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Reg. Lady, I am not well; elfe I should anfwer" traitor, let him appear by the third found of the From a full-flowing ftomach.-General,

Take thou my foldiers, prifoners, patrimony;
Difpofe of them, of me; the walls are thine 4:
Witnefs 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 5.
Edm. Nor in thine, lord.

Alb. Half-blooded fellow, yes.

Reg. Let the drum strike, and prove my title thine.

[thee Alb. Stay yet; hear reafon :-Edmund, I arrest On capital treafon; and, in thy arrest,

[Pointing to Goneril.

This gilded ferpent:-for your claim, fair fister,

I bar it in the intereft of my wife;

'Tis fhe is fub-contracted to this lord,

And I, her husband, contradict your banes.

If you will marry, make your love to me,

My lady is bespoke.

Gon. An interlude !

"trumpet: He is bold in his defence."

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[1 trumpet.

[2 trumpet.

[3 trumpet.

[Trumpet anfwers, within.

Enter Edgar, armed.

Alb. Afk him his purposes, why he appears Upon this call o' the trumpet.

Her. What are you?

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Edg. What's he, that fpeaks for Edmund earl
Edm. Himfelf;-What fay'ft thou to him?
Edg. Draw thy fword ;

That, if my fpeech offend a noble heart,
Thy arm may do thee juftice: here is mine.

Alb. Thou art arm'd, Glofter :-Let the trum- Behold, it is the privilege 6 of mine honours,

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My oath, and my profeffion :-1 protest,——
Maugre thy ftrength, youth, place, and eminence,
Defpight thy victor fword, and fire-new fortune,
Thy valour, and thy heart,-thou art a traitor :
Falfe to thy gods, thy brother, and thy father;
Confpirant 'gainst this high illuftrious prince;
And, from the extremeft upward of thy head,
To the descent and duft beneath thy feet,
A most toad-spotted traitor. Say thou, No,
This fword, this arm, and my best spirits, are bent
To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak,

Thou lieft.

Edm. In wisdom, I should ask thy name;
But, fince thy out-tide looks fo fair and warlike,
And that thy tongue fome fay 7 of breeding breathes,
What fafe and nicely I might well delay

1 Commiffion, for authority. 2 Immediacy implies fupremacy, in oppofition to fubordination. 3 Grace here means accomplishments, or honours. 4 A metaphorical phrate taken from the camp, and fignitying, to furrender at difcretion. 5 Whether he thall not or fhall, depends not on your choice. The charge he is here going to bring against the Baftard, he calls the privilege, &c. to understand which phraseology, we muft confider that the old rites of knighthood are here alluded to; whole oath and profeflion required him to difcover all treasons, and whole privilege it was to have his challenge accepted, or otherwife to have his charge taken pro confejl. For if one who was no knight accufed another who was, that other was under no obligation to accept the challenge. On this account it was neceffary, as Edgar came disguised, to tell the Baftard he was a kuight. for clay, fome fhew or probability,

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By rule of knighthood, I difdain and spurn:
Back do I tofs these treasons to thy head;
With the hell-hated lie o'erwhelm thy heart;
Which, (for they yet glance by, and scarcely bruife)
This fword of mine fhall give them instant way,
Where they fhall reft for ever.-Trumpets, fpeak.
[Alarum. Fight. Edmund falls.

Alb. Save him, fave him!
Gon. This is mere practice, Glofter:
By the law of arms, thou waft not bound to anfwer
An unknown oppofite; thou art not vanquish'd,
But cozen'd and beguil'd.

Alb. Shut your mouth, dame,

:

Or with this paper fhall I ftop it :--Hold, fir :-
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 fhall arraign me for 't?

Alb. Monster, know'ft thou this paper?
Gen. Afk me not what I know. [Exit Gon.
Alb. Go after her; fhe's defperate; govern her.
Edm. What you have charg d me with, that I
have done;

Told him my pilgrimage: But his flaw'd heart, -
(Alack, too weak the conflict to fupport!)
'Twixt two extremes of passion, joy, and grief,
Burft frailingly.

Edm. This fpeech of yours hath mov'd me,
And shall, perchance, do good: but speak you on ;
You look as you had fomething more to fay.

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

Edg. This would have feem'd a period
To fuch as love not forrow; but, another 1;———
To amplify too-much, would make much more,
And top extremity :-

Whilft I was big in clamour, came there in a man,
Who having feen me in my worst estate,
Shunn'd my abhorr❜d fociety; but then, finding
Who 'twas that fo endur'd, with his ftrong arms
He faften'd on my neck, and bellow'd out
As he'd burft heaven; threw him on my father;
Told the moft piteous tale of Lear and him,
That ever ear receiv'd: which in recounting,
His grief grew puiffant, and the ftrings of life
Began to crack: Twice then the trumpet tounded,

And more, much more: the time will bring it out; And there I left him tranc’d.
'Tis paft, and fo am I: But what art thou,

That haft this fortune on me? If thou art noble,
I do forgive thee.

