As thou my fometime daughter.
Kent. Good my Liege

Lear. Peace, Kent!

Come not between the dragon and his wrath.
I lov'd her most, and thought to fet my reft

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 ftirs? Burgundy.Cornwall and Albany,

Call

With my two daughters' dowers digeft the third.
Let pride, which fhe calls plainnefs, marry her.
I do inveft you jointly with my power,
Preheminence, and all the large effects

That troop with Majefty.. Ourself by monthly course,,
With refervation of an hundred knights,
By you to be fuftain'd, fhall our abode
Make with you by due turns: only retain
The name and all th' addition to a King;.
The fway, revenue, execution of th' heft,
Beloved fons, be yours; which to confirm,,
This coronet part between you..

Kent. Royal Lear,

[Giving the crown

Whom I have ever honour'd as my King,
Lov'd as my father, as my mafter follow'd,,

And as my patron thought on in my pray'rs

Lear. The bow is bent and drawn, make from the
Kent. Let it fall rather, though the fork invade [fhaft.
The region of my heart; be Kent unmannerly,
When Lear is mad: what would'st thou do, old man?
Think'st thou that duty fhall have dread to speak,
When power to flatt'ry bows? to plainnefs honour
Is bound, when Majefty to folly falls.

Referve thy ftate; with better judgment check
This hideous rafhnefs; with my life I anfwer,
Thy youngest daughter does not love thee leaft;
Nor are thofe empty-hearted, whofe low found:
Reverbs no hollowness.

Lear. Kent, on thy life no more.

Kent. My life I never held but as a pawn To wage againft thy foes; nor fear to lose it,, Thy fafety being the motive.

Lear. Out of my fight?

A 3

Kent.

Kent. See better, Lear, and let me ftill remain
The true blank of thine eye.
Lear. Now by Apollo-

Kent. Now by Apollo, King,
Thou fwear'ft thy gods in vain.
Lear. O vaffal! mifereant!.

[Laying his hand on his sword.

Alb. Corn. Dear Sir, forbear.

Kent. Kill thy phyfician, and thy fee bestow
Upon the foul difeafe; revoke thy doom,
Or whilst I can vent clamour from my throat,
I'll tell thee thou doft evil.

Lear. Hear me, recreant !

Since thou hast fought to make us break our vow,
Which we durft never yet; and with ftrain'd pride,
To come betwixt our fentence and our power † :
Which nor our nature, nor our place, can bear,
Our potency make good; take thy reward.
Five days we do allot thee for provision,
To fhield thee from difaiters of the world;
And, on the fixth, to turn thy hated back
Upon our kingdom; if, the tenth day following,
Thy banish'd trunk be found in our dominions,
The moment is thy death: away! By Jupiter,
This fhall not be revok'd.

Kent. Fare thee well, King; fith thus thou wilt ap-
Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here; [pear,
The gods to their dear fhelter take thee, maid, [To Cor.
That juftly think'ft, and haft moft rightly faid;
And your large speeches may your deeds approve,

[To Gon. and Reg. That good effects may fpring from words of love. Thus Kent, O princes, bids you all adieu, He'll shape his old courfe in a country new.

SCENE III.

[Exit.

Enter Glo'fter, with France and Burgundy, and Attendants.

Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my Noble Lord. Lear. My Lordof Burgundy,

We firft addrefs tow'rd you, who with this King

† perver, for execution of the sentence.

Have

Have rivall'd for our daughter; what at least
Will you require in prefent dower with her,
Or ceafe your queft of love?
Bur. Moft Royal Majesty,

I crave no more than what you Highness offer'd,
Nor will you tender less.

Lear. Right Noble Burgundy,

When she was dear to us, we held her fo;

But now her price is fall'n. Sir, there she stands,
If aught within that little feeming substance,
Or all of it with our displeasure piec'd,

And nothing more, may fitly like your Grace,
She's there, and fhe is yours.

