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Maugre thy strength, youth, place, and emi- | And, when 'tis told, O, that my heart would The bloody proclamation to escape, burstThat follow'd me so near, (O our lives' sweet

nence,

Despite thy victor sword, and fire-new fortune,
Thy valour, and thy heart,-thou art a traitor:
False to thy gods, thy brother, and thy father;
Conspirant 'gainst this high illustrious prince;
And, from the extremest upward of thy head,
To the descent and dust beneath thy feet,
A most toad-spotted traitor. Say thou, No,
This sword, this arm, and my best spirits, are

bent

To prove upon thy heart, whereto I speak
Thou liest.

Edm. In wisdom, I should ask thy name;+ But, since thy outside looks so fair and warlike, [breathes, And that thy tongue some 'say of breeding What safe and nicely I might well delay By rule of knighthood, I disdain and spurn: Back do I toss these treasons to thy head; With the hell-hated lie o'erwhelm thy heart; Which, (for they yet glance by, and scarcely bruise,) [way, This sword of mine shall give them instant Where they shall rest for ever.-Trumpets, speak.

[Alarums.-They fight.-EDMUND falls. Alb. O save him, save him!

Gon. This is mere practice, Gloster: By the law of arms, thou wast not bound to

answer

An unknown opposite; thou art not vanBut cozen'd and beguil'd. [quish'd,

Alb. Shut your mouth, dame, Or with this paper shall I stop it:-Hold, Sir:Thou worse than any name, read thine own evil:

No tearing, lady; I perceive, you know it. [Gives the Letter to EDMUND. Gon. Say, if I do; the laws are mine, not Who shall arraign me for't? [thine:

Alb. Most monstrous! Know'st thou this paper?

Gon. Ask me not what I know.

[Exit GONERIL. Alb. Go after her: she's desperate; govern her. [To an OFFICER, who goes out. Edm. What you have charg'd me with, that have I done;

Lout;

And more, much more: the time will bring it "Tis past, and so am I: But what art thou, That hast this fortune on me? If thou art noble, I do forgive thee.

Edg. Let's exchange charity.

I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund;
If more, the more thou hast wrong'd me.
My name is Edgar, and thy father's son.
The gods 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. Thou hast spoken right, 'tis true; The wheel is come full circle; I am here. Alh. Methought, thy very gait did prophesy A royal nobleness:-I must embrace thee; Let sorrow split my heart, if ever I Did hate thee, or thy father!

Edg. Worthy prince,

I know it well.

Alb. Where have you hid yourself? [ther?

ness!

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 sem-
blance

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,
[despair;
Led him, begg'd for him, sav'd him from
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 passion, joy and grief, Burst smilingly.

Edm. This speech of yours hath mov'd me, And shall, perchance, do good: but speak

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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.

Alb. But who was this?

Edg. 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.

Gent. Help! help! O help!

Edg. What kind of help?"

Alb. Speak, man.

Edg. What means that bloody knife?
Gent. "Tis hot, it smokes ;

It came even from the heart of—
Alb. Who, man? speak,

Gent. Your lady, Sir, your lady: and her By her is poison'd; she confesses it. [sister Edm. I was contracted to them both; all Now marry in an instant.

[three

Alb. Produce their bodies, be they alive or

dead!

This judgement of the heavens, that makes us tremble,

How have you known the miseries of your fa-Touches us not with pity. [Exit GENTLEMAN.

Edg. By nursing them, my lord.-List|| a brief

tale;

Notwithstanding.

+ Because if his adversary was not of equal rank, Ed

mund might have declined the combat.

↑ Sample.

Stratagem.

|| Hear.

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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?

See'st thou this object, Kent?

[The Bodies of GONERIL and REGAN are brought in.

Kent. Alack, why thus?

Edm. Yet Edmund was belov'd:
The one the other poison'd 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 it,-to the castle; for my writ
Is on the life of Lear, and on Cordelia:-
Nay, send in time.

Alb. Run, run, O, run

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Lear. I'll see that straight.

