Drury-Lane Mr. Kemble Dignum C. Kemble Packer Wroughton Barrymore Caulfield Phillimore Maddocks Joncs Trueman Cooke Mast. Chatterley Miss Jones Hallam Olliff R. Ryckman Carpender Jones Page to Goneril Goneril Regan Cordelia Aranthe Siddons Miss Tidswell Mr. Jones Darley Wheatley KING LEAR. ACT I. SCENE I—an antechamber in king Lear's palace. enter EDMUND. Edm. Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law My services are bound: why am I then Deprived of a son's right, because I came not I've practised yet on both their easy natures. A tale so plausible, so boldly utter'd, And heighten'd by such lucky accidents, That now the slightest circumstance confirms him, And base-born Edmund, spite of law, inherits. enter KENT and GLOSTER. Glost. Nay, good my lord, your charity O'ershoots itself, to plead in his behalf; You are yourself a father, and may feel The sting of disobedience from a son Glost. Plead with the seas, and reason down the winds, Yet shalt thou ne'er convince me; I have seen Inverted nature, Gloster's shame and glory; Whilst Edgar, begg'd of heaven, and born in honor, His realms amongst his daughters. Heaven succeed it ! Kent. I grieve to see him, With such wild starts of passion hourly seized, As render majesty beneath itself. Glost. Alas! tis the infirmity of his age; Chol'ric, and sudden (flourish of trumpets) [exeunt Gloster, Kent, and Edmund enter CORDELIA and EDGAR. Edg. Cordelia, royal fair, turn yet, once more, And, ere successful Burgundy receive The treasure of thy beauties from the king, Ere happy Burgundy for ever fold thee, Cast back one pitying look on wretched Edgar. Cord. Alas! what would the wretched Edgar with The more unfortunate Cordelia, Who, in obedience to a father's will, Flies from her Edgar's arms to Burgundy's? [ereunt SCENE II-a room of state in the palace. (flourish of trumpets-drums) king LEAR upon his throne-ALBANY, CORNWALL, BURGUNDY, KENT, GLOSTER, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, captain of the guads, knights, pages, gentleman with the map, gentleman with the crown, lords, ladies, &c. &c. discovered. Lear. Attend, my lords of Albany and Cornwall, With princely Burgundy. Alb. We do, my liege. Lear. Give me the map. Know, lords, we have di vided In three our kingdom, having now resolved Long in our court have made your amorous sojourn, Gon. Sir, I do love you more than words can utter, Beyond what can be valued rich or rare; Nor liberty, nor sight, health, fame, or beauty, Lear. Of all these bounds, e'en from this line to this, Reg. My sister, sir, in part, exprest my love; For such as hers, is mine, though more extended : Lear. Therefore, to thee and thine hereditary, Cord. Now comes my trial. How am I distrest, That must with cold speech tempt the chol'ric king, Rather to leave me dowerless, than condemn me To Burgundy's embraces! Lear. Speak now our last, not least in our dear love, So ends my task of state,-Cordelia, speak; What can'st thou say to win a richer third, Than what thy sisters gain'd? Cord. Now must my love in words, fall short of theirs, As much as it exceeds in truth.-Nothing, Lear. Nothing? Cord. Nothing. my lord. Lear. Nothing can come of nothing; speak again. Sir, as I ought, I love your majesty, No more, nor less. Lear. Take heed, Cordelia ; Thy fortunes are at stake; think better on't, And mend thy speech a little. Cord. O, my liege! You gave me being, bred me, dearly love me, Obey you, love you, and most honor you. Why have my sisters husbands, if they love you all? To love my father all. Lear. And goes thy heart with this? |