Then, venom, to thy work. [Stabs the KING. All. Treason! treason! 337 King. O! yet defend me, friends; I am but hurt.

Hor.

What is it ye would see? 376

If aught of woe or wonder, cease your search.
Fort. This quarry cries on havoc. O proud
death!

Ham. Here, thou incestuous, murderous, What feast is toward in thine eternal cell,
damned Dane,
That thou so many princes at a shot
Sc bloodily hast struck?

Drink off this potion;-is thy union here? 340
Follow my mother.
[KING dies.

Laer.

He is justly serv'd:
It is a poison temper'd by himself.
Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet:
Mine and my father's death come not upon thee,
Nor thine on me!
[Dies.
Ham. Heaven make thee free of it! I follow
thee.
346

I am dead, Horatio. Wretched queen, adieu!
You that look pale and tremble at this chance,
That are but mutes or audience to this act, 349
Had I but time,- -as this fell sergeant, death,
Is strict in his arrest,-O! I could tell you-
But let it be. Horatio, I am dead;
Thou liv'st; report me and my cause aright
To the unsatisfied.

352

380

First Amb.
The sight is dismal;
And our affairs from England come too late:
The ears are senseless that should give us
hearing,

To tell him his commandment is fulfill'd, 384
That Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead.
Where should we have our thanks?
Hor.
Not from his mouth,
Had it the ability of life to thank you: 387
He never gave commandment for their death.
But since, so jump upon this bloody question,
You from the Polack wars, and you from
England,

SCENE I.-A Room of State in KING LEAR'S after as my honourable friend.

Palace.

Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could; whereupon she grew round-wombed, and had, indeed, sir, a son for her cradle ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault? 16 Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper.

Glo. But I have a son, sir, by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came somewhat saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair; there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged. Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund?

Edm. No, my lord.

Glo. My Lord of Kent: remember him here-
Edm. My services to your lordship.
Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you
better.

32

Edm. Sir, I shall study deserving. Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again. The king is coming.

Sennet. Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GoNERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants. Lear. Attend the Lords of France and Burgundy, Gloucester. 36 Glo. I shall, my liege.

[Exeunt GLOUCESTER and EDMUND. Lear. Meantime we shall express our darker

purpose.

Give me the map there. Know that we have
divided

In three our kingdom; and 'tis our fast intent
To shake all cares and business from our age, 41
Conferring them on younger strengths, while we
Unburden'd crawl toward death. Our son of
Cornwall,

And you, our no less loving son of Albany, 44
We have this hour a constant will to publish
Our daughters' several dowers, that future strife
May be prevented now. The princes, France
and Burgundy,

Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, 48 26 Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn,

SCENE I.-A Room of State in KING LEAR'S after as my honourable friend.

Palace.

Enter KENT, GLOUCESTER, and EDMUND. Kent. I thought the king had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall.

Glo. It did always seem so to us; but now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most; for equalities are so weighed that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's moiety.

8

Kent. Is not this your son, my lord? Glo. His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge: I have so often blushed to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed to it.

Kent. I cannot conceive you.

12

Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could; whereupon she grew round-wombed, and had, indeed, sir, a son for her cradle ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault? 16 Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper.

Glo. But I have a son, sir, by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came somewhat saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair; there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged. Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund?

Edm. No, my lord.

Glo. My Lord of Kent: remember him here-
Edm. My services to your lordship.
Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you
better.

32

Edm. Sir, I shall study deserving. Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again. The king is coming.

Sennet. Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GoNERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants. Lear. Attend the Lords of France and Burgundy, Gloucester. 36 Glo. I shall, my liege.

[Exeunt GLOUCESTER and EDMUND. Lear. Meantime we shall express our darker

purpose.

Give me the map there. Know that we have
divided

In three our kingdom; and 'tis our fast intent
To shake all cares and business from our age, 41
Conferring them on younger strengths, while we
Unburden'd crawl toward death. Our son of
Cornwall,

And you, our no less loving son of Albany, 44
We have this hour a constant will to publish
Our daughters' several dowers, that future strife
May be prevented now. The princes, France
and Burgundy,

Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, 48 26 Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn,