Glo. My Lord of Kent;

Remember him hereafter as my honourable friend.
Baft. My fervices to your Lordship.

Kent. I muft love you, and fue to know you better.
Baft. Sir, I fhall ftudy your deserving.

Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again. The King is coming.

SCENE II. To them, Enter King Lear, Corn-
wall, Albany, Gonerill, Regan, Cordelia, and Attendants.
Lear. Attend the Lords of France and Burgundy.
Glo. I fhall, my Liege.

[Exit.
Lear. Mean time we fhall exprefs our darker purpose.
Give me the map here. Know, we have divided,"
In three, our kingdom; and 'tis our intent,

To fhake all cares and bufinefs from our age,
Conferring them on younger ftrengths, while we
Unburthen'd crawl tow'rd death. Our fon of Cornwall,
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. The Princes France and Burgundy,
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, and 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. Gonerill

Our eldest born, fpeak firft.

Gon. I love you, Sir,

Dearer than eye-fight, fpace and liberty,"

Beyond what can be valued rich or rare;

No lefs than life, with grace, health, beauty, honours

As much as child e'er lov'd, or father found.

A love that makes breath poor,

and fpeech unable,

love you.

love and be filent. [Afide.

Beyond all manner of fo much
Cor. What fhall Cordelia do
Lear. Of all these bounds, ev'n from this line to this,
With fhadowy forefts and with champions rich'd,

With plenteous rivers and wide-fkirted 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 felf-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 profefs
=My felf an enemy to all other joys,

Which the most precious fpirit of fenfe poffeffes,
And find I am alone felicitate
In your dear Highness' love..
Cor. Then poor Cordelia!

And yet not fo, fince I am fure
More pond'rous than my tongue.

my

love's

Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever,
Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom,
No lefs in fpace, validity, and pleasure,
Than that confer'd on Gonerill.-Now our joy,
Although our laft, not leaft; in whofe young love,
The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy,
Strive to be int'refs'd: what fay you to draw
A third, more opulent than your fifters ? speak.
Cor. Nothing, my Lord.

Lear. Nothing?

Cor. Nothing.

[Afide.

Lear. Nothing will come of nothing, speak again.
Cor. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave

My heart into my mouth: I love your Majefty

According to my bond, no more nor lefs.

Lear. How, how, Cordelia? mend your speech a little, Left you may mar your fortunes.

Cor. Good my Lord,

You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me.
Return thofe duties back as are right fit,
Obey you, love you, and most honour you.
Why have my fifters hufbands, if they say
They love you all? hap'ly when I fhall wed,

That Lord whofe hand muft take my plight, fhall carry
Half my love with him, half my care and duty.

Sure

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 dowre:
For by the facred radiance of the fun,

The myfteries of Hecate, and the night,

By all the operations of the orbs

From whom we do exift, and cease to be ;
Here I difclaim all my paternal care,
Propinquity, and property of blood,

And as a stranger to my heart and me

Hold thee from this for ever. The barb'rous Scythian,
Or he that makes his generation meffes

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 nurs'ry. Hence, avoid my fight!
So be my grave my peace, as here I give

Her father's heart from her; Call France; who ftirs?
Call Burgundy- •Cornwall and Albany,

With my two daughters dowres, digeft the third.
Let pride, which the calls plainnefs, marry her.
I do invest you jointly with my power,
Preheminence, and all the large effects

That troop with Majefty. Our self by monthly course,
With refervation of an hundred Knights,

By you to be fuftain'd, fhall our abode
Make with you by due turns: only retain
The name and all th' addition to a King;
The fway, revenue, execution,

Beloved fons, be yours; which to confirm
This Coronet part between you,
Kent. Royal Lear,

[Giving the Crown.

Whom

Whom I have ever honour'd as my King,
Lov'd as my father, as my mafter follow'd,
And as my patron thought on in my pray'rs

Lear. The bow is bent and drawn, make from the shaft,
Kent. Let it fall rather, though the fork invade
The region of my heart; be Kent unmannerly,
When Lear is mad: what would't thou do, old man?
Think'st thou that duty fhall have dread to speak
When pow'r to flatt'ry bows? to plainness Honour
Is bound, when Majefty to folly falls.

Referve thy State; with better judgment check
This hideous rafhnefs; with my life I answer,
Thy youngest daughter does not love thee leaft,
Nor are thofe empty-hearted, whofe low found
Reverbs no hollowness.

Το

Lear. Kent, on thy life no more.

Kent. My life I never held but as a pawn wage against thy foes

nor fear to lofe it,

Thy fafety 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 Apollo.

Kent. Now by Apollo, King, Thou fwear'ft thy Gods in vain. Lear. O vaffal! mifcreant!

[Laying bis band on bis, fword.

Alb. Corn. Dear Sir, forbear.

Kent. Kill thy phyfician, and thy fee bestow
Upon the foul difeafe; revoke thy doom,
Or whilft I can vent clamour from my throat,
I'll tell thee thou doft evil.

Lear. Hear me, recreant!

Since thou haft fought to make us break our vow,
Which we durft never yet; and with ftrain'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

And on the fixth to turn thy hated back
Upon our kingdom; if 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,

६

[To Cos.

Kent. Fare thee well, King; fith thus thou wilt appear, Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here; The Gods to their dear fhelter take thee, maid, That juftly think'ft, and haft moft rightly faid I And your large fpeeches may your deeds approve!

[To Gon. and Regan. That good effects may fpring from words of love: Thus Kent, O Princes, bids you all adieu,

[Exit.

He'll fhape his old courfe in a country new.
SCENE III. Enter Glo'fter, with France and
Burgundy, and Attendants.

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

We first address tow'rd you, who with this King
Have rivall'd for our daughter; what at leaft
Will you require in prefent dowre with her,
Or ceafe your quest of love?

Bur. Moft royal Majesty,

I crave no more than what your Highness offer'd,
Nor will you tender less,

Lear. Right noble Burgundy,

When the was dear to us we held her fo,

But now her price is fall'n: Sir, there the stands,
If ought 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 the is yours.

Bur. I know no answer.

Lear. Will you with, those infirmities fhe owes,
Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate,

Dowr'd with our curfe, and stranger'd with our path,
Take her, or leave her?

Bur. Pardon, royal Sir.

Election makes not up on fuch conditions.

Lear. Then leave her, Sir; for by the pow'r that made me,