:

framly

elearn

Give me the map there.--Know that we have divided
In three our kingdom: and 't is our fasta intent
To shake all cares and business from our age ;
Conferring them on younger strengths, while we
Unburden'd crawl toward death.__Our son of Cornwall,
And yon, our no less loving son of Albany,
We have this hour a constant will to publish
Our daughters' several dowers, that future strife
May be prevented now. The princes, France and Burgundy,
Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love,
Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn,
And here are to be answer'd.—Tell me, my daughters,
(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 nature doth with merit challenge.-Goneril,
Our eldest-born, speak first.

Gon. Sir, I love you more than words * can wield the matter ;
Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty ;
Beyond what can be valu’d, rich or rare;
No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour ;
As much as child e'er lov'd, or father found;
A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable ;
Beyond all manner of so much I love you.

CORD. [Aside.] What shall Cordelia do?t Love, and be silent.

LEAR. Of all these bounds, even from this line to this,
With shadowy forests and with champains rich'd,
With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads,

d
We make thee lady: to thine and Albany's issue I
Be this perpetual.—What says our second daughter,
Our dearest Regan, wife to $ Cornwall ? speak.

Reg. I am made of that self metal as my sister,
And prize me at her worth. In my true heart

First folio, word.

(+) First folio, speake. First folio, issues.

() First folio, of

(ll) First folio omits, speak. - fast intent-] The quartos read, first intent; but “fast intent," signifying fixed, seilied intent, is, like “darker purpose,” and “constant will,” peculiarly in Shakespeare's manner.

while we Unburden'd crawl toward death.] The passage commencing with these words, down to “May be prevented now,” does not occur in the quartos.

(Since now we will divest us, both of rule,

Interest of territory, cares of state,)] The quartos onit these two lines.

With shadowy forests and with champains rich'd,

With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads, -] So the folio: the quartos read only,–

“With shady forrests, and wide-skirted meads."

e

d

seanslaught .

co much deene

andelia co much

I find she names my very deed of love ;
Only she comes too short,-that I profess
Myself an enemy to all other joys,
Which the most precious squarea of sense possesses,
And find I am alone felicitate
In your dear highness' love.
ČORD. [Aside.]

Then poor Cordelia !
And yet not so; since, I am sure, my

love's More richerb.than my tongue.

LEAR. To thee and thine, hereditary ever,
Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom;
No less in space, validity, and pleasure,
Than that conferr'd on Goneril.—Now, our joy,
Although our last, not least ;c to whose young love
The vines of France and milk of Burgundy,
Strive to be interess’d; what can you say, to draw
A third more opulent than your sisters ? Speak.
CORD. Nothing, my lord.
LEAR. Nothing!
CORD. Nothing.
LEAR. Nothing will come of nothing: speak again.

CORD. Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave
My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty
According to my bond; nor more nor less.

LEAR. How, how, Cordelia! mend your speech a little,
Lest it † may mar your fortunes.
CORD.

Good my lord,

(*) First folio, professes.

(t) First folio, you.
* Square of sense-] By square of sense, if square is not a corruption, may be meant
the complement or compass of sense. Mr. Collier's annotator suggests, " sphere of
sense;" but what is “sphere of sense?".

b More richer than my tongue.] The folio reads, “More ponderous,” &c.
• Although our last, not least; &c.] In the quartos this passage stands,-

“ Although the last, not least in our deere love,

What can you say to win a third, more opulent

Then your sisters?” In the folin,

“ Although our last and least; to whose yong love,

The Vines of France, and Milke of Burgundie,
Strive to be interest. What can you say, to draw

A third, more opilent than your Sisters ? speake.”
That and in the folio is a misprint for “not,” it seems scarcely possible to doubt, yet
Mr. Collier and Mr. Knight read, "our last and least.” “Though last not least," was
one of the commonest forms of expression in Shakespeare's age; in addition to the over-
whelming array of examples cited in the Variorum edition of 1821, Vol. II., pp. 276-279,
take the following:-
“ The last, not least, of these brave bretheren.”

PEELE's Polyhymnia. “Though I speak last, my lord, I am not least.”

I

MIDDLETON’s Mayor of Qucenborough, Act I. Sc. 3.
ANG

“ My last is, and not least."
BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER'S Monsieur Thomas, Act III. Sc. 1.
LEAR. Nothing!
CORD. Nothing.] Omitted in the quartos,

You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me: I
Return those duties back as are right fit,
Obey you, love you, and most honour you.
Why have my sisters husbands, if they say
They love you all? Haply, when I shall wed,
That lord, whose hand must take my plight, shall carry
Half my love with him, half my care, and duty :(1)
Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters,
To love my father all.*

LEAR. But goes thy heart with this?
CORD.

