Per. Reverend sir, The gods can have no mortal officer Cer. I will, my lord. No needful thing omitted. Per. Pure Dian, bless thee for thy vision! I Makes me look dismal will I clip to form; And what this fourteen years no razor touch'd, To grace thy marriage-day I'll beautify. My father's dead. Thai. Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit, sir, Per. Heavens make a star of him! Yet there, my We'll celebrate their nuptials, and ourselves [queen, Will in that kingdom spend our following days: Our son and daughter shall in Tyrus reign. To hear the rest untold: sir, lead's the way. [Exeunt. Enter GoWER. Gow. In Antiochus and his daughter you have heard Of monstrous lust the due and just reward: In Pericles, his queen and daughter, seen, Although assail'd with fortune fierce and keen,— A figure of truth, of faith, of loyalty: In reverend Cerimon there well appears The worth that learned charity aye wears: Had spread their cursed deed, and honour'd name That him and his they in his palace burn; To punish them,—although not done, but meant. New joy wait on you! Here our play has ending. [Exit. KING LEAR. * ACT I. 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 it. 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. The king is coming. [Sennet within. Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants. Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloster. Glo. I shall, my liege. [Exeunt GLO. and EDM. Lear. Meantime we shall express our darker purpose.Give me the map there.-Know that we have divided In three our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent To shake all cares and business from our age; Conferring them on younger strengths, while we Unburden'd crawl toward death. Our son of Cornwall, And you, our no less loving son of Albany, 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, Our eldest-born, speak first. Gon. Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter; Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty; Beyond what can be valu'd, 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 speech unable; Beyond all manner of so much I love you. Cor. [aside.] What shall Cordelia do? Love, and be silent. Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, Reg. I am made of that self metal as my sister, |