•

vade

Kent. Let it fall rather, though the fork in- | If aught within tha, ittle seeming substance,
Or all of it, with our displeasure piec'd,
And nothing more, may fitly like your grace,
She's there, and she is yours.
Bur. I know no answer.
Lear. Sir,

The region of my heart: be Kent unmannerly,
When Lear is mad. What wouldst thou do, old

man?

[speak,
Think'st thou that duty shall have dread to
When power to flattery bows? To plainness
honour's bound,
[doom;
When majesty stoops to folly. Reverse thy
And, in thy best consideration, check
This hideous rashness: answer my life, my
judgment,

Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least;
Nor are those empty-hearted, whose low sound
Reverbs 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,

VOW,

On thine allegiance hear me !~
Since thou hast sought to make us break our
[pride,
(Which we durst never yet,) and, with strain'd
To come betwixt our sentence 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 shield thee from diseases of the world;
And, on the sixth, to turn thy hated back
Upon our kingdom: if, on the tenth day follow-
ing,

Thy safety being the motive.

Lear. Out of my sight!

To avert your liking a more worthier way,
Kent. See better, Lear; and let me still re-Than on a wretch whom nature is asham'a
The true blank of thine eye.
Almost to acknowledge hers.
Lear. Now, by Apollo,

[main,

France. This is most strange !

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

That she, that even but now was your best object,
The argument of your praise, balm of your age,
Most best, most dearest, should in this trice of
time

[Laying his Hand upon his Sword.
Alb. Corn. Dear Sir, forbear.
Kent. Do:

Kill thy physician, and the 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.

Lear. Hear me, recreant!

Thy banish trunk be found in our dominions,
The moment is thy death: Away! By Jupiter,
This shall not be revok'd.

Kent. Fare thee well, king: since thus thou
wilt appear,
Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here.-
The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid,
[To CORDELIA.
That justly think'st, and has 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.
[Exit.
Re-enter GLOSTER; with FRANCE, BURGUNDY,
and Attendants.

Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble

lord.

Will you, with those infirmities she owes, +
Unfriended, new adopted to our hate,
Dower'd with our curse, and stranger'd with our
oath,

Take her, or leave her?

Bur. Pardon me, royal Sir ;

Election makes not up on such conditions. Lear. Then leave her, Sir; for, by the power that made me,

Lear. My lord of Burgundy,

We first address towards you, who with this

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

• Reverberates.
Follow his old mode of life. 5 Amorous expedition.
+ The mark to shoot at.

Commit a thing so monstrous, to dismantle
So many folds of favour! Sure, her offence
Must be of such unnatural degree,

That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd || affection
Fall into taint: which to believe of her,
Must be a faith, that reason without miracle
Could never plant in me.

Cor. I yet beseech your majesty,

(If for ** I want that glib and oily art, [intend,
To speak and purpose not: since what I well
I'll do't before I speak, that you make known
It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,
No unchaste action, or dishonour'd step,
That hath depriv'd 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

Cor. Peace be with Burgundy!
Since that respects of fortune are his love,

I shall not be his wife.

France. Fairest Cordelia, thou art most rich, being poor;

king

[least,

Will you require in present dower with her,
Hath rival'd for our daughter; What, in the
Or cease your quest of love?

Most choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'd:
Thee and thy virtues here I scize upon:
Be it lawful, I take up what's cast away.
Gods, gods! 'tis strange, that from their cold'st
neglect

8

Bur. Most royal majesty,

My love should kindle to inflam'd respect.

Nor will you tender less.

I crave no more than hath your highness offer'd, Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my

chance,

Lear. Right noble Burgundy,

Is queen of us, of our's, and our fair France:
Not all the dukes of wat'rish

When she was dear to us, we did hold her so;
But now her price is fall'n: Sir, there she Shall buy this unpriz'd precious maid of me.--

stands;

Hadst not been born, than not to 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 is not love,
When it is mingled with respects, that stand
Aloof from the entire point. tt Will you have
She is herself a dowry.
[her t
Give but that portion which yourself propos'd,
And bere I take Cordelia by the hand,
Duchess of Burgundy.

