BURIAL OF IMOGEN BY THE PEASANTS, BELARIUS, ARVIRAGUS, AND GUIDERIUS. Enter ARVIRAGUS, bearing IMOGEN, as dead, in his arms. Bel. Look, here he comes! And brings the dire occasion in his arms, Arv. The bird is dead That we have made so much on. I had rather Guid. Oh sweetest, fairest lily! My brother wears thee not the one half so well, Bel. O, melancholy! Who ever yet could sound thy bottom? find The ooze, to shew what coast thy sluggish crare Might easiliest harbor in?-Thou blessed thing! Jove knows, what man thou might'st have made; but I, How found you him? Arv. Stark, as you see; Thus smiling, as some fly had tickled slumber, Not as death's dart, being laughed at: his right cheek Guid. Where? Arv. O' the floor, His arms thus leagu'd. I thought he slept; and put Guid. Why, he but sleeps: If he be gone, he 'll make his grave a bed; Arv. With fairest flowers, Whilst summer lasts, and I live here, Fidele, I'll sweeten thy sad grave. Thou shalt not lack The leaf of eglantine, whom, not to slander, Those rich-left heirs, that let their fathers lie Yea, and furr'd moss besides, when flowers are none, Guid. Pr'ythee have done; And do not play in wench-like words with that Which is so serious. Let us bury him, Arv. Say, where shall we lay him? Guid. By good Euriphile, our mother. And let us Polydore, though now our voices Have got the mannish crack, sing him to the ground, Guid. Cadwal, I cannot sing; I'll weep and word it with thee : Than priests and fanes that lie. Arv. We'll speak it then. Bel. Great griefs, I see, medicine the less: for Cloter Is quite forgot. He was a queen's son, boys; And, though he came our enemy, remember, He was paid for that: though mean and mighty, rotting Together, have one dust; yet reverence, (That angel of the world) doth make distinction Of place 'tween high and low. Our foe was princely; Yet bury him as a prince. Guid. Pray you, fetch him hither. Thersites' body is as good as Ajax, Arv. If you 'll go fetch him, We'll say our song the whilst.-Brother begin. [Exit BELARIus. Guid. Nay, Cadwal, we must lay his head to the East; My father hath a reason for 't. Arv. "T is true. Guid. Come on then, and remove him. Arv. So, begin. SONG. Guid. Fear no more the heat o' the sun, Nor the furious winter's rages; Thou thy worldly task hast done, Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages: Golden lads and girls all must, As chimney-sweepers, come to dust. Arv. Fear no more the frown o' the great, Guid. Fear no more the lightning-flash, Consign to thee, and come to dust. Guid. No exorciser harm thee! Re-enter BELARIUS, with the body of CLOTEN. Guid. We have done our obsequies: Come lay him down. -The ground, that gave them first, has them again: THE MISERY OF LEAŘ. A part of the heath, with a hovel. FOOL. Enter LEAR, KENT, and Kent. Here is the place, my lord; good my lord, enter. The tyranny of the open night's too rough For nature to endure. Lear. Let me alone. Kent. Good my lord, enter here. Lear. Wilt break my heart? [storm. Kent. I'd rather break mine own; good my lord, enter. Invades us to the skin: so 'tis to thee; But where the greater malady is fix'd, The lesser is scarce felt. Thou'dst shun a bear r; But if thy flight lay toward the raging sea, Thou'dst meet the bear i'the mouth. When the mind's free The body's delicate: the tempest in my mind 42 POETRY. In such a night as this! O Regan, Goneril!— Your old kind father, whose frank heart gave all,- No more of that. Kent. Good my lord, enter here. Lear. Pr'ythee, go in thyself; seek thine own ease; This tempest will not give me leave to ponder On things would hurt me more.-But I'll go in: In, boy; go first.-[To the FooL.] You houseless poverty Nay, get thee in. I'll pray, and then I'll sleep. [FOOL goes Poor naked wretches, whereso'er you are, SCENE FROM LEAR ON DOVER HILL. The country near Dover. Enter GLOSTER, and EDGAR, dress like a Peasant. Glo. When shall we come to the top of that same hill ? Glo. Methinks, the ground is even. Edg. Horrible steep: Hark, do you hear the sea? Glo. No, truly. Edg. Why, then your other senses grow imperfect By your eyes' anguish. Glo. So may it be, indeed: Methinks, thy voice is alter'd; and thou In better phrase, and matter, than thou didst. Edg. You are much deceiv'd; in nothing am I chang'd, But in my garments. Glo. Methinks, you are better spoken. Edg. Come on, sir; here's the place :-stand still-how fearful And dizzy 'tis, to cast one's eyes so low! The crows, and choughs, that wing the midway air, Almost too small for sight: the murmuring surge, Glo. Set me where you stand. Edg. Give me your hand: You are now within a foot Glo. Let go my hand. Here, friend, is another purse: in it a jewel Well worth a poor man's taking: Fairies, and gods, Bid me farewell, and let me hear thee going. Glo. With all my heart. Edg. Why I do trifle thus with his despair, Is done to cure it. Glo. O, you mighty gods! This world I do renounce; and in your sights, If I could bear it longer, and not fall To quarrel with your great opposeless wills, Edg. Gone, sir? farewell. [Seems to go. [He leaps, and falls along. And yet I know not how conceit may rob Yields to the theft: Had he been where he thought, Glo. Away, and let me die. Edg. Hadst thou been aught but gossomer, feathers, air, So many fathom down precipitating, Thou hadst shivered like an egg: but thou dost breathe; Hast heavy substance; bleed'st not; speak'st; art sound. Ten masts at each make not the altitude, Which thou hast perpendicularly fell; Thy life's a miracle: Speak yet again. Glo. But have I fallen, or no? Edg. From the dread summit of this chalky bourn : Look up a-height; the shrill-gorg'd lark so far Glo. Alack, I have no eyes. Is wretchedness depriv'd that benefit, To end itself by death? Twas yet some comfort, And frustrate his proud will |