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Sir, this I hear,-The king is come to his 1 SCENE II-A Field between the Two Camps.

daughter,

With others, whom the rigour of our state
Forc❜d to cry out. Where I could not be honest,
I never yet was valiant: for this business,
It touches us as France invades our land,
Not bolds the king; with others, whom, 1
fear,

Most just and heavy causes make oppose.t
Edm. Sir, you speak nobly.

Reg. Why is this reason'd?

Gon. Combine together 'gainst the enemy: For these domestic and particular broils Art not to question here.

Alb. Let us then determine

With the ancient of war on our proceedings. Edm. I shall attend you presently at your

tent.

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Edm. The enemy's in view; draw up your powers. (forces Here is the guess of their true strength and By diligent discovery;-but your haste Is now urg'd on you.

Alb. We will greet the time.§ [Exit.
Edm. To both these sisters have I sworn my
Each jealous of the other, as the stung [love;
Are of the adder. Which of them shall I take?
Both? one? or neither? Neither can be enjoy'd,
If both remain alive: To take the widow,
Exasperates, makes mad her sister Goneril;
And hardly shall I carry out my side,||
Her husband being alive. Now then, we'll use
His countenance for the battle; which being
done,

Let her, who would be rid of him, devise
His speedy taking off. As for the mercy
Which he intends to Lear, and to Cordelia,
The battle done, and they within our power,
Shall never see his pardon: for my state
Stands on me to defend, not to debate. [Exit.

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Alarum within.-Enter, with Drum and Colours, LEAR, CORDELIA, and their Forces; and Exeunt.

Enter EDGAR and GLOSTER.

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SCENE III.-The British Camp near Doter. Enter, in Conquest, with Drum and Colours, EDMUND; LEAR and CORDELIA, as Prisoners ; Officers, Soldiers, &c.

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

Cor. We are not the first, [worst. Who, with best meaning, have incurr'd the For thee, oppressed king, am I cast down; Myself could else out-frown false fortune's frown.[sisters? Shall we not see these daughters, and these 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 my blessing, I'll kneel And ask of thee forgiveness: So we'll live, down, 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,[out;Who loses, and who wins; who's in, who's And take upon us the mystery of things, As if we were God's spies: And we'll wear out, [ones, In a wall'd prison, packs and sects of great 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,

[eyes;

And fire us hence, like foxes. Wipe thine
The goujeerst shall devour them, flesh and fell,
Ere they shall make us weep: we'll see them
starve first.

Come. [Exeunt LEAR and CORDELIA, guarded.
Edm. Come hither, captain; hark.
Take thou this note; [Giving a Paper.] go, fol-
low them to prison:

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

I. e. To be ready prepared, is all.

+ Pass judgement on them.

i The French discase.

} Skin.

Does not become a sword:-Thy great employ

ment

Will not bear question;* either say, thou❜lt
Or thrive by other means.
Off. I'll do't, my lord.

[do't,

Edm. About it; and write happy, when thou hast done.

Mark,-1 say, instantly; and carry it so,
As I have set it down.

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

[Exit OFFICER. Flourish. Enter ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, OFFICERS, and Attendants."

Alb. Sir, you have shown to-day your valiant strain, [tives And fortune led you well: You have the capWho 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, to appear
Where you shall hold your session. At this
time,
[friend;
We sweat, and bleed: the friend hath lost his
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.t

Alb. Sir, by your patience,

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

Reg. 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 immediacyt may well stand up, And call itself your brother.

Gon. Not so hot:

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Reg. 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 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.
If you will marry, make your love to me,
My lady is bespoke.

Gon. An interlude!

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

[A Trumpet sounds. HERALD 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.

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Her. What are you?

Your name, your quality? and why you answer
This present summons?

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

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,

1. e. Valour.

nence,

Maugre* thy strength, youth, place, and emi- | And, when 'tis told, O, that my heart would
The bloody proclamation to escape, [burst-
That follow'd me so near, (O our lives' sweet-
ness!

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 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 war-
like,
[breathes,
And that thy tongue some 'sayt of breeding
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,)
[way,
This sword of mine shall give them instant
Where they shall rest for ever.-Trumpets,
speak.

[Alarums.-They fight.-EDMUND falls.
save him, save him!

Alb.
Gon. This is mere practice, Gloster:
By the law of arms, thou wast not bound to

answer

An unknown opposite; thou art not van-
But cozen'd and beguil'd.
[quish'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
Who shall arraign me for't?
[thine:

Alb. Most monstrous!
Know'st thou this paper?

Gon. Ask me not what I know.

