Edm. (R.)
Some officers take them away: good guard;
Until their greater pleasures first be known
That are to censure them.

Cor. (R. C.) [Coming forward a little.]
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. (C.)
No, no, no, no!—Come, let's away to prison
We two alone will sing like birds i'th' 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;
In a wall'd prison, packs and sects of great ones,
That ebb and flow by the moon.

Edm. [Crossing to L.]
Take them away! [Lear and Cordelia go forward, R.

Lear. (R. C.)
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. [Officer on the R. advances a little, and motions them to follow.] 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, preceded by Officer, and followed by four Soldiers, R.

Edm. (L.)
Come hither, captain; hark— [Officer comes down R.
Take thou this note; [Giving a paper] go, follow them to prison:
One step I've 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; that great employment
Will not bear question: either say, thou'lt do't
Or thrive by other means.

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

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

Officer.
I will do it. [Exit, R. Flourish.—Enter Albany, Goneril, Regan, Officers and Guards, L.

Alb. (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.

Edm. (R.)
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 lancers 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 further space, to appear
Where you shall hold your session.

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

Reg. (L.)
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.

Gon. (L. C.)
Not so hot!
In his own grace he doth exalt himself,
More than in your advancement.

Reg.
In my rights,
By me invested, he compeers the best. General. [Crosses to Edmund,
Dispose of them, of me; the walls are thine!

Witness the world, that I create thee here
My lord and master!

Alb.
The let-alone lies not in your good will.

Edm.
Nor in thine, lord.

Alb.
Half-blooded fellow, yes.

Reg. (R. C.)
Let the drum strike, and prove my title thine. [To Edmund.

Alb.
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.
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 Gaunlet.] I'll prove it on thy heart,
Ere I taste bread, thou art nothing less
Than I have here proclaim'd thee.

Reg.
Sick, O sick!

Glo.
If not, I'll ne'er trust poison. [Exit, L.

Edm.
There's my exchange: [Throwing down Gaunlet] 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, oh, a herald!

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

Reg.
This sickness grows upon me! Enter Herald, R.

Alb.
She is not well; convey her to my tent.
And read out this [Gives a paper.] Sound, trumpet. Regan is led off, L.
Come hither, herald—Let the trumpet sound, [Trumpet sounds, R.

Her. (R.) [Reads.]

“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.”

Edm.
Sound! [First Trumpet.

Her.
Again! [Second Trumpet.] Again! [Third Trumpet.] [A Trumpet answers on L. three times. Enter Edgar, R at the end of the second sound.

Alb. (C.)
Ask him his purposes, why he appears
Upon this call o'the trumpet.

Her.
What are you?
Your name, your quality? and why you answer
This present summons?

Edg. (L.)
Know, my name is lost;
By treason's tooth bare gnawn, and canker-bit:
Yet am I noble, as the adversary
I come to cope withal. [Herald retires up.

Alb. (C.)
Which is that adversary?

Edg.
What's he, that speaks for Edmund, Earl of Gloster?

Edm.
Himself! what say'st thou to him?

Edg.
Draw thy sword;
That, if my speech offend a noble heart,
Thy arm may do thee justice:—here is mine.
Behold, it is the privilege of mine honours,
My oath, and my profession. I protest—
Maugre thy strength, youth, place, and eminence,
Despite 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 upwards of the head,
To the descent and dust beneath thy feet,
A most toad-spotted traitor. Say thou, no,
This sword, this arm, and my best spirits, are bent
To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak,
Thou liest.

Edm.
In wisdom, I should ask thy name;
But since thy outside looks as fair and warlike,
And that thy tongue some say of breeding breathes,
What safe and nicely I might well delay
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 glace by, and scarcely bruise,)
This sword of mine shall give them instant way,

Where they shall rest for ever. Trumpets, speak! [Alarms.—They fight.—Edmund falls, L.

Edm.
What you have charged me with, that have I done;
And more, much more: the time will bring it out;
'Tis past, and so am I.—But what art thou,
That hast this fortune on me? If thou art noble
I do forgive thee.

Edg.
Let's exchange charity.
I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund:
If more, the more thou hast wrong'd me.
My name is Edgar, and thy father's son.
The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices
Make instruments to scourge us:
The dark and vicious place where thee he got,
Cost him his eyes.

Alb.
Where have you hid yourself?
How have you known the mis'ries of your father?

Edg.
By nursing them, my lord.
The bloody proclamation to escape,
That follow'd me so near, taught me to shift
Into a madman's rags; became his guide,
Led him, begg'd for him, sav'd him from despair;
Never (O fault!) reveal'd myself unto him,
Until some half hour past, when I arm'd,
Not sure, tho' hoping of this good success,
I ask'd his blessing, and from first to last
Told him my pilgrimage: but his flaw'd heart,
(Alack, too weak the conflict to support!)
'Twixt two extremes of passion, joy, and grief,
Burst smilingly.

Edm. [Raised by Officers.]
I pant for life!—Some good I mean to do,
Despite of my own nature. Quickly send—
Be brief in it—to the castle; for my writ
Is on the life of Lear, and on Cordelia.

Edg.
Who has the office? Send thy token of reprieve.

Edm.
Take my sword—give it the captain.

Alb.
Haste thee, for thy life! [Exit Edgar, R.
The gods defend her!—Bear him hence awhile. [Flourish.—Edmund is led off L.—Albany and others exeunt R.

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