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,

follow'd your

Have

sad

steps,

Lear.

You are welcome

hither.

Kent. Nor no man else; all's cheerless, dark, and deadly:

Your eldest daughters have fordone themselves,

And desperately are dead.

Lear.

Ay, so I think.

Alb. He knows not what he says, and vain is it That we present us to him.

Edg.

Very bootless.

Enter an Officer.

Off. Edmund is dead, my

lord.

Alb.

That's but a trifle

here.

You lords and noble friends,

know our intent;

What comfort to this great decay may come

Shall be applied: for us, we will resign,

During the life of this old majesty,

To him our absolute power: [To EDGAR and KENT.

You, to your rights,

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,

And thou no breath at all? Thou'lt come no more,

Never, never, never, never,

never!

Pray you, undo this button: thank you, sir.

Do you see this? Look on her, look, her lips,

Look there, look there!

[Dies.

Edg.

He faints! My

lord, my lord!

heart; I

Kent. Break, heart;

prithee, break!

Edg. Look up, my lord.
Kent. Vex not his ghost:
O! let him pass;
hates him

pass; he

That would upon the rack of this tough world

Stretch him out longer.

Edg.

He is gone, indeed.

Kent. The wonder is he hath endured so long:

He but usurp'd his life.

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;

My master calls me, I must not say no..

Edg. The weight of this sad time we must obey;