Edmund. (C.)
Know of the duke, if his last purpose hold;
Or whether since he is advis'd by aught
To change the course. He's full of alteration,
And self-reproving:—bring his constant pleasure. To an Officer, who goes out, R.

Regan. (L.)
Our sister's man is certainly miscarried.

Edmund.
'Tis to be doubted, madam.

Regan.
Now, sweet lord,
You know the goodness I intend upon you:
Tell me, but truly, but then speak the truth,
Do you not love my sister?

Edmund.
In honour'd love.

Regan.
I never shall endure her. Dear my lord,
Be not familiar with her.

Edmund.
Fear me not.—
She, and the duke her husband,— Enter Albany, Goneril, and Soldiers, R.

Goneril.
I had rather lose the battle, than that sister
Should loosen him and me. (aside)

Albany.
Our very loving sister, well be-met.—
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,
I never yet was valiant: for this business,
It toucheth us, as France invades our land,

Goneril. (R.)
Combine together 'gainst the enemy;
For these domestic and particular broils
Are not the question here.

Albany. (C.)
Let us, then, determine
With the ancient of war on our proceedings.

Edmund.
I shall attend you presently at your tent.

Regan.
Sister, you'll go with us?

Goneril.
No.

Regan.
'Tis most convenient; pray you, go with us.

Goneril.
O, ho! I know the riddle. (aside) I will go. (as they advance towards R.) Enter Edgar, disguised, R.

Edgar.
If e'er your grace had speech with man so poor,
Hear me one word.

Albany.
I'll overtake you.— (Edgar retires up R.; Edmund, Regan, Goneril, Officers, Soldiers, and Attendants, cross and exeunt, R.)

Albany.
Speak.

Edgar.
Before you fight the battle, ope this letter.

If you have victory, let the trumpet sound
For him that brought it: wretched though I seem,
I can produce a champion, that will prove
What is avouched there. If you miscarry,
Your business of the world hath so an end,
And machination ceases. Fortune love you!

Albany.
Stay, till I have read the letter.

Edgar.
I was forbid it.
When time shall serve, let but the herald cry,
And I'll appear again. Exit, R.

Albany.
Why, fare thee well: I will o'erlook thy paper. Re-enter Edmund, R.

Edmund.
The enemy's in view; draw up your powers.
Here is the guess of their true strength and forces
By diligent discovery; but your haste
Is now urg'd on you.

Albany.
We will greet the time. Exit, R.

Edmund.
To both these sisters have I sworn my love;
Each jealous of the other, as the stung
Are of the adder. Which of them shall I take?
Both? one? or neither? Neither can be enjoy'd,
If both remain alive: to take the widow,
Exasperates, makes mad, her sister Goneril;
And hardly shall I carry out my side,
Her husband being alive. Now, then, we'll use
His countenance for the battle! which being done,
Let her who would be rid of him devise
His speedy taking off. As for the mercy
Which he intends to Lear, and to Cordelia,
The battle done, and they within our power,
Shall never see his pardon; for my state
Stand on me to defend, not to debate. Exit, R. Scene II. —A Field between the two Camps. Alarum within.—Enter Edgar and Gloster, L.

Edgar.
Here, father, take the shadow of this tree
For your good host; pray, that the right may thrive.

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

Gloster.
Grace go with you, sir! Exit Edgar, R.
How stiff is my vile sense,
That I stand up, and have ingenious feeling
Of my huge sorrows! Better I were distract;
So should my thoughts be sever'd from my griefs,
And woes, by wrong imagination, lose
The knowledge of themselves. (alarum) A retreat.—Re-enter Edgar, R.

Edgar.
Away, old man! give thy hand: away!
King Lear hath lost, he and his daughter ta'en.
Give me thy hand; come on.

Gloster.
No farther, sir: a man may rot even here.

Edgar.
What! in ill thoughts again? Men must endure
Their going hence, even as their coming hither:
Ripeness is all. Come on.

Gloster.
And that's true too. Exeunt, L. Scene III. —The British Camp near Dover. Enter, in conquest, with drum and colours, Edmund; Lear and Cordelia as Prisoners; Captain, Officers, Soldiers, &c., R.

Edmund. (L.)
Some officers take them away: good guard,
Until their greater pleasures first be known,
That are to censure them.

Cordelia. (C.)
We are not the first,
Who, with best meaning, have incurr'd the worst.
For thee, oppressed king, am I cast down;
Myself could else out-frown false fortune's frown.
Shall we not see these daughters, and these sisters?