Edg. Let us exchange charity.

I am no lefs in blood than thou art, Edmund;
If more, the more thou haft wrong'd me.
My name is Edgar, and thy father's fon.
The gods are juft, and of our pleasant vices
Make inftruments to fcourge us :

The dark and vicious place where thee he got,
Coft him his eyes.

Edm. Thou haft fpoken right, 'tis true;
The wheel is come full circle; I am here.
Alb. Methought, thy very gait did prophefy
A royal noblenefs :-1 muft embrace thee:
Let forrow fplit my heart, if ever I

Did hate thee, or thy father!

Edg. Worthy prince, I know it.
Alb. Where have you hid yourself?

How have you known the miferies of your father?
Edg. By nurfing them, my lord. Lift a brief
tale;

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 bear,
Rather than die at once!) taught me to fhift
Into a mad-man's rags; to aflume a femblance
That very dogs difdain'd: and in this habit
Met I my father with his bleeding rings,
Their precious stones new loft; became his guide,
Led him, begg'd for him, fav'd him from defpair;
Never (O fault!) reveal'd my felf unto him,
Until fome half-hour paft, when I was arm'd,
Not fure, though hoping, of this good fuccefs,
I afk'd his blefling, and from first to last

Alb. But who was this?

Edg. Kent, fir, the banith'd Kent; who in difguife
Follow'd his enemy king, and did him fervice
Improper for a flave.

Enter a Gentleman baftily, with a bloody knife.
Gent. Help! help! O beip!

Edg. What kind of help ?

Alb. Speak, man.

Edg. What means this bloody knife?

Gent. 'Tis hot, it fmoaks;

It came even from the heart of -O! fhe's dead'
Alb. Who, man? fpeak,

Gent. Your lady, fir, your lady: and her fater
By her is poifon'd; the hath confefs'd it.

Edm. 1 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 judgment of the heavens, that makes us tremble, Touches us not with pity.Edg. Here comes Kent, fir.

Alb. O is this he? The time will not allow The compliment which very manners urge. Kent. I am come

To bid my king and master aye good night;

Is he not here ?

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

See'ft thou this object, Kent?

Kent. Alack, why thus ?

Edm. Yet Edmund was belov'd:
The one the other poiton'd for my fake,
And after flew herself.

1 The fenfe may probably be this: This would have feemed a period to fuch as love not for ow; but,— another, i. e. but I must add another, i. e. another period, another kind of conclufion to my ftory, fuch as will incrcafe the horror, of what has been already told.

AB.

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Alb. The gods defend her! Bear him hence
[Edmund is borne off.
Enter Lear, with Cordelia dead in his arms.
Lear. Howl, howl, howl, howl!-O, you are
men of ftones;

Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them fo
That heaven's vault should crack :-0, fhe

for ever!

gone

I know when one is dead, and when one lives;
She's dead as earth :-Lend me a looking-glais;
If that her breath will mift or ftain the ftone,
"Why, then the lives.

Kent. Is this the promis'd end?
Edg. Or image of that horror?
Alb. Fall, and ceafe2!

Lear. This feather ftirs; the lives! if it be fo,
It is a chance that does redeem all forrows
That ever I have felt.

Kent. O my good master!

Lear. Pr'ythee, away.

Edg. 'Tis noble Kent, your friend.

Lear. He's a good fellow, I can tell you that; He'll itrike, and quickly too :--He's dead and

rotten.

Kent. No, my good lord; I am the very man ;-
Lear, I'll fee that straight.
[cay 3,
Kent. That, from your firft of difference and de-
Have follow'd your fad fteps.

Lear. You are welcome hither. [and deadly.
Kent. Nor no man elfe; all's cheerlefs, dark,
Your eldest daughters have fore-doom'd+themselves,
And defperately are dead.

Lear. Ay, fo I think.

Alb. He knows not what he fays; and vain it is
That we prefent us to him."
Edg. Very bootlefs.

Enter a Melenger.

Mef. 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 5 may come,
Shall be apply'd: For us, we will refign,
During the life of this old majefty,

[life.

To him our abfolute power :-You, to your right
[To Edg
With boot 6, and fuch addition as your honours
Have more than merited.-All friends fhall tafte
The wages of their virtue, and all foes
The cup of their defervings.-O, see, see !
Lear. And my poor fool is hang'd 7! No, no, no
Why should a dog, a horfe, a rat have life, [more,
And thou no breath at all ? O, thou wilt come no
Never, never, never, never, never!————
Pray you, undo this button: Thank you, fir.-
Do you fee this? Look on her, look on her lips,

[Kneeling. Look there, look there!

