Then poor Cordelia! [Aside. Beloved sons, be yours: which to confirm,

(Which we durst never yet,) and, with strain'd pride,
To come betwixt our sentences 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 sixth, to turn thy hated back
Upon our kingdom: if, on the tenth day following,
Thy banish'd 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: sith thus thou wilt appear,
Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here.-
The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid, [To COR.
That justly think'st, 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. [Exit.
Re-enter GLOSTER; with FRANCE, BURGUNDY, and
Attendants.

Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord.
Lear. My lord of Burgundy,

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

Bur.

Most royal majesty,
I crave no more than hath your highness offer'd,
Nor will you tender less.

Lear.
Right noble Burgundy,
When she was dear to us, we did hold her so;
But now her price is fall'n: Sir, there she stands;
If aught within that little, 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. 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 sır,

Election makes not up in such conditions.

Royal king,
Give but that portion which yourself propos'd,
And here I take Cordelia by the hand,
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!
I shall not be his wife.
Since that respects of fortune are his love,

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! 't is strange, that from their cold'st neglect
My love should kindle to inflam'd respect.—
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 unpriz'd precious maid of me.—
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
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,
BUR., CORN., ALB., GLO., 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. Love well our father:

Lear. Then leave her, sir; for, by the power that To your professed bosoms I commit him :

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 asham'd
Almost to acknowledge hers.

France.

This is most strange!
That she, who even but now was your best object,
The argument of your praise, balm of your age,
The best, the dearest, should in this trice of time
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
Fail into taint: which to believe of her,
Must be a faith that reason without miracle
Should never plant in me.

Cor.

I yet beseech your majesty,
(If for I want that glib and oily art,
To speak and purpose not; since what I well intend,
I'll do 't before I speak,) that you make known
It is no vicious blot, murther, 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,

But yet, alas! stood I within his grace,

I would prefer him to a better place.

So farewell to you both.

Reg. Prescribe not us our duties.
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.
Cor. Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides:
Who covers faults at last with shame derides.
Well may you prosper!
France.

Come, my fair Cordelia.
[Exeunt FRANCE and CORDELIA.
Gon. Sister, it is not 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 been little he always loved our sister most; and with what poor judg ment he hath now cast her off appears too grossly.

Reg. T is the infirmity of his age: yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself.

Gon. The best and soundest of his time hath been
a Regards; means considerations.
Here and where are used as noune.

Great rivals in
Long in our co

And here are t
(Since now we
Interest of terr
Which of you,
That we our la
Where nature
Our eldest hor
Gon. Sir, I

mat:

Dearer than ey
Beyond what
No less than
As much as c
A love that n
Beyond all m

Cor. Wha
sile

Lear. Of

thi

With shadow

With plented
We make t
Be this per
Our dearest
Reg. I a
And prize 1
I find she n
Only she co
Myself an e

Which the
And find, I
In your des
Cor.

And yet no
More pond

Lear. T

Remain th

No less in

Than that.

Although

The vines

Strive to b

A third m

Cor. N

Lear. Cor. N Lear.

Cor. My heart Accordin

Lear.

Lest you Cor. You have

Return t

Obey you Why ha They lov

That lor

Half my

Sure, I

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Lear

道

Cor

Lear

en we are sick in fortune, (often the surfeit of our ๆ behaviour,) we make guilty of our disasters the sun, toon, and stars: as if we were villains on necesfools by heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, treachers, by spherical predominance; drunkards, , and adulterers, by an enforced obedience of planeinfluence; and all that we are evil in, by a divine wing on: An admirable evasion of whore-master to lay his goatish disposition on the charge of a My father compounded with my mother under agon's tail; and my nativity was under ursa so that it follows, I am rough and lecherous.— wild have been that I am, had the maidenliest star the firmament twinkled on my bastardizing.

he comes like the catastrophe of the old comedy: he is villainous melancholy, with a sigh like Tom am.-O, these eclipses do portend these divisions! 1, la, mi.

j. How now, brother Edmund? What serious plation are you in?

