By me invested, he compeers the best. band you. Reg. Jesters do oft prove prophets. 70 Holla, holla! That eye that told you so look'd but a-squint. Reg Lady, I am not well; else I should answer From a full-flowing stomach. General, Gon. Alb. Half-blooded fellow, yes. 80 Reg. [To Edmund] Let the drum strike, and prove my title thine. Alb. Stay yet; hear reason. rest thee Edmund, I ar On capital treason; and, in thine attaint, Capt. Sound, trumpet! [A trumpet sounds. Her. [Reads] If any man of quality or degree within the lists of the army will maintain upon Edmund, supposed Earl of Gloucester, that he is a manifold traitor, let him appear by the third sound of the trumpet: he is bold in his defence.' Edm. Sound! Her. Again! Her. Again! [First trumpet. [Second trumpet. [Third trumpet. [Trumpet answers within. Enter EDGAR, at the third sound, armed, with a trumpet before him. Alb. Ask him his purposes, why he appears What are you? 119 I come to cope. Edm. Himself: what say'st thou to him? That, if my speech offend a noble heart, This gilded serpent [ pointing to Gon.]. For your Thy valour and thy heart, thou art a traitor: claim, fair sister, I bar it in the interest of my wife: 'Tis she is sub-contracted to this lord, Gon. An interlude! False to thy gods, thy brother, and thy father; Alb. Thou art arm'd, Gloucester: let the Thon liest. If none appear to prove upon thy head Ere I taste bread, thou art in nothing less Reg. Sick, O, sick! Gon. [Aside] If not, I'll ne'er trust medicine. 140 Edm. In wisdom I should ask thy name; 1 Where they shall rest for ever. Trumpets, speak! Edmund falls. This is practice, Gloucester: 151 By the law of arms thou wast not bound to answer An unknown opposite; thou art not vanquish'd, But cozen'd and beguiled. Alb. Shut your mouth, dame, Or with this paper shall I stop it: Hold, sir: Thou worse than any name, read thine own evil: No tearing, lady; I perceive you know it. [Gives the letter to Edmund. Gon. Say, if I do, the laws are mine, not thine: Who can arraign me for't? Alb. Most monstrous! oh! 159 And more, much more; the time will bring it out: Let's exchange charity. I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund; Edm. 170 Thou hast spoken right, 'tis true; The wheel is come full circle: I am here. Alb. Methought thy very gait did prophesy A royal nobleness: I must 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 yourself? 179 How have you known the miseries of your father? Edg. By nursing them, my lord. List a brief tale: And when 'tis told, O, that my heart would burst! Edm. This speech of yours hath moved me, To amplify too much, would make much more, And top extremity. 209 Whilst I was big in clamour came there in a man, Follow'd his enemy king, and did him service 220 Enter a Gentleman, with a bloody knife. What kind of help? Speak, man. 'Tis hot, it smokes; Edg. What means that bloody knife? It came even from the heart of-O, she's dead! Gent. Your lady, sir, your lady: and her sister By her is poisoned; she hath confess'd it. Edm. I was contracted to them both: all three Now marry in an instant. Edg. Here comes Kent. 229 Alb. Produce their bodies, be they alive or dead: This judgement of the heavens, that makes us tremble, Touches us not with pity. [Exit Gentleman. I know when one is dead, and when one lives; Is this the promised end? Fall, and cease! Lear. This feather stirs : she lives! if it be so, It is a chance which does redeem all sorrows That ever I have felt. Kent. [Kneeling] O my good master! Lear. Prithee, away. Edg. 'Tis noble Kent, your friend. Lear. A plague upon you, murderers, traitors all! 271 I might have saved her; now she's gone for ever! Did I not, fellow? I have seen the day, with my good biting falchion I would have made them skip: I am old now, And these same crosses spoil me. Who are you? Mine eyes are not o' the best: I'll tell you straight. Kent. If fortune brag of two she loved and hated, One of them we behold. 280 Lear. This is a dull sight. Are you not Kent? Kent. The same, Your servant Kent. Where is your servant Caius? Lear. He's a good fellow, I can tell you that; He'll strike, and quickly too: he's dead and rotten. Kent. No, my good lord; I am the very man,Lear. I'll see that straight. Kent. That, from your first of difference and decay, Have follow'd your sad steps. With boot, and such addition as your honours Have more than merited. All friends shall taste The wages of their virtue, and all foes The cup of their deservings. O, see, see! Lear. And my poor fool is hang'd! No, no. no life! Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, Pray you, undo this button: thank you, sir. That would upon the rack of this tough world Alb. Bear them from hence. Our present business Is general woe. [To Kent and Edgar] Friends of my soul, you twain Rule in this realm, and the gored state sustain. Kent. I have a journey, sir, shortly to go; 321 My master calls me, I must not say no. Alb. The weight of this sad time we must obey; Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say. The oldest hath borne most: we that are young Shall never see so much, nor live so long. [Exeunt, with a dead march. Rod. Tush! never tell me; I take it much And not by old gradation, where each second unkindly That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this. lago. 'Sblood, but you will not hear me: If ever I did dream of such a matter, Abhor me. Rod. Thou told'st me thou didst hold him in thy hate. Iago. Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city, In personal suit to make me his lieutenant, Nonsuits my mediators; for, 'Certes,' says he, Forsooth, a great arithmetician, 10. 20 A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife; By debitor and creditor: this counter-caster, 30 And I-God bless the mark!-his Moorship's ancient. Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge your self, Whether I in any just term am affined To love the Moor. бо And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir, 70 Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight, Rod. Here is her father's house; I'll call aloud. Iago. Do, with like timorous accent and dire yell As when, by night and negligence, the fire Rod. What, ho, Brabantio! Signior Brabantio, ho! Iago. Awake! what, ho, Brabantio! thieves! thieves! thieves! Look to your house, your daughter and your bags! Thieves! thieves! 81 BRABANTIO appears above, at a window. Bra. What is the reason of this terrible summons? What is the matter there? Rod. Signior, is all your family within? Why, wherefore ask you this? lago. 'Zounds, sir, you're robb'd; for shame, put on your gown; Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul; Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, go You are a senator. Iago. 120 Rod. Sir, I will answer any thing. But, I beseech you, If 't be your pleasure and most wise consent, I thus would play and trifle with your reverence: Of here and every where. Straight satisfy your self: If she be in her chamber or your house, Let loose on me the justice of the state For thus deluding you. Bra. 140 Strike on the tinder, ho! Give me a taper! call up all my people! This accident is not unlike my dream: Belief of it oppresses me already. Light, I say! light! [Exit above. lago. Farewell; for I must leave you: It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place, To be produced-as, if I stay, I shall Against the Moor: for, I do know, the state, However this may gall him with some check, Cannot with safety cast him, for he's embark'd With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars, Which even now stand in act, that, for their souls, Another of his fathom they have none, To lead their business: in which regard, Though I do hate him as I do hell-pains, mad-Yet, for necessity of present life, Bra. What, have you lost your wits? voice? Bra. Not I: what are you? The worser welcome: Rod. Sir, sir, sir,Bra. But thou must needs be sure My spirit and my place have in them power To make this bitter to thee. Patience, good sir. Bra. What tell'st thou me of robbing? this is Venice; My house is not a grange. Rod. Most grave Brabantio, In simple and pure soul I come to you, Iago. 'Zounds, sir, you are one of those that will not serve God, if the devil bid you. Because we come to do you service and you think we are ruffians, you'll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse; you'll have your nephews neigh to you; you'll have coursers for cousins and gennets for gernians. Bra. What profane wretch art thou? Iago. I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs. Bra. Thou art a villain. 151 I must show out a flag and sign of love, Which is indeed but sign. That you shall surely find him, Lead to the Sagittary the raised search: And there will I be with him. So, farewell. 160 [Exit. Enter, below, BRABANTIO, and Servants with torches. Bra. It is too true an evil: gone she is; And what's to come of my despised time Is nought but bitterness. Now, Roderigo, Where didst thou see her? O unhappy girl! With the Moor, say'st thou? Who would be a father! How didst thou know 'twas she? O, she deceives |