Cure this great breach in his abused nature! Phyf. So please your majesty, That we may wake the king? he hath slept long. Cor. Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed I' the sway of your own will. Is he array'd? Gent. Ay, madam; in the heaviness of his fleep, We put fresh garments on him. [him; Phyf. Be by, good madam, when we do awake I doubt not of his temperance. Cor. Very well. 5 Do fcald like molten lead. Cor. Sir, do you know me? [die? Lear. You are a spirit, I know: When did you Phyf. He's scarce awake; let him alone awhile. I am mightily abus'd 3.-I should even die with 10 To fee another thus.---I know not what to fay... I will not fwear, thefe are my hands :---let's fee; I feel this pin prick. 'Would I were affur'd Cor. O, look upon me, fir, 15 And hold your hands in benediction o'er me :No, fir, you must not kneel. Lear. Pray do not mock me: I am a very foolish fond old man, 20 Not an hour more, nor lefs: and, to deal plainly, [fic there! 30 Phyf. Please you, draw near.-Louder the muCor. O my dear father! Reftoration, hang Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kifs Repair thofe violent harms, that my two fifters Have in thy reverence made! Kent. Kind and dear princefs! [Aakes Cor. Had you not been their father, thefe white Of quick, crofs lightning! to watch (poor perdu !) Against my fire; And waft thou fain, poor father, In short and mufty ftraw? Alack, alack! 'Tis wonder, that thy life and wits at once 35 45 Cor. And fo I am, I am. [weep not: Lear. Be your tears wet? Yes, 'faith. I pray, If you have poifon for me, I will drink it. I know, you do not love me; for your fifters Cor. No caufe, no caufe. Lear. Am I in France? Had not concluded all.-He wakes; fpeak to him. 50 That the duke of Cornwall was so flain? Phyf. Madam, do you; 'tis fittest. Cor. How does my royal lord? How fares your Kent. Moft certain, fir. Gent. Who is conductor of his people? Kent. As it is faid, the baftard fon of Glofter. 55 His banifh'd fon, is with the earl of Kent 1i. e. All good which I fhall allot thee, or meafure cut to thee, will be fcanty. 2 i, e. Be better dreft, put on a better fuit of cloaths. 3 i. e. memorials, remembrancers. 4 An intent made, is an intent formed. So we fay in common language, to make a defign, and to make a refolution. changed to a child by his years and wrongs. • Reftoration is recovery perfonified. 7 The allufion, Dr. Warburton fays, is to the forlorn-hope in an army, which are put upon defperate adventures, and called, in French, enfans perdus; the therefore calls her father, poor perdu. 8 I am ftrangely impofed on by appearances; I am in a strange mift of uncertainty." 9 i. e. to reconcile it to his apprehenfion, Or whether fince he is advis'd by aught You know the goodness I intend upon you: 20 25 Tell me, Do you not love my fifter? Edm. In honour'd love. [way Reg. But have you never found my brother's To the fore-fended 2 place? 30 Edm. That thought abuses you. [junct Reg. I am doubtful that you have been con And bofom'd with her, as far as we call hers. Aib. Let us then determine With the ancient of war on our proceedings. [us. Reg. 'Tis moft convenient; pray you, go with [Exeunt Edm. Reg. Gon. and Attendants. Reg. I never fhall endure her: Dear my lord, 135 When time fhall serve, let but the herald cry, Be not familiar with her. Alb. Our very loving fifter, well be met. 3 Sir, this I hear, The king is come to his daughter, Reg. Why is this reafon'd? Gon. Combine together 'gainst the enemy: Each jealous of the other, as the ftung Are of the adder. Which of them shall I take? 50 Both? one? or neither? Neither can be enjoy'd, 3 The meaning of this 1 His fettled refolution. 2 Fore-fended means prohibited, forbidden. fpeech is, The king and others whom we have oppofed are come to Cordelia. I could never be valiant but in a juft quarrel. We must distinguish; it is just in one sense and unjust in another. As France invades our land, I am concerned to repel him; but as he holds, entertains, and fupports the king, and others whom I fear many just and heavy causes make, or compel, as it were, to oppofe us, I esteem it unjust to engage against them. 4 This business (fays Albany) touches us as France invades our land, not as it bolds the king, &c. i. e. emboldens him to affert his former title. 5 i. e. bring my purpose to a fuccefsful iffue, to completion. Side feems here to have the fenfe of the French word partie, in prendre partie, to take bis refolution, Edm. Take them away. Lear. Upon fuch facrifices, my Cordelia, The gods themselves throw incense. Have I caught thee? 5 He, that parts us, shall bring a brand from heaven, And fire us hence, like foxes 4. Wipe thine eyes; The goujeers 5 fhall devour them, flesh, and fell, Ere they fhall make us weep: we'll fee them ftarve first. 10 Come. 15 [Alarum, and retreat within. 20 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, fir; a man may rot even here. Their going hence, even as their coming hither: Glo. And that's true too. SCENE III. 25 [Exeunt Lear, and Cordelia, guarded. : Capt. I'll do't, my lord. Edm. About it; and write happy, when thou Mark,---I fay, inftantly; and carry it fo, Capt. I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dry'd oats; ftrain, [Exeunt. 