Edgar.

I was forbid it.

[Exit.

When time shall serve, let but the herald cry,

And I'll appear again.

Albany. Why, fare thee well: I will o'erlook thy paper.

Re-enter EDMUND.

Edmund. The enemy 's in view; draw up your powers. Here is the guess of their true strength and forces By diligent discovery; but your haste

Is now urg'd on you.

Alb.

We will greet the time.2

[Exit.

Edm. To both these sisters have I sworn my love; Each jealous of the other, as the stung

Are of the adder.3 Which of them shall I take?

Both? one? or neither? Neither can be enjoy'd,
If both remain alive: to take the widow,
Exasperates, makes mad, her sister Goneril;
And hardly shall I carry out my side,1

Her husband being alive. Now then, we 'll use
His countenance 5 for the battle; which being done,
Let her who would be rid of him devise
His speedy taking off. As for the mercy
Which he intends to Lear and to Cordelia,
The battle done, and they within our power,
Shall never see his pardon'; for my state
Stands on me to defend, not to debate.s

[Exit.

to become partners in a game; to pull or pluck down a side was to lose the game.

5. Countenance, patronage, support. 6. Taking off, removal (i. e. by death). 7. i. e. it shall not be in his (Albany's) power to pardon.

4. This is a metaphor from the card- 8. For the position which I occupy table, where to carry out a side meant renders it incumbent on me to defend to carry out a game with your partner and myself by deeds, not to delibersuccessfully. So to set up a side was ate as to what I shall do.

SCENE II.

A Field between the two Camps.

Alarum within. Enter, with Drum and Colours, LEAR, CORDELIA, and their Forces; and exeunt.

Enter EDGAR and GLOSTER.

Edgar. Here, father, take the shadow of this tree For your good host1; pray that the right may thrive. If ever I return to you again,

I'll bring you comfort.
Gloster.

Grace go with you, Sir! [Exit EDGAR.

Alarum; afterwards a Retreat. Re-enter EDGAR.
Edg. Away, old man! give me thy hand: away!
King Lear hath lost, he and his daughter ta'en.
Give me thy hand; come on.

Glos. No farther, Sir: a man may rot even here.
Edg. What! in ill thoughts again? Men must endure
Their going hence, even as their coming hither:
Ripeness is all.2 Come on.

Glos.

And that's true too.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III.

The British Camp near Dover.

Enter, in Conquest, with Drum and Colours, EDMUND; LEAR and CORDELIA as Prisoners; Captain, Officers, Soldiers, &c.

Edmund. Some officers take them away: good guard,3

Until their greater pleasures first be known,

That are to censure them.

Cordelia.

We are not the first,

Who, with best meaning, have incurr'd the worst.

1. The tree is hospitably to receive, or entertain, Gloster, and in that sense becomes his good host.

2. i. e. It is not allowed to man to anticipate the time of his death any more than that of his birth: he must await patiently either event till he is ripe, when it will come as a natural consequence.

3. i. e. let them be put under good guard.

4. To censure, to judge, to pass sentence upon. See note 2, page 63. Their greater pleasures means the pleasures, or wills, of those persons of greater rank than himself.

For thee, oppressed king, am I cast down;
Myself could else 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 sing like birds i' the cage

When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down,
And ask of thee forgiveness. So we 'll live,

And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh
At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues

LIBRARY

Talk of court news; and we 'll talk with them too,
Who loses, and who wins; who 's in, who 's out;1
And take upon 's the mystery of things,

As if we were God's spies: and we 'll wear out,
In a wall'd prison, packs and sects of great ones,
That ebb and flow by the moon.2

Edmund.

Take them away.

Lear. Upon such sacrifices, my Cordelia,

The gods themselves throw incense. Have I caught thee?
He that parts us shall bring a brand from heaven,
And fire us hence like foxes.3 Wipe thine eyes;

The goujeers shall devour them, flesh and fell,1

Ere they shall make us weep: we 'll see them starve first.
Come.
[Exeunt LEAR and CORDELIA, guarded.

Edm. Come hither, captain; hark.

Take thou this note; [Giving a paper.] go, follow them to

One step I have advanc'd thee; if thou dost
As this instructs thee, thou dost make thy way
To noble fortunes. Know thou this, that men
Are as the time is: to be tender-minded

Does not become a sword. Thy great employment
Will not bear question; either say, thou 'lt do 't,
Or thrive by other means.

Captain.

I'll do 't, my lord.

1. In politics it is usual to say, such and such a party is in or out, as the case may be; or it may be applied to court favour, in or out of favour.

2. And we, being within the walls of a prison, and uninfluenced by outward events, will outlive the intrigues and parties of the great people at court,

prison.

Edmund. About it; and write happy,2 when thou

Mark, I say, instantly; and carry it so,3

As I have set it down.

hast done.

Captain, I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats;*
[Exit Captain.

If it be man's work, I will do it.

Flourish. Enter ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, Officers, and Attendants.

Albany. Sir, you have shown to-day your valiant strain,5 And fortune-led you well. You have the captives Who were the opposites of this day's strife:

7

We do require them of you, so to use them,
As we shall find their merits, and our safety,
May equally determine.

Edm.

Sir, I thought it fit To send the old and miserable king

8

To some retention, and appointed guard;.

Whose age has charms in it, whose title more,
To pluck the common bosom on his side,

And turn our impress'd lances in our eyes,

Which do command them. With him I sent the queen; My reason all the same; 10 and they are ready

To-morrow, or at farther space, t' appear

Where you shall hold your session. At this time

We sweat and bleed: the friend hath lost his friend;
And the best quarrels, in the heat, are curs'd

By those that feel their sharpness.

The question 11 of Cordelia, and her father,
Requires a fitter place.

Albany.

Sir, by your patience,1

1. i. e. set about it, go and do it. 2. i. e. call thyself happy, consider that thy fortune is made.

3. To carry, to carry out, to execute. Compare convey, note 2, page 14.

4. i. e. I cannot do the work of a horse.

5. Strain, race, descent. 6. Opposites, opponents. 7. Merits, deserts.

8. Rentention, custody.

9. Whose age has charms in it, and whose title has still more charms, ca

12

pable of winning the hearts of the common people to his side, and turning the lances of the soldiers whom we pressed into our service, against ourselves, who command them.

10. i. e. for the same reason.

11. A judicial trial was formerly called a question; as examination under torture was called, being put to the question.

12. A polite phrase, as we should now say, with your permission.

Regan. That's as we list to grace him;1
Methinks, our pleasure might have been demanded,
Ere you had spoke so far.2 He led our powers,
Bore the commission of my place and person;
The which immediacy may well stand up,
And call itself your brother.3

Goneril.

Not so hot:

In my rights,

In his own grace he doth exalt himself,
More than in your addition.

Reg.

By me invested, he compeers the best.

Gon. That were the most, if he should husband you.
Reg. Jesters do oft prove prophets.

Gon.

Holla, holla!

That eye that told you so look'd but. a-squint. 5

Reg. Lady, I am not well; else I should answer

6

From a full-flowing stomach. General,

Take thou my soldiers, prisoners, patrimony:
Dispose of them, of me; the walls are thine."
Witness the world, that I create thee here
My lord and master.

Gon.
Mean you to enjoy him?
Albany. The let-alone lies not in your good will.8
Edmund. Nor in thine, lord.

Alb.

Half-blooded fellow, yes.

Reg. Let the drum strike, and prove my title_thine.

[To EDMUND. Alb. Stay yet; hear reason. Edmund, I arrest thee

On capital treason; and, in thy arrest,
This gilded serpent." [Pointing to GON.] - For your claim,"

fair sister,.

10