EDGAR

Away, old man. Give me thy hand. Away.

King Lear hath lost, he and his daughter ta’en.

Give me thy hand. Come on.

GLOUCESTER

No further, sir. A man may rot even here.

EDGAR

What, in ill thoughts again? Men must endure

Their going hence even as their coming hither.

Ripeness is all. Come on.

GLOUCESTER

And that’s true, too.

Exit Edgar guiding Gloucester

5.3 Enter in conquest with a drummer and colours Edmond; King Lear and Queen Cordelia as prisoners; soldiers; a Captain

EDMOND

Some officers take them away. Good guard

Until their greater pleasures first be known

That are to censure them.

CORDELIA (to Lear)

We are not the first

Who with best meaning have incurred the worst.

For thee, oppressed King, I am cast down,

Myself could else outfrown false fortune’s frown.

Shall we not see these daughters and these sisters?

LEAR

No, no, no, no. Come, let’s away to prison.

We two alone will sing like birds i’th’ cage.

When thou dost ask me blessing, I’ll kneel down

And ask of thee forgiveness; so we’ll live,

And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh

At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues

Talk of court news, and we’ll talk with them too—

Who loses and who wins, who’s in, who’s out,

And take upon ’s the mystery of things

As if we were God’s spies; and we’ll wear out

In a walled prison packs and sects of great ones

That ebb and flow by th’ moon.

EDMOND (to soldiers)

Take them away.

LEAR

Upon such sacrifices, my Cordelia,

The gods themselves throw incense. Have I caught

thee?

He that parts us shall bring a brand from heaven

And fire us hence like foxes. Wipe thine eyes.

The goodyear shall devour them, flesh and fell,

Ere they shall make us weep. We’ll see ’em starved

first. Come. Exeunt all but Edmond and the Captain

EDMOND Come hither, captain. Hark.

Take thou this note. Go follow them to prison.

One step I have advanced thee; if thou dost

As this instructs thee, thou dost make thy way

To noble fortunes. Know thou this: that men

Are as the time is. To be tender-minded

Does not become a sword. Thy great employment

Will not bear question. Either say thou‘It do’t,

Or thrive by other means.

CAPTAIN

I’ll do’t, my lord.

EDMOND

About it, and write ‘happy’ when thou’st done.

Mark, I say, instantly, and carry it so

As I have set it down.

Exit the Captain

Flourish. Enter the Duke of Albany, Goneril, Regan, ⌈drummer, trumpeter⌉ and soldiers

ALBANY

Sir, you have showed today your valiant strain,

And fortune led you well. You have the captives

Who were the opposites of this day’s strife.

I do require them of you, so to use them

As we shall find their merits and our safety

May equally determine.

EDMOND

Sir, I thought it fit

To send the old and miserable King

To some retention and appointed guard,

Whose age had charms in it, whose title more,

To pluck the common bosom on his side

And turn our impressed lances in our eyes

Which do command them. With him I sent the Queen,

My reason all the same, and they are ready

Tomorrow, or at further space, t’appear

Where you shall hold your session.

ALBANY

Sir, by your patience,

I hold you but a subject of this war,

Not as a brother.

REGAN

That’s as we list to grace him.

Methinks our pleasure might have been demanded

Ere you had spoke so far. He led our powers,

Bore the commission of my place and person,

The which immediacy may well stand up

And call itself your brother.

GONERIL

Not so hot.

In his own grace he doth exalt himself

More than in your addition.

REGAN

In my rights

By me invested, he compeers the best.

ALBANY

That were the most if he should husband you.

REGAN

Jesters do oft prove prophets.

GONERIL

Holla, holla—

That eye that told you so looked but asquint.

REGAN

Lady, I am not well, else I should answer

From a full-flowing stomach. (To Edmond) General,

Take thou my soldiers, prisoners, patrimony.

Dispose of them, of me. The walls is thine.

Witness the world that I create thee here

My lord and master.

GONERIL

Mean you to enjoy him?

ALBANY

The let-alone lies not in your good will.

EDMOND

Nor in thine, lord.

ALBANY

Half-blooded fellow, yes.

REGAN (to Edmond)

Let the drum strike and prove my title thine.

ALBANY

Stay yet, hear reason. Edmond, I arrest thee

On capital treason, and in thy attaint

This gilded serpent. (To Regan) For your claim, fair

sister,

I bar it in the interest of my wife.

’Tis she is subcontracted to this lord,

And I, her husband, contradict your banns.

If you will marry, make your loves to me.

My lady is bespoke.

GONERIL

An interlude!

ALBANY

Thou art armed, Gloucester. Let the trumpet sound.

If none appear to prove upon thy person

Thy heinous, manifest, and many treasons,

There is my pledge.

⌈He throws down a glove⌉