I come to cope. Alb. Which is that adversary? Edg. What's he that speaks for Edmund Earl of Gloucester ? 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, 130 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 the 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, 140 Thou liest. Edm. In wisdom I should ask thy name; But since thy outside looks so fair and war-like, And that thy tongue some say of breeding breathes, What safe and nicely I might well delay And when 'tis told, O! that my heart would burst, The bloody proclamation to escape That follow'd me so near,-O! our lives' sweetness, That we the pain of death would hourly die 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, 150 Led him, begg'd for him, sav'd him from despair; 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, 21 Alb. If there be more, more woeful, hold it in For I am almost ready to dissolve, Hearing of this. Edg. This would have seem'd a period Whilst I was big in clamour came there a man, And there I left him tranc'd. 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, with a bloody knife. Gent. Help, help! O, help! Edg. Alb. 221 What kind of help? Speak, man. Edg. What means that bloody knife? Gent. 'Tis hot, it smokes ; It came even from the heart of-O! she's dead. Alb. Who dead? speak, man. 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. Edg. Here comes Kent. Alb. Produce the bodies, be they alive or dead: This judgment of the heavens, that makes us tremble, Touches us not with pity. 231 Exit Gentleman. To hang Cordelia in the prison, and Alb. The gods defend her! Bear him hence Lear. Howl, howl, howl, howl! O! you are men of stones : Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so That heaven's vault should crack. She's gone for ever. 259 I know when one is dead, and when one lives; Kent. Kneeling. O my good master! Edg. I might have sav'd her; now, she 's gone for ever! Ha! 270 Cordelia, Cordelia! stay a little. Kent. If fortune brag of two she lov'd and hated, One of them we behold. 280 Lear. This is a dull sight. Are you not Kent? Kent. The same; Your servant Kent. Where is your servant Caius? Lear. He's a good fellow, I can tell you that; He's dead and He'll strike, and quickly too. That would upon the rack of this tough world Stretch him out longer. Edg. 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; m My master calls me, I must not say no. Edg. 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 marek. Sailor, Messengers, Herald, Officers, Gentlemen, Musicians, and Attendants. SCENE.-For the first Act, in Venice; during the rest of the Play, at a Sea-port in Cyprus. ACT I. SCENE I.- Venice. A Street. Enter RODERIGO and IAGO. Rod. Tush! never tell me; I take it much That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse this. Iago. 'Sblood, but you will not hear me If ever I did dream of such a matter. Abhor me. Rod. Thou told'st me thou didst hold him in thy hate. Iago. Despise me if I do not. Three great In personal suit to make me his lieutenant, Nonsuits my mediators; for, 'Certes,' says he, Forsooth, a great arithmetician, By debitor and creditor, this counter-caster; Rod. By heaven, I rather would have been his lago. But there's no remedy: 'tis the curse of service, Preferment goes by letter and affection, And not by old gradation, where each second Whether I in any just term am affin'd Rod. I would not follow him then. 40 I follow him to serve my turn upon him; Whip me such honest knaves. Others there are A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife; lords, Do well thrive by them, and when they have lin'd their coats Do themselves homage: these fellows have And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir, Enter BRABANTIO, above, at a window. Bra. What is the reason of this terrible summons? What is the matter there? Rod. Signior, is all your family within? lago. Are your doors lock'd? Bra. Why? wherefore ask you this? lago. 'Zounds! sir, you're robb'd; for shame, put on your gown; 90 Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul; Bra. Not I; what are you? The worser welcome: Being full of supper and distempering draughts, 100 Rod. Sir, sir, sir! My house is not a grange. Rod. Sir, I will answer any thing. But I be seech you, If 't be your pleasure and most wise consent, I thus would play and trifle with your reverence: If she be in her chamber or your house, Bra. Strike on the tinder, ho! Give me a taper! call up all my people! This accident is not unlike my dream; Belief of it oppresses me already. Light, I say! light! Exit from above. Iago. Farewell; for I must leave you: It seems not meet nor wholesome to my place To be produc'd, as if I stay I shall, Against the Moor; for I do know the state, However this may gall him with some check, Cannot with safety cast him; for he 's embark'd With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars, 15 Which even now stand in act, that, for their souls, Another of his fathom they have none, To lead their business; in which regard, Though I do hate him as I do hell-pains, Yet, for necessity of present life, I must show out a flag and sign of love, Which is indeed but sign. That you shall surely find him, Lead to the Sagittary the raised search; How didst thou know 'twas she? O! she deceives me |