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Which of you, fhall we fay, doth love us moft?
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, space and liberty;

Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare;

No lefs 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 fo much I love you.

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

[Afide

Lear. Of all thefe Bounds, ev'n from this line to this,
With fhadowy forefts 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 deareft Regan, wife of Cornwall? (peak.
Reg. I'm made of that self-metal as my fifter,
And prize me at her worth, in my true Heart. (1)
I find, the names my very deed of love;

Only the comes too short: that I profess

My felf an enemy to all other joys,

Which the moft precious fquare of fenfe poffeffes;
And find, I am alone felicitate

In your dear Highness' love.

Cir. Then poor Cordelia!

And

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

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,

[Afide

1

(1) And prixe me at ber Worth. In my true Heart,] Mr. Bishop prefcrib'd the Pointing of this Passage, as I have regulated it in the Text. Regan would fay, that in the Truth of her Heart and Affection, the equals the worth of her Sifter. Without this Change in the Pointing, the makes a Boaft of her felf without any Caufe affign'd.

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Although our laft, not leaft; to 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.

Lear. Nothing can come of nothing; fpeak 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. I
Return thofe duties back, as are right fit;
Obey you, love you, and moft honour you.
Why have my fifters hufbands, if they fay,
They love you, all? haply, when I shall wed,
That lord, whofe hand must take my plight, fhall carry
Half my love with him, half my care and duty.
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 dower
For by the facred radiance of the fun,
The mysteries of Hecate, and the night,
By all the operations of the orbs,

From whom we do exift, and cease to be;
Here I disclaim all my paternal care,
Propinquity, and property of blood,
And as a ftranger to my heart and me

Hold thee, from this, for ever. The barb'rous Scythians
Or he that makes his generation, meffes
Το his appetite; fhall to

my

bofom

gorge Be as well neighbour'd, pitied, and reliev'd, As thou, my fometime daughter.

Kent,

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

[To Com

Her father's heart from her; Call France; who stirs?
Call Burgundy.Cornwall and Albany,

With my two daughters' dowers digeft the third.
Let pride, which the calls plainnefs, marry her.
I do inveft you jointly with my Power,
Preheminence, and all the large effects

That troop with Majefty. Our felf by monthly courfe
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,

[Giving the Crown

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

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 fhaft.

Kent. Let it fall rather, though the fork invade
The region of my heart; be Kent unmannerly,
When Lear is mad: what would'st thou do, old man
Think'ft thou, that duty shall have dread to speak,
When pow'r to flatt'ry bows? to plainnefs Honour
Is bound, when Majefty to folly falls.

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

Lear. Kent, on thy life no more.

Kent. My life I never held but as a pawn

To wage against thy foes; nor fear to lose 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 his hand on his favord.

Alb. Corn. Dear Sir, forbear.

Kent. Kill thy phyfician, and thy fee bestow
Upon the foul difeafe; revoke thy doom,
Or whilst 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, 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.

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'st, and haft most rightly said;
And your large fpeeches may your deeds approve,
That good effects may fpring from words of love :
Thus Kent, O Princes, bids you all adieu,
He'll fhape his old courfe in a country new.

[Exita

Enter Glo'fter, with France and Burgundy, and

Attendants.

Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord.

Lean

Lear. My lord of Burgundy,

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

Bur. Moft royal Majefty,

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

Lear. Right noble Burgundy,

When fhe was dear to us, we held her fo;
But now her price is fall'n: Sir, there fhe ftands,
If aught within that little feeming fubftance,
Or all of it with our displeasure piec'di

And nothing more, may fitly like your Grace,
She's there, and fhe is yours.

Bur. I know no answer.

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

Dower'd with our curfe, and stranger'd with our oath, 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,

I tell

you all her wealth..

-For you, great King,

[To France I would not from your love make fuch a stray,

To match you where I hate; therefore befeech you, T'avert your liking a more worthy way

Than on a wretch, whom nature is afham'd

Almoft t' acknowledge hers.

France. This is most strange !

That the, who ev'n but now was your best object
Your Praife's argument, balm of your age,
Dearest and beft; fhould in this trice of time
Commit a thing fo monftrous, to dismantle
So many folds of favour! fufe, her offence
Must be of fuch unnatural degree,

That monsters it; or your fore-vouch'd affection
Fall'n into taint: which to believe of her,

Mufy

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