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.

Truft 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.

Herald reads.

[A trumpet founds.

IF any man of Quality, or Degree, within the lifts of the army, will maintain upon Edmund fuppofed Earl of Glo'fter, that he is a manifold traitor, let him appear by the third found of the trumpet: he is bold in his defence.

1 trumpet.

2 trumpet.

3 trumpet.

[Trumpet answers, within.

Enter Edgar, armed.

Ab. Ask him his purposes, why he appears

Upon this Call o'th' trumpet.

Her. What are you?

Your name, your quality, and why you answer

This prefent fummons?

Edg. Know, my name is loft;

By treafon's tooth bare-gnawn, and canker-bit ;

Yet am I noble, as the Adverfary

I come to cope.

Alb. Which is that Adversary?

Edg. What's he, that fpeaks for Edmund Earl of

Glofter?

Edm.

Edm. Himself; what fay'ft thou to him?
Edg. Draw thy Sword,

That if my fpeech offend a noble heart,
Thy arm may do thee juftice; here is mine:
Behold, it is the privilege of mine Honours,
My Oath, and my Profeffion. I proteft,
Maugre thy ftrength, place, youth, and eminence,
Spite of thy victor-fword, and fire-new fortune,
Thy valour, and thy heart, thou art a traitor;
Falfe to thy Gods, thy brother, and thy father;
Confpirant 'gainft this high illuftrious Prince,
And from th' extreameft upward of thy head,
To the defcent and duft below thy foot,
A moft toad-spotted traitor. Say thou, no;
This fword, this arm, and my best spirits are bent
To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak,
Thou lieft.

Edm. In Wisdom I should ask thy name; But fince thy out-fide looks so fair and warlike, And that thy tongue fome 'Say of Breeding breathes; What fafe and nicely I might well delay

1

By rule of Knight-hood, I difdain and fpurn:
Back do I tofs these treasons to thy head,
With the hell-hated lie o'erwhelm thy heart;
Which (for they yet glance by, and scarcely bruife)
This fword of mine thall give them inftant way,
Where thou shalt reft for ever. Trumpets, fpeak.
[Alarm. Fight,

Gon. O, fave him, fave him; This is Practice,
Glofter: (28)

By th' law of war, thou waft not bound to answer
An unknown oppofite; thou art not vanquish'd,
But cozen'd and beguil'd.

Alb. Shut your mouth, Dame,

(28) Alb. Save bim, fave him.

Gon. This is Practice, Glo'fter:] Thus all the Copies have diftinguish'd thefe Speeches: but I have ventur'd to place the two Hemiftichs to Gonerill. 'Tis abfurd, that Albany, who knew Edmund's Treasons, and his own Wife's Paffion for him, fhould be folicitous to have his Life fav'd.

Or with this paper fhall I ftop it;

Thou worfe than any thing, read thine own evil :
No tearing, lady; I perceive, you know it.

Gon. Say, if I do; the Laws are mine, not thine; Who can arraign me for't?

Alb. Moniter, know'ft thou this paper? Gon. Ask me not, what I know[Exit Gon. Alb. Go after her, fhe's defperate, govern her. Edm. What you have charg'd me with, That I have done,

And more, much more, the time will bring it out.
'Tis paft, and fo am I: but what art thou

That haft this fortune on me? If thou'rt noble,
I do forgive thee.

Edg. Let's exchange charity:

I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund;
If more, the more thou'st wrong'd me.
My name is Edgar, and thy father's fon.

The Gods are juft, and of our pleasant vices
Make inftruments to fcourge us :

The dark and vicious place, where thee he got,
Coft him his eyes.

Edm. Thou'ft fpoken right, 'tis true,

The wheel is come full circle; I am here.

Alb. Methought, thy very gate did prophefie
A royal Nobleness: I muft embrace thee:
Let Sorrow split my heart, if ever I

Did hate thee, or thy father!

Edg. Worthy Prince, I know't.

Alb. Where have you hid your felf?

How have you known the miseries of your father?
Edg. By nurfing them, my lord. Lift a brief tale,
And, when 'tis told, O, that my heart would burst!
The bloody Proclamation to efcape

That follow'd me fo near, (O our lives' sweetness!
That we the pain of death would hourly bear,
Rather than die at once) taught me to shift
Into a mad man's rags; t'affume a Semblance,
The very Dogs difdain'd: and in this habit
Met I my father with his bleeding rings,

Their precious gems new loft; became his guide,
Led him, begg'd for him, fav'd him from defpair;
Never (O fault!) reveal'd my felf unto him,
Until fome half hour paft, when I was arm'd,
Not fure, though hoping, of this good fuccefs,
I ask'd his bleffing, and from firft to last
Told him my pilgrimage. But his flaw'd heart,
Alack, too weak the Conflict to fupport,

'Twixt two extreams of paffion, joy and grief,
Burst fmilingly.

Baft. This fpeech of yours hath mov'd me,
And fhall, perchance, do good; but fpeak you on,
You look, as you had fomething more to say.

Alb. If there be more,. more woful, 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 Sorrow: but Another,
To amplify too much, would make much more,
And top Extremity!

Whilft I was big in Clamour, came there a Man,
Who having feen me in my worfer State,

Shunn'd my abhorr'd Society; but now finding
Who 'twas, had fo endur'd, with his strong Arms
He faften'd on my Neck; and bellow'd out,
As he'd burft Heaven; threw him on my Father;
Told the moft 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 Trumpets founded,

And there I left him traunc'd.

Alb. But who was this?

Edg. Kent, Sir; the banish'd Kent, who in difguife Follow'd his enemy King, and did him Service

Improper for a Slave.

Enter a Gentleman.

Gent. Help, help!

Edg. What kind of help?

Ab. Speak, man.

Edg

E 4

Edg. What means this bloody knife?

Gent. "Tis hot, it smoaks; it came even from the heart Of- O! fhe's dead.

Alb. Who's dead? speak, man.

Gent. Your lady, Sir, your lady; and her fister By her is poifon'd; the confeffes it.

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

Edg. Here comes Kent.

Enter Kent.

Alb. Produce the bodies, be they alive or dead. [Gonerill and Regan's Bodies brought out. This Judgment of the heav'ns, that makes us tremble, Touches us not with pity. 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 Cordelia? See'ft thou this Object, Kent?

Kent. Alack, why thus ?

Edm. Yet Edmund was belov'd:

The one the other poifon'd for my fake,

And after flew her felf.

Alb. Even fo; cover their faces.

Edm. I pant for life; fome Good I mean to do, Defpight of mine own nature. Quickly fend, (Be brief) into the Caftle; for my Writ

Is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia:

Nay, fend in time.

Alb. Run, run, O run

Edg. To whom, my lord? who has the office? Send

Thy token of reprieve.

Edm. Well thought on, take my fword,

Give it the Captain

Edg. Hafte thee for thy life.

[Exit Meffenger.

Edm. He hath Commiffion from thy wife and me

To