The which immediacy may well stand up,
And call itself your brother.

Gon.

Not so hot:

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

Reg.

In my rights,

y me invested, he compeers the best.

Gon. That were the most, if he should husband you. 70 Reg. Jesters do oft prove prophets. Gon. That eye that told you so look'd but a-squint.

Holla, holla!

Reg. Lady, I am not well; else I should answer
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?
Alb. The let-alone lies not in your good will.
Edm. Nor in thine, lord.

Alb.

Half-blooded fellow, yes.

80

Reg. [To Edmund] Let the drum strike, and prove my title thine.

Alb. Stay yet; hear reason. Edmund, I arrest thee On capital treason; and, in thine attaint,

This gilded serpent [pointing to Gon.]. For your claim, fair sister,

I bar it in the interest of my wife:

"Tis she is sub-contracted to this lord,

And I, her husband, contradict your bans.

If you will marry, make your loves to me,
My lady is bespoke.

Gon.

An interlude!

Alb. Thou art arm'd, Gloucester: let the trumpet sound: If none appear to prove upon thy head

Thy heinous, manifest, and many treasons,

91

There is my pledge [throwing down a glove]; I'll prove it on

thy heart,

Ere I taste bread, thou art in nothing less

Than I have here proclaim'd thee.

Reg.

Sick, O, sick!

Gon. [Aside] If not, I'll ne'er trust medicine.

Edm. There's my exchange [throwing down a glove]: what

in the world he is

That names me traitor, villain-like he lies:

Call by thy trumpet: he that dares approach,

On him, on you, who not? I will maintain
My truth and honour firmly.

Alb. A herald, ho!

Edm.

A herald, ho, a herald!

Alb. Trust to thy single virtue; for thy soldiers, All levied in my name, have in my name

Took their discharge.

Reg.

My sickness grows upon me. Alb. She is not well; convey her to my tent.

Enter a Herald.

100

[Exit Regan, led

Come hither, herald,—Let the trumpet sound,-
And read out this.

Capt. Sound, trumpet!

[A trumpet sounds.

Her. [Reads] "If any man of quality or degree within the lists of the army will maintain upon Edinund, 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!

Iler. 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

Upon this call o' the trumpet.

Her.

What are you?

Your name, your quality? and why you answer
This present summons?

Edg.

Know, my name is lost; By treason's tooth bare-gnawn and canker-bit: Yet am I noble as the adversary

I come to cope.

Alb.

Which is that adversary?

120

Edg. What's he that speaks for Edmund Earl of Glou

cester?

Edm. Himself: what say'st thou to him?
Edg.

Draw thy sword,

That, if my speech offend a noble heart,
Thy arm may do thee justice: here is mine.
Behold, it is the privilege of mine honours,
My oath, and my profession: I protest,
Maugre thy strength, youth, place, and eminence,
Despite thy victor sword and fire-new fortune,

130

Thy valour and thy heart, thou art a traitor;
False to thy gods, thy brother, and thy father;
Conspirant 'gainst this high-illustrious prince;
And, from the extremest upward of thy head
To the descent and dust below thy foot,

A most toad-spotted traitor. Say thou "No,"
This sword, this arm, and my best spirits, are bent
To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak,
Thou liest.

Edm. In wisdom I should ask thy name;
But, since thy outside looks so fair and warlike,

And that thy tongue some say of breeding breathes,
What safe and nicely I might well delay
By rule of knighthood, I disdain and spurn:
Back do I toss these treasons to thy head;
With the hell-hated lie o'erwhelm thy heart;
Which, for they yet glance by and scarcely bruise,
This sword of mine shall give them instant way,
Where they shall rest forever. Trumpets, speak!

140

[Alarums. They fight. Edmund falls.

Alb. Save him, save him!
Gon.
This is practice, Gloucester:
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.

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[Gires the letter to Edmund, Gon. Say, if I do, the laws are mine, not thine: Who can arraign me for't?

Alb.

Know'st thou this paper?

Gon.

Most monstrous! oh!

160

Ask me not what I know. [Exit.

Alb. Go after her: she's desperate; govern her.

Edm. What you have charged me with, that have I done;

And more, much more; the time will bring it out:

'Tis past, and so am I. But what art thou

That hast this fortune on me? If thou'rt noble,
I do forgive thee.

Edg.

Let's exchange charity.

I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund;
If more, the more thou hast wrong'd me.
My name is Edgar, and thy father's son.
The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices
Make instruments to plague us:

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The dark and vicious place where thee he got
Cost him his eyes.
Edm.
The wheel is come full circle; I am here.

Thou hast spoken right, 'tis true;

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?
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!
The bloody proclamation to escape,

That follow'd me so near,-O, our lives' sweetness!
That we the pain of death would hourly die
Rather than die at once!-taught me to shift
Into a madman's rags; to assume a semblance
That very dogs disdain'd: and in this habit
Met I my father with his bleeding rings,
Their precious stones new lost; became his guide,
Led him, begg'd for him, saved him from despair;
Never,-O fault!-reveal'd myself unto him,
Until some half-hour past, when I was arm'd:
Not sure, though hoping, of this good success,
I ask'd his blessing, and from first to last
Told him my pilgrimage: but his flaw'd heart,
Alack, too weak the conflict to support!
'Twixt two extremes of passion, joy and grief,
Burst smilingly

Edm.

This speech of yours hath moved me, And shall perchance do good: but speak you on; You look as you had something more to say.

Alb. If there be more, more woeful, hold it in; For I am almost ready to dissolve,

Hearing of this.

Edg.

This would have seem'd a period
To such as love not sorrow; but another,
To amplify too much, would make much more,
And top extremity.

Whilst I was big in clamour came there in a man,
Who, having seen me in my worst estate,
Shunn'd my abhorr'd society; but then, finding
Who 'twas that so endured, with his strong arms
He fasten'd on my neck, and bellow'd out
As he'ld burst heaven; threw him on my father;
Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him

180

190

206

210

That ever ear received: which in recounting
His grief grew puissant, and the strings of life
Began to crack: twice then the trumpets sounded,
And there I left him tranced.

Alb.

But who was this?

Edg. Kent, sir, the banish'd Kent; who in disguise Follow'd his enemy king, and did him service

Improper for a slave.

Enter a Gentleman, with a bloody knife.

220

Edg.

Gent. Help, help, O, help!

What kind of help?

Speak, man.

"Tis hot, it smokes;

Alb.

Edg. What means that bloody knife?
Gent.

It came even from the heart of-O, she's dead!

Alb. Who dead? speak, man.

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.

Here comes Kent.

230

Edg. 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.

Enter KENT.

O, is this he?

The time will not allow the compliment

Which very manners urges.

Kent.

I am come

To bid my king and master aye good night:

Is he not here?

Speak, Edmund, where's the king? and where's Cordelia? See'st thou this object, Kent?

[The bodies of Goneril and Regan are brought in.

Kent. Alack, why thus?

Edm.

Yet Edmund was beloved:

The one the other poison'd for my sake,

And after slew herself.

Alb. Even so. Cover their faces.

Edm. I pant for life: some good I mean to do,

Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send,

Be brief in it, to the castle; for my writ

Is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia:
Nay, send in time.

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