i Conferring them on younger * ftrengths, while we Our daughters' feveral dow'rs, that future ftrife May be prevented now. The princes, France, and Burgundy, Great rivals in our n youngest daughter's love, Long in our court have made their amorous fojourn, And here are to be anfwer'd. Tell me, my daughters, (Since now we will diveft us both of rule, Intereft of territory, 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, speak first. Gon. Sir, I do love you more than "words can * wield the matter, Dearer than eye-fight, space, and liberty; Beyond what can be valued rich or rare; No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour; i The qu's read confirming. k The qu's read years for ftrengths. 1 What is in italic is omitted in the qu's. m The qu's read The two great princes, &c. The 3d and 4th fo's read prince for princes. n So the qu's; all the reft younger. • The 3d and 4th fo's omit me. P P. omits my, followed by the after-editors. a Thefe two lines are omitted in the qu's. r The qu's read, Where merit doth most challenge it, Gonerill, &c. This line is omitted by P. and all after but J. in the room of which they put I love you, fir. The fo's, R. and F. omit do. u The fo's, and R. read word. The ad q. reads weild. As As much was child e'er lov'd, or father found; A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable, y Beyond all manner of so much I love you. Cor. What fhall Cordelia do? love and be filent. [Afide. Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, C With a fhadowy forefts, b and with champains rich'd, We make thee lady. Be this perpetual. To thine and Albany's iffue -What fays our fecond daughter? Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall, e speak. Reg. f Sir, I am made of the self-same metal that my fifter is; And prize me at her worth. In my true heart I find, fhe names my very deed of love; h Only she comes too fhort; that I profess Myself an enemy to all other joys, Which the most precious i fquare of fenfe k poffeffes, And w The qu's read a for as; and x Friend for found. y Beyond, &c. i. e. Beyond all imaginable extent of whatever I have yet expreffed. Heath. z The fo's and R. read speak for do. a The qu's read shady. b The words in italic omitted in the qu's. So the ft f. the 2d and all after champions. d So the qu's; the rest of for to. e The fo's and R. omit speak. f So the qu's; the rest read, I am made of that self mettle as my fifter, and prize, &c. 8 There is no stop in the qu's after worth; but in the fo's a period, which feems to give the better fenfe. Upon examining her own fincere heart, fhe finds her love equal to her fifters, nay greater. h The qu's read, Only she came short, &c. i By the fquare of fenfe, we are here to understand the four nobler fenfes, viz. the fight, hearing, tafte, and fmell: for a young lady could not, with decency, A 3 And find I am alone felicitate In your dear highness' love. Cor. Then poor Cordelia! And yet not fo, fince I am fure, my love's Lear. To thee and thine, hereditary ever, Than that " conferr'd on Ganerill. Now our joy, Although our laft, P not leaft; to whose young love, The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy [Afide. Strive to be interefs'd. r What can you say to win Speak. A third, more opulent than your sisters? Cor. Nothing, my lord, "Lear. Nothing! u Cor. Nothing. decency, infinuate she knew of any pleasures which the fifth afforded. This is imagined and expreffed with great propriety and delicacy. W. But by Square of fenfe, Shakespear seems rather to understand the whole compafs or extent of fense, without regard to any particular number, as W. fuppofes. Besides, by an exclusion of the fifth from the number of the senses he makes the lady infinuate the idea of that very pleasure which he represents her as affecting to feem totally ignorant of. H. reads fpirit for fquare. k The fo's and R. read profeffes. The qu's read, More richer. A W. fays we fhould read their tongue. See Heath in loc. The qu's read confirm'd. Before now the qu's read but. The qu's read, not least in our dear love, what can you say, &c. The fo's, R. and P. read interest. P. and all after him read, What say you, &c. So the qu's; all the rest read draw for win. The qu's omit Speak. "These two fpeeches are not in the qu's. Lear. Lear. X Nothing can come of nothing; fpeak again. Cor. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth. I love your majesty According to my bond, y nor more nor less. Ꮓ Lear. How, how, Cordelia? mend your speech a little, fortunes. Left it may mar your Cor. Good my lord, You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me: I 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 c marry like my fifters, To love my father, all. Lear. But goes thy heart with this? Car. Ay, my good lord. Lear. So young, and fo untender? Cor. So young, my lord, and true. Lear. f Well, let it be fo; 8 thy truth then be thy dower: For by the facred radiance of the fun, w The qu's read How? Nothing can come, &c. a So the qu's; the reft read you for it. b The fo's and R. read happily. c R.'s oct. merry. The fo's and R. omit thefe words in italic. e The qu's read, But goes this with thy heart? f All but the qu's omit Well. The 3d and 4th fo's and R..read the for thy. A 4 The h The mysteries of Hecate, and the i night, By all the k operations of the orbs, From whom we do exist, and cease to be, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee, from this, for ever. The barbarous Scythian, Or he that makes his generation, messes To gorge his appetite, fhall to my bofom Be as well-neighbour'd, pitied, and reliev'd, 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 rest On her kind nursery. Hence, m and avoid my fight!" [To Cor. So be my grave my peace, as here I give Her father's heart from her.- -Call France--who stirs? Call h The qu's read mifireffe; the 1ft f. miferies. i The qu's read might. k The qu's and 1st f. operation. 1 The qu's omit to my bofom. m So all before P. who, with the after-editors, omits and. n All the modern editions direct the words, Hence, and avoid my fight, to be spoken to Cordelia; but they are undoubtedly addreffed to Kent. For in the next words Lear fends for France and Burgundy, in order to tender them his youngest daughter, if either of them would accept her without a dowry. At fuch a time therefore to drive her out of his prefence would be a contradiction to his declared intention. Heath. And for that very reafon I think, with fubmiffion, the words are spoken to Cordelia, and not to Kent. It is plain, Cordelia had raised his fury to the highest pitch; Kent was not yet fo far advanced; he had but just begun to speak, and that in the most respectful terms, Good my liegc.-Lear, with all his rage, ftill retained fo much love and refpect for him, and so much hope of |