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On her kind nurs'ry. Hence, avoid my fight!

So be my grave my peace, as here I give

[To Cor.

Her father's heart from her; Call France; who stirs?
Call Burgundy.Cornwall and Albany,

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

That troop with Majefty. Our felf by monthly courfe,
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 sway, revenue, execution,

Beloved fons, be yours; which to confirm,
This Cor'onet 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 shaft.
Kent. Let it fall rather, though the fork invade
The region of my-heart; be Kent unmannerly,
When Lear is mad: what would't thou do, old man?
Think't thou, that duty fhall have dread to fpeak,
When pow'r to flatt'ry bows? to plainnefs Honour
Is bound, when Majefty to folly falls.

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

Lear. Kent, on thy life no more.

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

Lear. Out of my fight!

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

Lear. Now by Apolio

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

[Laying his hand on his fword.

Alb. Corn. Dear Sir, forbear.

Kent. Kill thy phyfician, and thy fee bestow
Upon the foul difeafe; revoke thy doom,

Or whilft I can vent clamour from my throat,
I'll tell thee, thou doft evil.

Lear. Hear me, recreant!

Since thou haft fought to make us break our vow,
Which we durft never yet; and with strain'd pride,
To come betwixt our fentence 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 fhield thee from difafters 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 appear,
Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here;
The gods to their dear fhelter take thee, maid,
That juftly think'ft, and haft most rightly faid;
And your large fpeeches may your deeds approve,
That good effects may fpring from words of love:
Thus Kent, O Princes, bids you all adieu,
He'll fhape his old courfe in a country new.

[Exit.

Enter Glo'fter, with France and Burgundy, and

Attendants.

Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord. (2)

(2) Cor. Here's France, and Burgundy, my noble lord.] The generality of the editions, ancient and modern, ftupidly place this verse to Cordelia. But I have, upon the authority of the old 4to, reftor'd it to the right owner, Glo'fter; who was, but a little before, fent by the King to conduct France and Burgundy to him.

Lear.

Lear. My lord of Burgundy,

We first address tow'rd you, who with this King
Have rivall'd for our daughter; what at least
Will you require in prefent dower with her,
Or ceafe your quest of love?

Bur Moft royal Majefty,

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

Lear. Right noble Burgundy,

When he was dear to us, we held her fo;
But now her price is fall'n: Sir, there fhe ftands,
If aught within that little feeming fubftance,
Or all of it with our difpleafare 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 fhe owes, Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate,

Dowr'd with our curfe, and ftranger'd with our oath, Take her, or leave her?

Bur. Pardon, royal Sir;

Election makes not up on fuch conditions.

[me,

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

I tell you all her wealth.

-For you, great King,

[To France.

I would not from your love make fuch 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 hers.

France. This is moft ftrange!

best object,

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

That monsters it; (3) or your fore-voucht affection

Farn

(3) As monftrous is,] This bald reading is a modern fophiftication the eldeft and beft copies read;

That

Fal'n into taint: which to believe of her,

Muft be a faith, that reafon without miracle
Should never plant in me.

Cer. I yet befeech your Majefty.

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

To fpeak and purpofe not; fince what I well intend,
I'll do't before I fpeak,) that you make known
It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,
No unchafte action, or dishonour'd step,

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

That I am 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 unspoke,

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 ftand

Aloof from th' intire point. Say, will you have her?
She is herfelf a dowry.

Bur. Royal King,

Give but that portion which your felf propos'd,

And here I take Cordelia by the hand,

Dutchefs of Burgundy.

Lear. Nothing:-I've fworn.

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

That you must lofe a husband.

Cor. Peace be with Burgundy,

That monsters it

i. e. that makes a monster, a prodigy, of it: And our pret ufes this verb elfewhere in fuch a fenfe.

fays to Gonerill, his wife;

So Albany, afterwards in this play,

Thou chang'd, and felf-converted thing! for fhame,
Be-monfter not thy features.

And fo, in Coriolanus ;

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I'd rather have one scratch my head i' th' Sun,
When the alarum were ftruck, than idly fit
To hear my nothings monster'd.

Since that refpects of fortune are his love,

I fhall not be his wife.

France. Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor, Moft choice, forfaken; and most lov'd, despis'd! Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon: Be't lawful, I take up what's caft away.

Gods, Gods! 'tis ftrange, that from their cold'ft neglect My love should kindle to enflam'd respect.

Thy dow'rlefs 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 farewel, Cordelia, tho' unkind;
Thou lofeft here, a better where to find.

Lear. Thou haft her, France; let her be thine, for we
Have no fuch daughter; nor fhall ever fee
That face of hers again; therefore be gone
Without our grace, our love, our benizon:
Come, noble Burgundy.

[Flourish. Exeunt Lear [and Burgundy.

France. Bid farewel to your fifters.

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! flood 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 wanted. (4)

(4) And well are worth the Want that you have wanted.] This is a very obscure expreffion, and must be pieced out with an implied fenfe, to be understood, This I take to be the poet's meaning, ftript of the jingle which makes it dark; " You well deferve to meet with that "Want of love from your husband, which you have profefs'd to want "for our father."

Cor.

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