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GLO. I shall, my liege.

b

[Exeunt GLOUCESTER and EDMUND. LEAR. Meantime we shall express our darker" purpose.[divided Give me the map there.- Know that we have In three our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent To shake all cares and business from our age; Conferring them on younger strengths, while we Unburden'd crawl toward death. Our son of Cornwall,

And you, our no less loving son of Albany,
We have this hour a constant will to publish
Our daughters' several dowers, that future strife
May be prevented now. The princes, France and
Burgundy,

Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love,
Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn,
And here are to be answer'd.-Tell me, my
daughters,

(Since now we will divest us, both of rule,
Interest of territory, cares of state,)
Which of you shall we say doth love us most?
That we our largest bounty may extend
Where nature doth with merit challenge.—Goneril,
Our eldest-born, speak first.

*

GON. Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter;

Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty;
Beyond what can be valu'd, rich or rare;
No less 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 so much I love you.
CORD. [Aside.] What shall Cordelia do ? +
Love, and be silent.

LEAR. Of all these bounds, even from this line to this,

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With shadowy forests and with champains rich'd, With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads, We make thee lady: to thine and Albany's issue* Be this perpetual.-What says our second daughter,

Our dearest Regan, wife to† Cornwall? speak.‡ REG. I am made of that self metal as my sister,

And prize me at her worth. In my true heart
I find she names my very deed of love;
Only she comes too short,-that I profess
Myself an enemy to all other joys,
Which the most precious square' of sense pos-
sesses,§

And find I am alone felicitate
In your dear highness' love.

CORD. [Aside.] Then poor Cordelia !
And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love's
More richer than my tongue.

LEAR. To thee and thine, hereditary ever, Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom; No less in space, validity, and pleasure, Than that conferr'd on Goneril.-Now, our joy, Although our last, not least ; to whose young love The vines of France and milk of Burgundy, Strive to be interess'd; what can you say, to draw A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak. CORD. Nothing, my lord. LEAR. Nothing! CORD. Nothing.'

LEAR. Nothing will come of nothing: speak again.

CORD. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty According to my bond; nor more nor less.

LEAR. How, how, Cordelia! mend your speech a little,

Lest it may mar your fortunes.

(*) First folio, issues. (+) First folio, of. (1) First folio omits, speak. (§) First folio, professes. () First folio, you.

"Although the last, not least in our deere love, What can you say to win a third, more opulent Then sisters?" your In the folio,

"Although our last and least; to whose yong love, The Vines of France, and Milke of Burgundie, Strive to be interest. What can you say, to draw A third, more opilent than your Sisters? speake.” That and in the folio is a misprint for "but," it seems scarcely possible to doubt, yet Mr. Collier and Mr. Knight read, "our last and least." "Though last not least," was one of the commonest forms of expression in Shakespeare's age; in addition to the overwhelming array of examples cited in the Variorum edition of 1821, Vol. II. pp. 276-279, take the following:

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LEAR. Let it be so,-thy truth, then, be thy dower:

For, by the sacred radiance of the sun,
The mysteries of Hecate, and the night;
By all the operation of the orbs

From whom we do exist, and cease to be,
Here I disclaim all my paternal care,
Propinquity and property of blood,
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, shall to my bosom
Be as well neighbour'd, pitied, and reliev'd,
As thou my sometime daughter :-

KENT.

LEAR. Peace, Kent!

Good my liege,

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*

Call Burgundy.-Cornwall and Albany,
With my two daughters' dowers digest this third :
Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her.
I do invest you jointly with my power,
Pre-eminence, and all the large effects [course,
That troop with majesty. Ourself, by monthly
With reservation of an hundred knights,
By you to be sustain'd, shall our abode
Make with you by due turns. Only we still
The name, and all the additions § to a king;
The sway, revenue, execution of the rest,
Beloved sons, be yours: which to confirm,
This coronet part between you.

KENT.

[retain

[Giving the crown. Royal Lear, Whom I have ever honour'd as my king, Lov'd as my father, as my master follow'd, As my great patron thought on in my prayers,LEAR. The bow is bent and drawn, make from

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KENT. See better, Lear; remain

The true blank of thine eye. LEAR. Now, by Apollo!KENT.

Out of my sight!

and let me still

Now, by Apollo, king,

Thou swear'st thy gods in vain. LEAR.

O, vassal! miscreant !

[Laying his hand on his sword.

ALB. CORN. Dear sir, forbear."

KENT. Kill thy physician, and the ¶ fee bestow Upon the foul disease. Revoke thy gift; Or, whilst I can vent clamour from my throat, I'll tell thee thou dost evil.

LEAR.

Hear me, recreant! On thine allegiance hear me !Since** thou hast sought to make us break our [pride,

vow,++

(Which we durst never yet) and, with strain'd
To come betwixt our sentence ‡‡ 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 provision
To shield thee from diseases of the world;
And, on the sixth, to turn thy hated back
Upon our kingdom: if, on the tenth day following,
Thy banish'd trunk be found in our dominions,
The moment is thy death. Away! By Jupiter,
This shall not be revok'd!

KENT. Fare thee well, king: sith thus thou wilt appear,

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Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here.The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid,

(*) First folio, falls. (1) First folio, sounds Reverbe. () First folio omits, the. (**) First folio, That.

[TO CORDELIA.

(+) First folio, reserve thy state. ($) First folio omits, a. (T) First folio, thy. (tt) First folio, vowes.

(11) First folio, sentences.

the folio has-" disasters of the world." Diseases, in its old and literal sense of discomforts, hardships, and the like, is, however, much the more appropriate word.

