Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least;
Nor are those empty hearted, whose low sounds
Reverb no hollowness.

Lear.

Kent, on thy life, no more!

Kent.

My life I never held but as a pawn

To wage against thine enemies; nor fear to lose it,
Thy safety being the motive.

Lear.

Out of my sight!

Kent.

See better, Lear, and let me still remain

The true blank of thine eye.

Kill thy physician, and thy 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.

[To Lear.

Lear.

Hear me, recreant !

On thy allegiance hear me.

[Kent kneels Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow,— Which we durst never yet,-and, with strained pride, 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 do we 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 banished trunk be found in our dominions, The moment is thy death. Away! By Jupiter, This shall not be revoked!

[Kent rises; Goneril, Regan, Albany, and Cornwall go to Lear c.

Kent.

Fare thee well, king; since thus thou wilt appear,
Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here.

[Crosses R. to Cordelia.

The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid,
That justly thinks, and hast most rightly said.
And your large speeches may your deeds approve,
[To Regan and Goneril.
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.

[To all.

[Exit Kent L. Re-enter Gloster, with France,
Burgundy and a knight R. U. E.
France on the R. of throne.
down L.

Glos.

Gloster and Burgundy comes

[R. to Lear.

Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord.

My lord of Burgundy,

Lear.

We first address toward you, who with this king
Hath rivalled for our daughter: what in the least,
Will you require in present dower with her,
Or cease your quest of love?

Most royal majesty,

Bur.

I crave no more than hath your highness offered,
Nor will you tender less.

Right noble Burgundy,

Lear.

When she was dear to us, we did hold her so;

But now her price is fallen. Sir, there she stands; Dowered with our curse, and strangered with our oath.

Take her, or leave her.

Pardon me, royal sir;

Bur.

Election makes not up on such conditions.

Lear.

[L.

Then leave her, sir; for by the power that made me,
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
To avert your liking a more worthier way,
Than on a wretch whom nature is ashamed
Almost to acknowledge hers.

This is most strange:

Sure her offence

France.

Must be of such unnatural degree,

That monsters it;

Which to believe of her,

Must be a faith that reason, without miracle,

Should never plant in me.

[R.

I yet beseech your majesty, that you make known
It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,
No unchaste action, or dishonoured step,
That hath deprived 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 pleased me better.

France.

[R.

Is it but this?

Fairest Cordelia, that thou art most rich, being poor,
Most choice, forsaken, and most loved, despised,
Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon.

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
Can buy this unprized precious maid of me.

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, begone
Without our grace, our love, our benison.

[To Lear.

[March. Exeunt Lear, Burgundy, Cornwall, Albany, and attendants L. Scene closes as they France and Cordelia remain, looking

go out.
after Lear.

Thou, Nature, art my goddess; to thy law
My services are bound. Wherefore should I
Stand in the plague of custom, and permit
The curiosity of nations to deprive me,

For that I am some twelve or fourteen moon-shines
Lag of a brother? Why bastard? wherefore base,
When my dimensions are as well compact,

My mind as generous, and my shape as true,
As honest madam's issue?

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 prosper:-
Now, gods, stand up for bastards!

Glos.

[Enter Gloster L. I. E.

Kent banished thus! and France in choler parted!
And the king gone to-night! Subscribed his power!
Confined to exhibition! All this done
Upon the gad!-Edmund, how now!

Edm.

So please your lordship, none.

Glos.

What paper were you reading?

What news?

[Hiding the letter.

Nothing, my lord.

Edm.