King Lear Part 20

Edm. In wisdom I should ask thy name; But since thy outside looks so fair and warlike, And that thy tongue some say of breeding breathes, What safe and nicely I might well delay By rule of knighthood, I disdain and spurn.

Back do I toss those treasons to thy head; With the h.e.l.l-hated lie o'erwhelm thy heart; Which- for they yet glance by and scarcely bruise- This sword of mine shall give them instant way Where they shall rest for ever. Trumpets, speak!

Alarums. Fight. [Edmund falls.]

Alb. Save him, save him!

Gon. This is mere practice, Gloucester.

By th' law of arms thou wast not bound to answer An unknown opposite. Thou art not vanquish'd, But cozen'd and beguil'd.

Alb. Shut your mouth, dame, Or with this paper shall I stop it. [Shows her her letter to Edmund.]- [To Edmund]. Hold, sir.

[To Goneril] Thou worse than any name, read thine own evil.

No tearing, lady! I perceive you know it.

Gon. Say if I do- the laws are mine, not thine.

Who can arraign me for't?

Alb. Most monstrous!

Know'st thou this paper?

Gon. Ask me not what I know. Exit.

Alb. Go after her. She's desperate; govern her.

[Exit an Officer.]

Edm. What, you have charg'd me with, that have I done, And more, much more. The time will bring it out.

'Tis past, and so am I.- But what art thou That hast this fortune on me? If thou'rt n.o.ble, I do forgive thee.

Edg. Let's exchange charity.

I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund; If more, the more th' hast wrong'd me.

My name is Edgar and thy father's son.

The G.o.ds are just, and of our pleasant vices Make instruments to scourge us.

The dark and vicious place where thee he got Cost him his eyes.

Edm. Th' hast spoken right; 'tis true.

The wheel is come full circle; I am here.

Alb. Methought thy very gait did prophesy A royal n.o.bleness. I must embrace thee.

Let sorrow split my heart if ever I Did hate thee, or thy father!

Edg. Worthy prince, I know't.

Alb. Where have you hid yourself?

How have you known the miseries of your father?

Edg. By nursing them, my lord. List a brief tale; And when 'tis told, O that my heart would burst!

The b.l.o.o.d.y proclamation to escape That follow'd me so near (O, our lives' sweetness!

That with the pain of death would hourly die Rather than die at once!) taught me to shift Into a madman's rags, t' a.s.sume 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!) 'Twixt two extremes of pa.s.sion, 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 woful, 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 fastened on my neck, and bellowed 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 trumpets sounded, And there I left him tranc'd.

Alb. But who was this?

Edg. Kent, sir, the banish'd Kent; who in disguise Followed his enemy king and did him service Improper for a slave.

Enter a Gentleman with a b.l.o.o.d.y knife.

Gent. Help, help! O, help!

Edg. What kind of help?

Alb. Speak, man.

Edg. What means that b.l.o.o.d.y knife?

Gent. 'Tis hot, it smokes.

It came even from the heart of- O! she's dead!

Alb. Who dead? Speak, man.

Gent. Your lady, sir, your lady! and her sister By her is poisoned; she hath confess'd it.

Edm. I was contracted to them both. All three Now marry in an instant.

Enter Kent.

Edg. Here comes Kent.

Alb. Produce their bodies, be they alive or dead.

[Exit Gentleman.]

This judgement of the heavens, that makes us tremble Touches us not with pity. O, is this he?

The time will not allow the compliment That very manners urges.

Kent. I am come To bid my king and master aye good night.

Is he not here?

Alb. Great thing of us forgot!

Speak, Edmund, where's the King? and where's Cordelia?

The bodies of Goneril and Regan are brought in.

Seest thou this object, Kent?

Kent. Alack, why thus?

Edm. Yet Edmund was belov'd.

The one the other poisoned for my sake, And after slew herself.

Alb. Even so. Cover their faces.

Edm. I pant for life. Some good I mean to do, Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send (Be brief in't) to the castle; for my writ Is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia.

Nay, send in time.

Alb. Run, run, O, run!

Edg. To who, my lord? Who has the office? Send Thy token of reprieve.

Edm. Well thought on. Take my sword; Give it the Captain.

Alb. Haste thee for thy life. [Exit Edgar.]

Edm. He hath commission from thy wife and me To hang Cordelia in the prison and To lay the blame upon her own despair That she fordid herself.

Alb. The G.o.ds defend her! Bear him hence awhile.

[Edmund is borne off.]

Enter Lear, with Cordelia [dead] in his arms, [Edgar, Captain, and others following].

Lear. Howl, howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stone.

Had I your tongues and eyes, I'ld use them so That heaven's vault should crack. She's gone for ever!

I know when one is dead, and when one lives.

She's dead as earth. Lend me a looking gla.s.s.

If that her breath will mist or stain the stone, Why, then she lives.

Kent. Is this the promis'd end?

Edg. Or image of that horror?

Alb. Fall and cease!

Lear. This feather stirs; she lives! If it be so, It is a chance which does redeem all sorrows That ever I have felt.

Kent. O my good master!

Lear. Prithee away!

Edg. 'Tis n.o.ble Kent, your friend.

Lear. 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- an excellent thing in woman.

I kill'd the slave that was a-hanging thee.

Capt. 'Tis true, my lords, he did.

Lear. Did I not, fellow?