Kent. That, from your first of difference and Have follow'd your sad steps. [decay,

Lear. You are welcome hither.

Kent. Nor no man else; all's cheerless, dark,

and deadly.

[selves,
Your eldest daughters have fore-doom'd them-
And desperately are dead.
Lear. Ay, so I think.

Alb. He knows not what he says; and vain

Edg. To who, my lord?-Who has the of- That we present us to him.

fice? send

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Edg. Very bootless.

Enter an OFFicer.

Of. Edmund is dead, my lord. Alb. That's but a trifle here.

[it is

You lords, and noble friends, know our intent.
What comfort to this great decayt may come,
Shall be applied: For us, we will resign,
During the life of this old majesty,
To him our absolute power:-You, to your
rights;
[To EDGAR and KENT.
With boot, and such additions as your honours
Have more than merited.-All friends shall

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Why should a dog, a horse, a rat, have life, And thou no breath at all? O, thou wilt come Never, never, never, never, never!

no more,

Pray you,

undo this button: Thank you, Sir.Do you see this? Look on her,-look,-her lips,

Look there, look there!-
[He dies.
Edg. He faints -My lord, my lord,-
Kent. Break, heart; I pr', thee, break!
Edg. 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.

Edg. O, he is gone, indeed.

Kent. The wonder is, he hath endur'd so He but usurp'd his life.

[long:

Alb. Bear them from hence. Our present

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Two households, both alike in dignity,

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Gre. But thou art not quickly moved to

strike.

Sam. A dog of the house of Montague moves

me.

Gre. To move, is-to stir; and to be valiant,

Where civil blood makes civil hands un-is-to stand to it: therefore, if thou art mov'd,

clean.

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thou run'st away.

stand: I will take the wall of any man or maid Sam. A dog of that house shall move me to of Montague's.

Gre. That shows thee a weak slave; for the weakest goes to the wall.

weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall:Sam. True; and therefore women, being the therefore I will push Montague's men from

the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall.

Gre. The quarrel is between our masters, and us their men.

Sam. 'Tis all one, I will show myself a tyrant: when I have fought with the men, I will be cruel with the maids; I will cut off their heads.

Gre. The heads of the maids?

Sam. Ay, the heads of the maids, or their maidenheads; take it in what sense thou wilt. Gre. They must take it in sense, that feel

it.

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Enter ABRAM and BELTHASAR.
Sam. My naked weapon is out; quarrel, I
will back thee.

Gre. How? turn thy back, and run?
Sam. Fear me not.

Gre. No, marry: I fear thee!

Sam. Let us take the law of our sides; let them begin.

Gre. will frown, as I pass by; and let them

take it as they list.

Sum. Nay, as they dare. I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it.

Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, Sir?
Sam. I do bite my thumb, Sir.

Abr. Do you bite your thumb at us, Sir?
Sam. Is the law on our side, if I say-ay?
Gre. No.

Sam. No, Sir, I do not bite my thumb at you,
Sir; but I bite my thumb, Sir.
Gre. Do you quarrel, Sir?

Abr. Quarrel, Sir? no, Sir.

Will they not hear?-what ho! you men, you
beasts,-

That quench the fire of your pernicious rage
With purple fountains issuing from your veins,
On pain of torture, from those bloody hands
Throw your mistemper'd weapons to the
ground,
And hear the sentence of your moved prince.-
Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word,
By thee, old Capulet and Montague,
Have thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets;
And made Verona's ancient citizens
Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments,
To wield old partizans, in hands as old,
Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate:
If ever you disturo our streets again,
Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace.
For this time, all the rest depart away:
You, Capulet, shall go along with me;
And, Montague, come you this afternoon,
To know our further pleasure in this case,
To old Free-town, our common judgement-
place.

Sam. If you do, Sir, I am for you; I serve Once more, on pain of death, all men depart.

as good a man as you.

Abr. No better.

Sam. Well, Sir.

Enter BENVOLIO, at a Distance.

