She's dead as earth! lend me a looking-glafs,
If that her breath will mift or ftain the ftone,
Why then she lives.

Kent. Is this the promis'd end?

Lear. This feather ftirs, fhe lives; if it be fo,
It is a chance which do's redeem all forrows
That ever I have felt.

Kent. O my good master!

Lear. Pr'ythee, away

Edg. 'Tis noble Kent

your

friend.

[Kneeling.

Lear. A plague upon you, murth'rers, traitors all!
I might have fav'd her; now fhe's gone for ever!
Cordelia, Cordelia, ftay a little. Ha!

What is't thou fay'ft? her voice was ever soft,
Gentle and low, an excellent thing in woman.
I kill'd the flave that was a hanging thee.
Gent. 'Tis true, my Lords, he did.
Lear. Did I not, fellow?

I've feen the day, with my good biting faulchion
I would have made them skip: I am old now,
And these fame croffes fpoil me.
Who are you?
Mine eyes are none o'th' beft. I'll tell you ftrait.
Kent. If fortune brag of two fhe lov'd and hated,
One of them we behold.

Lear. Are you not Kent?

Kent. The fame; your fervant Kent;

Where is your fervant Caius?

Lear. 'Twas a good fellow, I can tell you that, He'd ftrike, and quickly too: he's dead and rotten. Kent. No, my good Lord, I am the very man, Lear. I'll fee that ftrait.

Kent. That from your firft of difference and decay, Have follow'd your fad steps.

Lear. You're welcome hither.

Kent. 'Twas no man elfe: all's cheerlefs, dark, and deadly: Your eldest daughters have fore-done themselves,

And defp'rately are dead.

Lear. Ay, fo I think.

Alb. He knows not what he says, and vain is it

That we prefent us to him.

Edg. Very bootlefs.

Enter a Meffenger.

Mef. Edmund is dead, my Lord.

Alb. That's but a trifle.

You Lords and noble friends, know our intent;
What comfort to this great decay may come,
Shall be apply'd. For us, we will refign,
During the life of this old Majefty,

To him our abfolute power: to you, your rights, [To Edg.
With boot, and fuch addition as your honours

Have more than merited. All friends fhall tafte

The wages of their virtue, and all foes

The cup of their defervings.

Lear. O fee, fee

And my poor fool is hang'd: no, no, no life?
Why fhould a dog, à horse, a rat have life,

And thou no breath at all? thou'lt come no more,
Never, never, never, never,
Pray you, undo this button.
Do you fee this? look on her,
Look there, look there

Edg. He faints; my Lord!.

never,
Thank you, Sir;
look on her lips,

Kent, Break, heart, I pr'ythee, break.

Edg. Look up, my Lord!

[He dies.

Kent. Vex not his Ghost: oh, let him pass! He hates him,

That would upon the rack of this rough world

Stretch him out longer.

Edg. He is gone indeed.

Kent. The wonder is he hath endur'd fo long: He but ufurpt his life.

Alb. Bear them from hence, our present business Is general woe: friends of my foul, you twain, Rule in this realm, and the gor'd state sustain.

Kent. I have a journey, Sir, fhortly to go;
My mafter calls me, I muft not fay no.

Alb. The weight of this fad time we must obey,
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.
The oldeft hath born moft; we that are young
Shall never fee so much, live e'er fo long.

[Exeunt with a dead march,

THE

LIFE and DEATH

O F

King OH N.

KING JOHN.

Prince HENRY, Son to the King.

ARTHUR, Duke of Bretagne, and Nephew to the King.

PEMBROKE,

ESSEX,

SALISBURY,

BIGOT,

English Lords.

HUBERT, an English Gentleman.

PHILIP FAULCONBRIDGE, Baftard-Son to Richard the Firft; afterwards knighted by the name of Sir Richard Plantagenet.

ROBERT FAULCONBRIDGE, Suppos'd Brother to the Baftard.

JAMES GURNEY, Servant to the Lady Faulconbridge,
PETER of Pomfret, a Prophet.

PHILIP, King of France.
LEWIS, the Dauphin.

Arch-Duke of Auftria.

PANDULPHO, the Pope's Legate.

MELUN, a French Lord.

CHATILION, Ambassador from France to King John

ELINOR, Queen Mother of England.
CONSTANCE, Mother to Arthur.

BLANCH, Daughter to Alphonfo King of Caftile, and Niece to King John.

Lady Faulconbridge, Mother to the Baftard and Robert Faulconbridge.

Citizens of Angiers, Heralds, Executioners, Meffengers, Soldiers, and other Attendants,

The Soene fometimes in England, and fometimes in France.

THE

* THE

LIFE and DEATH,

OF

KING OH N

F

ACT I. SCENE I.
The Court of England.

Enter King John, Queen Elinor, Pembroke, Effex, and
Salifoury, with Chatilion.

K. John.

OW, fay, Chatilion, what would France with us?

Chat. Thus, after greeting, fpeaks the
King of France,

In my behaviour, to the Majefty

The borrow'd Majefty of England here.

Eli. A ftrange beginning; borrow'd Majefty!
K. John. Silence, good mother, hear the embaffie.
Chat. Philip of France, in right and true behalf

Of thy deceased brother Geffrey's Son,

Arthur Plantagenet, lays lawful claim

To this fair inland, and the territories:

The troublesome reign of K. John was written in two parts by

W. Shakespear and W. Rowley, and printed 1611. But the prefent Play is entirely different, and infinitely fuperior to it.

Το