Bur. Royal Lear,

Lear. Nothing: I have sworn: I am firm. Bur. I am sorry, then, you have so lost a That you must lose a husband.

[father,

• Specious.

† Owns.
1 Concludes not,
Former declaration of. Reproach.
** Because.
tt "Who seeks for aught in love but love alone!"

Turn.

Bid them farewell, Cordelia, though unkind :
Thou losest here, a better where to find.
Lear. Thou hast her, France: let her be thine;
for we

|

Than doth, within a dull, stale, tired bed,
Go to the creating a whole tribe of fops,
Got 'tween asleep and wake?-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
CORN-Shall top the legitimate. I grow; I prosper :—
Now, gods, stand up for bastards !

Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see
That face of her's again :-Therefore be gone,
Without our grace, our love, our benison.t-
Come, noble Burgundy.

(Flourish. Exeunt LEAR, BURGUNDY,

WALL, ALBANY, GLOSTER, and Attendants.
France. Bid farewell to your sisters.
Cor. The jewels of our father with wash'

us both. I

[Exeunt FRANCE and CORDELIA. Gon. Sister, it is not a little I have to say, of what most nearly appertains to 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 eyer but slenderly known himself.

Enter GLOSTER.

Glo. Kent banish'd thus! Aud France in
choler parted!

And the king gone to-night! subscrib'd * his
Confiu'd to exhibition!+ All this done [power!
Upon the gad ! --Edmund! How now, what
news?

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 Gon. The best and soundest of his time hath our oldness cannot relish them. I begin to been but rash; then must we look to receive find an idle and fond bondage in the op. from his age, not alone the imperfections of pression of aged tyranny; who stays, not as long-engrafted condition, but, therewithal, the it hath power, but as it is suffered. Come to If our unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric me, that of this I may speak more. father would sleep till I waked kim, you years bring with them.

Reg. Such unconstant starts are we like to should enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live the beloved of your brother, Edgar.have from him, as this of Kent's banishment. Gon. There is further compliment of leave-Humph-Conspiracy-Sleep till I waked him taking between France and him. Pray yon, let you should enjoy half his revenue,—My son us hit together: If our father carry authority Edgar! Had he a hand to write this? a heart and with such dispositions as he bears, this last sur- brain to breed it in ?-When came this to you! Who brought it? render of his will but offend us.

Reg. We shall further think of it.

Edm. It was not brought me, my lord, there's Gon. We must do something, and i'the heat. the cunning of it; I found it thrown in at the [Exeunt. casement of my closet. SCENE II.-A Hall in the Earl of GLOSTER's Castle.

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.

Enter EDMUND, with a Letter.

Edm. Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law

base? Who, in the lusty stealth of nature, take More composition and fierce quality,

• Place. mind. The injustice.

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

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.

+ Blessing.

↑ Folded. Strike while the iron's hot. The nicety of civil institution.

Edm. So please your lordship, none.

[Putting up the Letter. Glo. Why so earnestly seek you to put up that

letter ?

Edm. I beseech you, Sir, pardon me: it is a letter from my brother, that I have not all o'erread; for so much as I have perused, 1 find it not fit for your over-looking.

Glo. Give me the letter, Sir.

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 madman's issue? Why brand they us
With base? with baseness? bastardy? base,

Edm. I know no news, my lord.

Glo. What paper were you reading?
Edm. Nothing, my lord.

Edm. I shall offend, either to detain or give it. The contents, as in part ! understand them,

are to blame.

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 apprebend him :-Abominable villain !-Where is he?

Edm. I do not well know, my lord. If it

shall please you to suspend your indignation [tions of ancient amities; divisions in statej
against my brother, till you can derive from him menaces and maledictions against king and
better testimony of his intent, you shall run a nobles; needless diffidences, banishment of
certain course: where, if you violently pro- friends, dissipation of cohorts, nuptial breaches,
ceed against him, mistaking his purpose, it and I know not what.
would make a great gap in your own honour,
and shake in pieces the heart of his obedience.tronomical?
1 dare pawn down my life for him, that he
bath writ this to feel my affection to your hon- last?
our and to no other pretence of danger.

