King Lear
And there I left him tranc’d.
ALBANY.
But who was this?
EDGAR.
Kent, sir, the banish’d Kent; who in disguise
Follow’d his enemy king and did him service
Improper for a slave.
Enter a Gentleman hastily,
with a bloody knife.
GENTLEMAN.
Help, help! O, help!
EDGAR.
What kind of help?
ALBANY.
Speak, man.
EDGAR.
What means this bloody knife?
GENTLEMAN.
’Tis hot, it smokes;
It came even from the heart of—O! she’s dead!
ALBANY.
Who dead? Speak, man.
GENTLEMAN.
Your lady, sir, your lady; and her sister
By her is poisoned; she hath confesses it.
EDMUND.
I was contracted to them both, all three
Now marry in an instant.
EDGAR.
Here comes Kent.
Enter Kent.
ALBANY.
Produce their bodies, be they alive or dead.
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
Which very manners urges.
KENT.
I am come
To bid my King and master aye good night:
Is he not here?
ALBANY.
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?
EDMUND.
Yet Edmund was belov’d.
The one the other poisoned for my sake,
And after slew herself.
ALBANY.
Even so. Cover their faces.
EDMUND.
I pant for life. Some good I mean to do,
Despite of mine own nature. Quickly send,
Be brief in it, to the castle; for my writ
Is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia;
Nay, send in time.
ALBANY.
Run, run, O, run!
EDGAR.
To who, my lord? Who has the office? Send
Thy token of reprieve.
EDMUND.
Well thought on: take my sword,
Give it the captain.
EDGAR.
Haste thee for thy life.
[_Exit Edgar._]
EDMUND.
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.
ALBANY.
The gods defend her! Bear him hence awhile.
[_Edmund is borne off._]
Enter Lear with Cordelia dead in his arms; Edgar,
Officer 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 glass;
If that her breath will mist or stain the stone,
Why, then she lives.
KENT.
Is this the promis’d end?
EDGAR.
Or image of that horror?
ALBANY.
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! [_Kneeling._]
LEAR.
Prythee, away!
EDGAR.
’Tis noble 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.
OFFICER.
’Tis true, my lords, he did.
LEAR.
Did I not, fellow?
I have seen the day, with my good biting falchion
I would have made them skip. I am old now,
And these same crosses spoil me. Who are you?
Mine eyes are not o’ the best, I’ll tell you straight.
KENT.
If Fortune brag of two she lov’d and hated,
One of them we behold.
LEAR.
This is a dull sight. Are you not Kent?
KENT.
The same,
Your servant Kent. Where is your servant Caius?
LEAR.
He’s a good fellow, I can tell you that;
He’ll strike, and quickly too:. He’s dead and rotten.
KENT.
No, my good lord; I am the very man.
LEAR.
I’ll see that straight.
KENT.
That from your first of difference and decay
Have follow’d your sad steps.
LEAR.
You are welcome hither.
KENT.
Nor no man else. All’s cheerless, dark and deadly.
Your eldest daughters have fordone themselves,
And desperately are dead.
LEAR.
Ay, so I think.
ALBANY.
He knows not what he says; and vain is it
That we present us to him.
EDGAR.
Very bootless.
Enter an Officer.
OFFICER.
Edmund is dead, my lord.
ALBANY.
That’s but a trifle 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;
[_to Edgar and Kent_] you to your rights;
With boot and such addition as your honours
Have more than merited. All friends shall taste
The wages of their virtue and all foes
The cup of their deservings. O, see, see!
LEAR.
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? Thou’lt come no more,
Never, never, never, never, never!
Pray you undo this button. Thank you, sir.
Do you see this? Look on her: look, her lips,
Look there, look there!
[_He dies._]
EDGAR.
He faints! My lord, my lord!
KENT.
Break, heart; I prythee break!
EDGAR.
Look up, my lord.
KENT.
Vex not his ghost: O, let him pass! He hates him
That would upon the rack of this rough world
Stretch him out longer.
EDGAR.
He is gone indeed.
KENT.
The wonder is, he hath endur’d so long:
He but usurp’d his life.
ALBANY.
Bear them from hence. Our present business
Is general woe. [_To Edgar and Kent._] Friends of my soul, you twain,
Rule in this realm and the gor’d state sustain.
KENT.
I have a journey, sir, shortly to go;
My master calls me, I must not say no.
EDGAR.
The weight of this sad time we must obey;
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.
The oldest hath borne most; we that are young
Shall never see so much, nor live so long.
[_Exeunt with a dead march._]