Bur. I know no answer.

you

Lear. Will with those infirmities fhe owes, Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate,

Dower'd with our curfe, and stranger'd with our oath, Take her, or leave her?

Bur. Pardon, Royal Sir;

Election makes not up on fuch conditions.

Lear. Then leave her, Sir; for by the pow'r that

made me,

I tell you all her wealth.

I would not from your love make such a stray,

To match you where I hate; therefore befeech you
T'avert your liking a more worthy way,

Than on a wretch, whom nature is afham'd
Almoft t' acknowledge her's.

France. This is moft ftrange!

That she, who ev'n but now was your best object,
Your praife's argument, balm of your age,
Dearest and best, should in this trice of time
Commit a thing fo monftrous, to dismantle
So many folds of favour! Sure, th' offence
Must be of fuch unnatural degree,

As monsters it; or your fore-vouch'd affection
Fall'n into taint: which to believe of her,
Must be a faith that reafon without miracle
Should never plant in me.

Cor. I yet befeech your Majefty,

To avert, for to turn, fimply.

(If,

(If, for I want that glib and oily art,

To speak and purpofe not; fince what I will intend,
I'll do't before I fpeak), that you make known
It is no vicious blot, murther, or foulnefs,

No unchafte action, or dishonour'd step,

That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour:
But ev'n the want of that, for which I'm richer,
A ftill-foliciting eye, and fuch a tongue,

That I'm 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 tardinefs in nature,

Which often leaves the hiftory unfpoke

That it intends to do? My Lord of Burgundy,
What fay you to the lady? Love's not love
When it is mingled with regards, that stand

Aloof from th' entire † point. Say, will you have her??
She is herself a dowry.

Bur. Royal King,

Give but that portion which yourself propos'd,.

And here I take Cordelia by the hand,

Duchefs of Burgundy.

Lear. Nothing.

-I've fworn.

Bur. I'm forry then you have fo loft a father,

That you must lose a husband.

Cor. Peace be with Burgundy;

Since that refpects of fortune are his love,

I fhall not be his wife.

France Fairest Cordelia, that art moft rich, being Most choice, forfaken! and moft lov'd, defpis'd! [poor! Thee and thy virtues here I feize upon.

Be't lawful I take up what's caft away.

Gods, gods! 'tis ftrange, that from their cold' neglect:

My love should kindle to inflam'd respect.

They dow'rlefs daughter, King, thrown to my chance,
Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France.
Not all the Dukes of wat'rifh Burgundy
Can buy this unpriz'd, precious, maid of me.
Bid them farewel, Cordelia, tho' unkind;
Thou lofeft here, a better where to find.

t entire, for right, true.

Lear

Lear. Thou haft her, France; let her be thine, for we Have no fuch daughter; nor fhall ever fee

That face of her's again; therefore be gone
Without our grace, our love, our benizon.
Come, Noble Burgundy.

[Flourish. Exeunt Lear and Burgundy.

Cor. Ye jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes Cordelia leaves you. I know what you are,

And, like a fifter, am most loth to call

Your faults, as they are nam'd. Love well our father. To your profeffing bofoms I commit him

But yet, alas! ftood I within his grace,

I would prefer him to a better place.
So farewel to you both.

Reg. Prefcribe not us our duty.
Gon. Let your ftudy

;

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 vaunted.
Cor. Time fhall unfold what plaited cunning hides,
Who cover'd faults at laft with fhame derides.

Well may you profper!

France. Come, my fair Cordelia.

[Exeunt France and Cordelia

SCENE V.

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.

he

Gon. You fee how full of change his age is, the obfervation we have made of it hath not been little always lov'd our fifter moft, and with what poor judgment he hath now caft her off, appears too grofsly.

Reg. 'Tis the infirmity of his age; yet he hath ever but flenderly known himself.

Gon. The beft and foundest of his time hath been but rash; and must we look, from his age, to receive not

alone