Edg. Generous charming Maid,

The Gods alone that made, can rate thy Worth !
This most amazing Excellence fhall be

Fame's Triumph in fucceeding Ages, when
Thy bright Example fhall adorn the Scene,
And teach the World Perfection.

Cord. Cold and weary,

We'll reft a while, Arante, on that Straw,
Then forward to find out the poor old King.

Edg. Look, I have Flint and Steel, the Implements
Of wand'ring Lunaticks; I'll ftrike a Light,

And make a Fire beneath this Shed, to dry

Thy Storm-drench'd Garments, 'e're thou lie to reft thee Then fierce and wakeful as th' Hefperian Dragon,

I'll watch befide thee to protect thy Sleep;

Mean while the Stars fhall dart their kindest Beams,
And Angels vifit my Cordelia's Dreams.

SCENE, The Palace.

[Exeunt.

Enter Cornwal, Regan, Baftard, Servants. Cornwal with Glofter's Letters.

Duke. I will have my Revenge 'e're I depart his House. Regan, fee here, a Plot upon our State;

'Tis Glofter's Character, that has betray'd

His double Truft of Subject and of Hoft.

Reg. Then double be our Vengeance; this confirms.

Th' Intelligence that we now receiv'd,

That he has been this Night to seek the King;

But who, Sir, was the kind Discoverer ?

Duke. Our Eagle, quick to spy, and fierce to feize;

Our trufty Edmund.

Reg. "Twas a noble Service;

O Cornwal, take him to thy deepest Truft,

And wear him as a Jewel at thy Heart.

Baft. Think, Sir, how hard a Fortune I fuftain. That makes me thus repent of ferving you;

O that this Treason had not been, or I

Not the Discoverer..

Duke. Edmund, thou fhall find

D 3

[Weeps.

A Father

A Fa her in our Love, and from this Minute
We call thee Earl of Glofter; but there yet
Remains another Juftice to be done,

And that's to punish this discarded Traitor;
But left thy tender Nature fhould relent
At his juft Sufferings, nor brook the Sight,
We wish thee to withdraw.

[To

Reg. The Grotto, Sir, within the lower Grove Has Privacy to fuit a Mourner's Thought. [Edmund afide. Baft. And there I may expect a Comforter,

Ha, Madam?

Reg. What may happen, Sir, I know not, But 'twas a Friend's Advice.

Duke. Bring in the Traitor.

Bind faft his Arms.

Glotter brought in.

Gloft. What mean your Graces ?

[Exit Baftard.

You are my Guests, pray do me no foul Play.
Duke. Bind him, I fay, hard, harder yet.
Reg. Now, Traitor, thou fhalt find

Duke. Speak, Rebel, where haft thou fent the King?
Whom, Spight of our Decree, thou faw'ft laft Night.
Gloft. I'm ty'd to th' Stake, and muft ftand the Courfe,
Reg. Say where, and why thou haft conceal'd him ?
Gloft. Becaufe I wou'd not fee thy cruel Hands
Tear out his poor old Eyes, nor thy fierce Sifter
Carve his annointed Flesh; but I fhall fee

The fwift wing'd Vengeance overtake fuch Children.
Duke. See't thou fhalt never; Slaves perform your Work,
Out with thofe treacherous Eyes; difpatch, I fay,

If thou feek Vengeance

Glaft. He that will think to live,

Give me fome Help.

'till he be old

O cruel! oh! ye Gods.

[They put out bis Eyes.

Serv. Hold, hold, my Lord, I bar your Cruelty;

I cannot love your Safety, and give Way

To fuch a barbarous Practice.

Duke. Ha? my Villain!

Serv. I have been your Servant from my Infancy, But better Service have I never done

you

Than with this Boldnels.

Duke.

Duke. Take thy Death, Slave.

Serv. Nay, then Revenge whilft yet my Blood is warm.

[Fight. Reg. Help here--Are you not hurt, my Lord ? Gloft. Edmund, enkindle all the Sparks of Nature To quit this horrid Act.

Reg. Out treacherous Villain,

Thou call'ft on him that hates thee; it was he

That broach'd thy Treafon, fhew'd us thy Difpatches;
There-read, and fave the Cambrian Prince a Labour.
If thy Eyes fail thee, call for Spectacles.

Gloft. O my Folly!