[Exit GONERIL. Alb. Go after her: she's desperate; govern her. [To an OFFICER, who goes out. Edm. What you have charg'd me with, that have I done;

[out;

And more, much more: the time will bring it
'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 is 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!

Edg. Worthy prince,

I know it well.

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That with the pain of death we'd hourly die,
Rather than die at once!) taught me to shift
Into a madman's rags; to assume a sem-
blance

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,
[despair;
Led him, begg'd for him, say'd him from
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

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He fasten'd on my neck, and bellow'd out
As he'd burst heaven; threw him on my fa-
ther;

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. What kind of help?

Alb. Speak, man.

It came even from the heart of

Alb. Who, man? speak.

Edg. What means that bloody knife?
Gent. 'Tis hot, it smokes;

Gent. Your lady, Sir, your lady: and her

By her is poison'd; she confesses it.

[sister

Edm. I was contracted to them both; all

Now marry in an instant.

[three

Alb. Produce their bodies, be they alive or

dead!

This judgement of the heavens, that makes us
tremble,

Touches us not with pity. [Exit GENTLEMAN,
Enter KENT.

Edg. Here comes Kent, Sir.

Alb. O! it is he.

The time will not allow the compliment,
Which very manners urges.

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Kent. I am come

To bid my king and master aye* good night;
Is he not here?

Alh. Great thing of us forgot!-
Speak, Edmund, where's the king? and where's
Cordelia?-

See'st thou this object, Kent?

[The Bodies of GONERIL and REGAN
are brought in.

Kent. Alack, why thus?

Edm. 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—

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Kent. Nor no man else; all's cheerless, dark, and deadly.[selves, Your eldest daughters have fore-doom'd themAnd desperately are dead. Lear. Ay, so I think.

Alb. He knows not what he says; and vain

Edg. To who, my lord?-Who has the of- That we present us to him.

fice? send

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Edg. Very bootless."

Enter an OFFICER.

Off. Edmund is dead, my lord.
Alb. That's but a trifle here.-

[it is

You lords, and noble friends, know our intent.
What comfort to this great decayt may come,
Shall be applied: For us, we will resign,
During the life of this old majesty,
To him our absolute power:-You, to your
rights;
[To EDGAR and KENT.
With boot, and such additions as your honours
Have more than merited.-All friends shall

taste

The cup of their deservings.-O, see, see!
The wages of their virtue, and all foes
Lear. 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

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Stretch him out longer.

That would upon the rack of this tough world

Edg. O, he is gone, indeed.

He but usurp'd his life.

Kent. The wonder is, he hath endur'd so

[long:

Alb. Bear them from hence.-Our present

business

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ROMEO AND JULIET.

ESCALUS, Prince of Verona.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

PARIS, a young Nobleman, Kinsman to the Prince.

MONTAGUE, Heads of two Houses, at vari-
CAPULET,
ance with each other.

An OLD MAN, Uncle to Capulet.
ROMEO, Son to Montague.
MERCUTIO, Kinsman to the Prince, and Friend
to Romeo.

BENVOLIO, Nephew to Montague, and Friend to Romeo.

TYBALT, Nephew to Lady Capulet.
FRIAR LAWRENCE, a Franciscan.
FRIAR JOHN, of the same Order.
BALTHAZAR, Servant to Romeo.

SAMPSON, Servants to Capulet.
GREGORY, S

ABRAM, Servant to Montague.
An APOTHECARY.
Three MUSICIANS.

CHORUS.-Boy, Page to Paris.-PETER, an
Officer.

LADY MONTAGUE, Wife to Montague.
LADY CAPULET, Wife to Capulet.
JULIET, Daughter to Capulet.
NURSE to Juliet.

Citizens of Verona; several Men and Wo men, relations to both Houses; Maskers, Guards, Watchmen, and Attendants.

SCENE, during the greater part of the Play, in Verona: once, in the fifth Act, at Mantua.

PROLOGUE.

Two households, both alike in dignity,

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

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Gre. To move, is-to stir; and to be valiant,

Where civil blood makes civil hands un-is-to stand to it: therefore, if thou art mov'd,

clean.

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thou run'st away.

stand: I will take the wall of any man or maid Sam. A dog of that house shall move me to

of Montague's.

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

goes Sam. True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the walltherefore 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; I will cut off their heads.

Gre. The heads of the maids?

Sam. Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenbeads; take it in what sense thou wilt. Gre. They must take it in sense, that feel

it. Sam. Me they shall feel, while I am able to stand: and, 'tis known, I am a pretty piece of flesh.

Gre. 'Tis well, thou art not fish: if thou hadst, thou hadst been poor John. Draw thy tool; here comes two of the house of the Montagues.t

* Poor John is hake, dried and salted.
+ The disregard of concerd is in character.

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