1

On her kind nurs’ry. Hence, avoid my sight!

[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, digest the third. Let pride, which the 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 fustain'd, fall our abode Make with you by due turns: only retain The name and all th' addition to a King: The sway, revenue, execution, Beloved sons, be yours; which to confirm, This Corionet 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 follow'd, And as my patron thought on in my pray’rs.

Lear. The bow is bent and drawn, make from the shaft.

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 Majetły to folly fails. Reserve thy State ; with better judgment check This hideous rathness; with my life ! 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 Apolion

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

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

Kent. Kill thy physician, and thy fee bestow
Upon the foul disease; revoke thy doom,
Or whilft I can vent clamour from my throat,
I'll tell thee, thou dost 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 sentence and our power;
(Which nor our nature, nor our place, can bear;)
Our potency made good, take thy reward.
Five days we do allot thee for provision,
To shield thee from disasters of the world;
And, on the fixth, to turn thy hated back
Upon our Kingdom; if, the tenth day following,

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

Kent. Fare thee well, King; sith 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 hast 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, ftupidly place this verse to Cordili.z. But I have, upon the authority of the old 4to, restor'd it to the right owner, Gloster; who was, but a little bufore, sent by the King to conduct Frarce and Burgundy to him.

Lear.

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 Moft royal Majesty,
I crave no more than what your Highness offer'd,
Nor will you tender lefs.

Lear. Right noble Burgundy,
When she was dear to us, we held her so;
But now her price is fall’n: Sir, there she stands,
If aught within that little seeming fubitance,
Or all of it with our displeafare 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, Dowr'd with our curse, and stranger'd with our oath, Take her, or leave her?

Bur. Pardon, royal Sir; Election makes not up on fuch 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,
To match you where I hate ; therefore beseech you,
T'avert your liking a more worthy way
Than on a wretch, whom nature is afham'd
Almoft e' acknowledge hers.

France. This is most ftrange!
That se, who ev'n but now was your best object,
Your Praise's argument, balm of your age,
Dearest and best; ihould 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; (3) or your fore-voucht affection

Fa'n (3) As monstrous is,] This bald reading is a modern fophiftic:tion : the eldest and best copies read;

Fal'n into taint: which to believe of her,
Must be a faith, that reason without miracle
Should never plant in me.

Cer. I yet beseech your Majesty,
(If, for I want that glib and oily art,
To speak and purpose not; since hat- I well intend,
I'll do't before I speak,) that you make known
It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,
No unchafte action, or dishonour'd step,
That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour:
But ev'n for want of that, for which I'm richer,
A ftill folliciting eye, and such a tongue,
That I am glad I've not; though, not to have it,
Hath loft me in your liking.

Lear. Better thou Hadft 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 self 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 loft a father, That you must lose a husband.

Cor. Peace be with Burgundy,

That monsters iti. e. that makes a monster, a prodigy, of it: And our pret uses this verb ellewhere in such a sense. So Albany, afterwards in this play, jays to Gonerill, his wife;

Thou chang'd, and self-converted thing! for shame,

Be-msrister not thy features.
And so, in Coriolanus ;

I'd rather have one scratch my head i'th' Sun,
When the alarum were truck, than idly fit
To hear my nothings monster'd.

Since that respects of fortune are his love,
I Mall not be his wife.

France. Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor,
Most choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'd!
Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon:
Be’t lawful, I take up what's cast away.
Gods, Gods! 'tis strange, that from their cold'It neglect
My love should kindle to enfiam’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. Bid farewel to your fifters.

Cor. Ye jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes
Cordelia leaves you: I know what you are,
And, like a sister, am moit loth to call
Your faults, as they are nam’d. Love well our father:
To your profeffing bosoms I commit him;
But yet, alas! food 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
At fortune’s alms; you have obedience scanted,
And well are worth the Want that you have wanted. (4)

(4) And well are worth the Want that you have wanted.] This is a very obscure expreffion, and must be pieced out with an implied lense, 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 profess’d to want « for our father,"

Cor.