Lea.
Attend the lords ^note of France and Burgundy, Gloster.

Glo.
I shall, my liege. ^note [Exeunt Glo. and Edm.

Lea.
Mean time we shall express ^note our darker purpose. ^note
The map † there. ^note—Know, that ^note we have divided,
In three, our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent ^note
To shake all cares and business from our age; ^note
Conferring them on younger strengths, while we ^note
Unburthen'd crawl toward death.—Our son of Cornwal,
And you, 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, ^note France and Burgundy,
Great rivals in our youngest daughter's ^note 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, ^note
Interest of territory, cares of state,) ^note
Which of you shall we say doth love us most?
That we our largest bounty may extend
Where merit doth most challenge it. ^note—Goneril,
Our eldest-born, speak first.

Gon.
Sir, I do love you14Q1308
Far more than words ^note can wield the matter: ^note love you
Dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty; ^note
Beyond what can be valu'd, rich or rare;
No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour:
As much as child ^note e'er lov'd, or father found. ^note
A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable;
Beyond all manner of so much I love you.

&clquo;Cor.
&clquo;What shall Cordelia do? ^note Love, and be silent.&crquo;

Lea.
Of all these † bounds, even from this line to this,
With shadowy forests and with ^note champaigns rich'd,
With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads,
We make thee lady: To thine and Albany's issue ^note
Be this perpetual.—What says our second daughter,
Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwal ^note? Speak. ^note

Reg.
I am made of that self metal as my sister ^note,
And prize me at her worth. In my ^note true heart
I find, she names my very deed of love;
Only she comes too short: ^note that I profess
Myself an enemy to all other joys,
Which the most precious square of sense possesses; ^note
And find, I am alone felicitate
In your dear highness' love.

&clquo;Cor.
&clquo;Then poor Cordelia!&crquo;

&clquo;And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love's&crquo;
&clquo;More richer than my ^note tongue.&crquo;

Lea.
To thee, and thine, hereditary ever,
Remain this ample third † of our fair kingdom;
No less in space, validity, and pleasure,
Than that confer'd on Goneril.—Now ^note, our joy,14Q1309
Although the last, not least in our dear love, ^note
What can you say, to win a third more opulent
Than your two sisters?

Cor.
Nothing, my lord. ^note

Lea.
How!

Cor.
Nothing.

Lea.
Nothing can come ^note of nothing: speak again.

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

Lea.
Go to, go to; mend ^note me your speech a little,
Lest it may ^note mar your fortunes.

Cor.
Good my lord,
You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me: I
Retnrn ^note 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 ^note, when I shall wed,
That lord, whose hand must take my plight, shall carry
Half my love with him, half my care, and duty:
Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters,
To love my father all. ^note

Lea.
But goes thy heart with this? ^note

Cor.
Ay, my good ^note lord.

Lea.
So young, and so untender?

Cor.
So young, my lord, and true.

Lea.
Let it ^note be so,—Thy truth then be thy dower:
For, by the sacred radiance of the sun;
The mysteries of Hecate, and the night; ^note
By all the operations ^note 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 ^note
Be as well neighbour'd, pity'd, and reliev'd,
As thou my sometime daughter.

Ken.
Good my liege,—

Lea.
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!—
So be my grave my peace, as here I give
Her father's heart from her.—Call France; Who stirs?
Call Burgundy.—[Exit an Att.] Cornwal, and Albany,
With my two daughters' dowers ^note digest this † third:
Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her.
I do invest you jointly with my ^note power,
Preheminence, 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
Make with you by due turns. Only we retain ^note14Q1310
The name; the additions to a king, the sway,
Revenue, execution, and the rest,
Beloved sons, be yours: which to confirm,

This coronet &dagger2; part between you. ^note

Ken.
Royal Lear, [in Action of preventing him.
Whom I have ever honour'd as my king,
Lov'd as my father, as my master follow'd,
As my great patron ^note thought on in my prayers,—

Lea.
The bow is bent and drawn, make from the shaft.

Ken.
Let it fall rather, though the fork invade
The region of my heart: be Kent unmannerly,
When Lear is mad. ^note What would'st thou ^note 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; ^note
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 ^note no hollowness.

Lea.
Kent, on thy life, no more.

Ken.
My life I never held but as a pawn
To wage against thy enemies; nor fear ^note to lose it,
Thy safety being the motive. ^note

Lea.
Out of my sight!

Ken.
See better, Lear; and let me still remain
The true blank of thine eye.

Lea.
Now, by Apollo,—

Ken.
Now, by Apollo! King, thou swear'st thy gods in vain.

Lea.
O, vassal! miscreant! ^note [in Action of drawing his Sword.

Alb. Corⁿ.
Dear sir, forbear. ^note [interposing.

Ken.
Do; ^note Kill thy physician, and the fee ^note bestow
Upon thy foul ^note disease. Revoke thy gift; ^note

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

Lea.
Hear me, recreant;
On thine allegiance ^note, hear me!—
Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow, ^note
(Which we durst never yet,) and, with strain'd pride, ^note
To come between ^note our sentence ^note and our power,
(Which nor our nature nor our place can bear,)
Our potency made good, ^note14Q1311 take thy reward.
Five days ^note we do allot thee, for provision
To shield thee from disasters of ^note the world;
And, on the sixth, to ^note turn thy hated back
Upon our kingdom: if, on the ^note 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.

