I THOUGHT, the king had more affected the duke of Albany, than Cornwall.

Glo. It did always seem so to us : but now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most; for equalities are so weigh'd, that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's moiety.2

Kent. Is not this your son, my lord?

Glo. His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge: I have so often blushed to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed to it.

Kent. I cannot conceive you.

Enter Lear, Cornwall, Albany, Goneril, Regan
Cordelia, and Attendants.

Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy,
Gloster.
Glo. I shall, my liege.

[Exe. Glo. and Edm. Lear. Mean-time we shall express our darker

And you, our no less loving son of Albany,
We have this hour a constant will to publish
Our daughters' several dowers, that future strife
May be prevented now. The princes, France and
Burgundy,

Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could: whereupon she grew round-wombed; and had, in- Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, deed, sir, a son for her cradle, ere she had a hus-Long in our court have made their amorous soband for her bed. Do you smell a fault?

Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper.3

Glo. But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came somewhat saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair; there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged.-Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund ?

Edm. No, my lord.

journ,

And here are to be answer'd.-Tell me, my daugh-
ters,

(Since now we will divest us, both of rule,
Interest of territory, cares of state,)
Which of you, shall we say, doth love us most?
That we our largest bounty may extend
Where merit doth most challenge it.—Goneril,
Our eldest-born, speak first.
Gon.
Sir, I
Do love you more than words can wield the matter,

Glo. My lord of Kent: remember him hereaf- Dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty; ter as my honourable friend.

Edm. My services to your lordship.

Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare;
No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour:

Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you As much as child e'er lov'd, or father found. better.

Edm. Sir, I shall study deserving. Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again:-The king is coming.

[Trumpets sound within.

A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable;
Beyond all manner of so much I love you.
Cor. What shall Cordelia do? Love, and be si-
lent.
[Aside.
Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line
to this,
(4) More secret.

(5) Determined resolution.

stirs?

Call Burgundy.-Cornwall, and Albany,
With my two daughters' dowers digest this third-
Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her.
I do invest you jointly with my power,
Pre-eminence, and all the large effects
That troop with majesty.-Ourself, by monthly

With shadowy forests and with champains1 rich'd,|| Her father's heart from her!--Call France ;-Who
With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads,
We make thee lady: To thine and Albany's issue
Be this perpetual. What says our second daughter,
Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall? Speak.
Reg. I am made of that self metal as my sister,
And prize me at her worth. In my true heart
I find, she names my very deed of love;
Only she comes too short,-That I profess
Myself an enemy to all other joys,

Which the most precious square2 of sense possesses;
And find, I am alone felicitate3

In your dear highness' love.
Čor.
Then poor Cordelia! [Aside.
And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love's
More richer than my tongue.

Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever,
Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom;
No less in space, validity,4 and pleasure,
Than that confirm'd on Goneril.-Now, our joy,
Although the last, not least; to whose young love
The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy,
Strive to be interess'd: what can you say, to draw
A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak
Cor. Nothing, my lord.

Lear

Nothing?

Cor.
Nothing.
Lear. Nothing can come of nothing: speak again.
Cor. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave
My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty
According to my bond; nor more, nor less.
Lear. How, how, Cordelia? mend your speech
a little,

Lest it may mar your fortunes.
Cor.
Good my lord,
You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me: I
Return those duties back as are right fit,
Obey you, love you, and most honour you.
Why have my sisters husbands, if they say,
They love you, all? Haply,5 when I shall wed,
That lord, whose hand must take my plight, shall||

course,

With reservation of a hundred knights,
By you to be sustain'd, shall our abode
Make with you by due turns. Only we still retain
The name, and all the additions to a king;
The sway,

Revenue, execution of the rest,10

Beloved sons, be yours: which to confirm,
This coronet part between you. [Giving the crown
Kent.
Royal Lear,
Whom I have ever honour'd as my king,
Lov'd as my father, as my master follow'd,
As my great patron thought on in my prayers,-
Lear. The bow is bent and drawn, make from

ment,

Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least;
Nor are those empty-hearted, whose low sound
Reverbs no hollowness.

