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THE

WORKS

OF

SHAKESPEAR:

VOLUME the SIXTH.

CONTAINING,

KING LEAR.

TIMON of ATHENS.

TITUS ANDRONICU S.

MACBETH.

CORIOLANUS.

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DUBLIN:

Printed for R. OWEN, J. LEATHLEY, G. and
A. EWING, W. and J. SMITH, G. FAULKNER,
P. CRAMPTON, A. BRADLEY, T. MOORE,
E. and J. ExSHAW. MDCCXLVII.

KING LEAR

A C T I. SCENE I.

The KING'S PALACE.

Enter Kent, Glo'fter, and Edmund the Baftard.

I

KENT.

Thought, the King had more affected the Duke of Albany than Cornwall.

Glo. It did always feem fo to us

but now, in the Divifion of the Kingdom, it appears not, which of the Dukes he values moft; for qualities are fo weigh'd, that curiofity in neither can make choice of either's moiety.

Kent. Is not this your fon, my lord?

Glo. His Breeding, Sir, hath been at my charge. I have so often blush'd to acknowledge him, that now I am braz'd to't.

Kent. I cannot conceive you.

Gl. Sir, this young fellow's mother could; whereupon fhe grew round-womb'd; and had, indeed, Sir, a fon for her cradle, ere fhe had a husband for her bed. you fmell a fault?

Do

Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the iffue of it being fo proper.

Glo. But I have a fon, Sir, by order of law, 2 fome

1 that curiofity in neither] Curiofity, for exacteft fcrutiny. The fenfe of the whole fentence is, The qualities and properties of the feveral divifions are fo weighed and balanced against one another, that the exacteft fcrutiny could not determine in preferring one fhare to the other.

2 fome year elder than this,] The Oxford Editor, not underftanding the common phrafe, alters year to years.

confider, the Baftard fays,

For that I am fome twelve or fourteen moon-fhines
Lag of a Brother.-

B 2

He did not

year

year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my ac count; though this knave came fomewhat faucily to the world before he was fent for, yet was his mother fair; there was good fport at his making, and the whorson must be acknowledg'd. Do you know this Nobleman, Edmund?

Edm. No, my lord.

Glo. My lord of Kent ;

Remember him hereafter as my honourable friend.
Edm. My fervices to your lordship.

Kent. I must love you, and fue to know you better.
Edm. Sir, I fhall ftudy your deferving

Gl. He hath been out nine years, and away he fhall
[Trumpets found, within.

again.

The King is coming.

SCENE II.

Enter King Lear, Cornwall, Albany, Gonerill, Regan, Cordelia, and Attendants.

Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy,

Glo'fter.

Glo. I fhall, my liege.

[Exit.

Lear. Mean time we shall 3 exprefs our darker pur

pose.

Give me the Map here. Know, we have divided,
In three, our Kingdom; 4 and 'tis our firft intent,
To shake all cares and bufinefs from our age;
Conferring them on younger ftrengths, while we

3 express our darker purpose.] Darker, for more fecret ; not for indirect, oblique.

4 And 'tis our FAST intent,] This is an interpolation of Mr. Lewis Theobald, for want of knowing the meaning of the o'd reading in the quarto of 1608, and first folio of 1623; where we find it,

-and 'tis our FIRST intent,

which is as Shakespear wrote it: who makes Lear declare his purpofe with a dignity becoming his character: That the first reafon of his abdication was the love of his people, that they might be protected by fuch as were better able to discharge the truft; and his tural affection for his daughters, only the fecond.

Unburthen'd

Unburthen'd crawl tow'rd death. Our fon of Corn

wall,

And You, our no lefs loving fon of Albany,
We have this hour a conftant will to publish
Our daughters fev'ral Dow'rs, that future ftrife
May be prevented now. The Princes France and Bur-
gundy,

Great rivals in our younger daughter's love,

Long in our Court have made their am'rous fojourn,
And here are to be anfwer'd. Tell me, daughters,
(Since now we will diveft us, both of rule,
Int'reft of territory, cares of state ;)

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

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

Gan. I love you, Sir,

Dearer than eye-fight, fpace and liberty;

Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare;

Gonerill,

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 speech unable, 5 Beyond all manner of fo much I love you.

Cor. What fhall Cordelia do? love and be filent.

[Afide. Lear. Of all these Bounds, ev'n from this line to this,

With fhadowy forests and with champions rich'd,
With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads,
We make thee lady. To thine, and Albany's iffue
Be this perpetual.What fays our fecond daughter,
Our dearest Regan, wife of Cornwall? fpeak.

Reg. I'm made of that self-metal as my fifter,
And prize me at her worth, in my true Heart.
I find, the names my very deed of love;
Only fhe comes too fhort: that I profess
Myself an enemy to all other joys,

6 Which the most precious fquare of fenfe poffeffes;

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And

5 Beyond all manner, &c.] i. e. beyond all expreffion. 6 Which the most precious square of fenfe poffeffes ;] By the square

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