Edg. How long have you been a sectary as

Edm. Come, come, when saw you my father

Edg. Why, the night gone by.
Edm. Spake you with him?
Edg. Ay, two hours together.
Edm. Parted you in good terms? Found you
no displeasure in him, by word or countenance ?
Edg. None at all.

Edm. Bethink yourself, wherein you may have
offended him; and at my entreaty, forbear his
presence, till some little time hath qualified the

Edm. Nor is not, sure.

Glo. To his father, that so tenderly and en-beat of his displeasure; which at this instant so
tirely loves him.-Heaven and earth!-Ed-rageth in him, that with the mischief of your
mund, seek him out: wind me into him, I pray person it would scarcely allay.
you: frame the business after your own wis- Edg. Some villain hath done me wrong.
dom: I would unstate myself, to be in a due Edm. That's my fear. I pray you, have a
resolution. §
continent + forbearance, till the speed of his
Edm. I will seek him, Sir, presently; convey ||rage goes slower; and, as I say, retire with me
the business as I shall find means, and acquaint
you withal.

to my lodging, from whence I will fitly bring
you to bear my lord speak: Pray you, go;
there's my key:-If you do stir abroad, go
armed.

Glo. Think you so?

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 satisfaction; and that without any further delay than this very evening.

Glo. He cannot be such a monster.

Glo. These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us: Though the wisdom of nature can reason it thus and thus, yet nature finds itself scourged by the sequent ¶ effects: love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide: in cities, mutinies; in countries, discord; in palaces, treason; and the bond cracked between son and father. This villain of mine comes under the prediction; there's son against father: the king falls from bias of nature; there's Edg. Shall I hear from you anon? father against child. We have seen the best of Edm. I do serve you in this business.our time: Machinations, hollowness, treachery, [Exit EDGAR. and all ruinous disorders, follow us disquietly to A credulous father, and a brother noble, our graves!-Find out this villain, Edmund, it Whose nature is so far from doing harms, shall lose thee nothing; do it carefully:-And That he suspects none on whose foolish honthe noble and true hearted Kent banished! bis

esty

offence, honesty I-Strange! strange ! [Erit. My practices ride easy !-I see the business.Edm. This is the excellent foppery of the Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit: world! that, when we are sick in fortune, All with me's meet, that I can fashion fit. (often the surfeit of our own behaviour,) we make guilty of our disasters, the sun, the moon, and the stars; as if we were villains by necessity: fools, by heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, and treachers, by spherical predominance; drunkards, liars, and adulterers, by an enforced obedience of planetary influence: aud all that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting en: An admirable evasion of whoremaster man, to lay his goatish disposition to the charge of a star! My father compounded with my mother under the dragon's tail; and my nativity was under ursa major;tt so that it follows, I am rough and lecherous. Tut, I should have been that I am, had the maidenliest star the firmament twinkled Edgaron my bastardizing.

in

Edg. Armed, brother ?

Edm. Brother, I advise you to the best: go armed; I am no honest man, if there be any good meaning towards you: I have told you what I have seen and heard, but faintly; nothing like the image and horror of it: Pray you, away.

Edg. Do you busy yourself with that? Fdm. I promise you, the effects he writes of sncceed unhappily; as of unnaturalness between the child and the parent; death, dearth, dissolu

• Whereas.

7 The usual address to a lord. ↑ Design. Descend from my dignity by privately listening, to

e sure of the truth. I Manage.

Following. **Traitors. + The constellation so named. 1: These sounds are unnatural and offensive in music.

[Exit. SCENE III-A Room in the Duke of ALBANY'S Palace.

Enter EDGAR.

and pat he comes, like the catastrophe of the
old comedy: My cue is villanous inelancholy,
within.
with a sigh like Tom O'Bedlam.-O these eclip-
Gon. Put on what weary negligence you
ses do portend these divisions! Fa, sol, la, Yon and your fellows; I'd have it come to
please,
[question:
If he dislike it, let him to my sister,

mi. If

Edg. How now, brother Edmund? What se-Whose mind and mine, I know, in that are one,
rious contemplation are you in?
I read this other day, what should follow these
Fam. I am thinking, brother, of a prediction

That he hath given away!-Now, by my life,
Not to be over-rul'd. Idle old man,
That still would manage those authorities,
Old fools are babes and must be us'd

eclipses.