Ay, good my † lord.
LEAR. So young, and so untender?
CORD. So young, my lord, and true.

LEAR. Let it be so,—thy truth, then, be thy dower:
For, by the sacred radiance of the sun,
The mysteries of Hecate, and the night;
By all the operation of the orbs
From whom we do exist, and cease to be,
Here I disclaim all my paternal care,
Propinquity and property of blood,
And as a stranger to my heart and me
Hold thee, from this, for ever! The barbarous Scythian,
Or he that makes his generation messes
To gorge his appetite,

shall to my bosom Be as well neighbour'd, pitied, and reliev'd, As thou my sometime daughter :

KENT.

LEAR. Peace, Kent!
Come not between the dragon and his wrath.-
I lov'd her most, and thought to set my rest
On her kind nursery.
Hence, and avoid my sight!

[TO CORDELIA.
So be my grave my peace, as here I give
Her father's heart from her!—Call France.- Who stirs ?
Call Burgundy.-Cornwall and Albany,
With my two daughters' dowers digest this † third :
Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her.
I do invest you jointly with my power,
Pre-eminence, and all the large effects
That troop with majesty. Ourself, by monthly course,
With reservation of an hundred knights,
By you to be sustain'd, shall our abode

Good my liege,- i utredo

tent

Cnollia,

j

(*) First folio omits, To love my father all. (t) First folio, my good.

(1) First folio, the. • The mysteries of Hecate,–] The quartos read mistresse, the first folio, miseries : the correction was made in the second folio.

b To CORDELIA.] This direction is modern, and some editors contend that the words, –

"- Hence, and avoid my sight!" arc addressed to Kent. Few readers, we apprehend, will agree with them.

Make with you by due turns.* Only we stillt retain
The name, and all the additionsf to a king ;
The sway, revenue, execution of the rest,
Beloved sons, be yours: which to confirm,
This coronet part between you.

[Giving the croion 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,-

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 wouldst thou do, old man ?
Think'st thou, that duty shall have dread to speak,
When power to flattery bows? To plainness honour's bound,
When majesty stoops to folly. Reverse thy doom ; ||
And, in thy best consideration, check
This hideous rashness: answer my life my judgment,
Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least;
Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sound
Reverbs no hollowness.
LEAR.

Kent, on thy life no more!
KENT. My life I never held but as a **

pawn To wage against thine enemies; ne'er fear to lose it, Thy safety being the tt motive.

Out of my sight!
KENT. See better, Lear; and let me still remain
The true blank of thine eye.

LEAR, Now, by Apollo !
KENT.

Now, by Apollo, king,
Thou swear’st thy gods in vain.
LEAR.

0, vassal! miscreant!

[Laying his hand on his sword. ALB. CORN. Dear sir, forbear.

KENT. Kill thy physician, and the It fee bestow
Upon the foul disease. Revoke thy gift;
. Or, whilst I can vent clamour from my throat,
I'll tell thee thou dost evil.
LEAR.

Hear me, recreant !
On thine allegiance hear me!-
Since $$ thou hast sought to make us break our vow,||||
(Which we durst never yet) and, with strain'd pride,
To come betwixt our sentence { and our power,
(Which nor our nature nor our place can bear)

LEAR.

First folio, turne.

(t) First folio, shall.
First folio, addition:

W First folio, falls.
First folio, reserve thy state. (1) First folio, sounds Reverbr.
First folio omits, a.

(tt) First folio omits, the.
First folio, thy.

(99) First folio, That. First folio, vowes.

() First folio, sentences. • Dear sir, forbear.-] Omitted in the quartos.

Our potency made good, take thy reward.
Five days we do allot thee, for provision
To shield thee from diseases 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 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 ;
He'll shape his old course in a country new.

[Exit.

1

Flourish. Re-enter GLOUCESTER ; 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 offerd,
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 fallin. 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 strangerd 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 power that made me,

(*) First folio, in. • To shield thee from diseases of the world;] So the quartos; the folio has"disasters of the world?” Diseases, in its old and literal sense of discomforts, hardships, and the like, is, however, much the more appropriate word.

• Freedom lives hence,–] The quartos have Friendship for “Freedom;" and in the next line, instead of "dear shelter," they read protection.