Leading his eyeless father. O, my liege, His wondrous story well deserves your leisure; What he has done and suffer'd for your sake, What for the fair Cordelia's.
Glost. Where's my liege? Conduct me to his knees,
His second birth of empire: My dear Edgar Has, with himself, reveal'd the king's blest restoration. Lear. My poor dark Gloster!
Glost. O, let me kiss once more that scepter'd hand! Lear. Hold, thou mistak'st the majesty; kneel
Cordelia has our pow'r, Cordelia's queen. Speak, is not that the noble, suff'ring, Edgar?
Glost. My pious son, more dear than my lost eyes. Lear. I wrong'd him too; but here's the fair amends.
Edg. Your leave, my liege, for an unwelcome mes
Edmund, but that's a trifle, is expir'd. What more will touch you, your imperious daughters, Goneril and haughty Regan, both are dead, Each by the other poison'd at a banquet: This, dying, they confess'd.
Cord. O, fatal period of ill govern'd life! Lear. Ingrateful as they were, my heart feels yet A pang of nature for their wretched fall.- But, Edgar, I defer thy joys too long: Thou serv'dst distress'd Cordelia; take her crown'd, Th' imperial grace fresh blooming on her brow: Nay, Gloster, thou hast here a father's right; Thy helping hand to heap blessings on their heads. Kent. Old Kent throws in his hearty wishes too. Edg. The gods and you too largely recompense What I have done; the gift strikes merit dumb. Cord. Nor do I blush to own myself o'erpaid
For all my suff'rings past.
Edg. Divine Cordelia, all the gods can witness How much thy love to empire I prefer.
Thy bright example shall convince the world, Whatever storms of fortune are decreed, That truth and virtue shall at last succeed.
Glost. Now. gentle gods, give Gloster his discharge! Lear. No, Gloster, thou hast business yet for life;
Thou, Kent, and I, retir'd to some close cell, Will gently pass our short reserves of time In calm reflections on our fortunes past, Cheer'd with relation of the prosperous reign Of this celestial pair; thus our remains Shall in an even course of thought be past, Enjoy the present hour, nor fear the last.
AS PERFORMED AT THE THEATRES ROYAL,
DRURY LANE, AND COVENT GARDEN.
FRINTED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE MANAGERS
PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, AND ORME, PATERNOSTER ROW,
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