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 banns.

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

Sick, O, sick! Gon. [Aside.] If not, I'll ne'er trust poison. Edm. 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 honour firmly. Alb. A herald, ho! Edm.

A herald, ho, a herald! Alb. Trust to thy single virtuel; for thy soldiers, All levied in my name, have in my name Took their discharge. Reg.

This sickness grows upon me. Enter a Herald.

Alb. She is not well; convey her to my tent. [Exit Regan, led. Come hither, herald, --Let the trumpet sound, And read out this. [A Trumpet sounds.

Off. Sound trumpet.

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: nere is mine.
Behold, it is the privilege of mine honours,
My oath, and my profession: I protest, -
Maugrethystrength, 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;
2 Notwithstanding.

Conspirant 'gainst this high illustrious prince;
And, from the extremest upward of thy 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 so fair and warlike, And that thy tongue some 'say1 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 glance by, and scarcely

bruise,)

This sword of mine shall give them instant way,
Where theyshall rest for ever.-Trumpets, speak.
[Alarums. They fight. Edmund falls.
Alb. O save him, save him!
Gon.

This is mere practice, 2 Gloster. Bythe law of arms, thou wast not bound to answer An unknown opposite; thou art not vanquish'd, But cozen'd and beguil'd.

Alb.

Shut your mouth, dame, Or with this paper shall I stop it:-Hold, sir: Thou worse than any name, read thine own evil:-No tearing, lady: I perceive you know it.

[Gives the Letter to Edmund.
Gon. Say, if I do; the laws are mine, not thine:
Who shall arraign me for't?
Alb.
Most monstrous!

Know'st thou this paper?
Gon.

Ask me not what I know. [Exit Gon. Alb. Goafter her: she's desperate; govern her. [To an Officer, who goes out.

Edm. What you have charg'd 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.

Edm. Thou hast spoken right, 'tis true; The wheel has come full circle; I am here.

Alb. Methought, thy very gait did prophesy A royal nobleness:-I must embrace thee; Let sorrow split my heart, if ever I Did hate thee, or thy father!

Worthy prince,

Where have you hid yourself? How have you known the miseries of your father? Edg. By nursing them, my lord. -List a brief

tale;

And, when 'tis told, O, that my heart would
The bloody proclamation to escape, [burst!
That follow'dine so near, (O, our our lives' lives's sweetness!
That with the pain of death we'd hourly die,
1 Sample.

Rather than die at once!) taught me to shift
Into a madman's rags; to assume a semblance
That very dogs disdain'd: and in this habit
Met I my father with his bleeding rings,
Their precious stones new lost; 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 was arm'd.
Not sure, though 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. This speech of yours hath mov'd me. And shall, perchance, do good: but speak you on; You look as you had something more to say.

Alb. If there be more, more woful, hold it in; For I am almost ready to dissolve, Hearing of this.

Edg. This would have seem'd a period
To such as love not sorrow; but another,
To amplify too much, would make much more,
And top extremity.

Whilst I was big in clamour, came there a man,
Who having seen me in my worst estate,
Shunn'd my abhorr'd society; but then, finding
Who 't was that so endur'd, with his strong arms
He fasten'd on my neck, and bellow'd out
As he'd burst heaven; threw him on my father;
Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him,
That ever ear receiv'd: which in recounting,
His grief grew puissant, and the strings of life
Began to crack: Twice then the trumpet sounded,
And there I left him tranc'd.
Alb.

But who was this? Edg. Kent, sir, the banish'd Kent; who in disguise

Follow'd his enemy king, and did him service Improper for a slave.

Enter a Gentleman hastily, with a bloody Knife.

Gent. Help! help! O help!

Edg.

Alb.

What kind of help?

Speak, man.

Edg. What means that bloody knife?

Gent.

'Tis hot, it smokes;

It came even from the heart ofAlb.

Who, man? speak.

Gent. Your lady, sir, your lady: and her sister By her is poison'd; she confesses it.

Edm. I was contracted to them both; all three Now marry in an instant.

A. Produce their bodies, be they alive or dead!This judgment of the heavens, that makes us

tremble,

Touches us not with pity. [Exit Gentleman. Enter Kent.

Yet Edmund was belov'd:

The one the other poison'd for my sake,

And after slew herself.

Alb. Even so. -Cover their faces.

Edm. I pant for life: -Some good I mean to do, Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send,Be brief in it, to the castle; for my writ Is on the life of Lear, and on Cordelia: Nay, send in time.

