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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, begg'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 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,
Burft fmilingly.

Edm. This fpeech of yours hath mov'd me, And fhail, perchance, do good; but fpeak 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 a man,
Who having feen me in my worser state,

Shun'd my abhorr'd fociety; but now finding
Who 'twas, had so 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 most piteous tale of Lear and him,
That ever ear receiv'd; which in recounting
His grief grew puiffant, and the ftrings of life
Began to crack.Twice then the trumpets founded,
And there I left him tranc'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

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.

Edm. I was contracted to them both; all three

Now marry in an instant.

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 herself.

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

E 4

Thy

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 hang Cordelia in the prifon, and

To lay the blame upon her own despair.

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 stone; Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them fo, That heaven's vault fhould crack: fhe's gone for ever! I know, when one is dead, and when one lives; She's dead as earth! lend me a looking-glafs, If that her breath will mift or ftain the ftone, Why then the lives.

Kent. Is this the promis'd end?

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

Kent. O my good mafter!

Lear. Pr'ythee, away

Edg. "Tis noble Kent, your friend.

[Kneeling.

Lear. A plague upon you, murd'rous 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'ft? her voice was ever foft,
Gentle, and low; an excellent thing in woman.
I kill'd the flave, that was a hanging thee.
Gent. 'Tis true, my Lords, he did.
Lear. Did I not, fellow?
I've feen the day, with my good
I would have made them fkip:
And these fame croffes fpoil me.
Mine eyes are none o'th' beft.

I

biting faulchion
am old now,
Who are you?
I'll tell you
ftrait.
lov'd and hated,

Kent. If fortune brag of two she One of them we behold.

Lear. Are you not Kent ?

Kent.

Kent. The fame; your fervant Kent ; Where is your fervant Caius ?

Lear. "Twas a good fellow, I can tell you that, (29) He'd ftrike, and quickly too :-he's dead and rotten. Kent. No, my good Lord, I am the very man, Lear. I'll fee that strait.

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

Lear. You're welcome hither.

Kent.Nor no man elfe;-all's cheerlefs, dark, and dead; Your eldest daughters have fore-done themselves, And defp'rately are dead.

Lear. Ay, fo I think.

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

Edg. Very bootlefs.

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. Edmund is dead, my Lord.

Alb. That's but a trifle.

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 Majefty,

To him our abfolute power: to you, your rights,

[To Edgar. With boot, and fuch addition as your honours Have more than merited. All friends fhall tafte of their virtue, and all foes

The wages

The cup of their defervings: O fee, fee

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? thou'lt come no more,
Never, never, never, never, never-

(29) He's a good Fellow, I can tell you that,

He'll frike and quickly too: he's dead and rotten.] We have feen Lear mad; but, never, a ftark Fool till this Moment; to tell us, that a dead and rotten Man will ftrike quickly. But it was a Stupidity of the Editors, and not chargeable on the Poet.

£ 5

Pray

Pray you, undo this button. Thank you, Sir ;
Do you fee this? look on her, look on her lips,
Look there, look there

Edg. He faints; my lord,

Kent. Break heart, I pr'ythee, break!

Edg. Look up, my Lord.

[He dies.

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

Edg. He is

gone,

indeed.

Kent. The wonder is, he hath endur'd fo long:
He but ufurpt his life.

Alb. Bear them from hence, our present business
Is general woe: friends of my foul, you twain
Rule in this realm, and the gor'd state sustain.
Kent. I have a journey, Sir, fhortly to go;
My mafter calls me; I must not fay, no.

[Dies
Alb. The weight of this fad time we must obey, (30).
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to fay.
The oldest hath borne moft; we, that are young,
Shall never fee fo much, nor live fo long.

[Exeunt with a dead March.

:

(30) Alb. The Weight of this fad Time, &c.] This Speech from the Authority of the old Quarto is rightly placed to Athany in the Edition by the Players it is given to Edgar, by whom, I doubt not, it was of Cuftom fpoken. And the Cafe was this: He who played Edgar, being a more favourite Actor, than he who perfonated Albany; in Spight of Decorum, it was thought proper he should have the laft Word.

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