Lear. (R. C.)
No, no, no, no! Come, let's away to prison:
We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage:
When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down.
And ask of thee forgiveness. So we'll live,
And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh
At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues

Talk of court news; and we'll talk with them too,
Who loses, and who wins; who's in, who's out;
And take upon's the mystery of things,
As if we were God's spies: and we'll wear out,
In a wall'd prison, pacts and sects of great ones,
That ebb and flow by the moon.

Edmund. (crosses, R.)
Take them away.

Lear.
Upon such sacrifices, my Cordelia,
The gods themselves throw incense. Have I caught thee?
He that parts us shall bring a brand from heaven,
And fire us hence like foxes. Wipe thine eyes;
The goujeers shall devour them, flesh and fell,
Ere they shall make us weep: we'll see them starve first.
Come. Exeunt Lear and Cordelia, guarded, L. U. E.

Edmund.
Come hither, captain; (Captain advances, R.) hark.
Take thou this note; (giving a paper) go, follow them to prison.
One step I have advanced thee; if thou dost
As this instructs thee, thou dost make thy way
To noble fortunes. Know thou this, that men
Are as the time is: to be tender-minded
Does not become a sword. Thy great employment
Will not bear question; either say, thou'lt do't,
Or thrive by other means.

Captain.
I'll do't, my lord.

Edmund.
About it; and write happy, when thou hast done.
Mark,—I say, instantly; and carry it so,
As I have set it down.

Captain.
I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats;
If it be man's work, I will do it. Exit Captain, L. U. E. Flourish.—Enter four Officers, six Lords, six Knights, who divide on each side of the stage, Albany, Goneril, Regan, Officers, and Soldiers, R., who range across the back.

Albany. (C.)
Sir, you have shown to-day your valiant strain,

And fortune led you well. You have the captives
Who were the opposites of this day's strife:
We do require them of you, so to use them,
As we shall find their merits, and our safety,
May equally determine.

Edmund. (L.)
Sir, I thought it fit
To send the old and miserable king
To some retention, and appointed guard;
Whose age has charms in it, whose title more,
To pluck the common bosom on his side,
And turn our impress'd lances in our eyes,
Which do command them. With him I sent the queen:
My reason all the same; and they are ready
To-morrow, or at farther space, t'appear
Where you shall hold your session. At this time,
We sweat, and bleed: the friend hath lost his friend;
And the best quarrels in the heat are curs'd
By those that feel their sharpness.—
The question of Cordelia, and her father,
Requires a fitter place.

Albany.
Sir, by your patience,
I hold you but a subject of this war,
Not as a brother.

Regan. (L. C.)
That's as we list to grace him:
Methinks, our pleasure might have been demanded,
Ere you had spoke so far. He led our powers,
Bore the commission of my place and person;
The which immediacy may well stand up,
And call itself your brother.

Goneril. (R.)
Not so hot:
In his own grace he doth exalt himself,
More than in your addition.

Regan.
In my rights,
In me invested, he compeers the best.

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

Regan.
Jesters do oft prove prophets.—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.

Goneril.
Mean you to marry him?

Albany. (R. C.)
The let-alone lies not in your good will.

Edmund. (L. C.)
Nor in thine, lord.

Albany.
Half-blooded fellow, yes.

Regan.
Let the drum strike, and prove my title thine. (to Edmund)

Albany.
Stay yet; hear reason.—Edmund, I arrest thee
On capital treason; and, in thy arrest,
This gilded serpent. (pointing to Goneril) 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 love to me,
My lady is bespoke.

Goneril.
An interlude!

Albany.
Thou art arm'd, Gloster.—Let the trumpet sound:
If none appear to prove upon thy person
Thy heinous, manifest, and many treasons,
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.

Regan. (L.)
Sick! O, sick! (aside)

Goneril. (R.)
If not, I'll ne'er trust poison. (goes up, R.)

Edmund. (L. C.)
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 honor firmly.

Albany.
Trust to thy single virtue; for thy soldiers,
All levied in thy name, have in my name
Took their discharge.

Regan.
My sickness grows upon me.

Albany.
She is not well; convey her to my tent. Exit Regan led, R.
Come hither, herald. (Herald advances) Let the trumpet sound,
And read out this.

Herald.

Sound, trumpet. (a trumpet sounds—Herald reads, C.) “If any man of quality, or degree, within the

lists of the army, will maintain upon Edmund, supposed Earl of Gloster, that he is a manifold traitor, let him appear at the third sound of the trumpet. He is bold in his defence.”

Edmund.

Sound!

Herald.

Again.

Herald.

Again.