Edm. Well thought on. Take my sword, · The captain-give it the captain. Edg. Haste thee for thy life. [Exit Meffenger. That the foredid herself. [Edmund is borné off Enter Lear, with Cordelia dead in his arms, Lear. e Howl, howl, howl, howl, O, you are mea of stone; Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so, That heaven's vault should crack. O lhe is gone for ever, I know when one is dead, and when one lives ; She's dead as earth! Lend me a looking-glass, If that her breath will mist i and stain the stone, Why then the lives. Kent. Is this the promis'd end ? < So the ift q.; the reß omit the captain. • So the alt q. the fo's, R. and J.; the ad q. P. and the rest omit thai fee foredid berfelf. Ć The fo's and R. repeat bowl but three times, So the ad q. ; the rest she's gone for ever, i So the 2d q.; the rest or for anda Edg: k Edg. O image of true honour ! Lear. This feather stirs, she lives; if it be so, [Kneeling Lear. A plague upon you " murd'rous traytors all! Gent. 'Tis true, my lords, he did. Lear. Did I not, fellow? 9 I have seen the day, with my good biting faulchion * The qu's, fo's, R. and J. read, Edg. Or imege of that borror. Alb. Fall and cease. P. not being able to amend these two speeches, leaves them out, and the rest of the editors after him (besides 7.): as they have done other paflages. But this is undoubtedly a corruption of something which Shakespeare wrote; and it had been but fair to print it, that every reader might try to restore the original reading. Till a better emendation is proposed, read as in the text, Edg. O image of true boncur! Alb. Fair and chajte. I So the qu's; the rest which for that. I would I would have made them skip: I am old now, Who are you? s ' Lear. * This is a dull y light. Are z you not Kent ? Kent. The same ; your servant Kent, Where is your servant Caius ? Kent. No, my good lord, I am the very man Kent. That from your first of difference and decay, Lear. You are welcome hither. b d : The fo's and R. read him for them. & The 2d, 3d, and 4th fo's omit not; the 2d q. reads none; followed by the after-editors. · The qu's read bragd. Though all the editions read we behold; it is evident we should read you bebold. * The qu's, P. T. H. and W. omit this is a dull light. y Though all the editions that have this passage read fight for light; the context seems to require we should read light. 2 The qu's read not you. a All before T. read, He's a good fellow, I can tell you (the qu's omit you] that, He'll ftrike, and quickly too : be's dead and rotten. • The qu’s and P. read life for first. • P. reads 'twas for nor ; followed by H. * T. reads dead (as no edicion before) followed by W. and J. Your Your eldest daughters have e fore-done themselves, Lear. Ay, fo I think, Alh. He knows not what he 8 fees; and vain " it is, That we present us to him. Edg. Very bootless. i Enter a Messenger Mel. Edmund is dead, my lord. Alb. That's but a trifle k here. You lords and noble friends, know our intent; What comfort to this great decay may come, Shall be applied. For us, we will resign, During the life of this old Majesty, To him our absolute power ; m to you, your rights, [To Edg. . With boot, and such addition as your n honours Have more than merited. All friends shall taste The wages of their virtue, and all foes The cup of their deservings. O fee, see Lear. And my poor fool is hang’d. P. No, no, no life. Why Nould a dog, a horse, a rat have life, . The ist q. reads foredcome ; the 2d fore-doom'd. 8 So the qu's; all the rest says for sees. But the sense is, he won't know us when he fees us, therefore 'tis in vain to present ourselves to him, b So the qu’s; the rest is it. The qu's read Enter Captaine, k P. T. H. and W. omit here, | The qu's omit great. m All before P. read you to your rights. n The ist q. reads honor. • H. gives O fee, see, to Lear. P 'The qu's have no but once. • The aft q. reads of for bave. And t z And thou no breath at all? "O thou wilt come no more, " Thank you, fir. w [He dies, Edg. He faints ; * my lord, my lordKent. Break, heart, I pr'ythee, break! Edg. Look 2 up, my lord. Kent. Vex not his ghol. O let him pass. He hates him , That would upon the rack of this tough world Stretch him out longer. Edg. O he is gone indeed. co 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 a general woe. Friends of my soul, you twain [To Kent and Edgar. Rule in this realm, and the 'gor'd state sustains. f b * So the qu's; the rest thou'lt come no more, omitting 0. • So the qu's; the rest repeat never five times. ? The qu's conclude this speech, thank you, fir. 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, omitting ile you see this, &c. "So the oft f.; all after infert on before her lips. So all before P. who alters tough to rough; followed by the rest. |