Then Edgar was abus'd; kind Gods, forgive me that.
Reg. How is't, my Lord?

Duke. Turn out that eyclefs Villain, let him smell
His Way to Cambray; throw this Slave upon a Dunghill.
Regan, I bleed apace; give me your Arm.

Gloft. All dark, and comfortless!

Where are thefe various Objects that, but now,
Employ'd my bufy Eyes? Where thofe Eyes?
Dead are their piercing Rays, that lately fhot
O'er flow'ry Vales to diftant fnowy Hills,
And drew with Joy the vaft Horizon in.
These groping Hands are now my only Guides,
And Feeling all my Sight.

O Mifery! What Words can found my Grief?
Shut from the Living whilft among the Living;
Dark as the Grave amidst the bustling World.
At once from Bus'nefs, and from Pleasure bar'd :
No more to view the Beauty of the Spring,
Nor fee the Face of Kindred, or of Friend:
Yet ftill one Way th' extreameft Fate affords,
And e'en the Blind can find the Way to Death.
Muft I then tamely die, and unreveng'd?
So Lear may fall: No, with thefe bleeding Rings
I will prefent me to the pitying Crowd,
And with the Rhetorick of thefe dropping Veins
Enflame 'em to revenge their King and me;
Then when the glorious Mifchief's on the Wing,
This Lumber from fome Precipice I'll throw,
And dafh it on the ragged Flint below;

3

Whence

Whence my freed Soul to her bright Sphere shall fly,
Through boundless Orbs eternal Regions spy,
And like (the Sun) be all one glorious Eye.

The End of the Third Att.

[Exit.)

Edmund and Regan amorously feated, listening to Mufick.

Baft.

W

HY were thofe Beauties made another's
Right?

Which none can prize like me? Charm-
ing Queen,

Take my blooming Youth; for ever
fold me

In those soft Arms; lull me in endless Sleep,
That I may dream of Pleasures too transporting
For Life to bear.

Reg. Live, live, my Glofter,

And feel no Death, but that of fwooning Joy!
I yield the Bliffes on no harder Terms,

Than that thou continue to be happy.

Baft. This Jealoufy is yet more kind; is't poffible

That I fhould wander from a Paradise

To feed on fickly Weeds? Such Sweets live here,

That Conftancy will be no Virtue in me.

And yet must Ï forthwith go meet her Sifter,
To whom I muft proteft as much-
Suppose it be the fame; why, beft of all,

[Afide:

And

And I have then my Leffon 'ready conn'd.
Reg. Wear this Remembrance of me

I dare now

[Gives him a Ring.

Abfent myself no longer from the Duke,
Whofe Wound grows dangerous, I hope mortal.
Baft. And let this happy Image of your Glofter

[Pulling out a Picture, drops a Note. Lodge in that Breaft where all his Treasure lies. [Exit. Reg. To this brave Youth a Woman's blooming Beauties Are due; my Fool ufurps my Bed-What's here? Confufion on my Eyes.

[Reads.

Where Merit is transparent, not to behold it were
Blindness, and not to reward it, Ingratitude.

Vexatious Accident! Yet fortunate too :

My Jealoufy's confirm'd, and I am taught

To call for my Defence

Goneril.

Enter an Officer.

Now, what mean thofe Shouts, and this thy hafty Entrance? Off. A moft furprising and a fudden Change;

The Peafants are all up in Mutiny,

And only want a Chief to lead 'em on
To ftorm your Palace.

Reg. On what Provocation?

Off. At laft Day's publick Feftival, to which
The Yeomen from all Quarters had repair'd;
Old Glofter, whom you late depriv'd of Sight,
(His Veins yet ftreaming fresh) prefents himself,
Proclaims your Cruelty, and their Oppreffion,
With the King's Injuries; which fo enrag'd 'em,
That now that Mutiny, which long had crept,
Takes Wing, and threatens your best Pow'rs.
Reg White-liver'd Slave !

Our Forces rais'd, and led by valiant Edmund,
Shall drive this Monster of Rebellion back
To her dark Cell; young Glofter's Arm allays
The Storm, his Father's feeble Breath did raife.
The Field S CEN E, Enter Edgar.

[Exit.

Edg. The lowest and most abject Thing of Fortune
Stands fill in Hope, and is fecure from Fear;
The lamentable Change is from the Best,

The Worft returns to Better.Who comes here?

Enter