Kent. To be acknowledg'd, madam, is o'erpaid;
All my reports go with the modeft truth,
Nor more, nor clipt, but fo.

Cor. Be better fuited;

Thefe weeds are memories of those worfer hours;
I pr'ythee, put them off.

Kent. Pardon, dear madam,

Yet to be known, fhortens my made intent; My boon I make it, that you know me not, 'Till time and I think meet.

Cor. Then be it fo,

My Lord. How does the King?

Phyf. Madam, fleeps ftill.

Cor. O you kind gods!

[To the Phyfician,

Cure this great breach in his abufed nature;
Th' untun'd and jarring fenfes, O, wind up
Of this child-changed father.

Phyf. Pleafe your Majefty,

That we may wake the King, he hath flept long?
Cor. Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed
I' th' fway of your own will: is he array'd?

Enter Lear in a chair, carried by fervants.
Phyf. Ay, madam; in the heaviness of sleep,
We put fresh garments on him.

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

Cor. O my dear father! restoration, hang
Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kifs
Repair thofe violent barms, that my two fifters
Have in thy reverence made!

Kent. Kind and dearest Princefs!

Cor. Had you not been their father, these white flakes Did challenge pity of them. Was this a face,

To be expos'd against the warring winds?

To ftand against the deep, dread-bolted thunder? (53)

In the most terrible and nimble ftroke

(53) To ftand against the deep,] The following three lines and an half, in no wise unworthy of our author, I have restored from the old 419.

of

Of quick, crofs lightning? To watch poor Perdue,
With this thin helm ? My very enemy's dog,
Though he had bit me, thou'd have ftood that night
Against my fire: And waft thou fain, poor father,
To hovel thee with fwine and rogues forlorn,
In fhort and mufty ftraw? alack, alack!
'Tis wonder, that thy life and wits, at once,
Had not concluded all.-He wakes; speak to him.
Phyf. 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' th' grave; Thou art a foul in blifs, but I am bound

Upon a wheel of fire; that mine own tears
Do fcald like molten lead.

Cor. Sir, do you know me?

Lear. You are a fpirit, I know; when did you die? Cor. Still, fill, far wide

Phyf. He's fcarce awake, let him alone awhile. Lear. Where have I been? where am I? fair day-light? I'm mightily abus'd; I should even die with pity, To fee another thus. I know not what to fay; I will not fwear, these are my hands: let's fee, I feel this pin prick: would I were assur'd Of my condition.

Cor. O look upon me, Sir,

And hold your hand 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,

Four core and upward; and to deal plainly,
I fear, I am not in my perfect mind.

Methinks, I fhould know you, and know this man ;
Yet I am doubtful for I'm mainly ignorant,

What place this is; and all the skill I have,
Remembers not thefe garments; nay, I know not
Where I did lodge laft night. Do not laugh at me,,
For, as I am a man, I think, this Lady

To be my child Cordelia..

Cor. And fo I am; I am..

Lear. Be your tears wet? yes, faith; I pray you, weep not.

E 3

If you have poifon for me, I will drink it;
I know, you do not love me; for your fifters
Have, as I do remember, done me wrong.
You have fome caufe, they have not.
Car. No caufe, no caufe.

Lear. Am I in France?

Kent. In your own kingdom, Sir.
Lear. Do not abuse me.

Phyf. Be comforted, good madam; the great rage,
You ice, is cur'd in him :-and, yet, 'twere danger
To make him even o'er the time, h' as loft.
Defire him to go in; trouble him no more,

Till further fettling.

Cor. Will't pleafe your Highness walk?
Lear. You must bear with me;

Pray you now, forget and forgive';

I am old and foolith.

[Exeunt Lear, Cord. Phyf. and Attendants.

Manent Kent and Gentleman.

Gent. Holds it true, Sir, that the Duke of Cornwall was fo flain? (54)

Kent. Moft certain, Sir.

Gent. Who is conductor of his people?

Kent. As 'tis faid, the bastard fon of Glofter.

