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Gloft. My lord of Kent, remember him heereafter as my honourable friend.

Baft. My feruices to your lordship.

Kent. I must loue you, and fue to know you better.
Baft. Sir, I fhall study deferuing.

Gloft. He hath beene out nine yeares, and away he shall again, the king is comming.

Sound a fennet. Enter one bearing a coronet, then Lear, then the dukes of Albany and Cornwall, next Gonorill, Regan, Cordelia, with followers.

Lear. Attend my lords of France and Burgundy, Glofter. Gloft. I fhall my liege.

Lear. Meane time we will expreffe our darker purposes,

The map there; know we haue diuided

In three our kingdome; and tis our first intent,

To shake all cares and businesse of our state,

Confirming them on younger yeares,

The two great princes, France and Burgundy,
Great riuals in our youngest daughters loue,

Long in our court haue made their amorous foiourne,
And here are to be anfwer'd; tell me my daughters,

Which of you fhall we fay doth loue vs most,
That we our largest bounty may extend,

Where merit doth most challenge it:

Gonorill our eldest borne, fpeake first.

Gon. Sir, I do loue you more then words can wield the matter Dearer then eye-fight, space, or liberty,

Beyond what can be valued rich or rare,

No leffe then life; with grace, health, beauty, honour,
As much a childe ere loued, or father friend,

A loue that makes breath poore, and fpeech vnable,
Beyond all manner of fo much I loue you.

Cor.

Cor. What fhall Cordelia do, loue and be filent.
Lear. Of all these bounds, euen from this line to this,
With fhady forrefts, and wide skirted meads,

We make thee lady,

Be this perpetuall.

Our deereft Regan,

to thine and Albanies iffue,

What faies our fecond daughter?
wife to Cornwall, fpeake.

Reg. Sir I am made of the felfe-fame mettall that my fifter is And prize me at her worth in my true heart,

I finde fhe names my very deed of loue, onely fhee came short.
That I profeffe my felfe an enemy to all other ioyes,
Which the moft precious fquare of fence poffeffes,

And finde I am alone felicitate in your deere highneffe loue.
Cor. Then poore Cordelia, and yet not fo, fince I am fure
My loue's more richer then my tongue.

Lear. To thee and thine hereditary euer Remaine this ample third of our faire kingdome,

No leffe in space, validity, and pleasure,

Then that confirm'd on Gonorill; but now our ioy,

Although the laft, not leaft in our deere loue,

What can you fay to win a third, more opulent
Then your fifters.

Cor. Nothing my lord.

Lear. How, nothing can come of nothing, speake againe.

Cor. Vnhappy that I am, I cannot heaue my heart into my mouth, I loue your maiefty according to my bond, not more nor leffe.

Lear. Go too, go too, mend your speech a little,

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You haue begot me, bred me, loued me,

I returne those duties backe as are right fit,

Obey you, loue you, and most honour you,

Why haue my fifters hufbands, if they fay they loue you all,

Haply

Haply when I fhall wed, that lord whofe hand

Must take my plight, shall carry halfe my loue with him, Halfe my care and duty, fure I shall neuer

Marry like my fifters, to loue my father all.

Lear. But goes this with thy heart?

Cor. I good my lord.

Lear. So young and so vntender?

Cor. So young my lord, and true.

Lear. Well let it be fo, thy truth then be thy dower,

For by the facred radience of the funne,

The mistreffe of Heccat, and the might,
By all the operation of the orbes,

From whom we do exfist and cease to be,
Heere I difclaime all my paternall care,
Propinquity and property of bloud,

And as a stranger to my heart and me,

Hold thee from this for euer, the barbarous Scythian,

Or he that makes his generation

Meffes to gorge his appetite,

Shall be as well neighbour'd, pittied and releeued,

As thou my fome-time daughter.

Kent. Good my liege.

(wrath

Lear. Peace Kent, come not betweene the dragon and his

I lou'd her moft, and thought to fet my reft

On her kinde nursery, hence and auoid my fight:

So be my graue my peace as heere I giue,

Her fathers heart from her; call France, who ftirres?

Call Burgundy, Cornwall, and Albany,

With my two daughters dower digest this third,
Let pride, which the cals plainneffe, marry her:
I do inueft you ioyntly in my power,

Preheminence, and all the large effects

That

That troope with maiefty, our selfe by monthly course
With referuation of an hundred knights,

By you to be fuftain'd, fhall our abode

Make with you by due turnes, onely we still retaine

The name and all the additions to a king,
The fway, reuenue, execution of the reft,
Beloued fonnes be yours, which to confirme,
This coronet part betwixt you.

Kent, Royal Lear,

Whom I haue euer honor'd as my king,
Loued as my father, as my mafter followed,

As my great patron thought on in my praiers.

Lear. The bow is bent and drawne, make from the shaft. Kent. Let it fall rather,

Though the forke inuade the region of my heart,

Be Kent vnmannerly, when Lear is mad,

What wilt thou do old man, think'st thou that duty

Shall haue dread to fpeake, when power to flattery bowes, To plainneffe honours bound, when maiefty ftoops to folly, Reuerfe thy doome, and in thy beft confideration

Check this hideous rashnesse, answer my life,

My iudgement, thy yongeft daughter does not loue thee least, Nor are thofe empty hearted, whofe low found

Reuerbs no hollowneffe.

Lear. Kent, on thy life no more.

Kent. My life I neuer held but as a pawne

To wage against thy enemies, nor feare to lofe it,

Thy fafety being the motiue.

Lear. Out of my fight.

Kent. See better Lear, and let me ftill remaine

The true blanke of thine eie.

Lear. Now by Apollo

Kent. Now by Apollo, king thou fwear'ft thy Gods in vaine.

Lear.

Lear. Vaffall, recreant.

Kent. Do, kill thy phyfition,

And the fee bestow vpon the foule disease,
Reuoke thy doome, or whilft I can vent clamour
From my throat, Ile tell thee thou doft euill.

Lear. Heare me, on thy allegiance heare me;
Since thou haft fought to make vs breake our vow,
Which we durft neuer yet; and with ftraied pride,
To come betweene our fentence and our power,
Which, nor our nature, nor our place can beare,
Our potency make good, take thy reward,
Foure dayes we do allot thee for prouifion,
To fhield thee from difeafes of the world,

And on the fift to turne thy hated backe

Vpon our kingdome; if on the tenth day following,
Thy banifht trunke be found in our dominions,
The moment is thy death, away.

By Iupiter this fhall not be reuokt.

Kent. Why fare thee well king, fince thou wilt appeare, Friendship liues hence, and banishment is here; The gods to their protection take the maid, That rightly thinkes, and hath most iustly said, And your large fpeeches may your deeds approue, That good effects may fpring from words of loue: Thus Kent, O princes, bids you all adew, Hee'l fhape his old courfe in a country new.

Enter France and Burgundy with Glocefter.

Glo. Heer's France and Burgundy, my noble lord. Lear. My lord or Burgundy, we first addresse towards you, Who with a king hath riuald for our daughter,

What in the least will you require in present
Dower with her, or cease your quest of loue?

Burg.

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