Since now we will diveft us, both of rule,
Int'reft of territory, cares of ftate;

Which of you shall we fay doth love us most?
That we our largest bounty may extend

Where nature doth with merit challenge. Gonerill
Our eldest born, fpeak first.

Gon. I love you Sir,

Dearer than eye-fight, space and liberty,

Beyond what can be valued rich or rare,

No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour:
As much as child e'er lov'd, or father found.

A love that makes breath poor, and fpeech unable,
Beyond all manner of so much I love you.

Cor. What fhall Cordelia do? love and be filent.
Lear. Of all these bounds, ev'n from this line to this,

With shadowy forests and with champions rich'd,
With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads,

We make thee lady.

Be this perpetual

To thine and Albany's issue

What lays our fecond daughter,

Our dearest Regan, wife of Cornwall? speak.
Reg. I'm made of that self-metal as my fister,
And prize me at her worth. In my true Heart,
I find the names my very deed of love:

Only she comes too fhort, that I profess
My felf an enemy to all other joys,

b

Which the most precious fquare of fenfe poffeffes,
And find I am alone felicitate

In your dear highness' love.

Cor. Then poor Cordelia!

And yet not fo, fince I am fure

my love's

More pondrous than my tongue.

Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever, Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom,

[Afide.

[Afide.

No

No less in space, validity, and pleasure,

Than that confer'd on Gonerill. -Now our joy,

1148

Although our last, not least; to whose young love,
The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy,
Strive to be int❜reft: what fay you to draw

A third, more opulent than your fifters? speak.
Cor. Nothing, my lord.

Lear. Nothing?

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
According to my bond, no more nor less.

Lear. How, how, Cordelia? mend your speech a little,
Left you 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 fifters husbands, if they fay
They love you, all? hap'ly when I shall wed,

That lord whose hand must take my plight, shall carry

Half my love with him, half my care and duty..

Sure I fhall never marry like my fisters,

To love my father all

Lear. But goes thy heart with this?

Cor. Ay, my good lord.

Lear. So young, and so untender?

Cor. So young, my lord, and true.

Lear. Let it be so, thy truth then be thy dowre:

For by the facred radiance of the fun,

The mysteries of Hecate, and the night,

By all the operations of the orbs

cand.

was not compleat.

From

These words reflor'd from the first edition, without which the sense

From whom we do exift, and cease to be;
Here I disclaim all my paternal care,
Propinquity, and property of blood,
And as a ftranger to my heart and me

Hold thee from this for ever. The barb'rous 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 fometime daughter.

Kent. Good my Liege----

Lear. Peace, Kent!

Come not between the dragon and his wrath.

I lov'd her most, and thought to set

my

reft

On her kind nurs'ry. Hence, avoid my fight!----
So be my grave my peace, as here I give

Her father's heart from her; Call France; who ftirs?
Call Burgundy-Cornwall and Albany,

With my two daughters dowres, digest the third.
Let pride, which the calls plainness, marry her.
I do inveft you jointly with my power,
Preheminence, and all the large effects

That troop with majefty. Our felf by monthly course,
With refervation of an hundred Knights,

By you to be sustain'd, fhall our abode
Make with you by due turns: only retain
The name and all th' addition to a King:
The fway, revenue, execution,

Beloved fons, be yours; which to confirm
This Cor'onet part between you.

Kent. Royal Lear,

Whom I have ever honour'd as a King,
Lov'd as my father, as my master follow'd,
And as my patron thought on in my pray'rs--
VOL. III.

B

[To Cor.

[Giving the crown.

Lear.

Lear. The bow is bent and drawn, make from the shaft.
Kent. Let it fall rather, though the fork invade
The region of my heart; be Kent unmannerly,
When Lear is mad: what would'st thou do, old man?
Think'st thou that duty fhall have dread to speak
When pow'r to flatt'ry bows? to plainness Honour
Is bound, when Majefty to folly falls.

Reserve thy State; with better judgment check
This hideous rashness; with my life I answer,
Thy youngest daughter does not love thee leaft,
Nor are those empty-hearted, whose low found
Reverbs no hollowness.

Lear. Kent, on thy life no more.

e

Kent. My life I never held but as a pawn To wage against thy foes; nor fear to lose it, Thy safety being the motive.

Lear. Out of my fight!

Kent. See better, Lear, and let me still remain The true blank of thine eye.

Lear. Now by Apollo ----

Kent. Now by Apollo, King, Thou swear'st thy gods in vain.

Lear. O vaffal! miscreant!--- [Laying his hand on his fword. Alb. Corn. Dear Sir, forbear.

Kent. Kill thy physician, and thy fee bestow

Upon the foul disease; revoke thy doom,
Or whilst I can vent clamour from my throat,

I'll tell thee thou doft evil.

Lear. Hear me recreant!

f Since thou haft fought to make us break our vow, Which we durft never yet; and with ftrain'd pride, To come betwixt our fentence 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 difafters of the world,
And on the fixth to turn thy hated back
Upon our kingdom; if 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.

:

2

Kent. Fare thee well, King, fith thus thou wilt appear,
Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here;
The gods to their dear fhelter take thee, maid,
That juftly think'ft, and hast most rightly faid;
And your large fpeeches may your deeds approve,
That good effects may spring from words of love;
Thus Kent, O Princes, bids you all adieu,
He'll shape his old course in a country new.

[Exit.

Enter Glofter, with France and Burgundy, and Attendants,

Cor. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord.
Lear. My lord of Burgundy,

We first address tow'rd you, who with this King
Have rivall❜d for our daughter; what at least
Will you require in prefent dowre with her,
Or cease your quest of love?

Bur. Most royal majesty,

I crave no more than what your highness offer'd,
Nor will you tender less.

Lear. Right noble Burgundy,

When she was dear to us we held her fo,

But now her price is fallin: Sir, there she stands,