Kent. Good my Liege

Lear. Peace, Kent !
Come not between the dragon and his wrath,
I lov'd her most, and thought to set my Rest
On her kind nurs'ry. Hence, avoid my fight!

[To Cor.
So be my grave my peace, as here I give
Her father's heart from her; Call France; who ftirs ?
Call Burgundy.—Cornwall and Albany,
With my two daughters' dowers digest the third.
Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her.
I do invest you jointly with my Power,
Preheminence, and all the large effects
That troop with Majesty. Our self by monthly course,
With reservation of an hundred Knights,
By you to be sustain d, shall our abode.
Make with you by due turns : only retain
The name and all th'addition to a King:
* The sway, revenue, execution of th' Hest,
Beloved sons, be yours ;. which to confirm,
This Cor’onet part between you. [Giving the Crown.

Kent, Royal Lear,
Whom I have ever honour'd as my King,
Lov'd as my father, as my master foilow'd,
And as my patron thought on in my pray'rs--
Lear. The bow is bent and drawn, make from the

shaft.
* The sway, revenue,

execution,
Beloved fons, be yours.] The old Books read the Lines thus.
The sway, Tevenue, execution of the rest,

Beloved fons be yours.
This is evidently corrupt, and the Editors not knowing what to
make of- of the rest---, left it out. The true Reading, without
doubt, was,

The sway, revenue, execution of th'Hest,

Beloved fons, be yours. Heft, is an old Word for regal Command: so that the Sense of the whole is ---I will only retain the Name and all the ceremonious Observances that belong to a King; the Essentials, as Sway, Revenue, Administration of the Laws, be yours.

Mr. Warburton. B 5

Kent,

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'st thou, that duty shall have dread to speak, When pow'r to flatt'ry bows ? to plainness Honour Is bound, when Majesty to folly falls. Reserve thy State ; with better judgment check This hideous rashness; with my life I answer, Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least; Nor are those empty-hearted, whose low found Reverbs no hollowness.

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 safety being the motive.

Lear. Out of my fight!

Kent. See better, Lear, and let me still remain The true blank of thine eye.

Lear. Now by Apollo

Kent. Now by Apollo, King, Thou swear'st thy gods in vain. Lear. O vaffal! miscreant !

(Laying his hand on his sword. Alb. Corn. Dear Sir, forbear.

Kent. Kill thy phyfician, and thy fee bestow
Upon the soul disease; revoke thy doon,
Or whilst I can vent clamour from my

throat,
I'll tell thee, thou dost evil.
Lear. Hear me, recreant

It!
Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow,
Which we durst never yet; and with strain'd pride,
To come betwixt our sentence and our power;
Which nor our nature, nor our place, can bear,
Our potency make good; take thy reward.
Five days we do allot thee for provision,
To shield thee from disasters of the world ;
And, on the sixth, to turn thy hated back
Upon our Kingdom; if, the tenth day following,

Thy

Thy banish'd trunk be found in our dominions,
The moment is thy death: away! By Jupiter,
This shall not be revok'd.

[appear,
Kent. Fare thee well, King; fith thus thou wilt
Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here ;
The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid,
That justly think'st, and haft most rightly said;
And your large fpeeches may your deeds approve,
That good effects may spring from words of love :-
Thus Kent, O Princes, bids you all adieu,
He'll shape his old course in a country new. [Exit.

S CE N E
Enter Glo'ster, with France and Burgundy, and

Attendants.
Glo. LERE's France and Burgundy, my noble lord.

III.

Glo. H 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 present dower with her,
Or cease your quest of love?

Bur. Most royal Majesty,
I crave no more than what your Highness offer'd,
Nor will

you

tender less.
Lear. Right noble Burgundy,
When she was dear to us, we held her fo;
But now her price is fall'n: Sir, there she stands,
If aught within that little seeming substance,
Or all of it with our displeasure piec'd,
And nothing more, may fitly like your Grace,
She's there, and she 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 curse, and stranger'd with our oath,
Take her, or leave her?

Bur. Pardon, royal Sir;
Election makes not up on such conditions.

B 6

Lear".

made me,

Lear. Then leave her, Sir; for by the pow'r that I tell you all her wealth.–For you, great King,

[To France. I would not from your love make such a stray, To match you where I hate; therefore beseech you, T. avert

your liking a more worthy way Than on a wretch, whom nature is alham'd Almoft t'acknowledge hers.

France. This is most strange!
That she, who ev'n but now was your best object,
Your Praise's argument, balm of your age,
Dearest and best; should in this trice of time.
Commit a thing fo 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 affe&ion
Fall'n 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 unchalte action, or dishonour'd step,
That hath depriv'd ine of your grace and favour:
But ev’n for want of that, for which I'm richer,
A ftill-foliciting eye, and such a tongue,
That I am glad I've not; though, not to have it,
Hath lost me in your liking.

Lear. Better thou
Hadst not been born, than not 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 regards, that stand

Aloof

Aloof from th’intire point. Say, will you have her?
She is herself a dowry.

Bur. Royal King,
Give but that portion which yourself propos'd,
And here I take Cordelia by the hand,
Dutchess of Burgundy.

Lear. Nothing : -I've sworn.

Bur. I'm 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 moft rich, being

poor, Most choice, forsaken: and most lov’d, defpis'd! Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon : Be't lawful, I take up what's cast away. Gods, Gods! 'tis ftrange, that from their cold'st neg.

lect My love should kindle to enflam'd respect. Thy dow'rless daughter, King, thrown to my chance; Is Queen of us, of ours, and our fair France : Not all the Dukes of wat'rish Burgundy Can buy this unpriz'd, precious, maid of me. Bid them farewel, Cordelia, tho' 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 benizon: Come, noble Burgundy.

[Flourish. Exeunt Lear and Burgundy.

France. B

I D farewel to your

filters. Cor. Ye jewels of our father, with walh'a eyes

Cordelia