For she was yielded there. Thai. SCENE III.The Temple of Diana at Ephesus; | Thy burden at the sea, and call'd Marina, Per. Hail, Dian! to perform thy just command, At sea in childbed died she, but brought forth Thai. Voice and favour! Bless'd, and mine own! I know you not. [Tyre, Per. You have heard me say, when I did fly from 'Twas Helicanus then. Per. Still confirmation: Thai. Lord Cerimon, my lord; this man that can From first to last resolve you. Per. Reverend sir, The gods can have no mortal officer Cer. Per. Pure Diana! I bless thee for thy vision, and will offer Thai. Lord Cerimon hath letters of good credit, To hear the rest untold. — Sir, lead the way. Enter GOWER. Gow. In Antioch, and his daughter, you have heard Of monstrous lust the due and just reward: ending. Enter KENT, GLOSTER, and EDMUND. Kent. I thought, the king had more affected the duke of Albany, than Cornwall. Glo. It did always seem so to us: but now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most; for equalities are so weigh'd, that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's moiety. Kent. Is not this your son, my lord? Glo. His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge: I have so often blush'd to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed to it. Kent. I cannot conceive you. Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could: whereupon she grew round-wombed; and had, indeed, sir, a son for her cradle, ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault? Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper. Glo. But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came somewhat saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair; there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged. - Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund? 837 Edm. No, my lord. Glo. My lord of Kent: remember him hereafter as my honourable friend. Edm. My services to your lordship. Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you better. Edm. Sir, I shall study deserving. Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again :- The king is coming. [Trumpets sound within. Do love you more than words can wield the matter, With shadowy forests and with champains rich'd, Reg. I am made of that self metal as my sister, 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; nor more, nor less, Lear. How, how, Cordelia ? mend your speech a little, Lest it may mar your fortunes. Cor. That lord, whose hand must take my plight, shall For, by the sacred radiance of the sun; From whom we do exist, and cease to be; And as a stranger to my heart and me Or he that makes his generation messes Lear. Peace, Kent! Come not between the dragon and his wrath : So be my grave my peace, as here I give Call Burgundy.- Cornwall, and Albany, That troop with majesty.-Ourself, by monthly course, With reservation of an hundred knights, retain The name, and all the additions to a king; The sway, Revenue, execution of the rest, Beloved sons, be yours: which to confirm, Kent. This coronet part between you. [Giving the crown. 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 power to flattery bows? To plainness bo I would not from your love make such a stray, This is most strange ! France. That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affection Cor. Lear. Better thou Had'st not been born, than not to have pleas'd me Give but that portion which yourself propos'd, And here I take Cordelia by the band, Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble Duchess of Burgundy. Lear. Nothing: I have sworn; I am firm. Bur. I am sorry then, you have so lost a father, That you must lose a husband. Cor. Peace be with Burgundy! Since that respects of fortune are his love, I shall 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 it lawful, I take up what's cast away. Gods, gods! 'tis strange, that from their cold'st neglect My love should kindle to inflam'd respect. Lear. Thou hast her, France: let her be thine; for we Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see [Flourish. Exeunt LEAR, BURGUNDY, Corn WALL, ALBANY, GLOSTER, and Attendants. France. Bid farewell to your sisters. Cor. The jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes Cordelia leaves you: I know you what you are; And, like a sister, am most loath to call Your faults, as they are nam'd. Use well our father: To your professed bosoms I commit him: But yet, alas! stood I within his grace, I would prefer him to a better place. So farewell to you both. Gon. Prescribe not us our duties. Let your study Who cover faults, at last shame them derides. Well may you prosper ! France. Come, my fair Cordelia. [Exeunt FRANCE and CORDELIA. Gon. Sister, it is not a little I have to say, of what most nearly appertains to us both. I think, our father will hence to-night. Reg. That's most 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 loved our sister 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 slenderly known himself. Gon. The best and soundest of his time hath been but rash; then must we look to receive from his age, 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 dispositions 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' the heat. [Exeunt. SCENE II. A Hall in the Earl of Gloster's Castle. Enter EDMUND, with a letter. Edm. Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law For that I am some twelve or fourteen moon-shines Edm. So please your lordship, none. [Putting up the letter. Glo. Why so earnestly seek you to put up that letter? Edm. I know no news, my lord. Glo. No? what needed then that terrible despatch of it into your pocket? the quality of nothing hath not such need to hide itself. Let's see: 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; for so much as I have perused, I find it not fit for your over-looking. 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 see, let's see. Edm. I hope, for my brother's justification, he wrote this but as an essay or taste of my virtue. Glo. [Reads.] This policy, and reverence of age, 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; who sways, not as it hath power, but as it is suffered. Come to me, that of this I may speak more. If our father would sleep till I waked him, you should enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live the beloved of your brother, Edgar. Humph-Conspiracy! Sleep till I waked 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; but I hope, his heart is not in the contents. Glo. Hath he never heretofore sounded you in this business? Edm. Never, my lord: But I have often heard him maintain it to be fit, that, sons at perfect age, and fathers declining, the father should be as ward to the son, 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, sirrah, 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 |