Briefly thy felf remember: the fword is out,
That must destroy thee.

Glo. Let thy friendly hand

Put ftrength enough to❜t.

Stew. Wherefore, bold peafant,

Dar'ft thou fupport a publish'd traitor? hence,
Left that th' infection of his fortune take-
Like Hold on thee. Let go his arm.

Edg. Chill not let go, Zir, without vurther 'cafion.
Stew. Let go, flave, or thou dy'st.

Edg. Good gentleman, go your gate, and let poor volk pafs and 'chud ha' been zwagger'd out of my life, 'twould not ha' been zo long as 'tis by a vort-night. Nay, come not near th' old man keep out, che vor'ye, or ice try whether your coftard or my bat be the harder ; chill be plain with you.

Stew. Out, dunghill !

Edg. Chill pick your teeth, Zir: come, no matter vor your foyns. [Edgar knocks him down. Stew. Slave, thou haft flain me: villain, take my purfe; If ever thou wilt thrive, bury my body,

And give the letters, which thou find'st about me,
To Edmund Earl of Glofter: feek him out

Upon the English party, Oh, untimely death!

Edg. I know thee well, a ferviceable villain;
As duteous to the vices of thy Mistress,
As badnefs would defire.

Glo. What, is he dead?

Edg. Sit you down, father: reft you.

[Dies.

Let's fee thefe pockets; the letters, that he speaks of,
May be my friends: he's dead; I'm only forry,

He had no other death's-man. Let us fee

By your leave, gentle wax and manners blame us

not:

To know our enemies minds, we rip their hearts;
Their papers are more lawful.

Reads the Letter.

ET our reciprocal vows be remembred. You have many opportunities to cut him off: if your Will want not, time and place will be fruitfully offer'd. There is nothing done, if be return the conqueror. Then am I the prifoner, and his bed my goal; from the loathed warmth whereof deliver me, and fupply the place for your labour.

Your (wife, fo I would fay) affectionate
Servant, Gonerill.

Oh, undiftinguifh'd space of woman's Will! (52)
A plot upon her virtuous husband's life,
And the exchange my brother. Here, i'th' fands
Thee I'll rake up, the post unfan&tified

Of murth❜rous letchers: and in the mature time,
With this ungracious paper ftrike the fight
Of the death-practis'd Duke: for him 'tis well,
That of thy death and business I can tell.

Glo. The King is mad; how ftiff is my vile fenfe,
That I ftand up, and have ingenious Feeling
Of my huge forrows! better I were distract,
So should my thoughts be fever'd from my griefs;
[Drum afar off.

(52) Oh, undiftinguish'd Space of Woman's Will!] This is the Reading of the firft Folio, which Mr. Pope very unhappily degrades, and fubftitutes, Wit, the mistaken Reading of the 1ft Quarto. What Idea he form'd to himself of the undistinguish'd Space of a Woman's Wit, I can't tell; I am quite at a lofs to understand any Meaning in it. But the other Reading gives us, as Mr. Warburton observes to me, a most elegant Expreffion, and most fatirical Thought and more delicate than theVarium & mutabile femper Famina-of VIRGIL. 'Tis not the Extravagance, but the Mutability, of a Woman's Will that is here fatiriz'd. The Change of which (our Author would be understood to fay,) is fo speedy, that there is no Space of time, no Distance, between the prefent Will and the next; but it is an undistinguish'd Space. This Sentiment may not be ill explain'd further from what honest Sancho, in Don Quixote, with infinite Humour fays upon the Subject. Entre el Si y el No de la mu¬ ger, no me atreveria yo à poner una punta d' Alfiler. Betwixt a Woman's Yea, and No, I would not undertake to thrust a Pin's Point.

N 4

And

And woes, by wrong imaginations, lose
The knowledge of themselves.
Edg. Give me your hand:

Far off, methinks, I hear the beaten drum.
Come, father, I'll beftow you with a friend.

SCENE changes to a Chamber.

Enter Cordelia, Kent, and Phyfician.

[Exeunt.

Cor. O, thou good Kent, how fhall I live and work
To match thy Goodnefs? life will be too short,
And ev'ry measure fail me.

Kent. To be acknowledg'd, Madam, is o'erpaid;
All my reports go with the modeft truth,
Nor more, nor clipt, but fo.

Cor. Be better fuited;

Thefe weeds are memories of thofe worfer hours:
I pr'ythee, put them off.

