Burft fmilingly.

yours

Edm. This fpeech of hath mov'd me, And fhall, perchance, do good: but speak you on; You look as you had fomething more to fay.

Alb. If there be more, more woeful, hold it in; For I am almoft ready to diffolve,

Hearing of this.

[Edg. This would have feem'd a period To fuch as love not forrow; but, another ;To amplify too much, would make much more, And top extremity :

Whilft I was big in clamour, came there in a man,
Who having feen me in my worst estate,

Shunn'd my abhorr'd fociety; but then, finding
Who 'twas that fo endur'd, with his ftrong arms
He faften'd on my neck, and bellow'd out
As he'd burft heaven; threw him on my father;
Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him,
That ever ear receiv'd: which in recounting,
His grief grew puiffant, and the strings of life
Began to crack: Twice then the trumpet founded,
And there I left him tranc'd.

Alb. But who was this?

Edg. Kent, fir, the banish'd Kent; who in disguise Follow'd his enemy king, and did him service Improper for a flave.]

Enter a Gentleman haftily, with a bloody knife,

Gent. Help! help! O help!

Edg. What kind of help?

Alb. Speak, man.

Edg. What means this bloody knife?

Gent. 'Tis hot, it smokes ;

It came even from the heart of

O! she's dead !

Alb.

Alb. Who, man? speak.

Gent. Your lady! fir, your lady! and her fifter By her is poifon'd; fhe hath confefs'd it.

Edr. I was contracted to them both; all three Now marry in an inftant.

Enter KENT.

Alb. Produce the bodies, be they alive or dead![GONERIL and REGAN's Bodies brought out.

This judgment of the heavens, that makes us tremTouches us not with pity.

Edg. Here comes Kent, fir.

[ble,

Alb. O is this he? The time will not allow The compliment which very manners urge.

Kent. I am come

To bid my king and mafter aye good night;
Is he not here?

Alb. Great thing of us forgot!

Speak, Edmund, where's the king? and where's

See'ft thou this object, Kent?

Kent. Alack, why thus?

Edm. Yet Edmund was belov'd;

[Cordelia?

The one the other poifon'd for my fake,
And after flew herself.

Alb. Even fo.-Cover their faces.

Edm. I pant for life :-Some good I mean to do,
Defpight of mine own nature. Quickly fend-
Be brief it- -to the caftle; for my writ

Is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia :-
Nay, fend in time.

Alh. Run, run, O, run—

Edg. To whom, my lord?-Who has the office?

Thy token of reprieve.

Edm. Well thought on; take my fword,

[fend

Give it the captain.

Edg. Hafte thee for thy life.

[Exit Meffenger.

Eam. He hath commiffion from thy wife and me To hang Cordelia in the prifon, and

To lay the blame upon her own defpair,

That the fordid herself.

Alb. The gods defend her! Bear him hence a

while.

[EDMUND is borne off.

Enter LEAR, with CORDELIA dead in his arms. Lear. Howl, howl, howl, howl!--O, you are men of stones;

Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them fo That heaven's vault should crack :-O, she is gone for ever!

I know when one is dead, and when one lives;
She's dead as earth :-Lend me a looking-glass;
If that her breath will mist or ftain the ftone,
Why, then the lives.

Kent. Is this the promis'd end?
Edg. Or image of that horror?
Alb. Fall, and ceafe!

Lear. This feather ftirs; fhe lives! if it be fo, It is a chance that does redeem all forrows That ever I have felt.

Kent. O my good master!

Lear. Pr'ythee, away.

Edg. 'Tis noble Kent, your friend.

Lear. A plague upon you, murderers, traitors all!

I might have fav'd her; now fhe's gone

for ever!

Cordelia! Cordelia! ftay a little. Ha!

What is't thou fay'st?—Her voice was ever soft, Gentle, and low; an excellent thing in woman :— I kill'd the flave that was a hanging thee.

Kent.

Kent. Tis true, my lords, he did.
Lear. Did I not, fellow?

I have feen the day, with my good biting faulchion I would have made them skip; I am old now, And these fame croffes fpoil me.-Who are you? Mine eyes are none o'the beft:-I'll tell you ftraight. Kent. If fortune brag of two she lov'd and hated, One of them we behold,

Lear. This is a dull fight: Are you not Kent? Kent. The fame; your servant Kent: Where is your fervant Caius ?

Lear. He's a good fellow, I can tell you that; He'll ftrike, and quickly too:-He's dead and rotten. Kent. No, my good lord; I am the very man ;Lear. I'll fee that straight.

Kent. That, from your firft of difference and decay. Have follow'd your fad steps.

Lear. You are welcome hither.

Kent. Nor no man elfe; all's cheerless, dark, and deadly.

Your eldest daughters have fore-doom'd themselves, And defperately are dead.

Lear. Ay, fo I think.

Alb. He knows not what he says; and vain it is That we present us to him.

Edg. Very bootless.

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. Edmund is dead, my lord.

Alb. That's but a trifle here.

You lords, and noble friends, know our intent. What comfort to this great decay may come, Shall be apply'd: For us, we will refign, During the life of this old majesty,

Το

To him our abfolute power :-You, to your rights; [To EDGAR. With boot, and fuch addition as your honours Have more than merited.-All friends fhall taste of their virtue, and all foes

The wages

The cup of their defervings.-O, see, see!

Lear. And my poor fool is hang'd! No, no, no life: Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, And thou no breath at all? O, thou wilt come no Never, never, never, never, never !— [more, Pray you, undo this button: Thank you, fir.Do you fee this? Look on her, look on her lips, Look there, look there![He dies. Edg. He faints;-My lord, my lord Kent. Break, heart; I pr'ythee, break! Edg. Look up, my lord.

Kent. Vex not his ghoft: O, let him pafs! he hates That would upon the rack of this tough world [him, Stretch him out longer.

Edg. O, he is gone, indeed!

Kent. The wonder is, he hath endur'd so long; He but ufurp'd his life.

Alb. Bear them from hence.--Our present business Is general woe. Friends of my foul, you twain [To KENT and EDGAR. Rule in this realm, and the gor'd state sustain. Kent. I have a journey, fir, fhortly to go; My mafter calls, and I must not fay-no.

Alb. The weight of this fad time we must obey; Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say. The oldest hath borne most: we, that are young, Shall never fee fo much, nor live fo long.

[Exeunt, with a dead March.

THE END.