:
To know our enemies' minds, we'd rip their hearts:
Their papers, is more lawful.

[Reads.] Let our reciprocal vows be remembered. You have many opportunities to cut him off: if your will want not, time and place will be fruitfully offered. There is nothing done, if he return the conqueror: Then am I the prisoner, and his bed my gaol; from the loathed warmth whereof deliver me, and supply the place for your labour.

Your wife, (so I would say,) and your
affectionate servant,

O undistinguish'd space of woman's will!-
A plot upon her virtuous husband's life;

GONERIL.

And the exchange, my brother!-Here, in the sands,
Thee I'll rake up, the post unsanctifiedk

Of murderous lechers: and, in the mature time,
With this ungracious paper strike the sight
Of the death-practis'd' duke: For him 'tis well,
That of thy death and business I can tell.

[Exit EDGAR, dragging out the Body.

iO undistinguished space of woman's will!] i. e. O undistinguishing licentiousness of a woman's inclinations!-STEEVENS.

Thee I'll rake up, the post unsanctified, &c.] I'll cover thee. In Staffordshire, to rake the fire, is to cover it with fuel for the night. The epithet, unsanctified, refers to his want of burial in consecrated ground.-JOHNSON and STEEVENS. 1-death-practis'd-] i.e. Whose death is machinated by practice or trea

son.-JOHNSON.

Glo. The king is mad: How stiff is my vile sense,
That I stand up, and have ingenious feelingTM
Of my huge sorrows! Better I were distract:
So should my thoughts be sever'd from my griefs;
And woes, by wrong imaginations, lose

The knowledge of themselves.

Edg.

Re-enter EDGAR.

Give me your hand:

[Exeunt.

Far off, methinks, I hear the beaten drum.
Come, father, I'll bestow you with a friend.

SCENE VII..

A Tent in the French Camp. LEAR on a Bed, asleep; Physician, Gentleman, and others, attending: Enter CORDELIA and KENT.

Cor. O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work, To match thy goodness? My life will be too short, And every measure fail me.

Kent. To be acknowledg'd, madam, is o'er-paid. All my reports go with the modest truth;

Nor more, nor clipp'd, but so.

Cor.

Be better suited:"

These weeds are memories of those worser hours;

I pr'ythee, put them off.

Pardon me, dear madam;

Kent.
Yet to be known, shortens my made intent:"
My boon I make it, that you know me not,

Till time and I think meet.

Cor. Then be it so, my good lord.-How does the king?

Phys. Madam, sleeps still.

Cor. O you kind gods,

[To the Physician.

Cure this great breach in his abused nature!

- ingenious feeling—] i. e. Feeling from an understanding not disturbed, bat which, representing things as they are, makes the sense of pain the more exquisite.-WARBURTON.

suited:] i. e. Dressed. 0 memories-] i. e. Remembrancers. P - my made intent :] i. e. My intent formed.

The untun'd and jarring senses, O, wind up
Of this child-chang'd father!

Phys.
So please your majesty,
That we may wake the king? he hath slept long.
Cor. Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed
I' the sway of your own will. Is he array'd?

Gent. Ay, madam; in the heaviness of his sleep, We put fresh garments on him.

Phys. Be by, good madam, when we do awake him; I doubt not of his temperance.

Cor.

Very well.

Phys. Please you, draw near.-Louder the musick there.
Cor. O, my dear father! Restoration, hang

Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss
Repair those violent harms, that my two sisters
Have in thy reverence made!

Kent.

Kind and dear princess!

Cor. Had you not been their father, these white flakes Had challeng'd pity of them. Was this a face

To be expos'd against the warring winds?

To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder?
In the most terrible and nimble stroke

Of quick, cross lightning? to watch (poor perdu!)
With this thin helm ? Mine enemy's dog,

Though he had bit me, should have stood that night
Against my fire; And wast thou fain, poor father,
To hovel thee with swine, and rogues forlorn,
In short and musty straw? Alack, alack!
'Tis wonder, that thy life and wits at once

Had not concluded all.'-He wakes; speak to him.
Phys. Madam, do you; 'tis fittest.

Cor. How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty?

Lear. You do me wrong, to take me out o'the grave:Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound

૧ to watch (poor perdu!)

With this thin helm?] The allusion is to the forlorn hope in an army, which are put upon desperate adventures, and called in French enfans perdus. With this thin helm? i. e. this thin covering of hair.-WARBURTON and MALONE.

r Had not concluded all.] i. e. It is wonder that thy wits and life at once had not all ended.-JOHNSON.

Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears

Do scald like molten lead.

Cor.

Sir, do you know me?

Lear. You are a spirit, I know; When did you die?
Cor. Still, still, far wide!

Phys. He's scarce awake; let him alone awhile.

Lear. Where have I been? Where am I?-Fair daylight?

I am mightily abus'd.—I should even die with pity,
To see another thus.-I know not what to say.-
I will not swear, these are my
hands :-let's see;
I feel this pin prick. 'Would I were assur'd

Of my condition.

Cor.

O, look upon me, sir,

And hold your hands in benediction o'er me :-
No, sir, you must not kneel.

Lear.

Pray do not mock me:

I am a very foolish fond old man,

Fourscore and upward; and, to deal plainly,

I fear, I am not in my perfect mind.

Methinks, I should know you, and know this man;
Yet I am doubtful: for I am mainly ignorant
What place this is; and all the skill I have
Remembers not these garments; nor I know not
Where I did lodge last night: Do not laugh at me;
For, as I am a man, I think this lady

To be my child Cordelia.

Cor.

And so

I am,

I am.

Lear. Be your tears wet? Yes, 'faith. I pray, weep

not:

If you have poison for me, I will drink it.

I know, you do not love me; for your sisters
Have, as I do remember, done me wrong:

You have some cause, they have not.

Cor.

Lear. Am I in France?
Kent.

Lear. Do not abuse me.

No cause, no cause.

In your own kingdom, sir.

Phys. Be comforted, good madam: the great rage, You see, is cur'd in him: and yet it is danger

To make him even o'er the time he has lost."
Desire him to go in; trouble him no more,
Till further settling.

Cor. Will't please your highness walk?

Lear.

You must bear with me:

Pray now, forget and forgive: I am old, and foolish. [Exeunt LEAR, CORDELIA, Physician, and

Attendants.

Gent. Holds it true, sir,

That the duke of Cornwall was so slain?

His banish'd son, is with the earl of Kent

"Tis time to look about; the powers o'the kingdom

Approach apace.

Gent. The arbitrement is like to be a bloody.

Fare you well, sir.

[Exit.

Kent. My point and period will be throughly wrought, Or well, or ill, as this day's battle's fought.

ACT V.

[Exit.

SCENE I.-The Camp of the British Forces, near Dover.

Enter with Drums and Colours, EDMUND, REGAN, Officers, Soldiers, and others.

Edm. Know of the duke, if his last purpose hold; Or whether since he is advis'd by aught

To change the course; He's full of alteration,

And self-reproving :-bring his constant pleasure.'

[To an Officer, who goes out.

s To make him even o'er the time he has lost.] i. e. To render all that past during the interval of his insanity even (i. e. plain or level) to his understanding, while it continues in its present state of uncertainty.-STEEVENS.

his constant pleasure.] His settled resolution.-JOHNSON.