The moment is thy death. Away! by Jupiter, Kent. Fare thee well, king. [To CORDELIA.] The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid !— [To REGAN and GONERIL.] And your large speeches may your deeds approve. Thus Kent, O princes, bids you all adieu; Flourish. Re-enter GLOSTER and EDMUND, with Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord. Lear. My Lord of Burgundy, We first address towards you, who, with this king Hath rivall'd for our daughter: what, in the least, Will you require in present dow'r 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 dèar to us, we did hold her so; But now her price is fall'n. Sir, there she stands : 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 pow'r that made me, I tell you all her wealth.-[To FRANCE.] For you, great king, I would not from your love make such a stray, To match you where I hate; therefore beseech you France. This is most strange! Cor. I yet beseech your Majesty,—make known, That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour; As I am glad I have not, though not to have it Lear. Better thou Hadst not been born than not t' 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, Give but that portion which yourself propose, Duchess of Burgundy. Lear. 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. France. Fairest Cordelia, thou art most rich, being poor; Most choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'd! Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon. Thy dow'rless daughter, king, thrown to my chance, Not all the dukes of wat'rish Burgundy 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 [Flourish. Exeunt LEAR, BURGUNDY, France. Bid farewell to your sisters. Cor. Ye jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes Cordelia leaves you: I know you what you are; And, like a sister, am most loathe to call Your faults as they are nam'd. Love well our father: To your professèd bosoms I commit him: But yet, alas, stood I within his grace, I would prefer him to a better place. Reg. Prescribe not us our duties. Let your study Be to content your lord, who hath receiv'd you Cor. hides: Time shall unfold what plaited cunning Who cover faults, at last them shame derides. Well may you prosper. France. Come, my fair Cordelia. [Exeunt FRANCE and CORDelia. Gon. 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; he always lov'd our sister most; and with what poor judgment he hath now cast her off appears too grossly. Reg. Such unconstant starts are we like to have from him as this of Kent's banishment. Gon. Pray you, let us hit together: we must do something, and i' the heat. SCENE II. The Earl of GLOSTER'S Castle. Enter EDMUND, with a letter. Edmund. HOU, nature, art my goddess; to thy law The curiosity of nations to deprive me, For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land: Enter GLOSTter. Glo. Kent banish'd thus! and France in choler parted! And the king gone to-night! Edmund, how now! what news? Edm. So please your lordship, none. [Hiding the letter. Glo. What paper were you reading? Glo. No? What needed, then, that terrible dispatch of it into your pocket? Let's see. Edm. I beseech you, sir, pardon me: it is a letter from my brother, that I have not all o'er-read; and for so much as I have perus'd, I find it not fit for your o'er-looking. B Glo. Give me the letter, sir. 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 our oldness cannot relish them. Come to me, that of this I may speak more. If our father would sleep till I wak'd him, you should enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live the belov'd of your brother, Edgar." "Sleep till I wak'd him,-you should enjoy half his revènue,”—My son Edgar! 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. Glo. O villain, villain! Abhorréd villain! Go, sirrah, seek him; I'll apprehend him:-abominable villain! Edm. If your honour judge it meet, I will place you where you shall hear us confer of this, and that without any further delay than this very eyening. Glo. He cannot be such a monster Edm. Nor is not, sure. Glo. To his father, that so tenderly and entirely loves him. Heaven and earth!-Edmund seek him out. These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us. Find out this villain, Edmund; it shall lose thee nothing. [Exit. Edm. This is the excellent foppery of the 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. Tut, I should have been that I am, had the maidenliest star in the firmament twinkled on my birth.Edgar!-pat he comes, like the catastrophe of the old comedy. |