Alb. Our very loving fifter, well be met:
Sir, this I hear, the King is come to his daughter,
With others, whom the rigour of our ftate

Forc'd to cry out.

Where I could not be honeft, I never yet was valiant: 'fore this bufinefs, (57) It toucheth us, as France invades our land,

(Not holds the King, with others, whom, I fear, Moft juft and heavy caufes make oppofe,)

Edm. Sir, you fpeak nobly.

Reg. Why is this reafon'd?

Gon. Combine together 'gainft the enemy:
For thefe domeftick and particular broils
Are not the queftion here.

Edm. I fhall attend you prefently at your tent.
Alb. Let's then determine with th' ancient of war

Reg. 'Tis moft convenient, pray you, go with us. Gon. Oh ho, I know the riddle, I will go.

As they are going out, Enter Edgar difguis'd.

Edg. If e'er your Grace had speech with man fo poor, Hear me one word.

Alb. I'll overtake you:-speak.

[Exeunt Edm. Reg. Gon. and Attendants. Edg. Before you fight the battle, ope this letter. If you have vict'ry, let the trumpet found For him that brought it: wretched though I feem, I can produce a champion, that will prove

(57)

for this business,

It touches us, as France invades our land,

Not holds the King, with others whom I fear

Moft juft and heavy causes make oppofe,] I have made a flight variation in thefe lines, which are added from the old 4to. Albany's fpeech feems interrupted, before finish'd: and this I take to be the purport of what he was going to fay. "Before we fight this battle, Sir, it "concerns me, (tho' not the King, and the difcontented party;) "to queftion about your intereft in our fifter, and the event of the "war."---And. Regan and Gonerill, in their replies, both feem apprehenfive that this fubject was coming into debate.

What

What is avouched there. If you miscarry,
Your business of the world hath so an end,
And machination ceafes. Fortune love you!
Alb. Stay, 'till I've read the letter.
Edg. I was forbid it.

When time fhall ferve, let but the herald cry,

And I'll appear again.

[Exit.

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

Re-enter Edmund.

Edm. The enemy's in view, draw up your powers. Hard is the guefs of their true ftrength and forces, By diligent difcovery; but your hafte

Is now urg'd on you.

Alb. We will greet the time.

[Exit.

Edm. To both these fifters have I fworn my love: Each jealous of the other, as the ftung

Are of the adder. Which of them fhall I take?
Both one or neither? neither can be enjoy'd,
If both remain alive: to take the widow,
Exafperates, makes mad her fifter Gonerill;
And hardly fhall I carry out my fide,

Her husband being alive. Now then, we'll ufe
His countenance for the battle; which being done,
Let her, who would be rid of him, devise
His fpeedy taking off. As for the mercy
Which he intends to Lear and to Cordelia,
The battle done, and they within our power,
Shall never fee his pardon: for my state
Stands on me to defend, not to debate.

SCENE, another open Field.

[Exit.

Alarum within. Enter with drum and colours, Lear, Cordelia, and foldiers over the flage, and exeunt.

Edg.

H

Enter Edgar and Glo'fter.

Ere, father, take the fhadow of this tree
For your good hoft; pray, that the right may
thrive:

If ever I return to you again,

I'll bring you comfort.

Glo. Grace be with you, Sir!

[Exit Edgar.

[Alarum, and retreat, within.

Re-enter Edgar.

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

Glo. No further, Sir; a man may rot even here. Edg. What, in ill thoughts again? men must endure Their going hence, ev'n as their coming hither: Ripeness is all; come on.

Glo. And that's true too.

[Exeunt.

Enter in conqueft, with Drum and Colours, Edmund; Lear and Cordelia, as prifoners; Soldiers, Captain.

Edm. Some Officers take them away; good guard, Until their greater pleasures first be known, That are to cenfure them,

Cor. We're not the first,

Who with beft meaning have incurr'd the worst:
For thee, oppreffed King, am I caft down;
Myfelf could elfe out-frown falfe fortune's frown.
Shall we not fee thefe daughters and these fifters ?
Lear. No, no, no, no; come, let's away to prifon;
We two alone will fing, like birds i' th' cage :
When thou doft afk me bleffing, I'll kneel down,
And afk of thee forgiveness: fo 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,
Who lofes, and who wins; who's in, who's out:
And take upon's the mystery of things,

As if we were god's fpies. And we'll wear out,
In a wall'd prifon, packs and fects of great ones,
That ebb and flow by th' moon.

