Witness the world78 that I create thee here
My lord and master.
GONERIL Mean you to enjoy80 him?
ALBANY The let-alone81 lies not in your good will.
EDMUND Nor in thine, lord.
ALBANY Half-blooded83 fellow, yes.
To Edmund
REGAN Let the drum strike and prove my title thine.
ALBANY Stay yet, hear reason. Edmund, I arrest thee
On capital treason, and, in86 thy arrest,
This gilded serpent. For87 your claim, fair sister,
I bar it88 in the interest of my wife:
’Tis she is subcontracted89 to this lord,
And I, her husband, contradict your banns90.
If you will marry, make your loves to91 me,
My lady is bespoke92.
GONERIL An interlude93!
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: I’ll make it97 on thy heart,
Throws down a glove
Ere I taste bread, thou art in nothing98 less
Than I have here proclaimed thee.
REGAN Sick, O, sick!
Aside
GONERIL If not, I’ll ne’er trust medicine101.
EDMUND There’s my exchange: what102 in the world he’s
That names me traitor, villain-like he lies.
Throws down a glove
Call by the trumpet: he that dares approach,
On him, on you — who not? — I will maintain
My truth and honour firmly.
Enter a Herald
ALBANY A herald, ho!
To Edmund
Trust to thy single virtue108, for thy soldiers,
All levied in my name, have in my name
Took their discharge.
REGAN My sickness grows upon me.
ALBANY She is not welclass="underline" convey her to my tent.—
[Exit Regan, led]
Come hither, herald. Let the trumpet sound
And read out this.
A trumpet sounds
HERALD Reads ‘If any man of quality or degree115 within the
lists116 of the army will maintain upon Edmund, supposed Earl
of Gloucester, that he is a manifold traitor, let him appear by
the third sound of the trumpet: he is bold in his defence.’
First trumpet
HERALD Again!
Second trumpet
HERALD Again!
Third trumpet
Trumpet answers within
Enter Edgar armed
His helmet visor down
ALBANY Ask him his purposes, why he appears
Upon this call o’th’trumpet.
HERALD What are you?
Your name, your quality, and why you answer
This present summons?
EDGAR Know, my name is lost
By treason’s tooth bare-gnawn and canker-bit127:
Yet am I noble as the adversary
I come to cope129.
ALBANY Which is that adversary?
EDGAR What’s he that speaks for Edmund Earl of Gloucester?
EDMUND Himself: what say’st thou to him?
EDGAR Draw thy sword,
That, if my speech offend a noble heart,
Thy arm may do thee justice: here is mine.
Draws
Behold, it is my privilege —
The privilege of mine honours —137
My oath and my profession. I protest138,
Maugre thy strength, place139, youth and eminence,
Despise thy victor sword and fire-new140 fortune,
Thy valour and thy heart, thou art a traitor:
False to thy gods, thy brother and thy father,
Conspirant143 gainst this high illustrious prince,
And from th’extremest upward144 of thy head
To the descent145 and dust below thy foot
A most toad-spotted146 traitor. Say thou no,
This sword, this arm and my best spirits are bent147
To prove upon thy heart whereto I speak,
Thou liest.
EDMUND In wisdom I should ask thy name,
But since thy outside looks so fair and warlike,
And that thy tongue some say152 of breeding breathes,
What safe and nicely153 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 lie156 o’erwhelm thy heart,
Which, for they yet glance by157 and scarcely bruise,
This sword of mine shall give them instant way158,
Where they shall rest forever. Trumpets, speak!
Draws
Alarums. Fights
Edmund falls
ALBANY Save him160, save him!
GONERIL This is practice161, Gloucester:
By th’law of war thou wast not bound to answer
An unknown opposite: thou art not vanquished,
But cozened and beguiled164.
ALBANY Shut your mouth, dame165,
Or with this paper shall I stop it.— Hold, sir.—
To Goneril
Thou worse than any name, read thine own evil.
No tearing, lady: I perceive you know168 it.
Shows her the letter
GONERIL Say, if I do, the laws are mine, not thine:
Who can arraign170 me for’t.
Exit
ALBANY Most monstrous! O, know’st thou this paper?
EDMUND Ask me not what I know.
ALBANY Go after her: she’s desperate: govern173 her.
[Exit a soldier]
EDMUND What you have charged me with, that have I done,
And more, much more: the time will bring it out:
To Edgar
’Tis past and so am I.— But what art thou
That hast this fortune on177 me? If thou’rt noble,
I do forgive thee.
EDGAR Let’s exchange charity179.
I am no less in blood than thou art, Edmund:
If more, the more th’hast181 wronged me.
Removes his helmet
My name is Edgar, and thy father’s son.
The gods are just, and of our pleasant183 vices
Make instruments to plague us:
The dark and vicious place where thee he got185
Cost him his eyes.
EDMUND Th’hast spoken right: ’tis true,
The wheel188 is come full circle: I am here.
To Edgar
ALBANY Methought thy very gait did prophesy189
A royal nobleness: I must embrace thee.
Let sorrow split my heart if ever I
Did hate thee or thy father!
EDGAR Worthy prince, I know’t.
ALBANY Where have you hid yourself?
How have you known the miseries of your father?
EDGAR By nursing them, my lord. List196 a brief tale,
And when ’tis told, O, that my heart would burst!
The bloody proclamation198 to escape
That followed me so near — O, our lives’ sweetness!
That we the pain of death would hourly die200
Rather than die at once! — taught me to shift
Into a madman’s rags, t’assume a semblance202
That very dogs disdained: and in this habit203
Met I my father with his bleeding rings204,
Their precious stones new lost, became his guide,
Led him, begged for him, saved him from despair206,
Never — O, fault! — revealed myself unto him