O, undistinguish'd space of woman's will!—a
A plot upon her virtuous husband's life; [sands,
And the exchange, my brother!-Here, in the
Thee I'll rake up, the post unsanctified

Of murderous lechers: and, in the mature time,
With this ungracious paper strike the sight
Of the death-practis'd duke: for him 'tis well,
That of thy death and business I can tell.

[Exit, dragging out the body. GLO. The king is mad: how stiff is my vile

a0, undistinguish'd space of woman's will!—] In the quartos we read, "O undistinguisht space of womans wit"; in the folio, "Oh indinguish'd space of Womans will;" and Mr. Collier's a notator suggests, “O, unextinguish'd blaze of woman's will!" Whatever may have been the original lection, it was plainly an exclamation against the indiscriminate caprice of woman as exhibited by Goneril in plotting against a virtuous husband's life merely to gain a villain like Edmund, and not, as Mr. Collier asserts, against the unextinguishable appetite" of the sex: his annotator's emendation is therefore indefensible. We should, perhaps, read, **O, undistinguishable sense of woman's will."

So please your majesty That we may wake the king? he hath slept long. CORD. Be govern'd by your knowledge, and proceed

I' the sway of your own will.

Is he array'd? GENT. Ay, madam; in the heaviness of sleep, We put fresh garments on him.

PHYS. Be by, good madam, when we do awake him ;

I doubt not* of his temperance.
CORD.

(*) First folio omits, not.

Very well.

b- soft music playing.] This part of the stage direction was judiciously interpolated by Mr. Dyce.

e-made intent:] This may import purposed intent; but Mr. Collier's annotator proposes a very plausible change-" My main intent."

d Madam, sleeps still.] In the folio, the Physician and Gentleman form one character; the parts were combined probably, as Mr. Collier surmises, to suit the economy of performers. e CORD. Very well.

PHYS. Please you, draw near.-Louder the music there.] These two speeches are not in the folio.

LEAR.

Pray, do not mock me:
I am a very foolish fond old man,
Fourscore and upward, not an hour more nor less;
And, to deal plainly,

I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
Methinks I should know you, and know this man;
Yet I am doubtful; for I am mainly ignorant
What place this is; and all the skill I have
Remembers not these garments; nor I know not
Where I did lodge last night.-Do not laugh at me,
For, as I am a man, I think this lady

To be my child Cordelia. CORD.

And so I am, I am.

LEAR. Am I in France? KENT.

In your own kingdom, sir.

[rage,

LEAR. Do not abuse me. PHYS. Be comforted, good madam; the great You see, is kill'd in him and yet it is danger To make him even o'er the time he has lost." Desire him to go in; trouble him no more, Till further settling.

COR. Will't please your highness walk? LEAR. You must bear with me: Pray you now, forget and forgive: I am old, and foolish.

[Exeunt LEAR, CORDELIA, Physician, and Attendants.b

GENT. Holds it true, sir, that the duke of Cornwall was so slain?

KENT. Most certain, sir.

GENT. Who is conductor of his people? KENT. As 'tis said, the bastard son of Gloster. GENT. They say, Edgar, his banish'd son, is with the earl of Kent in Germany.

KENT. Report is changeable. "T is time to look about; the powers of the kingdom approach apace. GENT. The arbitrement is like to be bloody. Fare you well, sir. [Exit. KENT. My point and period will be throughly wrought,

Or well or ill, as this day's battle's fought. [Exit.

Omitted in the folio.

b Exeunt LEAR, &c.] In the folio, the scene terminates he re.

than that sister

Should loosen him and me.

ALB. Our very loving sister, well be-met.Sir, this I hear,t-The king is come to his daughter,

With others whom the rigour of our state
Fore'd to cry out. Where I could not be honest,
I never yet was valiant: for this business,
It toucheth us, as France invades our land,
Not bolds the king, with others, whom I fear,
Most just and heavy causes make oppose.
EDM. Sir, you speak nobly.
REG.
Why is this reason'd?
Gox. Combine together 'gainst the enemy;
For these domestic and particular broils

Are not the question here.

As they are going out, enter EDGAR disguised.

EDG. If e'er your grace had speech with man so poor, Hear me one word. ALB.

I'll overtake you.-Speak. [Exeunt EDM. REG. GON. Officers, Soldiers, and Attendants.

EDG. Before you fight the battle, ope this letter. If you have victory, let the trumpet sound For him that brought it: wretched though I seem, I can produce a champion that will prove What is avouched there. If you miscarry, Your business of the world hath so an end, And machination ceases. Fortune love you! ALB. Stay till I've read the letter. EDG.

*

I was forbid it. When time shall serve, let but the herald cry, And I'll appear again.

ALB. Why, fare thee well; I will o'erlook thy paper. [Exit EDGAR.

Re-enter EDMUND.

EDM. The enemy's in view, draw up your

powers.

Here is the guess of their true strength and forces
By diligent discovery ;-but your haste
Is now urg'd on you.

ALB.
We will greet the time. [Exit.
EDM. To both these sisters have I sworn my
love;

Each jealous of the other, as the stung
Are of the adder. Which of them shall I take?
Both? one? or neither? Neither can be enjoy'd,
If both remain alive: to take the widow,
Exasperates, makes mad her sister Goneril;
And hardly shall I carry out my side,
Her husband being alive. Now then, we'll use
His countenance for the battle; which being done,
Let her who would be rid of him devise
His speedy taking off. As for the mercy
Which he intends to Lear and to Cordelia,-
The battle done, and they within our power,
Shall never see his pardon; for my state
Stands on me to defend, not to debate.

(*) First folio, loves.

[Exit.

in the game; to pull or pluck down a side, was to lose it. Thus in Ben Jonson's "Silent Woman," Act III. Sc. 2,

"Mavis and she will set up a side."

Thus also in Massinger's "Great Duke of Florence," Act IV. Sc. 1, where Cozimo, declining to do Petronella right in a bowl of wine, says,

"Pray you pause a little;

If I hold your cards, I shall pull down the side: I am not good at the game."