8.22.33 T3w DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. LEAR, King of Britain. Daughters to Lear. Attendants. 21 8943 SCENE I. ACT I. Kent. I thought, the king had more affected the duke of Albany, than Cornwall. Gloster. 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 ? Glos. His breeding, Sir, hath been at my charge: I have so often blushed to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed 3 to it. Kent. I cannot conceive you. Glos. Sir, this young fellow's mother could;4 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. Glos. But I have a son, Sir, by order of law, some year elder 6 than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: 4 5 1. Scotland was anciently called | not determine in preferring one share Albany. to the other. 2. Curiosity, scrupulousness, cap- 3. To braze, to harden to imputiousness; moiety strictly means half, dence. but Shakespeare commonly uses it for 4. i. e. could conceive: a play upon any part or division. The meaning the word. of the sentence is: The qualities and 5. A proper man was a handsome properties of the several divisions are man, a well-proportioned man. so weighed and balanced against one 6. Some year elder, about a year another, that the exactest scrutiny could / older. King Lear. 1 |