30 And fortune led you well: You have the captives Enter, in conqueft, with drum and colours, Edinurd; Until their greater pleasures first be known That are to cenfure them. Cor. We are not the first, Who, with beft meaning, have incurr'd the worst. prifon : 4 45 We two alone will fing like birds i' the cage: As if we were God's ipies: And we'll wear out, 2 To fend the old and miferable king To fome retention, and appointed guard; To pluck the common bofom on his fide, And turn our impreft lances in our eyes Which do command them. With him I fent the queen; My reafon all the fame; and they are ready And the beft quarrels, in the heat, are curs'd Aib. Sir, by your patience, I hold you but a fubject of this war, Reg. That's as we lift to grace him. 1 Dr. Johnson thinks that for does not stand in this place as a word of inference or caufality. The meaning is rather: Such is my determination concerning Lear; as for my state it requires now, net deliberation, but defence and Jupport. i. c. To be ready, prepared, is all. 3 Packs is used for combinations or collection, as is a pack of cards. For fits, fets might be more commodiously read. Thus we say, affairs are new managed by a new fet. 4 It is ufual to fioke fix's out of their holes. 5 i. e. Markus Gallus. Gouge, Fr. fignifies one of the comtron women attending a camp; and as that disease was first difperfed over Europe by the French army, and the women who followed it, the first name it obtained among us was the gougeries, i. e. the difeafe of the gorges. 6 Flesh and skin. 7 The meaning is, that the important bufirefs he now had in hand, did not admit of debate: he muft instantly refolve to do it, or not. Si. e. turn the launcimen which are profe'd into our fervice, against us. Methinks, "If any man of quality, or degree, within the lifts of the army, will maintain upon Edmund, fuppofed earl of Glofter, that he is a manifold traitor, let him appear by the third found of the "trumpet: He is bold in his defence." That eye, that told you fo, look'd but a-fquint. Gon. Mean you to enjoy him? Alb. The let alone lies not in your good will 5. Alb. Half-blooded fellow, yes. Edm. Sound. Her. Again. 20 Alb. Stay yet; hear reafon :-Edmund, I arreft On capital treason; and, in thy arrest, [Pointing to Goneril. This gilded ferpent:-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 love to me, My lady is bespoke. Gon. An interlude ! Alb. Thou art arm'd, Glofter :-Let the trumpet found: Enter Edgar, armed. Alb. Afk him his purposes, why he appears Upon this call o' the trumpet. Her. What are you? Your name, your quality? and why you answer Edg. Know, my name is loft; By treafon's tooth bare-gnawn, and canker-bit ; 30I come to cope withal. Alb. Which is that adversary? [of Glofter? Edg. What's he, that speaks for Edmund earl 6 35 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 protest, Maugre thy ftrength, youth, place, and eminence, 40 Defpight thy victor sword, 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 illustrious prince; And, from the extremeft upward of thy head, [Afide. 45 To the descent and duft beneath thy feet, If none appear to prove upon thy person Reg. Sick, O, fick ! Gon. If not, I'll ne'er truft poison. Edm. There's my exchange: what in the world That names me traitor, villain-like he lies: Alb. A herald, ho! Edm. A herald, ho, a herald! Cmmiffin, for authority. 2 Immediacy implies fupremacy, in oppofition to fubordination. here means accomplishments, or bonours. 4 A metaphorical phrafe taken from the camp, and fignifying, to furrender at difcretion. 5 Whether he shall not or fhall, depends not on your choice. charge he is here going to bring against the Bastard, he calls the privilege, &c. to understand which phrafeology, we must confider that the old rites of knighthood are here alluded to; whofe oath and profeffion required him to discover all treasons, and whose privilege it was to have his challenge accepted, or otherwise to have his charge taken pro confijo. For if one who was no knight accused another who was, that other was under no obligation to accept the challenge. On this account it was neceffary, as Edgar came difguifed, to tell the Baftard he was a knight. 7 'Say, for clay, some shew or probability. By By rule of knighthood, I disdain and spurn : Alb. Save him, fave him! Alb. Shut your mouth, dame, Told him my pilgrimage: But his flaw'd heart, Edm. This fpeech of yours hath mov'd me, Alt. If there be more, more woeful, hold it in; For I am almost ready to diffolve, 10 Hearing of this. Or with this paper fhall I ftop it :---Hold, fir:-- [Gives the letter to Edmund. Gon. Say, if I do; the laws are mine, not thine: Who fhall arraign me for 't? [Exit Gon. Alb. Monster, know'st thou this paper ? have done; Edg. This would have seem'd a period To fuch as love not forrow; but, another ';— Whilft I was big in clamour, came there in a man, Alb. But who was this? And more, much more: the time will bring it out; 25 And there I left him tranc'd. Edg. Kent, fir, the banish'd Kent; who in disguise Enter a Gentleman baftily, with a bloody knife. Edg. What kind of help? Alb. Speak, man. Edg. What means this bloody knife? Gent. 'Tis hot, it smoaks; It came even from the heart of Alb. Who, man? speak. -O! she's dead! Gent. Your lady, fir, your lady: and her fifter By her is poifon'd; fhe hath confefs'd it. Edm. was contracted to them both; all three Now marry in an instant. Enter Kent. Alb. Produce the bodies, be they alive or dead![Goneril and Regan's balics brought out. How have you known the miseries of your father? 45 This judgment of the heavens, that makes us Edg. By nurting them, my lord. Lift a brief tale; And,when 'tis told, O, that my heart would burst !- The bloody proclamation to efcape, tremble, Touches us not with pity. Edg. Here comes Kent, fir. Alb. O is this he? The time will not allow That follow'd me fo near, (O our lives' fweetnefs! 50 The compliment which very manners urge. That we the pain of death would hourly bear, Kent. I am come To bid my king and master aye good night; Alb. Great thing of us forgot! 55 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 fenfe may probably be this: This would have feemed a period to fuch as love not forrow; but,— another, i. e. but I must add another, i. e. another period, another kind of conclufion to my story, such te will increase the horrors of what has been already told. Alb. |