V. iii.

180

Make inftruments to fcourge vs the darke and vitious
Place where thee he gotte, coft him his eies.

Baft. Thou haft fpoken truth, the wheele is come full circled I am heere.

Alb. Me thought thy very gate did prophecie,

A royall nobleneffe I muft embrace thee.

Let forow fplit my heart if I did euer hate thee or thy father.

Edg.

Worthy Prince I know't.

Alb. Where haue you hid your felfe?

How haue you knowne the miferies of your father?

Edg. By nurfing them my Lord,

Lift a briefe tale, and when tis told

O that my heart would burft the bloudy proclamation

To efcape that followed me fo neere,

O our liues fweetnes, that with the paine of death,

Would hourly die, rather then die at once.

Taught me to shift into a mad-mans rags

To affume a femblance that very dogges difdain'd

And in this habit met I my father with his bleeding rings,

190 The precious ftones new loft became his guide,

Led him, beg'd for him, fau'd him from difpaire,
Neuer (O Father) reueald my felfe vnto him,
Vntill fome halfe houre paft, when I was armed,
Not fure, though hoping of this good fucceffe,
I askt his bleffing, and from first to laft,
Told him my pilgrimage, but his flawd heart,
Alacke too weake, the conflict to fupport,
Twixt two extreames of paffion, ioy and griefe,
Burft fmillingly.

Baft. This fpeech of yours hath moued me, 200 And fhall perchance do good, but fpeake you on, You looke as you had fomething more to fay,

Alb. If there be more, more wofull, hold it in,
For I am almoft ready to diffolue, hearing of this,

Edg. This would haue feemd a periode to fuch
As loue not forow, but another to amplifie too much,
Would make much more, and top extreamitie
Whil'ft I was big in clamor, came there in a man,
Who hauing feene me in my worst estate,

210 Shund my abhord fociety, but then finding

V. iii.

Make inftruments to plague vs:

180

190

200

Baft. Th'haft fpoken right, 'tis true,

The Wheele is come full circle, I am heere.

Alb. Me thought thy very gate did prophefie
A Royall Nobleneffe: I must embrace thee,
Let forrow split my heart, if euer I

Did hate thee, or thy Father.

Edg. Worthy Prince I know't.

Alb. Where haue you hid your felfe?
How haue you knowne the miferies of your Father?

Edg. By nurfing them my Lord. Lift a breefe tale,
And when 'tis told, O that my heart would burst.
The bloody proclaniation to escape

That follow'd me fo neere, (0 our liues fweetneffe,
That we the paine of death would hourely dye,
Rather then die at once) taught me to fhift
Into a mad-mans rags, t'affume a semblance
That very Dogges difdain'd: and in this habit
Met 1 my Father with his bleeding Rings,
Their precious Stones new loft: became his guide,
Led him, begg'd for him, fau'd him from difpaire.
Neuer (O fault) reueal'd my felfe vnto him,
Vntill fome halfe houre paft when I was arm'd,
Not fure, though hoping of this good fucceffe,
I ask'd his bleffing, and from first to last
Told him our pilgrimage. But his flaw'd heart
(Alacke too weake the conflict to support)
Twixt two extremes of paffion, ioy and greefe,
Burft fmilingly.

Bast. This fpeech of yours hath mou'd me,
And fhall perchance do good, but fpeake you on,
You looke as you had fomething more to say.

Alb. If there be more, more wofull, hold it in,
For I am almoft ready to diffolue,
Hearing of this.

[308b

V. iii.

220

Who twas that fo indur'd with his ftrong armes
He fastened on my necke and bellowed out,
As hee'd burft heauen, threw me on my father,
Told the moft pitious tale of Lear and him,
That euer eare receiued, which in recounting
His griefe grew puiffant and the ftrings of life,
Began to cracke twice, then the trumpets founded.
And there I left him traunft.

Alb. But who was this.

Ed. Kent fir, the banifht Kent, who in diguife,
Followed his enemie king and did him feruice
Improper for a flaue.

Enter one with a bloudie knife,

Gent. Helpe, helpe,

(knife?

Alb. What kind of helpe, what meanes that bloudy

Gent. Its hot it fmokes, it came euen from the heart of

Alb. Who mar, fpeake?

Gent. Your Lady fir, your Lady, and her fifter

By her is poyfoned, fhe hath confeft it.

Baft. I was contracted to them both, all three
Now marie in an inftant.

[79

230

Alb. Produce their bodies, be they aliue or dead,

This Iuftice of the heauens that makes vs tremble,
Touches vs not with pity.
Edg. Here comes Kent fir.
Alb O tis he, the time will not allow

The complement that very manners vrges.

Enter Kent

Kent. I am come to bid my King and maifter ay good night,

Is he not here?

Duke. Great thing of vs forgot,

Speake Edmund, whers the king, and whers Cordelia

Seeft thou this obiect Kent.

Kent. Alack why thus.

Baft. Yet Edmund was beloued,

The bodies of Gonorill and

Regan are brought in.

240 The one the other poyfoned for my fake,

And after flue her felfe. Duke. Euen fo, couer their faces.

V. iii.

Enter a Gentleman.

Gen. Helpe, helpe: O helpe.

230

of

Edg. What kinde of helpe?

Alb. Speake man.

Edg. What meanes this bloody Knife?

Gen. 'Tis hot, it fmoakes, it came euen from the heart

O fhe's dead.

Alb. Who dead? Speake man.

Gen. Your Lady Sir, your Lady; and her Sifter

By her is poyfon'd: she confeffes it.

Baft. 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 aliue or dead;

Gonerill and Regans bodiesbrought out.

This iudgement of the Heauens that makes vs tremble.

Touches vs not with pitty: O, is this he?

The time will not allow the complement

Which very manners vrges.

Kent. I am come

To bid my King and Mafter aye good night.

Is he not here?

Alb. Great thing of vs forgot,

Speake Edmund, where's the King? and where's Cordelia?
Seeft thou this obiect Kent?

Kent. Alacke, why thus?

Baft. Yet Edmund was belou'd:

240 The one the other poifon'd for my fake,

And after flew herfelfe.

Alb. Euen fo: couer their faces.

V. iii.

250

260

270

Baft. I pant for life, fome good I meane to do,
Defpight of my owne nature, quickly fend,
Be briefe, int toth' caftle for my writ,

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

Duke. Runne, runne, O runne.

Edg. To who my Lord, who hath the office, fend
Thy token of repreeue.

Baft. Well thought on, take my fword the Captaine,
Giue it the Captaine?

Duke. Haft thee for thy life. [80

Baft. He hath Commission from thy wife and me,

To hang Cordelia in the prison, and to lay

The blame vpon her owne despaire,

That she fordid her felfe.

Duke. The Gods defend her, beare him hence a while.

Enter Lear with Cordelia in his armes.

Lear. Howle, howle, howle, howle, O you are men of stones,
Had I your tongues and eyes, I would vfe them fo,

That heauens vault fhould cracke, fhees gone for euer,
I know when one is dead, and when one liues,
Shees dead as earth, lend me a looking glaffe,
If that her breath will mift or staine the stone,
Why then she liues.

Kent. Is this the promist end.

Lear. A plague vpon your murderous traytors all,
I might haue faued her, now shees gone for euer,
Cordelia, Cordelia, ftay a little, ha,

What ift thou fayeft, her voyce was euer foft,
Gentle and low, an excellent thing in women,

I kild the flaue that was a hanging thee.

Cap. Tis true my Lords, he did.

Lear. Did I not fellow? I haue feene the day,

With my good biting Fauchon I would

Haue made them skippe, I am old now,