With checks, as flatteries, when they are seen

[abus'd.
Remember what I have said.
Stew. Very well, madam.
Gon. And let his knights have colder looks
among you:

What grows of it, no matter; advise your fel

lows so:

For cohorts some editors read courts. † Temperate.

"

Enter GONERIL and STEWARD.

Gon. Did my father strike my gentleman for
chiding of his fool ?

Stew. Ay, madam.

Gon. By day and night! he wrongs me;
He flashes into one gross crime or other,
every hour
That sets us all at odds: I'll not endure it
His knights grow riotous, and himself upbraids
[ing
On every trifle :-When he returns from hunt-
I will not speak with him; say, I am sick :-
If you come slack of former services,
You shall do well; the fault of it I'll answer.
Stew. He's coming, madam; I bear hun.

us

kindness appears, as well in the general depen dants, as in the duke himself also, and you daughter.

Lear. Ha! say'st thou so?

Knight. I beseech you, pardon me, my lord, if I be mistaken; for my duty cannot be silent, when I think your highness is wrong'd.

Lear. Thou but reinember'st me of mine own conception; I have perceived a most faint neglect of late; which I have rather blamed as mine own jealous curiosity, than as a very pretence and purpose of unkindness: I will look further into't.-But where's my fool? I have not seen him these two days.

Knight. Since my young lady's going into France, Sir, the fool hath much pined away.

Lear. No more of that; I have noted it well. -Go you, and tell my daughter I would speak with her.-Go you, call hither my fool.

Re-enter STEWARD.

O you Sir, you Sir, come you hither: Who am
I, Sir?

Stew. My lady's father.

Lear. My lady's father? my lord's knave: you whoresom dog! you slave! you cur!

Stew. I am none of this, my lord; I beseech you, pardon me.

Lear. Do you bandy looks with me, you rascal? [Striking him.

Stew. I'll not be struck, my lord. Kent. Nor tripped neither; you base football player. [Tripping up his Heels. Lear. I thank thee, fellow; thou servest me, and I'll love thee.

Kent. Come, Sir, arise, away; I'll teach you differences; away, away: If you will measure : but away: go your lubber's length again, tarry: to; Have you wisdom? so. [Pushes the STEWARD out. Lear. Now, my friendly knave, I thank thee: there's earnest of thy service. [Giving KENT Money.

Knight. My lord, I know not what the matter is; but, to my judgment, your highness is not entertain'd with that ceremonious affection as you were wont; there's a great abatement of

ing.-Yes, forsooth, I will hold my tongue; so
your face [To GON.] bids me, though you say
nothing. Mum, mum,
He that keeps nor crust nor crum,
Weary of all, shall want some.-
That's a sheal'd peascod. *

KING LEAR.

Scene IV.

And thou shalt have more Than two tens to a score, Lear. This is nothing, fool. Fool. Then 'tis like the breath of an unfee'd lawyer; you gave me nothing for't: Can you make no use of nothing, nuncle?

Lear. Why, no, boy; nothing can be made out of nothing.

Fool. Pr'ythee, tell him, so much the rent of bis land comes to; he will not believe a fool. [To KENT.

Lear. A bitter fool!

Fool. Dost thou know the difference, my boy,
between a bitter fool and a sweet fool!
Lear. No, lad; teach me.
Fool. That lord, that counsel'd thee
To give away thy land,
Come place him here by me,

Or do thou for him stand:
The sweet and bitter fool

Will presently appear;
The one in motley here,

The other found out there.
Lear. Dost thou call me fool, boy?
Fool. All thy other titles thou hast
away; that thou wast born with.

[Pointing to LEAR. Gon. Not only, Sir, this your all-licens'd fool,

But other of your insolent retinue

Do hourly carp and quarrel; breaking forth
In rank and not-to-be-endured riots. Sir,
I had thought, by making this well known un-
to you,

To have found a safe redress; but now grow
fearful,

By what yourself too late have spoke and done,
That you protect this course, and put it on
By your allowance; which if you should, the
fault

Would not 'scape censure, nor the redresses
sleep;

Which, in the tender of a wholesome weal, ‡
Might in their working do you that offence,
Which else were shame, that then necessity
Will call discreet proceeding.