Lear. A plague upon you, murderers, traitors all!
I might have fav'd her; now she's gone for ever!——
Cordelia, Cordelia, ftay a little. Ha!

What is't thou fay'st ?—Her voice was ever foft,
Gentle, and low; an excellent thing in woman:-
I kill'd the flave that was a hanging thee,

Gent. 'Tis true, my lords, he did.
Lear. Did not, fellow ?

[chion

I have seen the day, with my good biting faul-
I would have made them fkip: I am old now,
And these fame crofies fpoil me.-Who are you?
Mine eyes are none o' the beft :-I'll tell you
ftraight.

Kent. If fortune brag of two she lov'd and hated,
One of them we behold.

Lear. This is a dull fight: Are you not Kent?
Kent. The fame; your fervant Kent:

Where is your fervant Caius ?

Edg. He faints;-My lord, my lord,-
Kent. Break, heart; I pr'ythee, break!
Edg. Look up, my lord.

[He dies.

[hates him,

Kent. Vex not his ghoft: O, let him pafs! he That would upon the rack of this tough 9 world Stretch him out longer,

Edg. O, he is gone, indeed.

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

Alb. Bear them from hence.--Our present business
Is general woe. Friends of my foul, you twain
[To Kent, and Edgar.
Rule in this realm, and the gor'd state sustain.

Kent. I have a journey, fir, fhortly to go;
My mafter calls, and I muft not fay, no.

Alb. The weight of this fad time we must obey;
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to fay.
The oldeft hath borne most: we that are young,
Shall never fee fo much, nor live fo long.
[Exeunt, with a dead march,

To fordo fignifies to deftroy. 2 Mr. Steevens affixes the following meaning to this exclamation of Albany: "He is looking with attention on the pains employed by Lear to recover his child, and knows to what miferies he muft furvive, when he finds them to be ineffectual. Having thefe images prefent to his eyes and imagination, he cries out, Rather fall, and ceafe to be, at once, than continue in exiflence only to be wretched." 3 Decay for misfortunes. 4 That is, have anticipated their own doom. 5i. c. to this piece of decay'd royalty, this ruin'd majefly. 6 With advantage, with increase. 7 Mr. Steevens remarks, that this is an expreffion of tendeincis for his dead Cordelia, (not his fool, as fome have thought) on whofe lips he is still intent, and dies away while he is fearching for life there. The Rev. Dr. J. Warton judicioully oblerves, that the fwelling and heaving of the heart is defcribed by this mott expreflive circumftance. 9 i. e. this obdurate, rigid world.

Q 9 3

ROME Q

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MERCUTIO,

BENVOLIO,

} Friends of Romeo.

TYBALT, Kinfman to Capulet.

a old Man, bis Coufin.

Friar LAWRENCE, a Francifcan.
Friar JoHN, of the fame Order.

ABRAM, Servant to Montague.
Three Maficians.

PETER.

Lady MONTAGUE, Wife to Montague.
Lady CAPULET, Wife to Capulet.

JULIET, Daughter to Capulet, in love with Romeo.
Narfe to Juliet.

CHORUS, Page, Boy to Paris, an Officer, an Apothecary.

Citizens of Verona, feveral Men and Women, Relations to both Houfes; Mafkers, Guards, Watch and ̧

other Attendants.

The SCENE, in the beginning of the fifth Act, is in Mantua; during all the rest of the Play, at Verona.

Two

PRO L

"O hryfolds, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our fcene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil bands unclean. From forth the fatal hins of thefe tvo foes

A pair of far-croft lovers take their life; Whef midventud piteous overthrows

Do, with their death, bury their parents' frife.

OGUE.

The fearful paffage of their death-mark'd love,
And the continuance of their parents' rage,
Which, but their childrens' end, nought could remove,
Is not the two hours' traffick of our. Stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What bere jball mifs, our toil shall strive to mend.

SCENE I.

A STREET.

ACTI.

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Sam. A dog of the house of Montague moves me. Greg. To move, is-to ftir; and to be valiant, is-to ftand to it: therefore, if thou art mov'd, thou runn'ft away.

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

Greg. That fhews thee a weak flave; for the weakeft goes to the wall.

Sam. True; and therefore women, being the weaker veffels, are ever thrust to the wall: therefore 1 will pufh Montague's men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall.

I The ftory on which this play is founded, is related as a true one in Girolamo de la Corte's History of Verona, and was well known to the English poets before the time of Shakspeare. burton obferves, that this was a phrase formerly in ufe to fignify the bearing injuries,

Q ૧ ૧ ૧

2 Dr. War

Greg.

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