That good effects may spring from words of love. [Exit. Flourish. Re-enter GLOSTER; with FRANCE, BURGUNDY, and Attendants. Gloster. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord. We first address toward you, who with this king Burgundy. Most royal majesty, I crave no more than hath your highness offer'd, Nor will you tender less. Lear. Right noble Burgundy, Burgundy. 4 I know no answer. Lear. Will you, with those infirmities she owes,5 Dower'd with our curse, and stranger'd with our oath, Burgundy. Election makes not up Pardon me, royal Sir; her, Sir; for, by the power that I tell you all her wealth. For you, great king, [TO FRANCE. I would not from your love make such a stray, 1. i. e. He will follow his old maxims; he will continue to act upon the same drinciples. 2. Quest of love, amorous expedition. The term originated from Romance: a quest was the expedition in which a knight was engaged. 3. Seeming, specious, beautiful. 4. Fitly like, reasonably please. 5. Owes, owns, is possessed of. 6. Makes not up, comes' not to a decision: as we say, to make up one's mind. Than on a wretch whom nature is asham'd This is most strange, France. That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affection Cordelia. I yet beseech your majesty, (If for I want that glib and oily art,2 To speak and purpose not, since what I well intend. No unchaste action, or dishonour'd step, That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour; That I am glad I have not, though not to have it, Lear. Better thou Hadst not been born, than not to have pleas'd me better. France. Is it but this? a tardiness in nature, Which often leaves the history unspoke, - That it intends to do? My lord of Burgundy, 1. Either her offence must be monstrous, or, if she has not committed any such offence, the affection which you always professed to have for her must be tainted and decayed, and is now without reason alienated from her. 2. i. e. If this be my offence, that I am wanting in the glib and oily art. 3. For murder is frequently read nor other, a very plausible correction, the old orthography being murther; but the original reading has been defended on the ground of the two preceding Aloof from the entire point. Will you have her? Burgundy. Royal king, Give but that portion which yourself propos'd, Lear. Nothing: I have sworn; I am firm. Bur. I am sorry, then, you have so lost a father, That you must lose a husband. Cordelia. Peace be with Burgundy: Since that respects of fortune are his love, I shall not be his wife. France. Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor, Most choice, forsaken, and most lov'd, despis'd, Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon: Be it lawful, I take up what 's cast away. Gods, gods! 't is strange, that from their cold'st neglect Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my chance, Lear. Thou hast her, France; let her be thine, for we Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see That face of hers again: therefore, be gone Without our grace, our love, our benison. Come, noble Burgundy. [Flourish. Exeunt LEAR, BURGUNDY, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GLOSTER, and Attendants. France. Bid farewell to your sisters. Cor. The jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes Cordelia leaves you: I know you what you are; And, like a sister, am most loath to call Your faults as they are nam'd. Love well our father: 1. Unkind, unnatural. 2. Here and where have the power of nouns. Thou losest this residence to find a better residence in another place. 3. Some editors read, Ye jewels, which may probably be right, it often being impossible, in old manuscripts, to distinguish this word from the abbreviation of the: Ye. I would prefer1 him to a better place. Goneril. Prescribe not us our duty. Let your study Be to content your lord, who hath receiv'd you And well are worth the want that you have wanted.2 Well may you prosper! France. Come, my fair Cordelia. [Exeunt FRANCE and CORDELIA, Gon. Sister, it is not little I have to say of what most nearly appertains to us both. I think, our father will hence to-night. Reg. That 's most certain, and with you; next month with us. Gon. You see how full of changes his age is; the observation we have made of it hath not been little: he always loved our sister most, and with what poor judgment he hath now cast her off, appears too grossly. Reg. T is the infirmity of his age; yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself. 4 Gon. The best and soundest of his time hath been but rash; then, must we look to receive from his age, not alone the imperfections of long-engrafted condition, but, therewithal, the unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric years bring with them." Reg. Such unconstant starts are we like to have from him, as this of Kent's banishment. Gon. There is farther compliment of leave-taking between France and him. Pray you, let us hit 5 together: if our father carry authority with such dispositions as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us. Reg. We shall farther think of it. 6 Gon. We must do something, and i' the heat. [Exeunt. 1. To prefer, to advance, to exalt. 2. You have been failing in obedience, and well deserve to feel the want of that] love in which you have been wanting. 3. Plighted cunning, complicated, involved cunning. 4. i. e. of qualities of mind confirmed by long habit. 5. i. e. let us agree. 6. i. e. while it is yet warm. We must strike while the iron's hot. Edmund. Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law My services are bound. Wherefore should I Stand in the plague of custom, 2 and permit The curiosity of nations to deprive me,1 For that 5 I am some twelve or fourteen moon-shines Lag of a brother? Why bastard? wherefore base, Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land: Enter GLOSTER. Gloster. Kent banish'd thus! And France in choler parted And the king gone to-night! subscrib'd his power!9 Confin'd to exhibition !10 All this done Upon the gad!11 Edmund, How now! what news? 1. Edmund calls nature his goddess for the same reason that we call a bastard a natural son. 2. Why should I submit to the vexatious laws laid down by custom. 3. i. e. the idle, nice distinctions of the world. 4. To deprive was, in our author's time, synonimous to disinherit. 5. For that, because. 7. Lag, falling short. The verb only is now in use: to lag, to loiter. 8. To top, to rise above. 9. To subscribe, in Shakspeare, is to yield, or surrender. 10. Exhibition, allowance. The word, in this sense, is still employed in our universities. 11. Upon the gad, suddenly, at the instant; or, while the iron is hot a 6. Moonshine, a burlesque expression gad is an iron bar. for month. |