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To fend the old and miferable King
To fome retention and appointed guard;
Whose 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,
My reafon all the fame; and they are ready
To-morrow, or at further fpace, t' appear
Where we shall hold our feffion.

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 so far. He led our pow'rs,
Bore the commiffion of my place and perfon,
The which immediate may well stand up,

And call itself 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 invested, he compeers the best.

Alb. That were the most, if he fhould 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 fhould answer

From a full flowing ftomach. General,

Take thou my foldiers, prifoners, patrimony,
Difpofe of them, of me, they all are thine:
Witness the world that I create thee here
My Lord and mafter.

Gon. Mean you to enjoy him?

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

Baft. Nor in thine, Lord.

Alb. Half-blooded fellow, yes.

Reg. Let the drum ftrike, and prove my title thine.

[To the Baft. They offer to go out.

VOL. IV.

Alb.

Alb. Stay: hear my reafon : Edmund, I arreft thee On capital treafon, and in thy arreft,

This gilded ferpent; for your claim, fair sister,
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'fler, let the trumpet found:

If none appear to prove upon thy perfon

Thy heinous, manifeft, and many treasons,

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.

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Reg. Sick, O fick·

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

[Afide.

Baft. There's my exchange; what in the world he is That names me traitor, villain-like he lies;

Call by the trumpet: he that dares approach,
On him, on you, (whom not?) I will maintain
My truth and honour firmly.

Alb. A herald, ho!

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

Reg. My fickness grows upon me.

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

SCENE VII.

[Exit Regan,

Enter a Herald.

[A trumpet Sounds.

Come hither, herald, let the trumpet found,

And read out this.

Herald reads.

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: be is bold in bis defence.

Her. Again.

Her. Again.

I trumpet.

2 trumpet. 3 trumpet.

[Trumpet anfwers him within.

Enter

Enter Edgar armed.

Alb. Afk 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 present fummons?

Edg. Know, my name is loft,

By treafon's tooth bare-gnawn and canker-bit ;
Yet am I noble as the adversary

I come to cope.

Alb. Which is that adversary?

Edg. What's he that speaks for Edmund Earl of Glofter Baft. Himfelf; what fay'ft thou to him?

Edg. Draw thy fword,

That if my speech 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,
Spight 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 'gainst this high illuftrious Prince,
And from th' extreameft upward of thy head,
To the defcent and duft below thy foot,
A moft toad-fpotted traitor. Say thou no,
This fword, this arm, and my best spirits are bent
To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak,
Thou lieft.

Baft. In wisdom I should ask thy name;

But fince thy out-fide looks fo fair and warlike,
And that thy tongue fome 'fay of breeding breathes,
What fafe and nicely I might well delay

By rule of Knight-hood, I difdain and spurn:
Back do I tofs thefe treafons to thy head,
With the hell-hated lie o'erwhelm thy heart,
To which, (for they yet glance by, fcarcely bruifing)
This fword of mine fhall give them inftant way,

Say for Effay, fome haw or probability.

Where

Where they shall reft for ever. Trumpets, fpeak. [Alarm. Fight. Bastard falls. Gon. Save him, O fave him; this is practice, Glofter:

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,
Or with this paper shall 1 ftop it;

Thou worse 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. Monfter, know'st thou

This paper?

Gon. Afk me not what I do know.

[Exit Gon.

Alb. Go after her, fhe's defperate, govern her,

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Bast. What you have charg'd me with, that I have done, And more, much more; the time will bring us 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 our charity:

I am no lefs in blood than thou art, Edmund;
If more, the more thou'ft wrong'd me.
My name is Edgar, and thy father's fon.
The Gods are juft, and of our pleasant vices
Make inftruments to plague and punish us:
The dark and vicious place, where thee he got,
Coft him his eyes.

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

The wheel is come full circle, I am here.

Alb. Methought thy very gate did prophefie [Ta Edgar.

A royal nobleness; I must embrace thee a

Let forrow fplit my heart, if ever I

Did hate thee or thy father.

Edg. Worthy Prince,

I know it well.

Alb. Where have you hid yourself?

How have you known the miferies of your father?

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Edg

Edg. By nurfing them, my Lord. Lift a brief tale,
And when 'tis told, (O that my heart would burst!
The bloody proclamation to escape

That follow'd me so 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 femblance
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, beg'd for him, fav'd him from defpair,
Never (O fault) reveal'd myself unto him,'
Until fome half hour paft, when I was arm'd,
Not fure though hoping of this good fuccefs,
I afk'd his bleffing, and from firft to laft
Told him my pilgrimage. But his flaw'd heart,
Alack, too weak the conflict to support,
'Twixt two extreams of paffion, joy and grief,
Burft frailingly.

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

Alb. If there be more, more woful, hold it in, For I am almost ready to diffolve,

Hearing of this.

SCENE IX. Enter a Gentleman.

Gent. Help, help!

Edg. What kind of help?

Alb. Speak, man.

Edg. What means this bloody knife?

Gent. 'Tis hot, it fmoaks, 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 fifter

By her is poifon'd! fhe confeffes it.

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

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