Kent. Pardon, dear Madam,

Yet to be known, fhortens my made intent;
My boon I make it, that you know me not,
Till time and I think meet.

Cor. Then be it fo,

My lord.

How does the King? [To the Physician.

Phyf. Madam, fleeps ftill.

Cor. O you kind Gods!

Cure this great breach in his abused nature;

Th' untun'd and jarring fenfes, O, wind up

Of this child-changed father.

Phyf. Please your Majefty,

That we may wake the King, he hath flept long?
Cor. Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed
I'th' fway of your own will: is he array'd?

Enter Lear in a chair, carried by fervants.
Phyf. Ay, Madam; in the heaviness of fleep,
We put fresh garments on him.

Be by, good Madam, when we do awake him;
I doubt not of his temperance.

Cor. O my dear father! Reftauration, hang

Thy

Thy medicine on my lips; and let this kifs
Repair thofe violent harms, that my two fifters

Have in thy reverence made!

Kent. Kind and dearest Princess !

Cor. Had you not been their father, these white flakes Did challenge pity of them. Was this a face,

To be expos'd against the warring winds?

To ftand against the deep, dread-bolted Thunder? (53)
In the most terrible and nimble Stroke

Of quick, crofs Lightning? To watch poor Perdue,
With this thin Helm?-My very Enemy's Dog,
Though he had bit me, fhou'd have ftood That Night
Against my fire: And waft thou fain, poor Father,
To hovel thee with swine and rogues forlorn,
In fhort and mufty ftraw? alack, alack!
'Tis wonder, that thy life and wits, at once,
Had not concluded all. He wakes; fpeak to him.
Phyf. Madam, do you; 'tis fitteft.

Cor. How does my royal lord? how fares your Majesty?
Lear. You do me wrong to take me out o'th'

Thou art a foul in blifs, but I am bound

Upon a wheel of fire; that mine own tears

Do fcald like molten lead.

Cor. Sir, do you know me?

grave

Lear. You are a fpirit, I know; when did you die?
Cor. Still, ftill, far wide-

Phyf. He's scarce awake, let him alone awhile.
Lear. Where have I been? where am I? fair day-light?
I'm mightily abus'd; I should even die with pity,
To See another thus. I know not what to fay;
I will not fwear, these are my hands: let's fee,
I feel this pin prick: would, I were affur'd
Of my condition.

Cor. O look upon me, Sir,

And hold your hand in benediction o'er me.
No, Sir, you must not kneel.

Lear. Pray, do not mock me;

(53) To ftand against the deep,] The following three Lines and an half, in no wife unworthy of our Author, I have reftor'd from the Old 4to.

A

I am a very foolish fond old man,

Fourscore and upward; and to deal plainly,
I fear, I am not in my perfect mind.

Methinks, I fhould know you, and know this man;
Yet I am doubtful: for I'm mainly ignorant,
What place this is; and all the skill I have,
Remembers not thefe garments; nay, I know not
Where I did lodge laft night.

Do not laugh at me,

For, as I am a man, I think, this lady

To be my child Cordelia.

Cor. And fo I am; I am.

[not.

Lear. Be your tears wet? yes, faith; I pray you, weep

If you have poifon for me, I will drink it;

I know, you do not love me; for your fifters
Have, as I do remember, done me wrong.

You have fome caufe, they have not.
Cor. No caufe, no cause.
Lear. Am I in France?

Kent. In your own kingdom, Sir.
Lear. Do not abuse me.

Phyf. Be comforted, good Madam; the great Rage,
You fee, is cur'd in him:and, yet, 'twere Danger
To make him even o'er the Time, h'as loft.
Defire him to go in; trouble him no more,

Till further fettling.

Cor. Will't please your Highness walk?
Lear. You must bear with me;

Pray you now, forget and forgive;

I am old and foolish.

[Exeunt Lear, Cord.

Phyf. and Attendants.

Manent Kent and Gentleman.

Gent. Holds it true, Sir, that the Duke of Cornwall was fo flain? (54)

(54) Gent. Holds it true, Sir ?] This fhort Dialogue, which was retrench'd by the Players in their Edition, I have reftor'd from the Old 4to. The Matter of it is natural and eafie; and tho' the Language be not pompous, it is to the Subject: and the Uncertainty of common Report, with Regard to Kent and Edgar, must be very pleafing to the Audience, who knew how Rumour was miftaken in representing them to be

abroad.

Kent.