Kent. Is not this your fon, my Lord?

Glo. His breeding, Sir, hath been at my charge. I have fo often blufh'd to acknowledge him, that now I am braz'd to't.

Kent. I cannot conceive you.

Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could; where-, upon fhe grew round-womb'd; and had indeed, Sir, a fon for her cradle, ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you fmell a fault?

Kent. I cannot with the fault undone, the issue of it being fo proper.

Glo. But I have a fon, Sir, by order of law, fome year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: tho' this knave came fomewhat faucily into the world before he was fent for, yet was his mother fair; there was good fport at his making, and the whorfon must be acknowledged. Do you know this Nobleman, Edmund ?

Edm. No, my Lord.

Glo. My Lord of Kent;

Remember him hereafter as my honourable friend,
Edm. My fervices to your Lordship..

Kent. I must love you, and fue to know you better.
Edm. Sir, I fhall ftudy your deferving.

Glo. He hath been out nine

years, and away he fhall [Trumpets found, within.

SCENE

II.

Enter King Lear, Cornwall, Albany, Gonerill, Regan, Cordelia, and attendants.

Lear. Attend the Lords of France and Burgundy, Glo'fter.

Gla. I fhall, my Liege.

[Exit.

Lear. Mean time we fhall exprefs our darker purpose. Give me the map here: know, we have divided, In three, our kingdom; and 'tis our first intent, To fhake all cares and bufinefs from our age; Conferring them on younger ftrengths, while we Unburthen'd crawl tow'rd death. Our fon of Cornwall, * Darker, for more fecret; not for indirect, oblique.

And

And you, our no lefs loving fon of Albany,
We have this hour a constant will to publish
Our daughters fev'ral dow'rs, that future ftrife
May be prevented. The Princes France and Burgundy,
Great rivals in our younger daughter's love,

Long in our court have made their am'rous fojourn,
And here are to be anfwer'd. Tell me, daughters,
(Since now we will diveft us, both of rule,
Int'reft of territory, and cares of state)
Which of you, fhall we fay, doth love us moft?
That we our largest bounty may extend,

Where nature doth with merit challenge. Gonerill,
Our eldest born, fpeak first.

Gen. I love you, Sir,

Dearer than eye-fight, fpace and liberty;

Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare;

No lefs 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 fo much I love you.

Cor. What fhall Cordelia do? love, and be filent.

[Afide.
Lear. Of all these bounds, ev'n from this line to this,
With fhadowy forefts and with champions rich'd,
With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads,
We make thee lady. To thine and Albany's iffue
Be this perpetual.-What fays our fecond daughter,
Our dearest Regan, wife of Cornwall? fpeak.

Reg. I'm made of that self-metal as my sister,
And prize me at her worth, in my true heart.
I find the names my very deed of love;
Only fhe comes too fhort: that I profess
Myfelf an enemy to all other joys,

Which the most precious fquare of fenfe poffeffes;
And find I am alone felicitate

In your dear Highnefs' love.

Cor. Then poor Cordelia !

And yet not fo, fince I am fure my

More pond'rous than their tongue.

[Afide.

love's

Lear. To thee and thine, hereditary ever, Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom;"

No lefs in fpace, validity *, and pleafure,
Than that conferr'd on Gonerill..- Now our joy,
Although our laft, not leaft; in whofe young love,
The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy, m
Strive to be int'refs'd: what fay you, to draw

A third, more opulent than your filters ? speak.
Cor. Nothing, my Lord,,

Lear. Nothing?

Cor. Nothing.

Lear Nothing can come of nothing; speak again.
Cor. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave

My heart into my mouth: I love your Majesty
According to my bond, no more nor lefs.
Lear, How, how, Cordelia
Left you may mar your fortunes.
Cor. Good my Lord,

mend your fpeech a

[little,

You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me. I
Return thefe duties back, as are right fit;
Obey you, love you, and muft honour you.
Why have my filters husbands, if they fay,
They love you all; haply, when I thall wed,
That Lord whofe hand muft take my plight, fhall carry
Half my love with him,, half my care and duty.
Sure, fhall never marry like my sisters,

To love my father all.

Lear. But goes thy heart with this?
Cor. Ay, my good Lord.

Lear. So young, and fo untender?

Cor. So young, my Lord, and true.

Lear. Let it be fo, thy truth then be thy dower:

For by the facred radiance of the fun,

The myfteries of Hecate, and the night,

By all the operations of the orbs,

From whom we do exist, and cease to be;
Here difclaim 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 barb'rous Scythian,
Or he that makes his generation messes,

То gorge his appetite, fhall to my boiom
Be as well neighbour'd, pitied, and reliev'd,

* Validity, for worth, value; not for integrity, or good title,

As

As thou my fometime daughter.

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 reft
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 stirs?
Call Burgundy.—Cornwall and Albany,
With my two daughter's dowers digeft the third.
Let pride, which the calls plainnefs, marry her.
I do invest you jointly with my power,
Preheminence, and all the large effects

That troop with Majefty. Ourfelf by monthly course,
With refervation of an hundred knights,

By you to be fuftain'd, fhall our abode
Make with you by due turns: only retain
The name and all th' addition to a King:
The fway, revenue, execution of th' helt,
Beloved fons, be yours; which to confirm,
This coronet part between you.

Kent. Royal Lear,

[Giving the crown.

Whom I have ever honour'd as my King,
Lov'd as my father, as my master follow'd,
And as my patron thought on in my pray'rs

Lear. The bow is bent and drawn, make from the
Kent. Let it fall rather, tho' the fork invade [fhaft.
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 plainnefs honour
Is bound, when Majefty to folly falls.

Reserve thy ftate; with better judgment check
This hideous rafhnefs; with my life I anfwer,
Thy youngest daughter does not love thee leaft;
Nor are those empty-hearted, whofe 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 fafety being the motive.

Lear. Out of my fight!

Kent.

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 fwear'ft thy gods in vain.
Lear. O vaffal! mifcreant !

[Laying his hand on his sword.

Alb. Corn. Dear Sir, forbear.

Kent. Kill thy phyfician, and thy fee bestow
Upon the foul difeafe; revoke thy doom,

Or whilst I can vent clamour from my throat,
I'll tell thee thou doft evil.

Lear. Hear me, recreant !

Since thou haft fought to make us break our vow,
Which we durft never yet; and with strain'd pride,
To come betwixt our fentence and our pow'r * ;
Which nor our nature, nor our place, can bear,
Our potency make good; take thy reward.
Five days we do allot thee for provifion,
To fhield thee from difafters of the world;
And, on the fixth, to turn thy hated back
Upon our kingdom; if, the tenth day following,
Thy banish'd trunk be found in our dominions,
The moment is thy death: away! By Jupiter,
This fhall not be revok'd.

Kent. Fare thee well, King; fith thus thou wilt ap-
Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here; [pear,
The gods to their dear fhelter take thee, maid, [To Cor.
That juftly thinks, and haft most rightly said;
And your large fpeeches may your deeds approve,
[To Gon. and Regi
That good effects may fpring from words of love.
Thus Kent, O princes, bids you all adieu,
He'll fhape his old courfe in a country new. [Exit

Enter Glo'fter, with France and Burgundy, and at

tendants.

Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my Noble Lord. Lear. My Lord of Burgundy,

We

first addrefs tow'rd you, who with this King