swer a rest thee a Gon. That were the most, if he should hus- lists of the army, will maintain upon Edmund, band you. supposed earl of Gloster, that he is a manifold Reg. Jesters do oft prove prophets. traitor, let him appear at the third sound of the Gon. Holla, holla ! trumpet : He is bold in his defence. That eye, that told you so, look'd but a-squint. Edm. Sound. [1 Trumpet. Reg. Lady, I am not well ; else I should an Her. Again. [2 Trumpet. Her. Again. [3 Trumpet. From a full-flowing stomach.-General, [Trumpet answers within. Take thou my soldiers, prisoners, patrimony; Enter Edgar armed, preceded by a trumpet. Dispose of them, of me; the walls are thine: Witness the world, that I create thee here Alb. Ask him his purposes, why he appears Jly lord and master. Upon this call o' the trumpet. Gon. Mean you to enjoy him? Her. What are you? Alb. The let alone lies not in your good will. Your name, your quality ? and why you anEdm. Nor in thine, lord. swer Alb. Half-blooded fellow, yes. This present summons ? Reg. Let the drum strike, and prove my title Edg. Know, my name is lost; thine. [To Edmund. By treason's tooth bare-gnawn, and canker-bit : Alb. Stay yet; hear reason :-Edmund, I ar- Yet am I noble, as the adversary I come to cope withal. On capital treason; and in thy arrest, Alb. Which is that adversary ? This gilded serpent: [Pointing to Gon. ]-for Edg. What's he, that speaks for Edmund your claim, fair sister, earl of Gloster? I bar it in the interest of my wife : Edm. Himself ;-What say'st thou to him? "Tis she is sub-contracted to this lord, Edg. Draw thy sword; And I, her husband, contradict your bans. That, if my speech offend a noble heart, If you will marry, make your love to me, Thy arm may do thee justice: here is mine. My lady is bespoke. Behold, it is the privilege of mine honours, Gon. An interlude ! My oath, and my profession: I protest,Alb. Thou art arm'd, Gloster :-Let the Maugre thy strength, youth, place, and eminence, , trumpet sound : Despite thy victor sword, and fire-new fortune, If none appear to prove upon thy person, Thy valour, and thy heart,—thou art a traitor: Thy heinous, manifest, and many treasons, False to thy gods, thy brother, and thy father; There is my pledge: [Throwing down a glove. ] Conspirant gainst this high illustrious prince ; ] I'll prove it on thy heart, And, from the extremest upward of thy head, Ere I taste bread, thou art in nothing less To the descent and dust beneath thy feet, Than I have here proclaim'd thee. A most toad-spotted traitor. Say thou, No, Reg. Sick, 0, sick! This sword, this arm, and my best spirits, are Gon. If not, I'll ne'er trust poison. [Aside. bent Edm. There's my exchange: [Throwing To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak, down a glove. what in the world he is, Thou liest. That names me traitor, villain-like he lies : Edm. In wisdom, I should ask thy name; Call by thy trumpet: he, that dares approach, But, since thy outside looks so fair and warlike, On him, on you, (who not?) I will maintain And that thy tongue some 'say of breeding My truth and honour firmly. breathes, Alb. A herald, ho! What safe and nicely I might well delay Edm. A herald, ho, a herald ! By rule of knighthood, I disdain and spurn: Alb. Trust to thy single virtue ; for thy sol. Back do I toss these treasons to thy head; diers, With the hell-hated lie o'erwhelm thy heart; All levied in my name, have in my name Which, (for they yet glance by, and scarcely Took their discharge. bruise,) Reg. This sickness grows upon me. This sword of mine shall give them instant way, Where they shall rest for ever. Trumpets, speak. Enter a Herald. [Alarums. They fight. Edmund falls. Alb. She is not well ; convey her to my tent. Alb. O save him, save him ! [Erit Regan, led. Gon. This is mere practice, Gloster : Come hither, herald, -Let the trumpet sound, - By the law of arms, thou wast not bound to anAnd read out this. off. Sound, trumpet. [A trumpet sounds. An unknown opposite ; thou art not vanquish’d, But cozen'd and beguild. Alb. Shut your mouth, dame, swer Thou worse than any name, read thine own Edm. This speech of yours hath mov'd me, evil : And shall, perchance, do good: but speak you on; No tearing, lady; I perceive, you know it. You look as you had something more to