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Sc. VIII. Edm. confesses his treasons. Edg. discovers himself, and relates the share he hath had in the action of the play. Edm. relents.

Sc. IX. Enter a Gentleman with a bloody knife, which he brings reeking from the heart of Gon. who had killed herself, and confessed that she had poisoned her fister Reg. Enter Kent, discovering himself, and enquiring for the King; which puts Alb. on questioning Edm. about him and Cor. The bodies of Gon. and Reg. are brought in. Edm. finding himself near death, defires that messengers may be quickly sent to the prison to save the lives of Lear and Cor. for whose murder he and Gon. had given orders. Edm. is borne off.

Sc. X. Enter Lear with Cor. dead in his arms. Afterwards a messenger with the news of Edmund's death. Lear dies of grief for the loss of Cordelia. Exeunt with a dead march.

ERRATUM.

P. 133. note', for and R. and J. read R.'s 8vo.

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• The King's Palace.

Enter Kent, Glofter, and Edmund the Bastard.

THOUGHT

Kent.

the king had more affected the duke of

Albany than Cornwall.

Glo. It did always seem b so to us, but now in the division of the kingdom it appears not which of the dukes he values moft; for d equalities are so weighed, that curiofity in neither can make choice of either's moiety.

Kent. Is not this your fon, my lord?

Glo. His breeding, fir, hath been at my charge. I have fo often blush'd to acknowledge him, that now I am braz'd to't. Kent. I cannot conceive you.

Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could, whereupon the grew round-wombed; and had indeed, fir, a fon for her

* The scene is not described in the qu's or fo's.

* The three last fo's emit fo.

The qu's read kingdoms.

* So the qu's; all the rest, qualities.

A

cradle,

cradle, ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a

fault?

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Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper.

Glo. But I have, fir, a fon by order of law, somef year elder than this is, who yet is no dearer in my account. Though this knave came & somewhat saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair: there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged. Do you know this i noble gentleman, Edmund?

Edm. No, my lord.

Glo. My lord of Kent.-Remember him hereafter as my honourable friend.

Edm. My services to your lordship.

Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you better.

Edm. Sir, I shall * study deserving.

Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again.

-The king is coming.

[Trumpets found within.

• So the qu's; all the rest read, But I have a fon, fir, by, &c.

f The Oxford editor, not understanding the common phrase, alters year to

years. He did not confider the bastard says,

For that I am fome twelve or fourteen moon-shines

W.

Lag of a brother.

* The qu's read fomething.

h So the qu's; the rest read to for into.

i So the qu's, and I f. the rest read nobleman, Edmund?

* P. is the first who reads study your deferving; followed by the after

editors; but the word your here interpolated is certainly fuperfluous.

1 This direction is put in by T.

SCENE

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• Enter King Lear, Cornwall, Albany, Gonerill, Regan, Cordelia, and attendants,

Lear. Attend my lords of France and Burgundy, Glofter,

Glo. I shall, my liege.

[Exit.

Lear. Mean time wed will express our darker purposes;

Give me the map & there. Know, we have divided

In three our kingdom; and 'tis our à fast intent

To shake all cares and business from our age,

■ The qu's read Sound a Jennet, enter one bearing a coronet, then Lear, then the dukes of Albany and Cornwall, next Gonorill, Regan, Cordelia, with followers.

b So the qu's; the rest read the for my.

P. and H. omit Glo'fter.

d So the qu's; the rest, shall for will,

e So the qu's; the rest purpose.

f The qu's omit Give me.

8 So the qu's, and 1st and 2d fo's; the rest read here.

h The qu's read first; P. leaves it quite out; W. fays, this (viz. the word fast) is an interpolation of T. for want of knowing the meaning of the old reading in the q. 1608, and 1 f. 1623, viz. first; (but here IW. falsely accuses T. of interpolation, for all the fo's and R. read faft) which is as Shakespear wrote it. (a thing impossible to be known) who makes Lear declare his purpose with a dignity becoming his character: that the first reason of his abdication was the love of his people, that they might be protected by fuch as were better able to discharge the trust; and his natural affection for his daughters only the second. W. But it feems more likely that Shakespear wrote faft, i. e. firm and unalterable, because it makes better sense in this place. He is so far from giving the love of his people as the first reason of his abdication, that he does not fo much as hint at that, but his own ease is the reason he gives, as the word unburden'd demonstrates; and he gives no second reason at all.

From our age. The qu's read of our state.

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