Edm. Take them away.

Lear. Upon fuch facrifices, my Cordelia,

The gods themselves throw incenfe. Have I caught thee?

He

He that parts us, fhall bring a brand from heav'n,
And fire us hence, like foxes; wipe thine eye,
The good-jers fhall devour them, flesh and fell,
Ere they shall make us weep; we'll fee 'em starv'd first.
Come.
[Ex. Lear and Cordelia guarded.

Edm. Come hither, Captain, hark.

Take thou this note; go, follow them to prifon.
One ftep I have advanc'd thee; if thou doft
As this inftructs thee, thou doft make thy way
To noble fortunes: know thou this, that men
Are as the time is; to be tender-minded.

Do's not become a fword; My great employment (58)
Will not bear queftion; either fay, thou'lt do't;
Or thrive by other means.

Capt. I'll do't, my Lord.

Edm. About it, and write happy, when thou'ft done. Mark, I fay, inftantly; and carry it fo,

As I have fet it down.

[Exit Captain. Flourish. Enter Albany, Gonerill, Regan, and Soldiers.

Alb. Sir, you have fhew'd to day your valiant ftrain, And fortune led you well you have the captives, Who were the oppofites of this day's ftrife: We do require them of you, fo to use them, As we fhall find their merits and our fafety May equally determine.

Edm. Sir, I thought it fit

To fend the old and miferable King

To fome retention, and appointed guard;

Whofe age has charms in it, whofe title more,

To pluck the common bofoms on his fide;
And turn our impreft launces in our eyes,

Which do command them. With him I fent the Queen;

(58) -thy great employment

Will not bear queftion;] All the copies concur in reading thus; but, without doubt, erroneously. The perfon, whom Edmund is here fpeaking to, was of no higher degree than a captain; and therefore, certainly, accountable to his fuperiors. Edmund, 'tis plain, muft mean; "I leading one of the conquerors' forces, and having em"ploy'd thee in this bufinefs, will be thy fufficient warrant, and "will fecure thee from being queftion'd about it,”

My

My reafon all the fame; and they are ready
To-morrow, or at further fpace, t' appear
Where you fhall hold your feffion.

At this time,

We fweat and bleed; the friend hath loft his friend; And the beft quarrels, in the heat, are curft

-

By thofe that feel their fharpnefs.-
The queftion of Cordelia, and her father,
Requires a fitter place. (59)

Alb. Sir, by your patience,

I hold you but a fubject of this war,
Not as a brother.

Reg. That's as we lift to grace him.

Methinks, our pleasure might have been demanded,. He led our pow'rs;

Ere you had spoke so far.

Bore the commiffion of my place and perfon;
The which immediacy may well ftand up,

And call itself your brother.

Gon. Not fo hot:

In his own grace he doth exalt himself,
More than in your advancement.

Reg. In my right,

By me invefted, he compeers the best.

Aib. That were the most, if he should hufband you. Reg. Jefters do oft prove prophets.

Gon. Holla, holla!

That eye, that told you fo, look'd but a fquint.
Reg. Lady, I am not well, elfe I fhould anfwer
From a full-flowing ftomach. General,

Take thou my foldiers, prifoners, patrimony,
Difpofe of them, of me; the walls are thine:
Witness the world, that I create thee here
My Lord and master.

Gon. Mean you to enjoy him?

We feat and bleed; &c.] Thefe very neceffary lines I have restor'd from the old 4to. and they were, certainly, firft left out by the indifcretion of the players, merely for the fake of fhortning. But with, out them, as Edmund's fpeech is made to end, 'tis plain, he does not pretend to advife, but fubmits the whole procefs to Albany. How abfurdly then does the other reply, that be belds Edmund but a fubject of the war ?

Alb.