[Exeunt PRINCE, and Attendants; CAPULET, LADY CAPULET, TYBALT, CITIZENS, and Servants.

Mon. Who set this ancient quarrel new

abroach?

Gre. Say-better; here comes one of my Speak, nephew, were you by when it began? master's kinsmen.

Sam. Yes, better, Sir.

Abr. You lie.

Sam. Draw, if you be men.-Gregory, remember thy swashing blow. [They fight. Ben. Part, fools; put up your swords; you know not what you do.

[Beats down their Swords. Enter TYBALT.

Tyb. What, art thou drawn among these heartless hinds?

Turn thee, Benvolio, look upon thy death. Ben. I do but keep the peace'; put up thy sword,

Or manage it to part these men with me.
Tyb. What, drawn, and talk of peace?
hate the word,

As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:
Have at thee, coward.

[

[They fight.
Enter several Partizans of both Houses, who join
the Fray; then enter ČITIZENS, with Clubs.
1 Cit. Clubs,* bills, and partizans! strike!
beat them down!
[tagues!
Down with the Capulets! down with the Mon-

Enter CAPULET, in his Gown; and LADY
CAPULET.

Cap. What noise is this?-Give me my long
sword, ho!

La. Cap. A crutch, a crutch!-Why call you for a sword?

Cap. My sword, I say!-Old Montague is
And flourishes his blade in spite of me. [come,
Enter MONTAGUE, and LADY MONTAGUE.
Mon. Thou villain, Capulet,-Hold me not,
let me go.
La. Mon. Thou shalt not stir one foot to seek
a foe.

Enter PRINCE, with Attendants.
Prin. Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,
Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel,-

Clubs! was the usual exclamation at an affray in the streets, as we now call Watch!

Ben. Here were the servants of your adver

sary,

And yours, close fighting ere I did approach:
I drew to part them; in the instant came
The fiery Tybalt, with his sword prepar'd;
Which, as he breath'd defiance to my ears,
He swung about his head, and cut the winds,
Who, nothing hurt withal, hiss'd him in scorn:
While we were interchanging thrusts and
blows,
[part,

Came more and more, and fought on part and
Till the prince came, who parted either part.
La. Mon. O, where is Romeo?-saw you him

to-day?

sun,

Right glad I am, he was not at this fray.
Ben. Madam, an hour before the worshipp'd
Peer'dt forth the golden window of the east,
A troubled mind drave me to walk abroad;
Where,-underneath the grove of sycamore,
That westward rooteth from the city's side,-
So early walking did I see your son:
Towards him I made; but he was 'ware of me,
And stole into the covert of the wood:
I, measuring his affections by my own,—
That most are busied when they are most
alone,-

Pursu'd my humour, not pursuing his,
And gladly shunn'd who gladly fled from me.
Mon. Many a morning hath he there been

seen,

[dew,
With tears augmenting the fresh morning's
Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep
But all so soon as the all-cheering sun [sighs:
Should in the furthest east begin to draw
The shady curtains from Aurora's bed,
Away from light steals home my heavy son,
And private in his chamber pens himself;
Shuts up his windows, locks fair daylight out,
And makes himself an artificial night:
Black and portentous must this humour prove,
Unless good counsel may the cause remove.
Ben. My noble uncle, do you know the

cause?

Mon. I neither know it, nor can learn of him.

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Ben. Have you importun'd him by any means? Mon. Both by myself, and many other friends:

But he, his own affections' counsellor,
Is to himself-I will not say, how true-
But to himself so secret and so close,
So far from sounding and discovery,
As is the bud bit with an envious worm,
Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air,
Or dedicate his beauty to the sun. [grow,
Could we but learn from whence his sorrows
We would as willingly give cure, as know.

Enter ROMEO, at a distance.

Ben. See, where he comes: So please you, step aside;

I'll know his grievance, or be much denied. Mon. I would, thou wert so happy by thy

stay,

To hear true shrift,-Come, madam, let's away. [Exeunt MONTAGUE, and LADY.