say. [Gives the letter to Edmund. Alb. If there be more, more woful, hold it in ; Gon. Say, if I do; the laws are mine, not For I am almost ready to dissolve, thine: Hearing of this. Who shall arraign me for’t ? Edg. This would have seem'd a period Alb. Most monstrous ! To such as love not sorrow; but another, Know'st thou this paper ? To amplify too-much, would make much more, Gon. Ask me not what I know. And top extremity. [Erit Goneril. Whilst I was big in clamour, came there a man, Alb. Go after her : she's desperate; govern Who having seen me in my worst estate, her. [To an Officer who goes out. Shunn'd my abhorr’d society ; but then, finding Edm. What you have charg’d me with, that Who'twas that so endur'd, with his strong arms have I done ; He fasten'd on my neck, and bellow'd out And more, much more: the time will bring it As he'd burst heaven ; threw him on my father ; out; Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him, 'Tis past, and so am I: But what art thou, That ever ear receiv'd: which in recounting That hast this fortune on me? If thou art noble, His grief grew puissant, and the strings of life I do forgive thee. Began to crack: Twice then the trumpet sounded, Edg. Let's exchange charity. And there I left him tranc'd. I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund; Alh. But who was this? If more, the more thou hast wrong'd me. Edg. Kent, sir, the banish'a Kent; who is My name is Edgar, and thy father's son. disguise The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices Follow'd his enemy king, and did him service Make instruments to scourge us : Improper for a slave. Enter a Gentleman hastily, with a bloody knife. Alb. Methought thy very gait did prophecy Alb. Speak, man. Gent. 'Tis hot, it smokes; It came even from the heart of Edg. Worthy prince, Alb. Who, man? speak. I know it well. Gent. Your lady, sir, your lady: and her sister Alb. Where have you hid yourself? By her is poison'd ; she confesses it. How have you known the miseries of your fa- Edm. I was contracted to them both; all ther? three Edg. By nursing them, my lord. List a brief Now marry in an instant. Alb. Produce their bodies, be they alive at And, when 'tis told, 0, that my heart would dead !burst ! This judgment of the heavens, that makes us The bloody proclamation to escape, tremble, That follow'd me so near, (O our lives' sweet Touches us not with pity. [Exit Gentleman. ness! Enter Kent. That with the pain of death we'd hourly die, Rather than die at once!) taught me to shift Edg. Here comes Kent, sir. Into a madman's rags; to assume a semblance Alb. 0! it is he. That very dogs disdain'd: and in this habit The time will not allow the compliment, Met I my father with his bleeding rings, Which very manners urges. Their precious stones new lost; became his guide, Kent. I am come Led him, begg'd for him, sav'd him from de- To bid my king and master aye good night; spair; Is he not here Cordelia ?- [The bodies of Goneril and Regen (Alack, too weak the conflict to support!) are brought in. "Twixt two extremes of passion, joy and grief, Kent. Alack, why thus ? Burst smilingly. Edm. Yet Edmund was belov'd : tale; : man ; decay, me ز The one the other poison'd for my sake, Kent, If fortune brag of two she lov'd and And after slew herself. hated, Alb. Even so.-Cover their faces. One of them we behold. Edm. I pant for life:-Some good I mean to Lear. This is a dull sight: Are you not Kent? do, Kent. The same; Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send, Your servant Kent: Where is your servant Be brief in it,—to the castle ; for my writ Caius ? Is on the life of Lear, and on Cordelia : Lear. He's a good fellow, I can tell you that; Nay, send in time. He'll strike, and quickly too.--He's dead and Alb. Run, run! 0, run ! rotten. Edg. To who, my lord ?-Who has the of- Kent. No, my good lord ; I am the very fice ? send Thy token of reprieve. Lear. I'll see that straight. Alb. Haste thee, for thy life. [Erit Edgar. Have follow'd your sad steps. Kent. Nor no man else ; all's cheerless, dark, To hang Cordelia in the prison, and and deadly. To lay the blame upon her own despair, Your eldest daughters have foredoom'd themThat she fordid herself. selves, Alb. The gods defend her ! Bear him hence And desperately are dead. awhile. [Edmund is borne off. Lear. Ay, so I think. Alb. He knows not what he says; and vain Enter LEAR, with CORDELIA dead in his arms ; it is, Edgar, Officer, and Others. That we present us to him. Lear. Howl, howl, howl, howl !