Lear.
Kent, on thy life, no more.
Kent. My life I never held but as a pawn
To wage against thine enemies; nor fear to lose it,
Thy safety being the motive.

Lear.
Out of my sight!
Kent. See better, Lear; and let me still remain
The true blank 12 of thine eye.
Lear. Now, by Apollo,-
Kent.

Now, by Apollo, king,

Ay, good my lord. Thou swear'st thy gods in vain.

Lear. So young, and so untender?
Cor. So young, my lord, and true.
Lear. Let it be so.-Thy truth then be thy dower:
For, by the sacred radiance of the sun;
The mysteries of Hecate, and the night;
By all the operations of the orbs,

From whom we do exist, and cease to be;
Here I disclaim all my paternal care,
Propinquity and property of blood,
And as a stranger to my heart and me
Hold thee, from this, for ever. The barbarous
Scythian,

Or he that makes his generation messes
To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom
Be as well neighbour'd, pitied, and reliev'd,
As thou my sometime daughter.

Kent.

Lear. Peace, Kent!

Good my liege,

Lear.

O, vassal! miscreant! [Laying his hand on his sword.

Alb. Corn. Dear sir, forbear.
Kent. Do;

Kill thy physician, and the fee bestow
Upon the foul disease. Revoke thy gift;
Or, whilst I can vent clamour from my throat,
I'll tell thee, thou dost evil.

Lear.

Hear me, recreant!
On thine allegiance hear me !-
Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow
(Which we durst never yet,) and, with strain'd

pride,

To come betwixt our sentence and our power
(Which nor our nature nor our place can bear;)
Our potency make good, take thy reward.
Five days we do allot thee, for provision
To shield thee from diseases of the world;
And, on the sixth, to turn thy hated back
Upon our kingdom: if, on the tenth day following
Thy banish'd trunk be found in our dominions,
The moment is thy death: Away! By Jupiter,
This shall not be revok'd.

(7) From this time. (8) His children.
(9) Titles. (10) All other subjects.
(11) Reverberates. (12) The mark to shoot at.

Kent. Fare thee well, king: since thus thou wilt || A still-soliciting eye, and such a tongue

appear,
Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here.—
The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid,
[To Cordelia.
That justly think'st, and hast most rightly said!-
And your large speeches may your deeds approve,
[To Regan and Goneril.
That good effects may spring from words of love.
Thus Kent, O princes, bids you all adieu;
He'll shape his old course1 in a country new. [Ex.
Re-enter Gloster; with France, Burgundy, and
Attendants.

That I am glad I have not, though not to have it,
Hath lost me in your liking.
Better thou

Lear.

Hadst not been born, than not to have pleas'd me

better.

France. Is it but this? a tardiness in nature,
Which often leaves the history unspoke,
That it intends to do?-My lord of Burgundy,
What say you to the lady? Love is not love,
When it is mingled with respects, that stand
Aloof from the entire point. 10 Will you have her
She is herself a dowry.
Bur.

Royal Lear,

Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble Give but that portion which yourself propos'd, And here I take Cordelia by the hand, Duchess of Burgundy.

lord.

Lear. My lord of Burgundy,

We first address towards you, who with this king
Hath rivall'd for our daughter; What, in the least
Will you require in present dower with her,
Or cease your quest of love?2
Bur.
Most royal majesty,
I crave no more than hath your highness offer'd,
Nor will you tender less.
Lear.
Right noble Burgundy,
When she was dear to us, we did hold her so;
But now her price is fall'n: Sir, there she stands;
If aught within that little, seeming3 substance,
Or all of it, with our displeasure piec'd,
And nothing more, may fitly like your grace,
She's there, and she is yours.

Bur.

Lear. Sir,

I know no answer.

Will you, with those infirmities she owes,4
Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate,

Lear. Nothing: I have sworn; I am firm.
Bur. I am sorry then, you have so lost a father
That you must lose a husband.

