Art First. Fool. OSWALD, Steward to Goneril. Servants to Cornwall. GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, -Daughters to Lear. Knights attending on the King, Officers, SCENE-Britain. SCENE I. A Room of State in King Lear's Palace. 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 ? Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again:-The king is coming. [Trumpets sound within purpose. And you, our no less loving son of Albany, and Burgundy, Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn, [daughters And here are to be answer'd.-Tell me, my (Since now we will divest us, both of rule, Interest of territory, cares of state), Which of you, shall we say, doth love us most? That we our largest bounty may extend Where merit doth most challenge it.-Goneril, Our eldest-born, speak first. Gon. [matter, Do love you more than words can wield the Glo. My lord of Kent: remember him here- Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty; after as my honourable friend. Edm. No, my lord. Edm. My services to your lordship. [better. Sir, I Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare; As much as child e'er lov'd, or father found. A love that makes breath poor, and speech un-On her kind nursery.-Hence, and avoid my able: Beyond all manner of so much I love you. Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall? Speak. Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever, [again. Lear. Nothing can come of nothing: speak Half my love with him, half my care, and duty: Lear. But goes this with thy heart? Or he that makes his generation messes Good my liege, Lear. Peace, Kent! Come not between the dragon and his wrath: I lov'd her most, and thought to set my rest sight! [To CORDELIA. Call Burgundy -Cornwall and Albany, [third: course, The name, and all the additions to a king; Revenue, execution of the rest, [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? [speak, Think'st thou, that duty shall have dread to Thy youngest daughter does not love the least; Lear. Now, by Apollo, king, Thou swear'st thy gods in vain. O, vassal! miscreant! Kill thy physician, and the fee bestow Lear. Hear me, recreant! On thine allegiance hear me ! [vow, Since thou hast sought to make us break our (Which we durst never yet), and, with strain'd pride, To come betwixt our sentence and our power Thy banish'd trunk be found in our dominions, This shall not be revok'd. [wilt appear, Hadst not been born, than not to have pleas'd me better. Kent. Fare thee well, king: since thus thou Freedom lives hence,and banishment is here.-. The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid, [To CORDELIA. 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: [Exit. Re-enter GLOSTER; with FRANCE, BURGUNDY,and Attendants. Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble Lear. My lord of Burgundy, [lord. We first address towards you, who with this king Hath rivall'd for our daughter; What, in the least, Will you require in present dower with her, Most royal majesty, 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. Lear. Sir, I know no answer. Will you, with those infirmities she owes, I tell you all her wealth.-For, you great king, yon 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, 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 Commit a thing so monstrous, to dismantle 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 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. Will you have her? She is herself a dowry. Royal Lear, Give but that portion which yourself propos'd, And here I take Cordelia by the hand, Duchess of Burgundy. Bur. 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. [being poor! France. Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, Most choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'di 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.Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my chance, Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France: Lear. Thou hast her, France: let her be thine; for we Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see [Flourish. Exeunt LEAR, BUR. Corn. Alb, France. Bid farewell to your sisters. To your professed bosoms I commit him: Gon. Prescribe not us our duties. 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. [hides; 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 leavetaking 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. 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. [ther's? Glo. You know the character to be your broEdm. 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? 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. Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thylaw My services are bound; Wherefore should I Edm. Never, my lord: But I have often heard Stand in the plague of custom; and permit him maintain it to be fit, that, sons at perfect The curiosity of nations to deprive me, [shines age, and fathers declining, the father should be For that I am some twelve or fourteen moon-as ward to the son, and the son manage his reLag of a brother? Why bastard? wherefore base? venue. When my dimensions are as well compact, My mind as generous, and my shape as true, As honest madam's issue? Why brand they us With base? with baseness? bastardy? base, base? Who, in the lusty stealth of nature, take More composition and fierce quality, Than doth, within a dull, stale, tired bed, Go to the creating a whole tribe of tops, 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 