Ben. Good morrow, cousin.
Rom. Is the day so young?
Ben. But new struck nine.

Rom. Ah me! sad hours seem long.
Was that my father that went hence so fast?
Ben. It was:-What sadness lengthens
Romeo's hours?

Rom. Not having that, which having, makes them short.

Ben. In love? Rom. OutBen. Of love?

Rom. Out of her favour, where I am in love. Ben. Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof! Rom. Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still,

Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will! Where shall we dine?-O me!-What fray

was here?

Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all.
Here's much to do with hate, but more with
love:-

Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!
O any thing, of nothing first create!
O heavy lightness! serious vanity!
Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms!
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick

health!

Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!-
This love feel I, that feel no love in this.
Dost thou not laugh?

Ben. No, coz, I rather weep.

Rom. Good heart, at what?

Ben. At thy good heart's oppression.
Rom. Why, such is love's transgression.-
Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast;
Which thou wilt propagate, to have it press'd
With more of thine: this love, that thou hast
shown,

Doth add more grief to too much of mine own.
Love is a smoke rais'd with the fume of sighs;
Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in a lover's eyes;
Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with lovers' tears:
What is it else? a madness most discreet,
A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.
Farewell, my coz.

[Going.

Ben. Soft, I will go along;
And if you leave me so, you do me wrong.
Rom. Tut, I have lost myself; I am not
here;

This is not Romeo, he's some other where.
Ben. Tell me in sadness, who she is you

love.

In seriousness.

Rom. What, shall I groan, and tell thee! Ben. Groan? why, no;

But sadly tell me, who.

Rom. Bid a sick man in sadness make his will:

Ah, word ill urg'd to one that is so ill!—
In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.
Ben. I aim'd so near, when I suppos'd you
lov'd.

Rom. A right good marksman !—And she's fair I love.

Ben. A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit.

Rom. Well, in that hit, you miss: she'll not be hit

harm'd.

With Cupid's arrow, she hath Dian's wit;
And, in strong proof of chastity well arm'd,
From love's weak childish bow she lives un-
Nor bide th' encounter of assailing eyes,
She will not stay the siege of loving terms,
Nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold:
O, she is rich in beauty; only poor, [store.
That, when she dies, with beauty dies ber
Ben. Then she hath sworn, that she will still
live chaste?

Rom. She hath, and in that sparing makes
huge waste;

For beauty, stary'd with her severity,
Cuts beauty off from all posterity.
She is too fair, too wise; wisely too fair,
To merit bliss by making me despair:
She hath forsworn to love; and, in that vow,
Do I live dead, that live to tell it now,

Ben. Be rul'd by me, forget to think of her.
Rom. O, teach me how I should forget to
think.

Ben. By giving liberty unto thine eyes;
Examine other beauties.

To call hers, exquisite, in question more:
Rom. 'Tis the way
These happy masks, that kiss fair ladies'
brows,

Being black, put us in mind they hide the fair;
He, that is strucken blind, cannot forget
The precious treasure of his eyesight lost:
Show me a mistress that is passing fair,
What doth her beauty serve, but as a note
Where I may read, who pass'd that passing
fair?

Farewell; thou canst not teach me to forget.
Ben. I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in
debt.
[Exeunt.

SCENE II-A Street.

Enter CAPULET, PARIS, and SERVANT. Cap. And Montague is bound as well as I, In penalty alike; and 'tis not hard, I think, For men so old as we to keep the peace.

Pur. Of honourable reckoningt are you both; And pity 'tis, you liv'd at odds so long. But now, my lord, what say you to my suit? Cap. But saying o'er what I have said be

fore:

My child is yet a stranger in the world,
She hath not seen the change of fourteen years;
Let two more summers wither in their pride,
Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.

Par. Younger than she are happy mothers

made.

Cap. And too soon marr'd are those so early made.

The earth hath swallow'd all my hopes but she,
She is the hopeful lady of my earth:

*I. e. What end does it answer?
† Account, estimation

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