Fool. For you trow, nuncle,

given

Kent. This is not altogether fool, my lord. Fool. No, 'faith, lords and great men will not let me; if I had a monopoly out, they Mould have part on't: and ladies too, they will not let me have all fool to myself; they'll be snatching. Give me an egg, nuncle, and I'll give thee two crowns.

So,

The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long,
That it had its head bit off by its young.
out went the candle, and we
darkling.

were left

Lear. What two crowns shall they be? Fool. Why, after I have cut the egg i'the middle, and eat up the meat, the two crowns of the egg. When thou clovest thy crown i'the middle, and gavest away both parts, thou borest thine ass on thy back over the dirt: Thou hadst little wit in thy bald crown, when thou gavest thy golden one away. If I speak like myself in this, let him be whipp'd that first finds it so.

[Singing.

Fools had ne'er less grace• in a year;
For wise men are grown foppish;
And know not how their wits to wear,
Their manners are so apish.

Lear. Are you our daughter? Gon. Come, Sir, I would you would make use of that good wisdom whereof I know you are fraught; and put away these dispositions, which of late transform you from what you rightly are.

Fool. May not an ass know when the cart draws the horse ?-Whoop, Jug! I love thee.

Lear. Does any here know me ?-Why this is not Lear: does Lear walk thus ? speak thus ? Where are his eyes? Either his notion weakens, or his discernings are lethargied.-Sleeping or waking ?-Ha! sure, 'tis not so.-Who is it that can tell me who I am ?-Lear's shadow? I would learn that; for by the marks of sove. reignty, knowledge, and reason, I should be false persuaded I had daughters.

Fool. Which they will make an obedient fa

ther.

Lear. Your name, fair gentlewoman?
Gon. Come, Sir;

This admiration is much o'the favour ¶
Of other your new pranks. I do beseech you
To understand my purposes aright:

Lear. When were you wont to be so full of
songs, Sirrah ?

Fool. I have used it, nuncle, ever since thou madest thy daughters thy mother: for when thou gavest them the rod, and put'st down thine own breeches,

Then they for sudden joy did weep, [Singing.
And I for sorrow sung,
That such a king should play bo-peep.

And go the fools among.

Pr'ythee, nuncle, keep a schoolmaster that can
teach thy fool to lie; I would fain learn to lie.
Lear. If you lie, Sirrah, we'll have you
whipp'd.
thou and thy
Fool. I marvel, what kin
daughters are: they'll have me whipp'd for
speaking true, thou'lt have me whipp'd for
lying; and, sometimes, I am whipp'd for hold-
I had rather be any kind of
ing my peace.
thing, than a fool and yet I would not be thee,
Bancle; thou hast pared thy wit o'both sides,
and left nothing in the middle: Here comes
cue o'the parings.

As you are old and reverend, you should be wise :

Here do you keep a hundred knights and
squires;

Men so disordered, so debauch'd, and bold,
That this our court, infected with their manners,
Shows like a riotous inn; epicurism and lust
Make it more like a tavern or a brothel,
Than a grac'd palace. The shame itself doth
[speak
For instant remedy: Be then desir'd
By her, that else will take the thing she begs,
A little to disquantity your train;
And the remainder, that shall still depend, **
To be such men as may besort your age,
And know themselves and you.

Lear. Darkness and devils !-
Saddle my horses; call my train together.-
Degenerate bastard! I'll not trouble thee;
Yet have I left a daughter.

Gon. You strike my people; and your dis-
order'd rabble
Make servants of their betters.

Enter GONERIL.

Lear. How now, daughter! what makes that frontlet + on 1 Methinks, you are too much of late i'the frown.

Fool. Thou wast a pretty fellow, when thou hadst no need to care for her frowning; now thou art an Ot without a figure: I am better thas thou art now; I am a fool, thou art noth

• Favour.
↑ Part of a woman's head-dress, to which Lear com-
A cypher.
pares her frowning brew,

Enter ALBANY.

Lear. Woe, that too late repents,-O Sir, are

you come?

• A mere husk which contains nothing. Well-governed state. ↑ Approbation. Complexion. Stored. Continue in service.