Cor.
Peace be with Burgundy.
Since that respects of fortune are his love,
I shall not be his wife.

France. Fairest Cordelia, thou art most rich,
being poor;

Most choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'd!
Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon :
Be it lawful, I take up what's cast away.
Gods, gods! 'tis strange, that from their cold'st
neglect

My love should kindle to inflam'd respect.—
Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my chance,
Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France:
Not all the dukes of wat'rish Burgundy
Shall buy this unpriz'd precious maid of me.-

Dower'd with our curse, and stranger'd with our Bid them farewell, Cordelia, though unkind:

oath,

Take her, or leave her?

Bur.
Pardon me, royal sir;
Election makes not ups on such conditions.
Lear. Then leave her, sir; for by the power that
made me,

I tell you all her wealth.-For you, great king,
[To France.
I would not from your love make such a stray,
To match you where I hate; therefore beseech you
To avert your liking a more worthier way,
Than on a wretch whom nature is asham'd
Almost to acknowledge hers.
France.
This is most strange!
That she, that even but now was your best object,
The argument of your praise, balm of your age,
Most best, most dearest, should in this trice of time
Commit a thing so monstrous, to dismantle
So many folds of favour! Sure, her offence
Must be of such unnatural degree,

That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd' affection
Fall into taint :8 which to believe of her,
Must be a faith, that reason without miracle
Could never plant in me.

Cor.
I yet beseech your majesty
(If for I want that glib and oily art,
To speak and purpose not; since what I well
intend,

I'll do't before I speak,) that you make known
It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,
No unchaste action, or dishonour'd step,
That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour:
But even for want of that, for which I am richer;

Thou losest here, a better wnerell to find.

Lear. Thou hast her, France: let her be thine;
for we

Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see
That face of hers again :-Therefore be gone,
Without our grace, our love, our benizon. 12
Come, noble Burgundy.

[Flourish. Exeunt Lear, Burgundy, Cornwall,
Albany, Gloster, and Attendants.
France. Bid farewell to your sisters.
Cor. The jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes
Cordelia leaves you: I know you what you are;
And, like a sister, am most loath to call
Your faults, as they are nam'd. Use well our father:
To your professed bosoms I commit him:
But yet, alas! stood I within his grace,
I would prefer him to a better place.
So farewell to you both.

Gon. Prescribe not us our duties.
Reg.

Let your study
Be, to content your lord; who hath receiv'd you
At fortune's alms. You have obedience scanted,
And well are worth the want that you have wanted.
Cor. Time shall unfold what plaited's cunning
hides;

Who cover faults, at last shame them derides.
Well may you prosper!

France.

Come, my fair Cordelia. [Exeunt France and Cordelia. Gon. Sister, it is not a little I have to say, of what most nearly appertains to us both. I think, our father will hence to-night.

Reg. That's most certain, and with you; next month with us.

Gon. You see how full of changes his age is ; the observation we have made of it hath not been little he always loved our sister most; and with what poor judgment he hath now cast her off, appears too grossly.

Reg. 'Tis the infirmity of his age: yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself.

Glo. Let's see, let's see.

Edm. I hope, for my brother's justification, he wrote this but as an essays or taste of my virtue. Glo. [Reads.] This policy, and reverence of age,

Gon. The best and soundest of his time hath been but rash; then must we look to receive from his age, not alone the imperfections of long-engrafted condition, but therewithal, the unruly way-makes the world bitter to the best of our times; wardness that infirm and choleric years bring with them.

Reg. Such unconstant starts are we like to have from him, as this of Kent's banishment.

Gon. There is further compliment of leavetaking between France and him. Pray you, let us hit together: If our father carry authority with such dispositions as he bears, this last surrender of || his will but offend us.

