Fair day-light?

I am mightily abus'd 8.-I should even die with
pity,

10 To fee another thus.---I know not what to say....
I will not fwear, these are my hands:---let's fee;
I feel this pin prick. 'Would I were affur'd
Of my condition!

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,
Fourfcore and upward;

20 Not an hour more, nor less: and, to deal plainly,
I fear, I am not in my perfect mind,
Methinks, Ishould know you, and know this man;
Yet I am doubtful: for I am mainly ignorant,
What place this is; and all the skill I have
25 Remembers not these garments; nor I know not
Where I did lodge last night: Do not laugh at me;
For, as I am a man, I think this lady
To be my child Cordelia.

[fic there 30

Phyf. Please you, draw near.-Louder the mu-
Cor. O my dear father! Restoration, hang

Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss
Repair those violent harms, that my two fifters
Have in thy reverence made!

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
Have, as I do remember, done me wrong:
You have fome cause, they have not.

:

Kent. Kind and dear princess!
Cor. Had you not been their father, these white

[Aakes

Lear. Am I in France?

Kent. In your own kingdom, fir.

Had challeng'd pity of them. Was this a face

Lear. Do not abuse me.

[rage,

To be expos'd against the warring winds?

Phyf. Be comforted, good madam: the great

To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder? 40 You fee, is cur'd in him: and yet it is danger

Had not concluded all. -He wakes; speak to him. 50 That the duke of Cornwall was so flain?

Phys. Madam, do you; 'tis fittest.

majefty?

Cor. How does my royal lord? How fares your
[grave:-
Lear. You do me wrong, to take me out o' the
Thou art a foul in bliss; but I am bound
Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears

Kent. Most certain, fir.

Gent. Who is conductor of his people?
Kent. As it is faid, the bastard son of Glofter.
Gent. They say, Edgar,

55 His banish'd fon, is with the earl of Kent
In Germany.

j. e. All good which I shall allot thee, or measure out to thee, will be scanty. 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 say in common language, to make a defign, and to make a refolution. changed to a child by his years and wrongs. • Restoration is recovery perfonified. 7 The allufion, Dr. Warburton fays, is to the forlorn-hope in an army, which are put upon desperate 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 mist of uncertainty. 9 i. e. to reconcile it to his apprehenfion.

Enter, with drums and colours, Edmund, Regan, 15 Reg. Sifter, you'll go with us?

Edm. I shall attend you presently at your tent.

Gentlemen, and Soldiers.

Gon. No.

[us. Reg. 'Tis most convenient; pray you, go with Gon. [Afide.] O, ho, I know the riddle: I will

Edg. I was forbid it.

And I'll appear again.

[Exit.

Edm. Fear me not:

Alb. Why, fare thee well; I will o'erlook

thy paper.

Edm. That thought abuses you.
Reg. I am doubtful that you have been con-

And bofom'd with her, as far as we call hers.

Edm. No, by mine honour, madam.

Reg. I never shall endure her: Dear my lord, 35 When time shall serve, let but the herald cry,

Be not familiar with her.

She, and the duke her husband,

Enter Albany, Goneril, and Soldiers.

[Afide.

Gon. I had rather lose the battle, than that fifter 40
Should-loofen him and me.

Alb. Our very loving sister, well be met.-
3 Sir, this I hear, The king is come to his daughter,
With others, whom the rigour of our state
Forc'd to cry out. Where I could not be honest, 45
I never yet was valiant: for this business,

It toucheth us as France invades our land,

Not bolds the king 4; with others, whom, I fear,
Most just and heavy causes make oppofe.

Edm. Sir, you fpeak nobly.

Reg. Why is this reason'd ?

Gon. Combine together 'gainst the enemy: For these domeftic and particular broils

Are not to question here.

Re-enter Edmund.

His fettled refolution. 2 Fore-fended means prohibited, forbidden. 3 The meaning of this speech is, The king and others whom we have opposed are come to Cordelia. I could never be valiant but in a just quarrel. We must diftinguish; 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 supports the king, and others whom I fear many juft and heavy causes make, or compel, as it were, to opp fe us, I esteem it unjust to engage against them. + 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 fuecessful iffue, to completion, Side feems here to have the fense of the French word partie, in prendre partie, to take bis refolution,

Hiş

1

A Field between the two Camps.
Alarum within. Enter, with drum and colours,
Lear, Cordelia, and Soldiers over the stage; and

exeunt.

[Exeunt Lear, and Cordelia, guarded.

Edm. Come hither, captain; hark.
Take thou this note; go, follow them to prifon:
One step I have advanc'd thee; if thou doft
As this instructs thee, thou doft make thy way
Edg. Here, father, take the fhadow of this tree 15 To noble fortunes: Know thou this,---that men
For your good host; pray that the right may thrive:

Enter Edgar, and Glofter.

If ever I return to you again,
I'll bring you comfort.

Glo. Grace go with you, fir!

Re-enter Edgar.

Edg. Away, old man, give me thy hand, away;
King Lear hath loft, he and his daughter ta'en:

Are as the time is: to be tender-minded
Does not become a sword:--Thy great employment
Will not bear question 7; either say, thou'lt do 't,
Or thrive by other means.
Capt. I'll do't, my lord.

[Exit Edgar.

[Alarum, and retreat within. 20

Edm. About it; and write happy, when thou haft done.

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

As I have fet it down.

If it be man's work, I will do it.
[Exit Capt
Flourish. Enter Albany, Goneril, Regan, and Sildurs.

Give me thy hand, come on.

