where's Cordelia?"

Edmund, whose life was fast ebbing away, said, "I pant for life; some good I mean to do, despite of mine own nature. Quickly send, be brief in it, to the castle, for my writ is on the life of Lear and on Cordelia: nay, send in time." "Run, run, O, run, cried Albany." "To whom, my lord," asked Edgar, "Who has the office? send thy token of reprieve." "Well thought on," said Edmund, "Take my sword, give it the captain." "Haste thee, for thy life," urged Albany, and Edgar went. When he was gone, Edmund confessed his wickedness; he said to the duke, that the captain had had orders from Regan and himself, to hang Cordelia in the prison, and to lay the blame upon her own despair, to shield themselves. Shocked beyond all power of expression, the Duke of Albany ordered the attendants to carry the dying Edmund out. Just after the afflicted king entered, carrying poor Cordelia in his arms, and crying "Howl, howl, howl, howl! O, ye are men of stones. O, she is gone for ever!" She

was indeed quite dead, the cruel sentence having been executed before Edgar arrived with the respite. "Is this the promised end?" said Kent, in the deepest affliction. "O my good master." "Prythe away," said Lear. Edgar spoke, and told him that it was the noble Kent his friend. But the king could attend to nothing, but his dear Cordelia; he murmured, “I might have saved her; now she's gone for ever! Cordelia, Cordelia, stay a little. Ha! what is't thou say'st? Her voice was ever soft, gentle, and low; an excellent thing in woman. "I killed the slave that was a hanging thee." An officer said, ""Tis true my lords, he did." Then at length, the king recognised his faithful Kent; but his talk was wild and unmeaning. Albany said, "He knows not what he says; it is in vain to present us to him." "Very bootless," said Edgar. An officer came in to say that the wretched Edmund was dead. Albany said that was a trifle; he would resign, during the life of the king, all his absolute power; that all friends should taste the

wages of their virtue, and all foes the cup of their deservings. Again Lear spoke, "And my poor fool is hanged. No, no, no life. Why should a dog, a horse, a rat have life, and thou no breath at all? O, thou will't come no more; never, never, never, never, never! Look on her, look, look there, look there! and then he died. "Oh! he is gone indeed," said Edgar. Kent answered, "The wonder is, he hath endured so long." "Bear them from hence," said Albany. "Our present business is general woe." Then addressing Kent and Edgar, he bid them rule the realm. But Kent, worn out and weary, and feeling that he had not long to live, said, "I have a journey, sir, shortly to go. My master calls and I must not say no." Albany answered, "The weight of this sad time we must obey; speak what we feel, not what we ought to say. The oldest hath borne most; we that are young, shall never see so much, nor live so long."