Knights of Lear's train, Officers, Messengers, Soldiers, and Attendants. SCENE, Britain. 1 A list of characters was first inserted by Rowe. KING LEAR. ACT I. SCENE I. A Room of State in King LEAR'S Palace. Enter KENT, GLOSTER, and EDMUND. Kent. 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 kingdoms, it appears not which of the dukes he values most; for equalities are so weighed, that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's moiety'. 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. Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could; whereupon she grew round-wombed, and had, indeed, sir, a son for her cradle ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault? - neither can make choice of either's MOIETY.] "Moiety," here, as elsewhere, is not used by Shakespeare in its strict sense of half, but as a share. See Vol. iv. p. 283. The folio reads kingdom for "kingdoms," and qualities for "equalities." "Kingdoms," in the plural, of course, refers to the separate dominions given by Lear to the Dukes of Albany and Cornwall. Steevens justifies “equalities” by a quotation, but none seems required. Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper. Glo. But I have a son, sir, 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. Glo. My lord of Kent: remember him hereafter as my honourable friend. Edm. My services to your lordship. Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you better. Edm. Sir, I shall study deserving. Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again. The king is coming. [Sennet within. Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants. Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloster. Glo. I shall, my liege3. [Exeunt GLOSTER and EDMUND. Lear. Mean-time we shall express our darker pur pose. Give me the map there.-Know, that we have divided, 2 - saucily INTO the world-] The folio, "saucily to the world." 3 I shall, my LIEGE.] "Liege" in the quartos; lord in the folio. In the next line it seems right in reading "purpose," for purposes of the quartos. "Give me the map there.-Know that we have divided," is from the folio: the quartos read, "The map there: know we have divided." and 'tis our FAST intent] The quartos have "first intent ;" and in the next line," of our state," for "from our age." 5 CONFERRING them on younger STRENGTHS,] So the folio: the quartos, Unburden'd crawl toward death.-Our son of Corn wall, 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, Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn, And here are to be answer'd.-Tell me, my daughters, (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 nature doth with merit challenge.-Goneril, Gon. Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter; Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty; Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare; No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour: A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable; Cor. What shall Cordelia speak'? Love, and be silent. [Aside. Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, With shadowy forests, and with champains rich'd, "Confirming them on younger years." What follows these words, down to "May be prevented now," is only in the folio. The princes, France and Burgundy,] The quartos make a line of these words, by reading, " The two great princes, France and Burgundy." 7 - cares of state,] The two lines, forming this parenthesis, are wanting in the quartos. • Where nature doth with merit challenge.] So the folio: the quartos, "Where merit most doth challenge it." In the next line but one, our text is that of the folio, instead of "Sir, I do love," &c. of the quartos. 9 or father FOUND ;] The quartos misprint "found ” friend. 1 What shall Cordelia SPEAK] Do, in the quartos. With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads, Reg. I am made of that self metal as my sister, Which the most precious square of sense possesses', In your dear highness' love. Cor. Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever, Strive to be interess'd; what can you say, to draw 2 Lear. Nothing? and with champains rich'd, With plenteous rivers-] These words are not in the quartos, which, for 66 shadowy forests," read "shady forests." 3 Speak.] This word, clearly necessary to the measure, probably dropped out in the folio at the end of the line. It is in all the quartos. The next line is from the folio, as the quartos read, prosaically, "Sir, I am made of the selfsame metal that my sister is." Lower down, for "she comes too short," the quartos have, "she came short." square of sense POSSESSES ;] 5 More RICHER than my tongue.] ponderous. So the quartos, rightly: the folio, professes. • Although our last, and least ;] In this line, and to the end of the speech, we follow the folio: the quartos read thus : "Although the last, not least in our dear love, |