Reg. We shall further think of it.
Gon. We inust do something, and i'the heat.2
[Exeunt.
SCENE II-A hall in the Earl of Gloster's
castle. Enter Edmund, with a letter.
Edm. Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law
My services are bound: Wherefore should
Stand in the plague3 of custom; and permit
The curiosity4 of nations to deprive me,
For that I am some twelve or fourteen moon-shines
Lag of a brother? Why bastard? wherefore base?
When my dimensions are as well compact,
My mind as generous, and my shape as true,
As honest madam's issue? Why brand they us
With base? with baseness? bastardy? base, base?
Who, in the lusty stealth of nature, take
More composition and fierce quality,
Than doth, within a dull, stale, tired bed,
Go to the creating a whole tribe of fops,
Got 'tween asleep and wake?-Well then,
Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land:
Our father's love is to the bastard Edmund,
As to the legitimate: Fine word,-legitimate!
Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed,
And my invention thrive, Edmund the base
Shall top the legitimate. I grow; I prosper :-
Now, gods, stand up for bastards!

Enter Gloster.

Glo. Kent banish'd thus! And France in choler
parted!

And the king gone to-night! subscrib'ds his power!
Confin'd to exhibition 16 All this done
Upon the gad!?-Edmund! How now? what news?
Edm. So please your lordship, none.
[Putting up the letter.
Glo. Why so earnestly seek you to put up that
letter?

Edm. I know no news, my lord.
Glo. What paper were you reading?
Edm. Nothing, my lord.

Glo. No? What needed then that terrible des

patch of it into your pocket? the quality of nothing bath not such need to hide itself. Let's see: Come, if it be nothing, I shall not need spectacles.

Edm. I beseech you, sir, pardon me it is a letter from my brother, that I have not all o'er-read;

(1) Qualities of mind.

(2) Strike while the iron is hot.

(3) The injustice.

(4) The nicety of civil institution.

(5) Yielded, surrendered. (6) Allowance.

keeps our fortunes from us, till our oldness cannot relish them. I begin to find an idle and fond? bondage in the oppression of aged tyranny; who sways, not as it hath power, but as it is suffered. Come to me, that of this I may speak more. If our father would sleep till I waked him, you should enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live the be loved of your brother, Edgar.-Humph-Conspi racy!-Sleep till I waked him, you should enjoy half his revenue,-My son Edgar! Had he a hand to write this? a heart and brain to breed it in ?— When came this to you? Who brought it?

Edm. It was not brought me, my lord, there's the cunning of it; I found it thrown in at the casement of my closet.

Glo. You know the character to be your brother's?

Edm. If the matter were good, my lord, I durst swear it were his; but, in respect of that, I would fain think it were not.

Glo. It is his.

Edm. It is his hand, my lord; but, I hope, his heart is not in the contents.

Glo. Hath he never heretofore sounded you in this business?

Edm. Never, my lord: But I have often heard him maintain it to be fit, that, sons at perfect age, and fathers declining, the father should be as ward to the son, and the son manage his revenue.

Glo. O villain, villain !-His very opinion in the letter!-Abhorred villain! Unnatural, detested, brutish villain! worse than brutish!-Go, sirrah, seek him; I'll apprehend him:-Abominable villain!-Where is he?

Edm. I do not well know, my lord. If it shall please you to suspend your indignation against my brother, till you can derive from him better testimony of his intent, you shall run a certain course; where,10 if you violently proceed against him, mistaking his purpose, it would make a great gap in your own honour, and shake in pieces the heart of his obedience. I dare pawn down my life for him, that he hath writ this to feel my affection to your honour, and to no other pretencel2 of danger. Glo. Think you so?

Edm. If your honour judge it meet, I will place you where you shall hear us confer of this, and by an auricular assurance have your satisfaction; and that without any further delay than this very evening.

Glo. He cannot be such a monster.
Edm. Nor is not, sure.

Glo. To his father, that so tenderly and entirely loves him.-Heaven and earth!-Edmund, seek him out; wind me into him, I pray you: frame the business after your own wisdom: I would unstate myself, to be in a due resolution.13

(7) Suddenly. (8) Trial.

(9) Weak and foolish. (10) Whereas. (11) The usual address to a lord. (12) Design. (13) Give all that I am possessed of, to be certain of the truth