What is avouched there. If you mifcarry,-
Your business 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 fhail ferve, let but the herald cry,

And I'll appear again.

[Exit.

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 guefs of their true ftrength and forces,
By diligent difcovery; but your hafte

Is now urg'd on you.

Alb. We will greet the time.

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

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 ufe
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 Gordelia,
The battle done, and they within our power,,
Shall never fee his pardon: for my state

Stands on me to defend, not to debate.

SCENE, another open Field.:

[Exiti

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

Enter Edgar and Glo'fter.

ERE, father, take the fhadow of this tree

If ever I return to you again,

I'll bring you comfort.

Glo. Grace be with you, Sir!

[Exit Edgar.

[Alarum, 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 even 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.

[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 first be known,
That are to cenfure them.

Cor. We're not the first,

Who with beft meaning have incurr'd the worst ;
For thee, oppreffed King, am I cast down;
Myfelf could eife 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: 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,
And we'll wear out,

As if we were God's fpies.

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 themselves throw incenfe, Have I caught thee?

Не

He that parts us, fhall bring a brand from heav'n,
And fire us hence, like foxes; wipe thine eye,
The good-jers fhall devour them, flesh and fell,
Ere they fhall make us weep; we'll fee 'em ftarv'd first.
Come.
[Ex. Lear and Cordelia guarded..

Edm. Come hither, Captain, hark.

Take thou this note; go, follow them to prifon.
One ftep I have advanc'd thee; if thou doft
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

Do's not become a fword; My great employment (58).
Will not bear question; 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 Flourish. Enter Albany, Gonerill, Regan, and Soldiers..

Alb. Sir, you have fhew'd to day your valiant strain,, And fortune led you well: you have the captives, Who were the oppofites of this day's ftrife: We do require them of you, fo to use them, As we shall 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 impreft launces in our eyes,

Which do command them. With him I fent the Queen ;:

(58) thy great employment

Will not bear queftion;] All the copies concur in reading thus; but, without doubt, erroneously. The perfon, whom Edmund is here Speaking to, was of no higher degree than a captain; and therefore, certainly, accountable to his fuperiors. Edmund, 'tis plain, muft mean; "I leading one of the conquerors' forces, and having employ'd thee in this bufinefs, will be thy fufficient warrant, and "will fecure thee from being queftioned about it."

My reafon all the fame; and they are ready

To-morrow, or at further space, t'appear
Where you fhall hold your feffion. At this time,
We sweat and bleed; the friend hath loft his friend.
And the best quarrels, in the heat, are curst

By thofe that feel their fharpnefs.

The queftion of Cordelia, and her father,
Requires a fitter place. (59)

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 spoke fo far. He led our pow'rs ;...,
Bore the commiffion of my place and perfon;
The which immediacy may well ftand up,

And call itfelf 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 beft..

Alb. That were the most, if he should husband you. Reg. Jefters do oft prove prophets.

Gon. Holla, holla!

That eye, that told you fo, look'd but a-fquint.

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

Take thou my foldiers, prisoners, patrimony,.
Difpofe of them, of me; the walls are thine:
Witnefs the world, that I create thee here
My Lord and master.

Gen. Mean you to enjoy him?

(59)

at this time

We fear and bleed, &c.] These very neceffary lines I have restor'd from the old 4to. and they were, certainly, first left out by the indifcretion of the players, merely for the fake of fhortning. But without them, as Edmund's fpeech is made to end, 'tis plain, he does not pretend to advife, but fubmits the whole procefs to Albany. How abfurdly then does the other reply, that be holds Edmund but a fubject of the war ?

Alb.

Alb. The lett alone lyes not in your good will.

Edm. Nor in thine, Lord..

Alb. Half-blooded fellow, yes.

Reg. Let the drum strike, and prove my title thine.. Alb. Stay yet; hear reafon: Edmund, I arrest thee

On capital treason; and, in thy arrest,

This gilded ferpent: for your claim, fair fister,
I bar it in the interest of my wife;

'Tis she is sub-contracted to this Lord,

And I, her husband, contradict your banes..
If you will marry, make your loves to me,

My Lady is bespoke.

Gon. An enterlude!

Alb. Thou art arm'd, Glo'ster; let the trumpet sound:

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 taste bread, thou art in nothing less

Than I have here proclaim'd thee.

Reg. Sick, O fick

Gon. If not, I'll ne'er trust poifon.

[Afide.

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

That names me traitor, villain-like he lies;

Call by thy trumpet: he that dares approach,
On him, on you, (who not?) I will maintain

My truth and honour firmly.

Alb. A herald, ho!

Enter a Herald.

Trust to thy fingle virtue; for thy foldiers,
All levied in my name, have in my name
Took their discharge.

Reg. This fickness grows upon me.

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

[Exit Reg. led.

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

[A trumpet sounds.

Herald