Shall top the legitimate. I grow; I prosper :Now, gods, stand up for bastards! Enter GLOSTER. Glo. Kent banish'd thus! And France in choler parted! [power! And the king gone to-night! subscrib'd his Confin'd to exhibition! All this done [news? Upon the gad!Edmund! How now? what 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'erread; for so much as I have perused, I find it not fit for your over-looking. Edm. I do not well know, my lord. If it shall please you to suspend your indignation against my brother, till you can derive from him better testimony of his intent, you shall run a certain course; where, if you violently proceed against him, mistaking his purpose, it would make a great gap in your own honour, and shake in pieces the heart of his obedience. I dare pawn down my life for him, that he hath writ this to feel my affection to your honour, and to no other pretence of danger. 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. To his father, that so tenderly and entirely loves him.-Heaven and earth!-Edmund, seek him out; wind me into him, I pray you: frame the business after your own wisdom: I would unstate myself, to be in a due resolution. Edm. I will seek him, sir, presently; convey the business as I shall find means, and acquaint you withal. 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 Glo. Give me the letter, sir. cities, mutinies; in countries, discord; in paEdm. I shall offend, either to detain or give it. laces, treason: and the bond cracked between The contents, as in part I understand them, are son and father. This villain of mine comes Glo. Let's see, let's see. [to blame. under the prediction; there's son against father: Edm. I hope, for my brother's justification, the king falls from bias of nature; there's father hewrote this but as an essay or taste of my virtue. against child. We have seen the best of our Glo. [Reads.] This policy, and reverence of age, time: Machinations, hollowness, treachery, and makes the world bitter to the best of our times; all ruinous disorders, follow us disquietly to keeps our fortunes from us, till our oldness can- our graves!-Find out this villain, Edmund, it not relish them. I begin to find an idle and fond shall lose thee nothing: do it carefully:-And bondage in the oppression of aged tyranny; who the noble and true-hearted Kent banished! his sways,not as it hath power,but as it is sufferea. Come offence, honesty I-Strange! strange! [E.cit. to me, that of this I may speak more. If our father | Edm. This is the excellent foppery of the 760 world! that, when we are sick in fortune (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: and all that An we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on: 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; so that it follows, I am rough and lecherous. Tut, I should have been that I am, had the maidenliest star in the firmament twinkled on my bastardizing. Edgar Enter EDGAR. and pat he comes, like the catastrophe of the old comedy: My cue is villanous melancholy, with a sigh like Tom o' Bedlam.-O, these eclipses do portend these divisions! fa, sol, la, mi. Edg. How now, brother Edmund? What serious contemplation are you in? Edm. I am thinking, brother, of a prediction I read this other day, what should follow these eclipses. SCENE III. A Room in the Duke of Albany's Palace. Gon. Did my father strike my gentleman for Stew. Ay, madam, [hour Gon. Put on what weary negligence you Edg. Do you busy yourself with that? Gon. And let his knights have colder looks Edm. I promise you, the effects he writes of,| [lows so: among you; succeed unhappily: as of unnaturalness between the child and the parent; death, dearth, disso- What grows of it, no matter; advise your fellutions of ancient amities; divisions in state, I would breed from hence occasions, and I shall, menaces and maledictions against king and That I may speak :-I'll write straight to my nobles; needless diffidences, banishment of friends, dissipation of cohorts, nuptial breaches, To hold my very course :-Prepare for dinner. and I know not what. [tronomical? [last? Edg. How long have you been a sectary as- Edm. Bethink yourself, wherein you may have offended him; and at my entreaty, forbear his presence, till some little time hath qualified the heat of his displeasure: which at this instant so rageth in him, that with the mischief of your person it would scarcely allay. Edg. Some villain hath done me wrong. Edm. That's my fear. I pray you, have a continent forbearance, till the speed of his rage goes slower; and, as I say, retire with me to my lodging, from whence I will fitly bring you to hear my lord speak: Pray you, go; there's my key;-If you do stir abroad, go armed, Elg. Armed, brother? Edm. Brother, I advise you to the best: go A credulous father, and a brother noble, My practices ride easy!-I see the business.-- sister. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. A Hall in the same. Enter KENT, disguised. Kent. If but as well I other accents borrow, (So may it come!) thy master, whom thou lov’st, Horns within. Enter LEAR, Knights, and Lear. Let me not stay a jot for dinner: go, 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 Lear. What art thou? [eat no fish. Kent. A very honest-hearted fellow, and as poor as the king. Lear. If thou be as poor for a subject, as he is for a king, thou art poor enough. What Kent. Service. [would'st thou ? Lear. Who would'st thou serve? [Exit. Kent, I can keep honest counsel, ride, run, |