. I am thinking, brother, of a prediction I read er day, what should follow these eclipses.

Do you busy yourself with that?

a. I promise you the effects he writes of succeed pily; as of unnaturalness between the child and arent; death, dearth, dissolutions of ancient amidivisions in state, menaces and maledictions against and nobles; needless diffidences, banishment of s, dissipation of cohorts, nuptial breaches, and I ⚫ not what.

7. How long have you been a sectary astronomical?
.. Come, come, when saw you my father last?
7. The night gone by.

m. Spake you with him?

9. Ay, two hours together.

Stew. Ay, madam.
Gon. By day and night he wrongs me;" every hour
He flashes into one gross crime or other,
That sets us all at odds: I'll not endure it :
His knights grow riotous, and himself upbraids us
On every trifle :-When he returns from hunting
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 hear him.

[Horns within.
Gon. Put on what weary negligence you please,
You and your fellows; I'd have it come to question :
If he distaste it, let him to my sister,
Whose mind and mine, I know, in that are one,
Not to be over-rul'd. Idle old man,
That still would manage those authorities
That he hath given away!-Now, by my life,
Old fools are babes again; and must be us'd
With checks, as flatteries,-when they are seen abus’d.
Remember what I have said.
Well, madam.

Stew.

Gon. And let his knights have colder looks among you; what grows of it no matter; advise your fellows so: I would breed from hence occasions, and I shall that I may speak :-I'll write straight to my sister, to hold my course :-Prepare for dinner. [Exeunt.

SCENE IV.-A Hall in the same.

Enter KENT, disguised.

Kent. If but as well I other accents borrow,
That can my speech diffuse, my good intent
May carry through itself to that full issue
For which I raz'd my likeness.-Now, banish'd Kent,
If thou canst serve where thou dost stand condemn'd,
So may it come thy master, whom thou lov`st,

. Parted you in good terms? Found you no dis- Shall find thee full of labours.
ire in him, by word, or countenance?
7. None at all.

. Bethink yourself wherein you may have offended
and at my entreaty forbear his presence, till some
t.me hath qualified the heat of his displeasure;
at this instant so rageth in him, that with the
ef of your person it would scarcely allay.
7. Some villain hath done me wrong.
a. That's my fear. I pray you have a continent
arance, till the speed of his rage goes slower; and,
say, retire with me to my lodging, from whence I
ly bring you to hear my lord speak: Pray you,
aere's my key :-If you do stir abroad go armed.
4. Armed, brother!

tm. Brother, I advise you to the best. I am no st man if there be any good meaning toward you: told you what I have seen and heard, but faintly; ng like the image and horror of it: Pray you,

Horns within.

Enter LEAR. Knights, and Attendants.

Lear. Let me not stay a jot for dinner; go, get it ready. [Exit an Attendant.] How now, what art thou?

Kent. A man, sir.

Lear. What dost thou profess? What wouldst thou with us?

Kent. I do profess to be no less than I seem; to serve him truly that will put me in trust; to love him that is honest; to converse with him that is wise and says little; to fear judgment; to fight when I cannot choose; and

to eat no fish.

Lear. What art thou?

Kent. A very honest-hearted fellow, and as poor as the king.

Lear. If thou be'st as poor for a subject as he 's for a
king, thou art poor enough. What wouldst thou?
Kent. Service.

Lear. Who wouldst thou serve?
Kent. You.

Lear. Dost thou know me, fellow?

Kent. No, sir; but you have that in your countenance which I would fain call master. Lear. What's that?

Kent. Authority.

Lear. What services canst thou do?

Kent. I can keep honest counsel, ride, run, mar a curious tale in telling it, and deliver a plain message bluntly; that which ordinary men are fit for I am qualified in: and the best of me is diligence.

Lear. How old art thou?

Kent. Not so young, sir, to love a woman for sing

We think with Steevens that, in the passage before us, by day and night means always,-every way,-constantly.