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 kingdom, 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't. 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? 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 something 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. Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again. [Sennet within.]-The king is coming. Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants. Lear. Attend the Lords of France and Burgundy, Gloster.(1) Glo. I shall, my liege. [Exeunt Gloster and Edmund. Lear. Meantime we shall express our darker purpose.— Give me the map there.-Know that we've divided In three our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent To shake all cares and business from our age; 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, (1) Attend the Lords of France and Burgundy, Gloster.] Walker, who (Versification of Shakespeare, &c., p. 240) has a section on the spelling and pronunciation of the name " Burgundy," observes that in this passage "the pronunciation Burgogne would restore harmony." But see note 2 on The Second Part of King Henry VI. Gon. Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter; .(8) Beyond what can be valu'd, rich or rare; No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour; A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable; Cor. [aside] What shall Cordelia do? Love, and be silent,(3) Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, With shadowy forests and with champains rich'd, 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.(4) Reg. Sir, (5) I'm made of that self metal as my sister, (2) more than words can wield the matter;] So the quartos.-The folio has "more then word can," &c.; which is retained by Mr. Knight and Mr. Collier; and by Delius, who defends it by citing as parallel, from act iii. sc. 2, “When priests are more in word than matter.' Mr. Knight and Mr. Collier at least, being Englishmen, ought to have felt that here the author must have used the plural.-1865. Mr. Collier in the second edition of his Shakespeare prints "words." (What shall Cordelia do? Love, and be silent.] So the quartos.The folio has "What shall Cordelia speake? Loue, and be silent," which is retained by Mr. Knight, Mr. Collier, and Delius. ("The quartos," says Mr. Knight, "read "What shall Cordelia do?' This feebler reading destroys the force of the answer, 'Love, and be silent." Now, to my thinking, "the answer" shows most distinctly that the reading of the folio is the wrong one.) (4) Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall? Speak.] So the quartos.The folio omits "Speak:" but Lear has concluded his address to Goneril with "speak first;" and he afterwards finishes that to Cordelia with "Speak. (3) Sir,] Omitted in the folio, is now added from the quartos, which have "Sir I am made of the selfe-same mettall that my sister is," &c. Compare Goneril's speech, 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 Which the most precious square of sense possesses; (6) And find I am alone felicitate In your dear highness' love. Cor. [aside] Then poor Cordelia ! And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love's Lear. To thee and thine hereditary ever 66 Lear. Nothing! (6) Which the most precious square of sense possesses;] So the quartos.—— The folio has " sense professes."-By "square" Johnson understands compass, comprehension:" Edwards "believes that Shakespeare uses 'square' for the full complement of all the senses."—Mr. Collier's Ms. Corrector alters "square" to "sphere." Now, our joy, Although our last, not least; to whose young love The quartos have "but now our ioy, Although the last, not least in our deere loue, The folio has "Now our Ioy, Although our last and least; to whose yong love, with a flagrant error in the second line, which (instead of correcting it by means of the quartos) Mr. Knight, Mr. Collier, and Delius [and, Cor. Nothing. Lear. Nothing will come of nothing: speak again. Cor. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty Lear. How, how, Cordelia! mend your speech a little, Lest it may mar your fortunes. Cor. That lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters, To love my father all. Lear. But goes thy heart with this? Cor. Lear. So young, and so untender? Cor. So young, my lord, and true. Ay, good my lord.(8) Lear. Let it be so,-thy truth, then, be thv dower: For, by the sacred radiance of the sun. (9) The mysteries of Hecate, and the night: By all the operation of the orbs From whom we do exist, and cease to be; 1865, Mr. Grant White] retain. ("So, in the old anonymous play King Leir speaking to Mumford, 'to thee last of all; Not greeted last, 'cause thy desert was small."" STEEVENS. "Again, in The Spanish Tragedy, written before 1593; "The third and last, not least, in our account."" MALONE.) (8) good my lord.] So the quartos.--The folio has "my good Lord:" but compare Cordelia's preceding speech. (9) mysteries] So the second folio.-The quartos have "mistresse;" while the first folio has "miseries." |