Seest thou this object, Kent?

240

[The bodies of GONERIL and REGAN are brought in.

Kent. Alack why thus ?

Edmund.

Yet Edmund was belov'd:

The one the other poison'd for my sake,

And after slew herself.

Albany. Even so. Cover their faces.

Edmund. I pant for life: some good I mean to do 245

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.

Who has the office? send 250

Albany.
Run, run! O run!
Edgar. To whom, my lord?
Thy token of reprieve.
Edmund. Well thought on

Give it the captain.

Albany.

Edmund.

take my sword,

Haste thee, for thy life.

[Exit EDGAR.

255

He hath commission from my 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,

Lear.

and Others.

Howl, howl, howl, howl! O! you are men of stones:

Had I your tongues and eyes, I'd use them so

That heaven's vaults 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.

260

265

Fall and cease?

Kent.
Is this the promis'd end?
Edgar. Or image of that horror?
Albany.

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. [Kneeling.] O, my good master!
Lear. Prithee, 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 sayst? 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 lord, he did.

Lear.

270

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.

This is a dull sight. Are you not Kent?

275

280

The same,

Lear.
Kent.
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.

285

290

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 it is That we present us to him.

Edgar.

Very bootless.

Enter an Officer.

Officer. Edmund is dead, my lord.
Albany.

295

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,

300

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!

Edgar.

He faints!-my lord, my lord!
Kent. Break, heart; I prithee, break.
Edgar.

305

310

[Dies.

Look up, my lord. Kent. Vex not his ghost: O! let him pass; he hates him That would upon the rack of this tough 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.

316

Albany. Bear them from hence. Our present business 320 Is general woe. [TO KENT and EDGAR.] 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.

Albany. The weight of this sad time we must obey; 325 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.

INDEX OF CHARACTERS

GLOSSARY