SCENE III. The British camp, near Dover.

Enter, in conquest, with drum and colours, EDMUND; LEAR and CORDELIA prisoners; Officers, Soldiers, &c.

Edm. Some officers take them away: good guard, Until their greater pleasures first be known

That are to censure them.

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

Lear. 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, packs and sects of great ones,
That ebb and flow by the moon.

Edm.

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(119) devour them, flesh and fell,

Ere they shall make us weep; we'll see 'em starve first.
Come.

[Exeunt Lear and Cordelia, guarded.

Edm. Come hither, captain; hark.

Take thou this note [Giving a paper]; go follow them to pri

son:

One step I have advanc'd 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.

Off.

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.

Off. I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dried oats; If't be man's work, I'll do 't.

[Exit.

Flourish. Enter ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, Officers, and

Attendants.

Alb. 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.

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 further 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.

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.

Not so hot :

In his own grace he doth exalt himself,

More than in your addition.

Reg.

In my rights

By me invested, he compeers the best.

Gon. That were the most, if he should husband you.
Reg. Jesters do oft prove prophets.

Gon.

Holla, holla! That eye that told you so look'd but a-squint.

Reg. Lady, I am not well; else I should answer

From a full-flowing stomach.-General,

Take thou my soldiers, prisoners, patrimony;
Dispose of them, of me; the walls are thine :(120)
Witness the world that I create thee here

My lord and master.

Gon.

Mean you to enjoy him?

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

Edm. Nor in thine, lord.

Alb.

Half-blooded fellow, yes.

Reg. [to Edmund] Let the drum strike, and prove my

title thine.

Alb. Stay yet; hear reason.-Edmund, I arrest thee

On capital treason; and, in thy arrest,

This gilded serpent [pointing to Gon.].-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.

All. 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.

Reg.

Sick, O, sick!

Gon. [aside] If not, I'll ne'er trust medicine.

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 virtue; for thy soldiers, All levied in my name, have in my name

Took their discharge.

Reg.

My sickness grows upon me.
Alb. She is not well; convey her to my tent.

Enter a Herald.

[Exit Regan, led.

Come hither, herald,-Let the trumpet sound,—

And read out this.

Off. Sound, trumpet!

[A trumpet sounds.

Her. [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 by the third sound of the trumpet: he is bold in his defence."

Edm. Sound!
Her. Again!

[First trumpet.

[Second trumpet.

Her. Again!

[Third trumpet.

[Trumpet answers within.

Enter EDGAR, armed, and preceded by a trumpet.

Alb. 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.

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.(121)

Alb.

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,-(122)
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 th' extremest upward of thy head
To the descent and dust below thy foot,
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 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 glance by, and scarcely bruise,—

This sword of mine shall give them instant way,

Where they shall rest for ever.-Trumpets, speak!

[Alarums. They fight. Edmund falls.

Alb. Save him, save him!

Gon.

This is practice, Gloster :(123) By the 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 :—(124)

No tearing, lady; I perceive you know it.

[Gives the letter to Edmund.

Gon. Say, if I do,—the laws are mine, not thine :