Cord. Help, earth and heaven! For your soul's sake, dear sir, and for the gods',— Offi. No tears, good lady; no pleading against gold and preferment. Come, sirs, make ready your cords. Cord. You, sir, I'll seize, You have a human form; and, if no prayers By that I beg you to despatch me first. Capt. Comply with her request; despatch her first. Lear. Off, hell-hounds! by the gods I charge you, spare her; "Tis my Cordelia, my true pious daughter;No pity? Nay, then take an old man's vengeance. [KING LEAR Snatches a Sword from the OrFICER, and strikes down the Two SOLDIERS who had seized CORDELIA. Enter EDGAR, the DUKE OF ALBANY, and KING LEAR'S KNIGHTS. Edg. Death! hell! ye vultures, hold your impious hands, Or take a speedier death than you would give. Edg. My dear Cordelia! Lucky was the minute Has slain two of them. Lear. Did I not, fellow? I've seen the day, with my good biting falchion Alb. Bring in old Kent [Exit a KNIGHT.] and, Edgar, guide you hither Your father, who, you said, was near. [Exit EDgar. Enter KENT and the KNIGHT, Lear. Who are you? My eyes are none o' th' best, I'll tell you straight: Alb. Thou injur'd majesty, The wheel of fortune now has made her circle, Lear. Com'st thou, inhuman lord, to sooth us back To a fool's paradise of hope, to make Our doom more wretched? Go to; we are too well Alb. I have a tale t'unfold, so full of wonder, But, by that royal injur'd head, 'tis true. Alb. Know, the noble Edgar Impeach'd Lord Edmund, since the fight, of treason, Alb. Ere they fought, Lord Edgar gave into my hands this paper, A blacker scroll of treason and of lust Than can be found in the records of hell: Of Goneril, the worst of daughters, but Cord. Could there be yet addition to their guilt? What will not they, that wrong a father, do? Alb. Since then my injuries, Lear, fall in with thine, I have resolv'd the same redress for both. Kent. What says my lord? Cord. Speak; for methought I heard The charming voice of a descending god. Alb. The troops by Edmund rais'd, I have disbanded: Your kingdom, save what part yourself conferr'd Kent. Hear you that, my liege? Cord. Then there are gods, and virtue is their care. Let the spheres stop their course, the sun make halt, Kent. Here, my liege. Lear. Why, I have news, that will recall thy youth; Ha! didst thou hear?-or did th' inspiring gods Whisper to me alone-Old Lear shall be A king again? Kent. The prince, that like a god has pow'r, has said it. Lear. Cordelia then shall be a queen, mark that; Cordelia shall be queen; winds catch the sound, And bear it on your rosy wings to heav'n, Cordelia is a queen. Enter EDGAR, with GLOSTER. Alb. Look, sir, where pious Edgar comes, Leading his eyeless father. O, my liege, His wondrous story well deserves your leisure; Glost. Where's my liege? Conduct me to his knees, to hail His second birth of empire: My dear Edgar Glost. O, let me kiss once more that sceptred hand! here; Cordelia has our pow'r, Cordelia's queen. Speak, is not that the noble, suff'ring Edgar? Glost. My pious son, more dear than my lost eyes. Lear. I wrong'd him too; but here's the fair amends. Edg. Your leave, my liege, for an unwelcome message: Edmund, but that's a trifle, is expir'd. What more will touch you, your imperious daughters, This, dying, they confess'd. Cord. O fatal period of ill govern'd life! Lear. Ingrateful as they were, my heart feels yet A pang of nature for their wretched fall. But, Edgar, I defer thy joys too long: Thou serv'dst distress'd Cordelia; take her crown'd, Edg. Divine Cordelia, all the gods can witness Thy bright example shall convince the world, That truth and virtue shall at last succeed. Glost. Now, gentle gods, give Gloster his discharge! Lear. No, Gloster, thou hast business yet for life; Thou, Kent, and I, retir'd to some close cell, Will gently pass our short reserves of time In calm reflections on our fortunes past, Cheer'd with relation of the prosperous reign Of this celestial pair; thus our remains Shall in an even course of thought be past, Enjoy the present hour, nor fear the last. [Exeunt omnes. THE END. |