Alb.

Run, run, O, run

office? send

Alb. The gods defend her! Bear him hence awhile. [Edmund is borne off.

Enter Lear, with Cordelia dead in his Arms; Edgar, Officers, and others.

Lear. Howl, howl, howl, howl! O, ye are men of stones:

Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so That heaven's vault should crack:-0, she is gone for ever!-

I know when one is dead, and when one lives; She's dead as earth:--Lend me a looking glass; If that her breath will mist or stain the stone, Why, then she lives.

Kent.

Is this the promis'd end?

Edg. Or image of that horror?
Alb.

Fall, and cease!

Lear. This featherstirs; she lives! if it be so,

It is a chance that does redeem all sorrows
That ever I have felt.

Kent. O my good master! (Kneeling.
Lear. Pr'ythee, away.

Edg.

'Tis noble Kent, your friend.

L. A plague upon you, murderers, traitors, all! I might have sav'd her; now she's gone forever!Cordelia, Cordelia, stay a little, Ha!

What is't thou say'st?---Her voice was eversoft,
Gentle, and low; an excellent thing in woman:-
I kill'd the slave that was a hanging thee.

Off. 'Tis true, my lords, he did.
Lear.

Did I not, fellow? I have seen the day, with my good biting faulchion I would have made them skip: I am old now,

And these same crosses spoil me. - Who are you? Mine eyes are none o' the best:-I'll tell you straight.

Kent. If fortune brag of two she lov'd and One of them we behold. [hated, Lear. This is adull sight: Are you not Kent? 1 Destroyed.

selves,

Lear.

Ay, so I think.

Alb. He knows not what he says; and vain it is That we present us to him. Edg.

Very bootless.1

Enter an Officer.

Off. Edmund is dead, my lord. Alb. That's but a trifle here. You lords and noble friends, know our intent, What comfort to this great decay 2 may come, Shall be applied: For us, we will resign, During the life of this old majesty, To him our absolute power:-[To Edgar and

Kent. You to your rights; With boot, and such addition as your honours Have more than merited. --All friends shall taste The wages of their virtue, and all foes The cup of their deservings.-O see, see!

L. And my poor fool is hang'd! No, no, no life: Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, And thou no breath at all? O, thou wilt come no more,

Never, never, never, never, never!-
Pray you, undo this button: Thank you, sir.-
Do you see this! Look on her,--look,--her lips,--
Look there, look there!-
[He dies.
Edg. He faints! My lord, my lord.
Kent. Break, heart; I pr'ythee break!
Edg.

That would upon the rack of this tough world
Stretch him out longer.
Edg.

O, he is gone, indeed.

Kent. The wonder is, he hath endur'd so long: He but usurp'd his life.

Alb. Bear them from hence. Our present business

Is general woe. [To Kent and Edgar.] Friends of my soul, you twain

Rule in this realm, and the gor'd state sustain. Kent. I have a journey, sir, shortly to go; My master calls, and I must not say, no.

Alb. The weight of this sad time we must obey; Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say. The oldest hath borne most: we, that are young, Shall never see so much, nor live so long.

[Exeunt, with a dead March. 2 (Decayed royalty.)

SCENE I.-A PUBLICK PLACE,

Enter Sampson and Gregory, armed with Swords and Bucklers.

S. Gregory, o' my word, we'll not carry coals. 1 Gre. No, for then we should be colliers. Sam. I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw. Gre. Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of the collar.

Sam. I strike quickly, being moved.

G. But thou art not quickly moved to strike. S. A dog of the house of Montague moves me. Gre. To move, is-to stir; and to be valiant, is-to stand to it: therefore, if thou art mov'd, thou runn'st away.

S. A dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will take the wall of any man of Montague's.

Gre. That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall.

Sam. True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall :therefore I will push Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall.

Gre. The quarrel is between our masters, and us their men.

Sam. 'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids, and I'm a pretty piece of flesh

Gre. 'Tis well, thou art not fish; if thou hadst, thou hadst been poor John. Draw thy tool; here come two of the house of the Montagues. Enter Abram and Balthazar.

Sam. My naked weapon is out; quarrel, I will back thee.

Gre. How? turn thy back, and run?

Sam. Fear me not.

Gre. No, marry: I fear thee!

Sam. Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.

Gre. I will frown as I pass by; and let them take it as they list.

S. Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it. Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Sam. I do bite my thumb, sir. Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? Sam. Is the law on our side, if I say-ay?

Gre. No.