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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 of thine eye. Lear. Now, by Apollo,—

Kent. Now, by Apollo, king,

Thou swear'st thy gods in

vain.

Lear.

O, vassal! mis

[blocks in formation]

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, re

creant!

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 made 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 revoked. Kent. Fare thee well, king; sith thus thou wilt

appear,

Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here.

[To CORDELIA.] The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid,

That justly think'st, and hast most rightly said! [To REGAN and GONERIL.] And your large speeches 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.

Flourish. Re-enter GLOUCESTER, with FRANCE, BURGUNDY, and Attendants.

Glou. Here's France and

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