If ever thou wilt thrive, bury my body; As duteous to the vices of thy mistress, As badness would desire. Glo. What, is he dead ? Edg. Sit you down, father; rest you.- [Reads.] Let our reciprocal vows be remembered. You have many opportunities to cut him off: if your will want not, time and place will be fruitfully offered. There is nothing done, if he return the conqueror: Then am I the prisoner, and his bed my gaol; from the loathed warmth whereof deliver me, and supply the place for your labour. Your wife, (so I would say,) and your affectionate servant, GONERIL. O undistinguish'd space of woman's will ! [Exit EDGAR, dragging out the Body. iO undistinguished space of woman's will!] i. e. O undistinguishing licentiousness of a woman's inclinations!--STEEVENS. * Thee I'll rake up, the post unsanctified, &c.] I'll cover thee. In Staffordshire, to rake the fire, is to cover it with fuel for the night. The epithet, unsanctified, refers to his want of burial in consecrated ground. --JOHNSON and STEEVENS. 1 death-practis'd-] i.e. Whose death is machinated by practice or treason.-JOHNSON. Glo. The king is mad: How stiff is my vile sense, And woes, by wrong imaginations, lose The knowledge of themselves. Edg. Re-enter EDGAR. Give me your hand: [Exeunt. Far off, methinks, I hear the beaten drum. Come, father, I'll bestow you with a friend. SCENE VII. A Tent in the French Camp. LEAR on a Bed, asleep ; Physician, Gentleman, and others, attending: Enter CORDELIA and KENT. Cor. O thou good Kent, how shall I live and work, To match thy goodness? My life will be too short, And every measure fail me. Kent. To be acknowledg'd, madam, is o'er-paid. All my reports go with the modest truth; Nor more, nor clipp'd, but so. Cor. Be better suited:" These weeds are memories of those worser hours; I pr'ythee, put them off. Kent. Pardon me, dear madam; Yet to be known, shortens my made intent: My boon I make it, that you know me not, Till time and I think meet. Cor. Then be it so, my good lord.-How does the king? Phys. Madam, sleeps still. Cor. O you kind gods, [To the Physician. Cure this great breach in his abused nature! - ingenious feeling-] i. e. Feeling from an understanding not disturbed, but which, representing things as they are, makes the sense of pain the more exquisite. WARBURTON. P - suited:] i. e. Dressed. •-memories-] i. e. Remembrancers. my made intent:] i. e. My intent formed. VOL. VIII. H The untun'd and jarring senses, O, wind up Of this child-chang'd father! Phys. So please your majesty, That we may wake the king? he hath slept long. Gent. Ay, madam; in the heaviness of his sleep, We put fresh garments on him. Phys. Be by, good madam, when we do awake him; I doubt not of his temperance. Cor. Very well. Phys. Please you, draw near.-Louder the musick there. Cor. O, my dear father! Restoration, hang Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kiss Have in thy reverence made! Kent. Kind and dear princess! Cor. Had you not been their father, these white flakes Of quick, cross lightning? to watch (poor perdu!) Cor. How does my royal lord? How fares your ma jesty? Lear. You do me wrong, to take me out o'the grave:Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound - to watch (poor perdu!) With this thin helm? The allusion is to the forlorn hope in an army, which are put upon desperate adventures, and called in French enfans perdus. With this thin helm? i. e. this thin covering of hair. - WARBURTON and MALONE. * Had not concluded all.] i. e. It is wonder that thy wits and life at once had Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears not all ended. - JOHNSON. Do scald like molten lead. Cor. Sir, do you know me? Lear. You are a spirit, I know; When did you die? Phys. He's scarce awake; let him alone awhile. Lear. Where have I been? Where am I?-Fair day light? I am mightily abus'd.-I should even die with pity, Of my condition. Cor. O, look upon me, sir, And hold your hands in benediction o'er me : No, sir, you must not kneel. / Lear. Pray do not mock me: I am a very foolish fond old man, Fourscore and upward; and, to deal plainly, I fear, I am not in my perfect mind. Methinks, I should know you, and know this man; To be my child Cordelia. Cor. And so I am, I am. Lear. Be your tears wet? Yes, 'faith. I pray, weep not: If you have poison for me, I will drink it. I know, you do not love me; for your sisters Have, as I do remember, done me wrong: You have some cause, they have not. Cor. Lear. Am I in France? Kent. No cause, no cause. In your own kingdom, sir. Lear. Do not abuse me. Phys. Be comforted, good madam: the great rage, You see, is cur'd in him: and yet it is danger To make him even o'er the time he has lost. Cor. Will't please your highness walk? You must bear with me: Pray now, forget and forgive: I am old, and foolish. [Exeunt LEAR, CORDELIA, Physician, and Attendants. Gent. Holds it true, sir, That the duke of Cornwall was so slain? His banish'd son, is with the earl of Kent In Germany. Kent. Report is changeable. 'Tis time to look about; the powers o'the kingdom Approach apace. Gent. The arbitrement is like to be a bloody. Fare you well, sir. [Exit. Kent. My point and period will be throughly wrought, Or well, or ill, as this day's battle's fought. ACT V. [Exit. SCENE I.-The Camp of the British Forces, near Dover. Enter with Drums and Colours, EDMUND, REGAN, Officers, Soldiers, and others. Edm. Know of the duke, if his last purpose hold; [To an Officer, who goes out. • To make him even o'er the time he has lost.] i. e. To render all that past during the 'interval of his insanity even (i. e. plain or level) to his understanding, while it continues in its present state of uncertainty. - STEEVENS. his constant pleasure.] His settled resolution.-JOHNSON. |