Freedom lives hence,-] The quartos have Friendship for "Freedom;" and in the next line, instead of "dear shelter," they read protection.

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Commit a thing so monstrous, to dismantle
So many folds of favour! Sure, her offence
Must be of such unnatural degree,
That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affection
Fall into taint; which to believe of her,
Must be a faith that reason without miracle
Should never plant in me.

COR.

I yet beseech your majesty,—
If for I want that glib and oily art,
To speak and purpose not; since what I well*
intend,

I'll do't before I speak,—that you make known
It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,
No unchaste action, or dishonour'd step,
That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour;
But even for want of that for which I am richer,-
A still-soliciting eye, and such a tongue
That I am glad I have not, though not to have it
Hath lost me in your liking.

LEAR.

Better thou

Hadst not been born, than not to have pleas'd me

better.

FRANCE. Is it but this? a tardiness in nature, Which often leaves the history unspoke, That it intends to do?-My lord of Burgundy, What say you to the lady? Love's not love, When it is mingled with respects," that stand Aloof from the entire point. Will you have her? She is herself a dowry.

BUR.

Royal Lear,†
Give but that portion which yourself propos'd,
And here I take Cordelia by the hand,
Duchess of Burgundy.

LEAR. Nothing: I have sworn; I am firm. BUR. I am sorry, then, you have so lost a father That you must lose a husband.

COR.

Peace be with Burgundy! Since that respects of fortune‡ are his love, I shall not be his wife.

FRANCE. Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor;

Most choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'd! Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon,

Be it lawful I take up what's cast away. Gods, gods! 'tis strange, that from their cold'st neglect

My love should kindle to inflam'd respect.-
Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my
chance,

Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France:
Not all the dukes of wat'rish Burgundy
Shall buy this unpriz'd precious maid of me.--

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Bid them farewell, Cordelia, though unkind,^
Thou losest here, a better-where" to find.
LEAR. Thou hast her, France: let her be
thine; for we

Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see
That face of hers again :-therefore be gone,
Without our grace, our love, our benison.-
Come, noble Burgundy.

[Flourish. Exeunt LEAR, BURGUNDY, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GLOUCESTER, and Attendants. FRANCE. Bid farewell to your sisters.

COR. The jewels of our father, with wash'd

eyes

Cordelia leaves you: I know you what you are ; And, like a sister, am most loth to call

Your faults as they are nam'd. Use* well our father:

To your professed bosoms I commit him:

But yet, alas! stood I within his grace,

I would prefer him to a better place.

So farewell to you both.

GON. Prescribe not us our duties.†
REG.

Let your study
Be to content your lord: who hath receiv'd you
At fortune's alms. You have obedience scanted,
And well are worth the want that you have wanted.
COR. Time shall unfold what plighted cunning
hides;

Who cover faults, at last shame them § derides.
Well may you prosper!
FRANCE.

Come, my fair Cordelia. [Exeunt FRANCE and CORDELIA. GON. Sister, it is not little I have to say of what most nearly appertains to us both. I think our father will hence to-night.

REG. That's most certain, and with you; next month with us.

GON. You see how full of changes his age is; the observation we have made of it hath not been little he always loved our sister most; and with what poor judgment he hath now cast her off appears too grossly.

REG. 'Tis the infirmity of his age: yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself.

GON. The best and soundest of his time hath

(*) First folio, Love. (1) Old text, covers.

(+) First folio, dutie. ($) First folio, at last with shame. (H) First folio omits, not.

a-though unkind,-] Unkind here signifies unnatural, unless France is intended to mean, "though unkinn'd," i.e. though forsaken by your kindred.

b A better where to find.] In note (a), p. 120, Vol. I. otherwhere is explained other place; but where in these compounds "I HAVE had perhaps a significance now lost. See the old ballad, HOUSE AND LAND IN KENT".

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*

been but rash; then must we look to receive from his age, not alone the imperfections of longengraffed condition, but, therewithal, the unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric years bring with them.

REG. Such unconstant starts are we like to have from him, as this of Kent's banishment.

GON. There is further compliment of leavetaking between France and him. Pray you, let us hit together: if our father carry authority with such disposition as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us.

REG. We shall further think of it. GON. We must do something, and i' the heat. [Exeunt.

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When my

dimensions are as well compact, My mind as generous, and my shape as true, As honest madam's issue? Why brand they us With base? with baseness? bastardy? base, base? Who, in the lusty stealth of nature, take More composition and fierce quality, Than doth, within a dull, stale, tired bed, Go to the creating a whole tribe of fops, Got 'tween asleep and wake?-Well, then, Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land: Our father's love is to the bastard Edmund, As to the legitimate: fine word,-—legitimate ! Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed, And my invention thrive, Edmund the base Shall top the legitimate. I grow; I Now, gods, stand up for bastards!

(*) First folio, from his age to receive.

prosper :

(†) First folio, sit.

dwhat plighted cunning hides;] Plighted, or, as the quartos give it, pleated cunning, means involved, complicated cunning. e-plague of custom,-] Plague may here possibly signify place, or boundary, from plaga; but it is a very suspicious word.

f To deprive me,-] To deprive, in Shakespeare's day, was sometimes synonymous to disinherit, as Steevens has shown, and also to take away, as in "Hamlet," Act I. Scene 4,"And there assume some other horrible form, Which might deprive your sov'reignty of reason," &c.

g Shall top the legitimate.) In the old editions we find tooth' and to'th'. The present reading was first promulgated in Edwards' "Canons of Criticism," having been communicated to the author of that pungent satire by Capell. (See "Notes and various Readings to Shakespeare," by the latter, I. 146.)

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