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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. I never fhall endure her.

Be not familiar with her.

Edm. Fear not,

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She and the Duke her husband

Enter Albany, Gonerill, and Soldiers.

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

Alb. Our very loving fifter, well be met.

[Afide.

4 Sir, this I hear, the King is come to his daughter, With others, whom the rigour of our state

thus,

Sir,

4 Sir, this I hear,-10-make thought, reads the fourth line oppofe, This is a very plain fpeech, and the meaning is, The King and others whom we have oppofed, are come to Cordelia. I could never be valiant but in a juft quarrel. We muft diftinguish; it is juft in one fenfe and unjuft in another. As France invades our land I am concerned to repel him, but as he bolds, entertains and fupports the King, and others whom I fear many juft and heavy caufes make, or compel, as it were, to oppofe us, I elleem, it unjuft to engage against them. This fpeech, thus interpreted according to the common reading, is likewife very neceffary; for otherwife, Albany, who is characteris'd as a man of honour and obferver of juftice, gives no reason for going to war with thofe, whom he owns had been much injured under the countenance of his power. Not withstanding this, Mr. Theobald, by an unaccountable turn of

I never yet was valiant: 'fore puts the two laft lines in a pathus business, &c. renthefis, and then paraphrases the whole in this manner. it concerns me (tho' not the King and the discontented party) to question, about your intereft in our fifter, and the event of the war. What he means by this I am not able to find out; but he gives a reafon why his reading and fenfe fhould be preferred. And Regan and Gonerill in their replies jeem both apprehenfive that this fubject all that we cau collect from their was coming into debate. Now replies, is that they were apprehenfive he was, going to blame their cruelty to Lear, Glofter, and other; which it is plain, from the common reading and the fenfe of the last line, he was. Meft juft and heavy causes make oppoje.

WARB.

Forc'd

Forc'd to cry out. Where I could not be honest,
I never yet was valiant: for this business,
It toucheth us, as France invades our Land,
Not bolds the King, with others, whom, I fear,
Moft just and heavy causes make oppose-
Edm. Sr, you speak nobly.

Reg. Why is this reafon'd?

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

Are not the question here.

Alb. Let's then determine with th' Antient of war

On our proceeding.

Edm. Ifball attend you prefently at your Tent.
Reg. Sifter, you'll go with us?

Gon. No.

Reg. 'Tis moft convenient. Pray you, go with us. Gon. [Afide.] Oh, ho, I know the riddle. I will go.

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

Edg. If e'er your Grace had fpeech 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
What is avouched there. If you miscarry,
Your bufinefs of the world hath fo an end,
And machination ceafes.

Fortune love you!

Alb. Stay 'till I've read the letter.

Edg. I was forbid it.

When time shall ferve, let but the herald cry,

And I'll appear again.

3

[Exit.

Alb.

Alb. Why, fare thee well. I will o'erlook thy

paper.

Re-enter Edmund.

Edm. The Enemy's in view, draw up your Powers. Hard is the guess of their true ftrength and forces, By diligent discovery; but your hafte

Is now urg'd on.

Alb. We will greet the time.

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[Exit.

Edm. To both these fifters have I fworn my love: Each jealous of the other, as the stung

Are of the adder. Which of them fhall I take?
Both? one? or neither? Neither can be enjoy'd,
If both remain alive. To take the widow,
Exafperates, makes mad her fifter Gonerill;
And hardly fhall I carry out my fide,

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 fee his pardon. 7 For my state
Stands on me to defend, not to debate.

5 We will greet the time ] We will be ready to meet the occafion.

-carry out my fide.] Bring my purpose to a fuccessful iffue, to completion. Side feems here to have the fenfe of the French word partie, in prendre partie, to take his refolution.

7

-For my fate

[Exit.

Stands on me, &c.] I do not think that for ftands in this place as a word of inference or caufality. The meaning is rather: Such is my determination concerning Lear; as for my state it requires now, not deliberation, but defence and support.

SCENE

Alarm within.

Edg.

SCENE IV.

Another open Field.

Enter with drum and colours, Lear, Cordelia, and foldiers over the stage, and exeunt.

H

Enter Edgar and Glo'fter.

ERE, father, take the shadow of this tree For your good Hoft; pray, that the right may thrive.

If ever I return to you again,

I'll bring you comfort.

Glo. Grace be with you, Sir!

[Exit Edgar.

[Alarm, and retreat, within.

Re-enter Edgar.

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

Glo. No further, Sir? a man may rot ev'n here. Edg. What, in ill thoughts again? men must

endure

Their going hence, ev'n as their coming hither.

Ripeness is all. Come on.

Glo. And that's true too.

SCENE V.

[Exeunt.

Enter in Conqueft, with Drum and Colours, Edmund; Lear and Cordelia, as prifoners; Soldiers, Captain.

Edm. Some Officers take them away. Good guard, Until their greater pleasures firft be known, That are to cenfure them.

Cor.

Cor. We're not the first,

Who with beft meaning have incurr'd the worst:
For thee, oppreffed King, am I caft down;
Myfelf could elfe out-frown falfe fortune's frown.
-Shall we not fee thefe daughters and these 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 Forgiveness. So 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,

8

9

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,

And take upon's the mystery of
things,

As if we were God's Spies, This whole fpeech is exquifitely fine, and an admirable defcrip. tion of the idle life of a coffeehoufe politician. The meaning of thefe two lines, which are a little ambiguous, is this. We will take upon us to inter pret and judge of the defigns of Providence in the various fortunes and revolutions of men and governments, as if we were placed for fpies over God Almighty, to watch his motions: God's pies fignifying either fpies employed by him or fet upon him, is the occafion of the obfcurity.

WARBURTON.
I rather take the other mean-

The

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