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In a wall'd prifon, packs and fects of great ones,
That ebb and flow by th' moon.

Edm. Take them away.

Lear. Upon fuch facrifices, my Cordelia,

The Gods themselves throw incenfe. Have I caught thee?
He that parts us, shall bring a brand from heaven,
And fire us hence, like foxes. Wipe thine P eyes,

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The goujeres fhall devour them, ' flesh and fell,

Ere they shall make us weep; we'll fee 'em starve first. [Exeunt Lear and Cordelia guarded,

Come.

Edm. Come hither, captain, hark".

Take thou this note; go, follow them to prifon.
w One step I have advanc'd thee; if thou doft
As this inftructs thee, thou doft make thy way
To noble fortunes. Know thou this, that men
Are as the time is; to be tender minded

Does not become a fword. X

* Thy great employment

Will not bear queftion; either fay thou'lt do't,

Or thrive by other means.

Capt. I'll do't, my lord.

So the qu's and ift f.; the rest eye.

The qu's read good for goujeres; the fo's, R. and P. good years; T. good-yers.

i. e. fleft and skin. J. The qu's read fleach and fell.

So the qu's; the rest starv'd.

The ad q. omits come.

u Here H. gives a direction for Edmund to whisper; but how is this? Is he to whisper his fpeech? how then fhall the audience hear it? Besides, he had no need to whisper when none, but the captain to whom he speaks, was within hearing. But I apprehend there were many foldiers remaining, who were not to be trufted with the fecret.

w The rft q. reads and for one.

T. and H. read my for thy. See Heath in loc.

Edm.

Edm. About it, and write happy, when thou'ft done. Mark, I say, instantly; and carry it so,

As I have fet it down.

y Capt. I cannot draw a cart, nor eat dry'd oats, If it be man's work I'll do't.

[Exit.

SCENE VI.

Enter Albany, Gonerill, Regan, and foldiers.

Alb. Sir, you havez fhew'd to day your valiant strain,
And fortune led you well; you have the captives,
Who were the oppofites of this day's ftrife:

We do require b them of you, fo to use them,
As we shall find their merits and our safety
May equally determine.

Edm. Sir, I thought it fit

To fend the old and miferable king
To fome retention, and appointed guard,
Whofe age has charms in it, whose title more,

f

To pluck the common 8 bosom h on his fide;

And turn our imprest lances in our eyes,

y All but the qu's omit this fpeech.

z The 2d q. reads fhewne.

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So the qu's, T. W. and J.; the rest I for we.

b The qu's and P. read then for them.

< P. and H. omit fir and it.

The ift q. reads fave for fend.

The 1ft q. the fo's, and R. omit and appointed guard.

f The Ift q. reads coren for common.

The 1st q. reads bossom; 2dq. blossomes; P. and all after bosoms.

The qu's read of for on.

Which

Which do command them. With him I fent the queen ;
My reafon all the fame; and they are ready
To-morrow, or at a further space, to appear

Where k we fhall hold k our feffion. 1 At this time,
We fweat and bleed; the friend hath loft his friend
And the beft quarrels, in the heat, are curst
By thofe that feel their m sharpness.

The question of Cordelia and her father,
Requires a fitter place.

Alb. Sir, by your patience,

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

Reg. That's as we list to grace him.

Methinks, our pleasure n might have been demanded,
Ere you had spoke fo far. He led our powers;

Bore the commiffion of my place and person;

The which immediacy may well stand up,

And call itself your brother.

Gon. Not fo hot;

In his own grace he doth exalt himself,

More than in your P advancement.

Reg. In my 9 right,

By me invested, he compeers the best.

i All but the 2d q. omit a.

All editions but H. read you and your for we and our; but H.'s reading feems necessary, or how can we account for the next speech of Albany. What is in italic is omitted in the fo's, R. P. and H.

m The 1ft q. reads harpes for Sharpness.

The qu's read should for might.

The qu's, P. and H. read immediate.

The fo's and R. read addition for advancement.

The fo's and R. read rights.

Alb.

Alb. That were the most if he should husband

Reg. Jefters do oft prove prophets.

Gon. Holla, holla!

That eye that told you

fo look'd but a-fquint.

Reg. Lady, I am not well, elfe I should answer
From a full-flowing ftomach. General,
Take thou my foldiers, prifoners, patrimony,

r Dispose of them, of me; thy will is mine:
Witness 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.
Edm. Nor in thine, lord.

t

Alb. Half-blooded fellow, yes.

you.

* Reg. Let the drum ftrike, and prove my title thine. "[To Edmund: they offer to go out.

Alb. Stay yet; hear reafon. Edmund, I arreft thee On capital treason; and in thine attaint,

[Pointing to

This gilded ferpent. For your claim, fair * sister,
I y bar it in the intereft of my wife;

This line is not in the qu's.

Gon.

8 The ift f. reads the walls are thine; the other fo's and the rest the walls are mine; except H. who reads they all are thine; but the reading most agreeable to the context and to the traces of the letters in the 1ft f. feems to be this, thy will is mine. W. fays, the walls are thine, is a metaphorical expreffion taken from the camp, and fignifying, to furrender at difcretion.

The qu's and P. give this speech to Edmund, and instead of the last word thine read good.

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u This direction is H.'s.

w So the qu's; the rest thy arreft.

* The fo's read fifters.

The qu's and fo's read bare.

M

'Tis

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'Tis he is fub-contracted to this lord;

a

And I, her husband, contradict your banes.
If you will marry, make your b love to me,
My lady is befpoke.

c Gon. An enterlude!

d

Alb. Thou art arm'd, Glofter; let the trumpet sound : If none appear to prove upon thy head

Thy heinous, manifeft, and many treafons,

There is my pledge, I'll prove it on thy heart

Ere I tafte bread, thou art in nothing lefs,

Than I have here proclaim'd thee.

Reg. Sick, O fick

Gon. If not I'll ne'er truft poison.

Edm. There's my exchange. What in the world he is,

That calls me traitor, villain-like, he lies.

Call by h thy trumpet: he that dares approach,

On him, on you, (i who not?) I will maintain
My truth and honour firmly.

Alb. A herald, ho!

k Edm. A herald ho, a herald !

2 The 2d q. reads her for this.

a The qu's read the for your.

b So the qu's; and right; for it is spoken to Regan only: the reft read

loves.

This fpeech is omitted in the qu's.

d The qu's omit let the trumpet found. eSo the qu's; the rest perfon for head.

f The fo's and R. read make for prove.

g The fo's, R. and J. read medicine for poifon.

h So the qu's, T. W. and J.; the reft the for thy.

i H. reads whom not?

This fpeech is omitted by all but the qu's.

Enter

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