Gent. They fay, Edgar, his banish'd Son, is with the Earl of Kent in Germany.

Kent. Report is changeable: 'Tis time to look about: the powers of the kingdom approach apace.

Gent. The arbitrement is like to be bloody.-Fare you well, Sir.

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

[Exit Kent.

(54) Gent. Holds it true, Sir ?] This fhort dialogue, which was retrench'd by the players in their edition, I have reftored from the old 4to. The matter of it is natural and eafy; and though the language be not pompous, it is to the fubject: and the uncertainty of common report, with regard to Kent and Edgar, must be very pleafing to the audience, who knew how rumour was mistaken in representing them to be abroad.

***

ACT V.

SCENE, a Camp.

Enter Edmund, Regan, Gentleman, and Soldiers.

K

EDM UN D.

Now of the Duke, if his laft purpose hold;
Or whether fince he is advis'd by aught,

To change the courfe? he's full of alteration,
And felf-reproving: bring his conftant pleasure. (55)
Reg. Our fifter's man is certainly miscarry'd.
Edm. 'Tis to be doubted, madam.

Reg. Now, fweet Lord,

You know the goodness I intend upon you:
Tell me but truly, but then speak the truth,
Do you not love my fifter?

Edm. In honour'd love.

Reg. But have you never found my brother's way

To the fore-fended place?.

Edm. No, by mine honour, madam.

Reg. I never fhall endure her; dear my Lord,

Be not familiar with her.

Edm. Fear not; fhe, and the Duke her husband

Enter Albany, Gonerill, and Soldiers.

Gon. I'd rather lofe the battle, than that fifter (56) Should loofen him and me.

(55) ---be's full of alteration,

[afide.

And felf-reproving brings bis conftant pleasure.] Thus in the impref fions by Mr. Pope is this paffage moft nonfenfically read, and pointed. But fome better copies have affifted to fet it right.

(56) Gon. I'd rather lofe the battle,-] This I have reftored from the old 4to; and confidering the jealousy of the Princeffes on each fide, it comes very naturally from Gonerill, upon her feeing Regan and Edmund together; as well as helps to mark the business going on, to the reader.

Alb. Our very loving fifler, well be met:
Sir, this I hear, the King is come to his daughter,
With others, whom the rigor of our state
Forc'd to cry out. Where I could not be honest,
I never yet was valiant: 'fore this business, (57)
It toucheth us, as France invades our land,
(Not holds the King, with others, whom, I fear,
Moft juft and heavy caufes make oppofe,)-
Edm. Sir, you speak nobly.

Reg. Why is this reafon'd?

Gon. Combine together 'gainst the enemy: For thefe domeftic and particular broils

Are not the question here.

Edm. I fhall attend you prefently at your tent.
Alb. Let's then determine with th' ancient of war

On our proceeding.

Reg. Sifter, you'll go with us?

Gon. No.

Reg. 'Tis moft convenient, pray you, go with us,
Gon. Oh ho, I know the riddle, I will go.

As they are going out, Enter Edgar disguis'd.

Edg. If e'er your Grace had speech with man fo poor, Hear me one word.

If

Alb. I'll overtake you :-speak.

[Exeunt Edm. Reg. Gon, and Attendants. Edg. Before you fight the battle, ope this letter. you have vict'ry, let the trumpet found

For him that brought it: wretched though I feem,
I can produce a champion, that will prove

(57)

-for this business,

It touches us, as France invades our land,

Not holds the King, with others whom I fear

Moft juft and beavy caufes make oppofe,] I have made a flight variation in thefe lines, which are added from the old 4to. Albany's fpeech feems interrupted, before finished: and this I take to be the purport of what he was going to fay. "Before we fight this battle, Sir, it 66 concerns me, (tho' not the King, and the difcontented party;) 66 to queftion about your intereft in our fifter, and the event of the "war."-And Regan and Gonerill, in their replies, both feem apprehenfive that this fubject was coming into debate.

What