Had you not been their father, these white flakes
Had challenged pity of them. Was this a face
To be exposed against the warring winds?
To stand against the deep dread-bolted thunder?
In the most terrible and nimble stroke
Of quick, cross lightning?

And was thou fain, poor father,

To hovel thee with swine and rogues forlorn,
In short and musty straw? Alack, alack!
'Tis wonder that thy life and wits at once
Had not concluded all.

Scene between Lear and Cordelia.

Cor. How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty ?

Lear. You do me wrong to take me out o' the grave. Thou art a soul in bliss: but I am bound

Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears

Do scald like molten lead.

Cor.
Sir, do you know me ?
Lear. You are a spirit, I know; when did you die?
Cor. Still, still, far wide!

Phys. He's scarce awake; let him alone awhile. Lear. Where have I been?-Where am I?-Fair day-light?

I am mightily abused.-I should even die with pity,
To see another thus.-I know not what to say.-
I will not swear these are my hands: let's see ;
I feel this pin prick. Would I were assured
Of my condition.

Cor. O, look upon me, sir,

And hold your hands in benediction o'er me :--
No, sir, you must not kneel.

Lear.

Pray do not mock me :

I am a very foolish fond old man,

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

Methinks I should know you, and know this man : Yet I am doubtful: for I am mainly ignorant What place this is; and all the skill I have Remembers not these garments, nor I know not Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me; For, as I am a man, I think this lady

To be my child Cordelia.

Cor.

And so I am, I am.

[not: Lear. Beyour tears wet? Yes, faith, I pray, weep If you have poison for me, I will drink it. I know you do not love me; for your sisters Have, as I do remember, done me wrong: You have some cause, they have not.

Cor.

Lear. Am I in France?
Kent.

No cause, no cause.

In your own kingdom, sir.

Lear. Do not abuse me.

Phys. Be comforted, good madam: thegreat rage,
You see, is cured in him; and yet it is danger
To make him even* o'er the time he has lost,
Desire him to go in; trouble him no more,
Till further settling.

Cor. Will't please your highness walk?
Lear.

You must bear with me:

Pray now forget and forgive: I am old and foolish.

ACT V.

Lear to Cordelia when taken Prisoners.

No, no, no, no! Come, let's away to prison: We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage: When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down, And ask of thee forgiveness: so we'll live,

* To reconcile it to his apprehension.

And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh
At gilded butterflies and hear poor rogues
Talk of court news; and we'll talk with them too,-
Who loses, and who wins; who's in, who's out;
And take upon us the mystery of things,

As if we were God's spies: and we'll wear out,
In a wall'd prison, packs and sects of great ones,
That ebb and flow by the moon.

Edm.

Take them away. Lear. Upon such sacrifices, my Cordelia, The gods themselves throw incense.

The Justice of the Gods.

The gods are just, and of our pleasant vices
Make instruments to scourge us.

Edgar's Account of his discovering himself to his
Father.

List a brief tale ;

And, when 'tis told, O, that my heart would burst!-
The bloody proclamation to escape,

That follow'd me so near, (O our lives' sweetness !
That with the pain of death we'd hourly die,
Rather than die at once !) taught me to shift
Into a madman's rags; to assume a semblance
That very dogs disdain'd; and in this habit
Met I my father with his bleeding rings,
Their precious stones new lost; became his guide,
Led him, begg'd for him, sav'd him from despair;
Never (O fault !) reveal'd myself unto him,
Until some half-hour past, when I was arm'd,
Not, sure, though hoping, of this good success,
I ask'd his blessing, and from first to last
Told him my pilgrimage: but his flaw'd heart,
(Alack, too weak the conflict to support!)

*Hear.

"Twixt two extremes of passion, joy and grief, Burst smilingly.

Edm.

This speech of yours hath mov'd me. And shall, perchance, do good; but speak you on ; You look as you had something more to say.

Alb. If there be more, more woeful, hold it in ; For I am almost ready to dissolve,

Hearing of this.

Edg.

This would have seem'd a period To such as love not sorrow; but another. To amplify too much, would make much more, And top extremity.

Whilst I was big in clamour, came there a man,
Who having seen me in my worst estate,

Shunn'd my abhorr'd society; but then, finding
Who 'twas that so endur'd, with his strong arms
He fasten'd on my neck, and bellow'd out
As he'd burst heaven; threw him on my father;
Told the most piteous tale of Lear and him
That ever ear receiv'd; which in recounting,
His grief grew puissant, and the strings of life
Began to crack. Twice then the trumpet sounded,
And there I left him tranc'd.

Lear on the Death of Cordelia.

Howl, howl, howl, howl!--O, you aremen of stones; Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so That heaven's vault should crack :-0, she 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 or stain the stone, Why then she lives.

This feather stirs she lives! if it be so,
It is a chance that does redeem all sorrows

A plague upon you, murderers, traitors all !
I might have sav'd her; now she's gone for ever!—
Cordelia, Cordelia, stay a little. Ha!

What is't thou say'st?-Her voice was ever soft,
Gentle, and low.
Lear dying.

And my poor fool* is hang'd! No, no, no life; Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life,

And thou no breath at all? O, thou wilt come no Never, never, never, never, never!

[more,

MACBETH.

ACT I.

Witches described.

WHAT are these,

So wither'd, and so wild in their attire ;
That look not like the inhabitants o' the earth,
And yet are on't? Live you? or are you aught
That man may question? You seem to understand
By each at once her choppy fingers laying
Upon her lips :-You should be women,
And yet your beards forbid me to interpret
That you are so.

Macbeth's Temper.

Yet do I fear thy nature;

It is so full o' the milk of human kindness,

[me,

To catch the nearest way: Thou would'st be great;

*Poor fool, in the time of Shakspeare, was an expres. sion of endearment.