SCENE II.

As they are going out, Enter Edgar difguis'd. Edg. IF e'er your Grace had speech with man so

poor,

Hear me one word.

Alb. I'll overtake you : fpeak.

[Exeunt Edm. Reg. Gon. and Attendants. Edg. Before you fight the battle, ope this letter. If you have victory, 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 mifcarry, Your business of the world hath so an end, And machination ceases. Fortune love you! Alb. Stay 'till I've read the letter.

Edg. I was forbid it.

When time fhall ferve, let but the herald

And I'll appear again.

cry,

[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 guess of their true ftrength and forces, By diligent discovery; but your hafte

Is now urg'd on you.

Alb. We will greet the time.

SCENE

[Exit.

III.

O both these fifters have I fworn

my love:

Edm. 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;

F 2

And

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 fpeedy 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: for my ftate Stands on me to defend, not to debate.

Alarm within.

[Exit.

Enter with drum and colours, Lear, Cordelia, and foldiers over the flage, and exeunt. Enter Edgar and Glo'fter.

Edg. H

ERE, father, take the fhadow 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 even here. Edg. what, in ill thoughts again? men must endure There going hence, ev'n as their coming hither: Ripenefs is all; come on.

Glo. And that's true too.

SCENE

[Exeunt.

V.

Enter in Conqueft, with Drum and Colours, Edmund; Lear and Cordelia, as prifoners; Soldiers, Captain. OME Officers take them away; good guard, Until their greater pleafures firft be known,

Edm.

That

That are to cenfure them.

Cor. We're not the first,

Who with beft meaning have incurr'd the worft:
For thee, oppreffed King, am I caft down;

Myfelf could elle out-frown false fortune's frown.
Shall we not see these daughters and these sisters?
Lear. No, no, no, no: come, let's away to prison;
We two alone will fing, like birds i'th' cage:
When thou doft ask me Blessing, I'll kneel down,
And ask 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,

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,

[thee?
The Gods themselves throw incenfe. Have I caught
He that parts us, fhall bring a brand from heav'n,
And fire us hence, like foxes; wipe thine eye,
The *goujeres fhall devour them, flesh and fell,
Ere they fhall make us weep; we'll fee them ftarv'd first.
Come.
[Exeunt Lear and Cordelia guarded.
Edm. Come hither, Captain, hark.

Take thou this note; go, follow them to prison.
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; thy great Employment
Will not bear queftion; 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. *Goujeres [French Pox.] Oxford Editor. Vulg. Good-jers.

Mark.

Mark, I fay, inftantly; and carry it fo,

As I have fet it down.

SCENE

[Exit Captain.

VI.

Flourish. Enter Albany, Gonerill, Regan, and Soldiers. IR, you have fhew'd to day your valiant ftrain,

Alb.

SIR, you

And fortune led you well: you have the Captives,
Who were the oppofites of this day's ftrife:
We do require them of you, so to use them,
As we fhall 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, whose title more,
To pluck the common bofoms on his fide;
And turn our impreft launces in our eyes. [Queen;
Which do command them. With him I fent the
My reafon all the fame; and they are ready
To-morrow, or at further space, t'appear

'Where you fhall hold your Seffion. At this time, We fweat and bleed; the Friend hath loft his Friend; And the beft Quarrels, in the Heat, are curft

By those that feel their Sharpness.

The Queftion of Cordelia, and her Father,
Requires a fitter Place.

Alb. Sir, by your patience,

I hold you but a Subject 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 Person ;
* The which immediacy may well stand up,
And call itself your brother.

The which immediacy-] Immediacy, for Represention.

Gon.

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 best.

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

Gon. Holla, Holla!

you.

That eye, that told you fo, look'd but a-fquint.
Reg. Lady, I am not well, elfe I fhould anfwer
From a full-flowing ftomach. General,
Take thou my foldiers, prisoners, patrimony,
Dispose of them, of me; the walls are thine:
Witness the World, that I create thee here
My lord and mafter.

Gon. Mean you to enjoy him?

Alb. The Lett alone lies not in your good Will. Edm. Nor in thine, lord.

Alb. Half-blooded fellow, yes.

Reg. Let the drum ftrike, and prove my Title thine. Alb. Stay yet; hear reafon: Edmund, I arreft thee On capital treafon; and, in thy Arreft,

This gilded Serpent; for your claim, fair fifter,
I bar it in the intereft of my wife;

'Tis fhe is fub-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'fter; let the trumpet found:

If none appear to prove upon thy perfon

Thy heinous, manifeft, and many treafons,
There is my Pledge: I'll prove it on thy heart,
Ere I tafte bread, thou art in nothing lefs
Than I have here proclaim'd thee.

Reg. Sick, O fick

Gon. If not, I'll ne'er truft poison.
F 4

[Afide.

Edm