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 less. Lear. How, how, Cordelia? mend your speech a little, Left you may mar your fortunes. Cor. Good my lord, You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me. I To love my father all. Lear. But goes thy heart with this? Lear. Let it be so, thy truth then be thy dower: For by the facred radiance of the fun, From whom we do exift, and cease to be; Hold thee, from this, for ever. The barb'rous Scythian, Or he that makes his generation, meffes To gorge his appetite; shall to my bosom 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 reit On 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 daughters dowers, digeft the third. I do invest you jointly with my Power, Preheminence, and all the large effects That troop with Majesty. Our felf by monthly course, With refervation of an hundred Knights, Beloved fons, be yours; which to confirm, Kent. Royal Lear, [Giving the Crown. Whom I have ever honour'd as my King, : And as my patron thought on in my pray'rs The region of my heart; be Kent unmannerly, Lear. Kent, on thy life no more. Lear. Out of my fight! Kent. See better, Lear, and let me still remain The true blank of thine eye. Lear. Now by Apollo- Thou swear'st thy gods in vain. Lear. O vassal! miscreant! [Laying his hand on his fword. Alb. Corn. Dear Sir, forbear. Kent. Kill thy physician, and thy fee bestow Upon the foul disease; revoke thy doom, Lear. Hear me, recreant! Since thou hast fought to make us break our vow, Kent. Fare thee well, King; fith thus thou wilt appear, 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 speeches 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. Enter Glo'ster, with France and Burgundy, and Attendants. Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord. (2) (2) Cor. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble Lord.] The generality of the editions, ancient and modern, stupidly place this verse to Cordelia. But I have, upon the authority of the old 4to, reffor'd it to the right owner, Glo'ster; who was, but a little before, sent by the King to conduct France and Burgundy to him, 2 Lear. My lord of Burgundy, We first address tow'rd you, who with this King Bur. Most royal Majefty, I crave no more than what your Highness offer'd, Lear. Right noble Burgundy, When she was dear to us, we held her fo; And nothing more, may fitly like your Grace, Lear. Will you with those infirmities she owes, Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate, Bur. Pardon, royal Sir; Election makes not up on such conditions. [me, Lear. Then leave her, Sir; for by the pow'r that made I tell you all her wealth. -For you, great King, [To France. I would not from your love make such a stray, France. This is most strange! That she, who ev'n but now was your best object, That monsters it; (3) or your fore-voucht affection A 6 Fal'n (3) As monstrous is,] This bald reading is a modern sophistication : the eldest and best copies read; That That monsters it Fal'n into taint: which to believe of her, Cor. I yet beseech your Majesty, No unchaste action, or dishonour'd step, That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour: 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 from th' intire point. Say, will you have her? She is herself a dowry. Bur. Royal King, Give but that portion which your felf propos'd, And here I take Cordelia by the hand, Dutchess of Burgundy. Lear. Nothing: - I've sworn. Bur. I'm forry then, you have so lost a father, That you must lose a husband. Cor. Peace be with Burgundy, i. e. that makes a monster, a prodigy, of it: And our poet uses this verb elsewhere in fuch a sense. So Albany, afterwards in this play, fays to Gonerill, his wife; Thou chang'd, and self-converted thing; for shame, Be-monster not thy features. And fo, in Coriolanus; I'd rather have one fcratch my head i' th' Sun, To hear my nothings monster'd, ; |