Since that respects of fortune are his love, I shall not be his wife. France. Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor, Moft choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'd! Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon : Be't lawful, I take up what's caft away. Gods, Gods! 'tis strange, that from their cold'st neglect Thy dow'rless daughter, King, thrown to my chance, Lear. Thou hast her, France; let her be thine, for we [Flourish. Exeunt Lear France. Bid farewel to your sisters. and Burgundy. Cor. Ye jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes Cordelia leaves you: I know what you are, And, like a sister, am most loth to call Your faults, as they are nam'd. Love well our father: To your profeffing bosoms I commit him; But yet, alas! stood I within his grace, I would prefer him to a better place. So farewel to you both. Reg. Prescribe not us our duty. Gon. Let your study Be to content your lord, who hath receiv'd you (4) And well are worth the Want that you have wanted.] This is a very obscure expression, and must be pieced out with an implied sense, to be understood. This I take to be the poet's meaning, stript of the jingle which makes it dark; "You well deserve to meet with that "Want of love from your husband, which you have professed to want "for our father." Cor. Cor. Time shall unfold what plaited cunning hides, Who covers faults, at last with shame derides. Well may you profper! France. Come, my fair Cordelia. [Exeunt France and Cor. Gon. Sifter, it is not little I've to say, Of what most nearly appertains to us both; I think, our father will go hence to night. Reg. That's 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 lov'd our fister 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 flenderly known himself. Gon. The best and foundest of his time hath been but rash; then must we look, from his age, to receive not alone the imperfections of long-engrafted condition, but therewithal the unruly waywardness, that infirm and cholerick 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 leave-taking 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'th' heat. [Exeunt. SCENE changes to a Castle belonging to the Earl of Glo'ster. Edm. T Enter EDMUND, with a Letter. HOU, Nature, art my Goddess; to thy law Stand in the plague of custom, and permit For (5) The nicety of nations.] This is Mr. Pope's reading, ex Cathedra; for it has the fanction of none of the copies, that I have met with. They For that I am some twelve or fourteen moon-shines They all, indeed, give it us, by a foolish corruption, the Curiofity of nations; but I some time ago prov'd, that our Author's word was, Curtesy. So again, in As You like it; The curtesy of nations allows you my better, in that you are the first born. And again, in Cymbeline, this word stands for Birth-right; --aye hopeless To have the curtesy your cradle promis'd. Nor must we forget that tenure in our laws, whereby some lands are held by the Curtesy of England. And I ought to take notice, that I had the concurrence of the ingenious Dr. Thirlby, who hinted to me this very emendation, before he knew I made it. (6) Who, in the lufty stealth of nature,] These fine lines are a very fignal proof of our author's admirable art, in giving proper sentiments to his characters. And such a proof, as hath in it fomething very extraordinary. The Bastard's character is that of a confirm'd atheift; and the poet's making him ridicule judicial Aftrology was design'd as one instance of that character: For that impious juggle had a religious reverence paid it at that time: and Shakespeare makes his best characters in this very play, own and acknowledge the force of the stars influence. The poet, in short, gives an atheistical turn to all his fen-timents; and how much the lines, following this, are in this character, may be seen by that strange monstrous wish, which Vanini, the infamous Neapolitan atheist, made in his tract De Admirandis Naturæ printed at Paris in 1616, the very year that our author dy'd. "O! "Utinam extra legitimum & connubialem thorum effem procreatus! Ita " enim progenitores mei in venerem incaluiffent ardentius, ac cumula" tim affatimque generosa Semina contulissent; e quibus ego formæ " blanditiam et elegantiam, robuftas corporis vires, mentemque innubilam "confequutus fuissem. At quia Conjugatorum sum soboles, his orbatus, "fum bonis."---Now had this book been publish'd ten years before, who would not have sworn that Shakespeare hinted at this paffage? But the divinity of his genius here, as it were, foretold what fuch an atheist, as Vanini was, would fay, when he wrote upon this tubject. Mr. Warburton. Got Got 'tween a-fleep and wake? Well then, To him, Enter Glo'ster. Glo. Kent banish'd thus! and France in choler parted! And the King gone to-night! fubfcrib'd his pow'r! Confin'd to exhibition! all is gone Upon the gad!-Edmund, how now? what news? Edm. So please your lordship, none. [Putting up the letter. Glo. Why so earnestly seek you to put up that letter? *Edm. Nothing, my lord. Glo. No! what needed then that terrible dispatch of it into your pocket? the quality of nothing hath not fuch need to hide it felf. Let's fee; come, if it be nothing, I shall not need spectacles. Edm. I beseech you, Sir, pardon me, it is a letter from my brother, that I have not all o'er-read; and for fo much as I have perus'd, I find it not fit for your o'erlooking. Glo. Give me the letter, Sir. Edm. I shall offend, either to detain, or give it; the contents, as in part I understand them, are to blame. Glo. Let's fee, let's fee. Edm. I hope, for my brother's juftification, he wrote this but as an essay, or taste of my virtue. Glo. reads.] This policy and reverence of ages makes the world bitter to the best of our times; keeps our fortunes from us, 'till our oldness cannot relish them. I begin to find an idle and fond bondage in the oppression of aged tyranny; which fways, not as it hath power, but as it is suffered. Come to me, that of this I may speak more. If our father would Леер, sleep, till I wak'd him, you should enjoy half bis revenue for ever, and live the beloved of your brother Edgar.-Hum --Conspiracy! --sleep, 'till I wake him-you should enjoy half his revenue--My son Edgar! had he a hand to write this! a heart and brain to breed it in! When came this to you? who brought it? Edm. It was not brought me, my lord; there's the cunning of it. I found it thrown in at the casement of my closet. Glo. You know the character to be your brother's ? Edm. If the matter were good, my lord, I durst swear, it were his; but in respect of that, I would fain think, it were not. Glo. It is his. Edm. It is his hand, my lord; I hope, his heart is not in the contents. Glo. Has he never before founded you in this business ? Edm. Never, my lord. But I have heard him oft maintain it to be fit, that sons at perfect age, and fathers declining, the father should be as a ward to the fon, and the son manage his revenue. Glo. O villain, villain! his very opinion in the letter. Abhorred villain! unnatural, detested, brutish villain ! worse than brutish! Go, firrah, seek him; I'll apprehend him. Abominable villain! where is he ? Edm. I do not well know, my lord; if it shall please you to suspend your indignation against my brother, 'till you can derive from him better teftimony of his intent, you should run a certain course; where, if you violently proceed against him, mistaking his purpose, it would make a great gap in your own honour, and shake in pieces the heart of his obedience. I dare pawn down my life for him, that he hath writ this to feel my affection to your Honour, and to no other pretence of danger. Glo. Think you fo? Edm. If your Honour judge it meet, I will place you where you shall hear us confer of this, and by an auricular assurance have your fatisfaction: and that, without any further delay than this very evening. Glo. |