sc. 5. Act II. sc. 2; Act IV. sc. 3; sc. 7. EARL OF GLOSTER. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2: sc. 4. sc. 4; sc. 6; sc. 7. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 6. EDGAR, son to Gloster. Act III. sc. 3; Act V. sc. 2. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act II. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act III. sc. 4; sc. 6. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 6. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 2; c. 3. EDMUND, bastard son to Gloster. Appears. Act i. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act II. sc. 1: sc. 2. Act III. sc. 3; sc. 5; sc. 7. Act IV. sc 2. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 3. CURAN, a courtier. Appears, Act II. sc. 1. Old Man, tenant to Gloster. Appears, Act IV. sc. 1. Appears, Act I. sc. 4; sc. 5. Act II. sc. 4. sc. 4; sc. 6. Act III. c. 2 ; OSWALD, steward to Goneril. Appears, Act I. sc. 3; se. 4. Act II. sc. 2; sc. 4. Gentleman, attendant on Cordelia. A Herald. Appears, Act V. sc. 3. Servants to Cornwall. Appear, Act III. sc. 7. GONERIL, daughter to Lear. Appears, Act I. sc. 1; se 3; sc. 4. Act II. sc. 4. sc. 7. Act IV. sc. 2. Act V. sc. 1; sc. 3. Act IIL Act III. 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 qualities are so weigh'd, that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's moiety.b 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 braz'd to 't. 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. Gio. But I have a son, sir, by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came somewhat saucily to 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 ? 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. Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants. Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloster. Glo. I shall, my liege. [Exeunt Gio. and ЕD. And you, our no less loving son of Albany, Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, Which of you, shall we say, doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may extend Gon. Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter, Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty; No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour: A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable; Cor. What shall Cordelia speak? Love, and be With shadowy forests, and with champains rich'd, Reg. I am made of that self metal as my sister, Only she comes too short, that I profess Which the most precious square of sense possesses; In your dear highness' love. Cor. Cor. So young, my lord, and true. From whom we do exist, and cease to be; Kent. Lear. Peace, Kent! Come not between the dragon and his wrath: So be my grave my peace, as here I give I do invest you jointly with my power, That troop with majesty.-Ourself, by monthly course, By you to be sustain'd, shall our abode Make with you by due turn. Only we shall retain Revenue, execution of the rest, Then poor Cordelia! [Aside. Beloved sons, be yours: which to confirm, Lear. Nothing will come of nothing: speak again. My heart into my mouth; I love your majesty Lear. How, how, Cordelia? mend your speech a little, Lest you may mar your fortunes. That lord whose hand must take my plight shall carry This coronet 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, As my great patron thought on in my prayers,— shaft. Kent. Let it fall rather, though the fork invade When majesty falls to folly. Reserve thy state; This hideous rashness: answer my life my judgment, Thou swear'st thy gods in vain. O, vassal! miscreant! Hear me, recreant! (Which we durst never yet,) and, with strain'd pride, Kent. Fare thee well, king: sith thus thou wilt appear, [To REGAN and GONERIL. Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord. We first address toward you, who with this king Bur. Most royal majesty, Lear. Bur. I know no answer. Dower'd with our curse, and stranger'd with our oath, Bur. Pardon me, royal sır, Election makes not up in such conditions. Royal king, Lear. Nothing: I have sworn; I am firm. Cor. Peace be with Burgundy! France. Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being Most choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'd! Be it lawful, I take up what 's cast away. Gods, gods! 't is strange, that from their cold'st neglect Lear. Thou hast her, France: let her be thine, for we Cor. The jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes 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. France. This is most strange! Cor. I yet beseech your majesty, That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour: 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. Let your study Be, to content your lord; who hath receiv'd you Come, my fair Cordelia. 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 Great rivals in And here are t mat: Dearer than ey Cor. Wha Lear. Of thi With shadow With plented Which the And yet no 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 To love 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? m. Spake you with him? 9. Ay, two hours together. Stew. Ay, madam. [Horns within. 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, . Parted you in good terms? Found you no dis- Shall find thee full of labours. . Bethink yourself wherein you may have offended 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 Lear. Who wouldst thou serve? 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. |