To match thy goodness? My life will be too short, Kent.To be acknowledg'd,madam, is o'erpay'd. Cor. Be better suited 2: These weeds are memories of those worser hours; Kent, Pardon me, dear madam; Yet to be known, shortens my inade intent*; Cor. Then be it so, my good lord. How does the king? [To the Physician, Phys, Madam, sleeps still. Cor. O you kind gods, Cure this great breach in his abused nature! Phys. So please your majesty, That we may wake the king? he hath slept long, I' the sway of your own will. Is he array'd? Gent, Ay, madam; in the heaviness of his sleep, [him; Phys. Be by, good madam, when we do awake I doubt not of his temperance. Cor. Very well. I will not swear, these are my hands ;---let's see; feel this pin prick. 'Would I were assur’d Of my condition! Cor. O, look upon me, sir, 15 And hold your hands in benediction o'er mesNo, sir, you must not kneel. Lear. Pray do not mock me; I am a very foolish fond old man, 20 Not an hour more, nor less; and, to deal plainly, 25 [sic there ! 30 [flakes 135 Kent. Kind and dear princess! Of quick, cross lightning? to watch (poor perdu !)| Against my fire; And wast thou fain, poor father, Cor. How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty? Lear. You do me wrong, to take me out o' the 145 50 Cor. And so I am, I am! Cor. No cause, no causé. Lear. Am I in France? Kent. In your own kingdom, sir, [rage, Phys. Be comforted, good madam: the great Cor. Will't please your highness walk? Pray you now, forget and forgive: I am old and [Exeunt Lear, Cordelia, Physician,and Attendants, Gent. Holds it true, sir, That the duke of Cornwall was so slain? Kent, Most certain, sir. Gent. Who is conductor of his people? Kent. As it is said, the bastard son of Gloster, 55 His banish'd son, is with the earl of Kent In Germany. i. e. All good which I shall a'lot thee, or measure out to thee, will be scanty. drest, put on a better suit of clothes. 1į. e, memorials, remembrancers. an intent formed. So we say in common language, to make a design, and to make a resolution, i. e. changed to a child by his years and wrongs, Restoration is recovery personified. allusion, Dr. Warburton says, is to the forlorn-hope in an army, which are put upon desperate adventures, and called, in French, enfans perdus; she therefore calls her father, poor perdu. am strangely imposed on by appearances; I am in a strange mist of uncertainty. i. e. to recon, cile it to his apprehension. I Kent. NOW of the duke, if his last purpose Or whether since he is advis'd by aught Reg. Our sister's man is certainly miscarry'd. 20 Reg. Now, sweet lord, You know the goodness I intend upon you: 25 Tell me, but truly,but then speak the truth, Do you not love my sister? Edm. In honour'd love. [way Reg. But have you never found my brother's To the fore-fended 2 place? 30 Edm. That thought abuses you. [junct Reg. I ain doubtful that you have been conAnd bosom'd with her, as far as we call hers. Edm. No, by mine honour, madam. I Alb. Let us then determine With the ancient of war on our proceedings. [us. Reg. 'Tis most convenient; pray you, go with go. As they are going out, enter Edgar disguised. Alb. I'll overtake you.-Speak. [Exeunt Edm. Reg. Gon, and Attendants. Reg. I never shall endure her: Dear my lord, 35 When time shall serve, let but the herald cry, Alb. Our very loving sister, well be met.- Reg. Why is this reason'd? Gon. Combine together 'gainst the enemy: 2 His settled resolution. Each jealous of the other, as the stung Are of the adder. Which of them shall I take? 50 Both? one? or neither? Neither can be enjoy'd, fore-fended means prohibited, forbidden. 'The meaning of this speech is, The king and others whom we have opposed, are come to Cordelia. I could never be valiant but in a just quarrel. We must distinguish; it is just in one sense and unjust in another. As France invades our land, I am concerned to repel him; but as he holds, entertains, and supports the king, and others whom Í fear many just and heavy causes make, or compel, as it were, to oppose us, I esteem it unjust to engage against them. This business (says Albany) touches us, as France invades our land, not as it bolds the king, &c. i. e. emboldens him to assert his former title. i. e. bring my purpose to a successful issue, to completion.-Side seems here to have the sense of the French word partie, in prendre partie, to take his resolution. 10 Come. 15 [Alarum, and retreat within. 20 Re-enter Edgar. Edg. Away, old man, give me thy hand, away; Glo. No further, sir; a man may rot even here. 25 endure Their going hence, even as their coming hither; Glo. And that's true too. SCENE III. [Exeunt. 30 Enter, in conquest, with drum and colours, Ed- Cor. We are not the first, prison: [Exeunt Lear, and Cordelia, guarded. Capt. I'll do't, my lord. Edm. About it; and write happy, when thou Mark,-I say, instantly; and carry it so, Capt. I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dry'd oats; strain, And fortune led you well: You have the captives 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, 40 And turn our imprest 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 a further space, to appear 45 Where you shall hold your session. At this time, We sweat, and bleed: the friend hath lost his friend; We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage: 55 And the best quarrels, in the heat, are curs'd Alb. Sir, by your patience, I hold you but a subject of this war, Reg. That's as we list to grace him. Dr. Johnson thinks that for does not stand in this place as a word of inference or causality. The meaning is rather; Such is my determination concerning Lear; as for my state, it requires now, not deliberation, but defence and support. i. e. To be ready, prepared, is all." Packs is used for combinations or collection, as is a pack of cards. For sects, sets might be more commodiously read. Thus we say, affairs are now managed by a new set. It is usual to smoke foxes out of their holes. i. e. Morbus Gallicus.