Page:King Lear (1917) Yale.djvu/133

King Lear, V. iii 

Enter, in conquest, with drum and colours, Edmund; Lear and Cordelia as prisoners, Soldiers, Captain.

Edm. Some officers take them away: good guard,

Until their greater pleasures first be known

That are to censure them.

Cor. We are not the first

Who, with best meaning, have incurr'd the worst.

For thee, oppressed king, am I cast down;

Myself could else out-frown false Fortune's frown.

Shall we not see these daughters and these sisters?

Lear. No, no, no, no! Come, let's away to prison;

We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage:

When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down,

And ask of thee forgiveness: so we'll live,

And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh

At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues

Talk of court news; and we'll talk with them too,

Who loses and who wins; who's in, who's out;

And take upon 's the mystery of things,

As if we were God's spies: and we'll wear out,

In a wall'd prison, packs and sets of great ones

That ebb and flow by the moon.

Edm. Take them away.

Lear. Upon such sacrifices, my Cordelia,

The gods themselves throw incense. Have I caught thee?

He that parts us shall bring a brand from heaven,

 1 good guard: guard them well