Glo. No further, fir; a man may rot even here. 25 Capt. I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dry'd oats;
Edg. What, in ill thoughts again? Men must

Alb. Sir, you have shewn to-day your valiant ftrain, [Excunt. 30 And fortune led you well: You have the captives Who were the oppofites of this day's ftrife: We do require them of you; so to use them, As we shall find their merits and our fafety May equally determine.

Enter, in conquest, with drum and colours, Edsmurd;
Lear, and Cordelia, as prisoners; Soldiers, Captain.

Edm. Some officers take them away: good guard; 35 Edm. Sir, I thought it fit
Until their greater pleasures first be known
That are to censure them.

Cor. We are not the first,
Who, with best meaning, have incurr'd the worst.
For thee, oppressed king, am I caft down;
Myself could elfe out-frown false fortune's frown.--
Shall we not fee these daughters, and these fifters ?

Lear. No, no, no, no! Come, let's away to
prifon:

To fend the old and miferable king

To fome retention, and appointed guard; Whofe age has charms in it, whose title more, To pluck the common bofom on his fide, 40 And turn our imprest lances in our eyes Which do command them. With him I fent the queen;

My reason all the fame; and they are ready To-morrow, or at a further space, to appear 45 Where you shall hold your feffion. At this time, We sweat, and bleed: the friend hath lost his friend;

We two alone will fing like birds i' the cage:
When thou doft afk me bleffing, I'll kneel down,
And ask of thee forgiveness: So we'll live,
And pray, and fing, and tell old tales, and laugh
At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues
Talk of court news; and we'll talk with them too,--50
Who lofes, and who wins; who's in, who's out;---
And take upon us the mystery of things,

As if we were God's ipies: And we'll wear out,
In a wall'd prifon, packs and fects 3 of great ones,
That ebb and flow by the moon.

Dr. Johnfon thinks that for does not stand in this place as a word of inference or caufality. The meaning is rather: Such is my Jetermination concerning Lear; as for my state it requires now, not deliberation, but defence and jupport. 2 i. e. To be ready, prepared, is all. 3 Packs is used for combinations or collection, as is a pack of rards. For fiets, fets might be more commodiously read. Thus we fay, affurs are now managed by a new fet. 4 It is ufual to fmoke fixes out of their holes. 5 i. e. Mabus Gall Gouge, Fr. fignifies one of the compron women atrending a camp; and as that disease was firit 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 disease of the gorges. 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

$ i. e. turn the lauseiman waich are prefied into our service, against us.

1

T

By me invested, he compeers the best.

Alb. That were the most, if he should husband you.

Reg. Jesters do oft prove prophets.

Gon. Holla, holla!

That eye, that told you fo, look'd but a-squint.

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

From a full-flowing stomach. -General,
Take thou my foldiers, prisoners, patrimony;
Dispose of them, of me; the walls are thine 4:
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 5.
Edm. Nor in thine, lord.

Alb. Half-blooded fellow, yes.

Reg. Let the drum strike, and prove my title 25

thine.

[thee

Alb. Stay yet; hear reafon: Edmund, I arrest

On capital treason; and, in thy arrest,

[Pointing to Goneril.

[1 trumpet.

[2 trumpet.

[3 trumpet.

[Trumpet anfwers, within.

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

Edg. Know, my name is loft;

By treason's tooth bare-gnawn, and canker-bit ;
Yet am I noble, as the adversary

This gilded ferpent:-for your claim, fair sister, 30 I come to cope withal.

I bar it in the interest of my wife;

'Tis she 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!

Edg. Draw thy fword;

35 That, if my speech offend a noble heart,

Thy arm may do thee justice: here is mine.
Behold, it is the privilege 6 of mine honours,
My oath, and my profession:-I protest,
Maugre thy strength, youth, place, and eminence,

40 Despight thy victor sword, and fire-new fortune,
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,

[Afide. 45 To the descent and dust beneath thy feet,

Edm. There's my exchange: 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!

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

50 Edm. In wisdom, I should ask thy name;

But, fince thy out-fide looks fo fair and warlike
And that thy tongue some say 7 of breeding breathes,
What safe and nicely I might well delay

3 Grace

6 The

Commiffion, for authority. 2 Immediacy implies fupremacy, in opposition 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 shall, depends not on your choice. charge he is here going to bring against the Bastard, he calls the privilege, &c. to understand which phraseology, we must confider that the old rites of knighthood are here alluded to; whose oath and profession required him to discover all treasons, and whose privilege it was to have his challenge accepted, or otherwise to have his charge taken pro confeffo. 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 7 'Say, for effay, fome shew necessary, as Edgar came disguised, to tell the Bastard he was a knight.

or probability.

By ין

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 fword of mine shall give them instant way, 5
Where they shall reft for ever. -Trumpets, speak.
[Alarum. Fight. Edmund falls.

A

By the law of arms, thou wast not bound to answer 10 Hearing of this.

An unknown opposite; thou art not vanquish'd,

But cozen'd and beguil'd.

Alb. Shut your mouth, dame,

Or with this paper shall I stop it:---Hold, fir:---
Thou worse than any name, read thine own evil:--- 15 Whilft I was big in clamour, came there in a man,
No tearing, lady; I perceive, you know it.

C

E

1

And more, much more: the time will bring it out; 25 And there I left him tranc'd.
'Tis past, and so am I: But what art thou,

That haft this fortune on me? If thou art noble,

How have you known the miferies of your father? 45 This judgment of the heavens, that makes us

"That follow'd me so near, (O our lives' (weetness! 50 The compliment which very manners urge.

* The sense may probably be this: This would have fecmed 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, fuch will increafe the horrors of what has been already told.