-0, you are Edg. Very bootless. men of stones; Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so Enter an Officer. That heaven's vault should crack :-0, she is off. Edmund is dead, my lord. gone for ever! Alb. That's but a trifle here.I know, when one is dead, and when one lives; You lords, and noble friends, know our intent. She's dead as earth :-Lend me a looking-glass; What comfort to this great decay may come, If laat her breath will mist or stain the stone, Shall be applied : For us, we will resign, Why, then she lives. During the life of this old majesty, Kent. Is this the promis'd end ? To him our absolute power :- Vou, to your Edg. Or image of that horror ? rights; [To Edgar and Kent. Alb. Fall, and cease! With boot, and such addition as your honours Lear. This ather stirs; she lives! If it be Have more than merited. All friends shall taste SO, The wages of their virtue, and all fous Lcar. And my poor fool is hang'd! No, no, Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, Edg. 'Tis noble Kent, your friend. And thou no breath at all? O, thou wilt come Lear. A plague upon you, murderers, trai no more, Never, never, never, never, never ! I might have sav'd her; now she's gone for Pray you, undo this button : Thank you, sir.ever ! Do you see this ? Look on her,-look,-her Cordelia, Cordelia, stay a little. Ha! lips,What is't thou say'st ?-Her voice was ever soft, Look there, look there! [He dies. Gentle, and low; an excellent thing in wo- Edg. He faints !-My lord, my lord, Kent. Break, heart; I pr’ythee, break! Kent. Vex not his ghost: 0 let him pass ! he Lear. Did I not, fellow ? hates him, I have seen the day, with my good biting faul. That would upon the rack of this tough world Stretch him out longer. I would have made them skip: I am old now, Edg. O, he is gone, indeed. And these same crosses spoil me.-Who are you? Kent. The wonder is, he hath endur'd so Mine eyes are none o' the best :-I'll tell you long : straight. He but usurp'd his life. VOL. II. 2 I a no life: tors, all! man: chion Alb. Bear them from hence. Our present Alb. The weight of this sad time we must business obey ; Is general woe. Friends of my soul, you twain Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say. [To Kent and Edgar. The oldest hath borne most: we, that are young, Rule in this realm, and the gor'd state sustain. Shall never see so much, nor live so long. Kent. I have a journey, sir, shortly to go; [Exeunt, with a dead march My master calls, and I must not say, no. ROMEO AND JULIET. PERSONS OF THE DRAMA. ESCALUS, prince of Verona. ABRAM, servant to Montague. > Paris, a young nobleman, kinsman to the prince. An Apothecary. MONTAGUE, į heads of two houses, at variance Three Musicians. CAPULET, with each other. Chorus. Boy; Page to Paris ; Peter ; an OfAn Old Man, uncle to Capulet. ficer. Lady CAPULET, wife to Capulet. Nurse to Juliet. Citizens of Verona ; several Men and Women, Friar John, of the same order. relations to both houses ; Maskers, Guards, BALTHASAR, servant to Romeo. Watchmen, and Attendants. } servants to Capulet. Scene,-during the greater part of the Play, in Verona : once in the fifth Act, at Mantua. PROLOGUE. Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows Do, with their death, bury their parents' strife. The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, move, ACT I. me. SCENE I.--A publick place. Gre. But thou art not quickly moved to strike. Sam. A dog of the house of Montague moves Enter Sampson and GREGORY, armed with swords and bucklers. Gre. To move, is- to stir ; and to be valiant, Sam. Gregory, o' my word, we'll not carry is—to stand to it: therefore, if thou art moved, coals. thou run'st away Gre. No, for then we should be colliers. Sam. A dog of that house shall move me to Sam. I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw. stand: I will take the wall of any man or maid Gre. Ay, while you live, draw your neck out of Montague's. of the collar. Gre. That shows thee a weak slave; for the Sam. I strike quickly, being moved. weakest goes to the wall. |
