No lefs in fpace, validity, and pleasure,

Than that confirm'd on Goneril.-Now, our joy,' Although the laft, not leaft; to whofe young love The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy, Strive to be interefted; what can you fay, to draw A third, more opulent than your fifters? Speak? Cor. Nothing, my lord.

Lear. Nothing!

Cor. Nothing.

Lear. Nothing can come of nothing: fpeak again. Cor. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth: I love your majefty According to my bond; nor more nor lefs.

Lear. How, how, Cordelia! mend your speech Left it may mar your fortunes.

Cor. Good, my lord,

[a little,

You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me: I
Return thofe 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? Haply, when I fhall wed,
That lord, whofe hand must take my plight, fhall

carry

Half my love with him, half my care, and duty: Sure, I fhall never marry like my fifters,

To love my father all.

Lear. But goes thy heart with this?
Cor. Ay, my good lord.

Lear. So young, and fo untender?
Cor. So young, my lord, and true.

Lear. Let it be fo-Thy truth then be thy dower:
For, by the facred radiance of the fun;
The mysteries of Hecate, and the night;
By all the operations of the orbs,

From

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

[thian,

Hold thee, from this, for ever. The barbarous Scy-
Or he that makes his generation messes
To gorge his appetite, fhall to my bofom
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 moft, and thought to fet my reft
On her kind nursery.Hence, and avoid my
fight!—
[TO CORDELIA.
So be my grave my peace, as here I give
Her father's heart from her!-Call France;-Who
Call Burgundy.Cornwall, and Albany, [ftirs?
With my two daughters dowers digeft this third:
Let pride, which the calls plainnefs, marry her.
I do inveft you jointly with my power,

Pre-eminence, and all the large effects

That troop with majefty. Ourself, by monthly
With refervation, of an hundred knights, [courfe,
By you to be fuftain'd, fhall our abode

Make with you by due turns. Only we shall retain
The name, and all the addition to a king;
The fway, revenue, execution of the rest,
Beloved fons, be yours: which to confirm,
This coronet part between you. [Giving the Crown.
Kent. Royal Lear,

Whom I have 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.

Lear. The bow is bent and drawn, make from

the fhaft.

Kent. Let it fall rather, though the fork invade The region of my heart: be Kent unmannerly, When Learismad. What wouldst thou do, old man? Think'ft thou that duty fhould have dread to fpeak, When power to flattery bows? To plainnefs honour's bound,

When majesty stoops to folly. Reverse thy doom; And, in thy beft confideration, check

This hideous rafhnefs: anfwer my life, myjudgment, Thy youngest daughter does not love thee leaft; Nor are thofe empty-hearted, whofe low found 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 lofe it, Thy fatety being the motive.

Lear. Out of my fight!

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

Lear. Now, by ApolloKent. Now, by Apollo, king, Thou fwear'ft thy gods in vain. Lear. O, vaffal! mifcreant!

[Laying his hand on his Sword.

Alb. Corn. Dear fir, forbear.

Kent. Do; kill thy phyfician, 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 doft evil.

Lear. Hear me, recreant!

On thine allegiance hear me !

Since thou haft fought to make us break our vow

(Which we durft neveryet), and, with train'd pride,
To come betwixt our fentence 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 provifion
To fhield thee from difafters of the world;
And, on the fixth, 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 fhall not be revok'd.

Kent. Why, fare thee well, king: fince thus thou wilt appear,

Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here.-
The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid,
[To CORDELIA.
That juftly think'ft, and has moft rightly faid!-
And your large fpeeches 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 fhape his old course in a country new. [Exit.

Re-enter GLOSTER, with FRANCE, BURGUNDY, and
Attendants.

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

We first addrefs towards you, who with this king
Have rivall'd for our daughter; what, in the lealt,
Will you require in prefent dower with her,
Or ceafe your quest of love?

Bur. Moft royal majefty,

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

Lear.

Lear. Right noble Burgundy,

When the was dear to us, we did hold her fo;
But now her price is fall'n; Sir, there the stands
If aught within that little, feeming fubftance,
Or all of it, with our displeasure piec'd,

And nothing more, may fitly like your grace,
She's there, and fhe is yours.

Bur. I know no answer.

Lear. Sir, will you, with thofe infirmities fhe owes, Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate,

Dower'd with our curfe, and ftranger'd with our Take her, or leave her?

Bur. Pardon me, royal fir;

Election makes not up on fuch conditions.

[oath,

Lear. Then leave her, fir; 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 befeech you
To avert your liking a more worthier way,
Than on a wretch whom nature is afham'd
Almoft to acknowledge hers.

France. This is most strange!

That the, who even but now was your best object,
The argument of your praife, balm of your age,
The beft, the deareft; fhould in this trice of time
Commit a thing fo monftrous, to dismantle
So many folds of favour! Sure, her offence
Muft be of fuch unnatural degree,

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

Cor