-Gouge,Fr. signifies one of the common women attending a camp: and as that disease was first dispersed over Europe by the French army, and the women who followed it, the first name it obtained among us was the gougeries, i. e. the disease of the gouges. Flesh and skin. The mean ing is, that the important business he now had in hand, did not admit of debate; he must instantly resolve to do it, or not. i. e. turn the launce-men which are press'd into our service, against us. 6 7 Methinks, That eye, that told you so, look'd but a-squint. "If any man of quality, or degree, within the lists of the army, will maintain upon Edinund, supposed earl of Gloster, that he is a manifold Reg. Lady, I am not well; else I should answer 15" traitor, let him appear by the third sound of From a full-flowing stomach.-General, Take thou my soldiers, prisoners, patrimony, My lord and master. Gon. Mean you to enjoy him? Alb. The let alone lies not in your good will'. Alb. Half-blooded fellow, yes. "the trumpet: He is bold in his defence." Edm. Sound. Reg. Let the drum strike, and prove my title 25 thine. [the Alb. Stay yet; hear reason:-Edmund, I arrest On capital treason; and, in thy arrest, [Pointing to Goneril. This gilded serpent:-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 banns. If you will marry, make your love to me, My lady is bespoke. Gon. An interlude! Alb. Thou art arm'd, Gloster :-Let the trum- If none appear to prove upon thy person 301 Enter Edgar, armed. 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 Edg. Know, my name is lost; By treason's tooth bare-gnawn, and canker-bit; come to cope withal. Alb. Which is that adversary? 35 That, if my speech offend a noble heart, Gon. If not, I'll ne'er trust poison. That names me traitor, villain-like he lies: Alb. A herald, ho! Edm. A herald, ho, a herald ! Immediacy implies supremacy, in opposition to subordination. 3 Grace here means accomplishments, or honours. A metaphorical phrase taken from the camp, and signifying, to surrender at discretion. "Whether he shall not or shall, depends not on your choice. The charge he is here going to bring against the Bastard, he calls the privilege, &c.; to understand which phraseology, we must consider that the old rites of knighthood are here alluded to; whose oath and profession required him to discover all treasons, and whose privilege it was to have his challenge accepted, or otherwise to have his charge taken pro confesso. For if one who was no knight, accused another who was, that other was under no obligation to accept the challenge. On this account it was necessary, as Edgar came disguised, to tell the Bastard he was a knight. 'Say, for essay, some shew or probability. 7 By rule of knighthood, I disdain and spurn: Alb. Save him, save him! 5 Gon. This is mere practice, Gloster: [swer Alb. Shut your mouth, dame, Or with this paper shall I stop it :-Hold, sir :- [Gives the letter to Edmund. Gon. Say, if I do; the laws are mine, not thine: Who shall arraign me for 't? Alb. Monster, know'st thou this paper? Told him my pilgrimage: But his flaw'd heart, Edm. This speech of yours hath mov'd me, Alb. If there be more, more woeful, hold it in: Edg. This would have seem'd a period 15 Whilst I was big in clamour, came there in a man, Shunn'd my abhorr'd society; but then, finding And more, much more: the time will bring it out; 25 Edg. Let us exchange charity. I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund; My name is Edgar, and thy father's son. The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices The dark and vicious place where thee he got, Edm. Thou hast spoken right, 'tis true; Alb. Methought, thy very gait did prophesy Did hate thee, or thy father! 30 35 1401 45 Edg. Worthy prince, I know it. 55 [guise Alb. But who was this? Enter a Gentleman hastily, with a bloody knife. Edg. What kind of help? Alb. Speak, man. Edg. What means this bloody knife? Gent. 'Tis hot, it smoaks; It came even from the heart of -O! she's dead! Gent. Your lady, sir, your lady: and her sister Edm. I was contracted to them both; all three Now marry in an instant. Enter Kent. Alb. Produce the bodies, be they alive or dead! [Goneril and Regan's bodies brought out. This judgement of the heavens, that makes us tremble, Touches us not with pity. Edg. Here comes Kent, sir. Alb. O is this he? The time will not allow To bid my king and master aye good night; Alb. Great thing of us forgot! Speak, Edmund, where's the king? and where 's See'st thou this object, Kent? Kent. Alack, why thus ? Edm. Yet Edmund was belov'd: 60 The one the other poison'd for my sake, The sense may probably be this: This would have seemed a period to such as love not sorrow; hut,-another, i. e. but I must add another, i. e. another period, another kind of conclusion to my story, such as will increase the horrors of what has been already told. Alb. |