Ken.
Fare ^note thee well, king: sith thus ^note thou wilt appear,
Freedom lives ^note hence, and banishment is here.—
The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid, ^note
That justly think'st, and hast most rightly ^note said!—
And, you, large speechers ^note, may your deeds approve
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. Re-enter Gloster, with France, Burgundy, and Attendants.

Glo.
Here's ^note France and Burgundy, my noble lord.

Lea.
My lord of Burgundy,
We first address towards ^note you, who with this king ^note
Hath rival'd for our daughter; What, in the least,
Will you require in present dower with her,
Or cease your quest of love?

Bur.
Most ^note royal majesty,
I crave no more than hath your ^note highness offer'd,
Nor will you tender less.

Lea.
Right noble Burgundy,
When she was dear to us, we did hold her ^note so;14Q1312
But now her price is fall'n: Sir, there she stands;
If ought within that little, seeming, substance,
Or all of it, with our displeasure piec'd,
And nothing more, may ^note fitly like your grace,
She's there, and she is yours.

Bur.
I know no answer.

Lea.
Sir, ^note Will you, with those infirmities she owes,
Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate,
Dower'd with ^note our curse, and stranger'd with our oath,
Take her, or leave her?

Bur.
Pardon me, royal sir,
Election makes not up on such ^note conditions.

Lea.
Then leave her, sir; for, by the power that made me,
I tell you all her wealth.—For you, great king,
I would not from your love make such a stray,
To match you where I hate; therefore beseech you
To avert your liking a more worthier way,
Than on a wretch whom nature is asham'd
Almost to acknowledge hers.

Fra.
This is most strange!
That she, who even ^note but now was your best object, ^note
The argument of your praise, balm of your age,
The best, the dearest; ^note should in this trice of time
Commit a thing so monstrous, to dismantle
So many folds of favour! Sure, her offence
Must be of such unnatural degree,
That monsters it: or your fore-vouch'd affection ^note

Fall'n into ^note taint: which to believe of her,
Must be a faith, that reason without miracle
Could ^note never plant in me.

Cor.
I yet beseech your majesty,
(If for I want14Q1313 that glib and oily art,
To speak and purpose not; since what I well intend ^note,
I'll do't before I speak) that you make known ^note,
It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,
No unchast action ^note, or dishonour'd step,
That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour:
But even the want ^note of that, for which I am richer; ^note
A still-soliciting eye, and such a tongue
As I ^note am glad I have not, though, not to have it,
Hath lost me in your liking.

Lea.
Better ^note thou had'st not been born,
Than not to have pleas'd me better.

Fra.
Is it but ^note this? a tardiness in nature,
Which often ^note leaves the history unspoke,
That it intends to do?—My lord of Bungundy, ^note
What say you to the lady? Love's not love,
When it is mingl'd with regards, ^note and stands ^note
Aloof from the entire point: Say, will you have her?
She is herself a dowry. ^note

Bur.
Royal Lear, ^note
Give but that portion which yourself propos'd,
And here I take Cordelia by the hand,
Dutchess of Burgundy.

Lea.
Nothing: I have sworn; I am firm. ^note

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 ^note are his love,

I shall not be his wife.

Fra.
Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor;
Most choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'd!
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 ^note neglect
My love should kindle to inflam'd respect.—
Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my chance, ^note
Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France:
Not all the dukes of wat'rish ^note Burgundy
Can buy ^note this unpriz'd precious maid of me.—
Bid them farewel, Cordelia, though unkind:
Thou losest here, a better where to find.

Lea.
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,
Without our grace, our love, our benizon.—
Come, noble Burgundy. [Flourish. Exeunt Lear, Burgundy, Cornwal, Albany, Gloster, and Attendants.

Fra.
Bid farewel to your sisters.

Cor.
Ye jewels ^note of our father, with wash'd eyes
Cordelia leaves you: I know what you ^note are;
And, like a sister, am most loth to call
Your faults as they are nam'd. Use well ^note our father:
To your professing ^note bosoms I commit him:
But yet, alas, stood I within his grace,
I would prefer him to a better place.
So farewel to you both.

Gon.
Prescribe not us our duties. ^note

Reg.
Let ^note your study
Be, to content your lord; who hath receiv'd you

As fortune's ^note alms: You have obedience scanted,
And well are worth14Q1314 to want the worth that ^note you have wanted.

Cor.
Time shall unfold what plaited ^note cunning hides,
Who cover'd ^note faults at last with shame derides ^note.
Well may you prosper!

Fra.
Come, my ^note fair Cordelia. [Exeunt France, and Cordelia.

Gon.

Sister, it is not a little ^note 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 ^note little: he always lov'd our sister most; and with what poor judgment he hath now cast her off, appears too grosly. ^note

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 ^note not alone the imperfections ^note of long-ingrafted ^note condition, but, therewithal, the ^note unruly waywardness that infirm and cholerick years bring with them.

Reg.

Such unconstant starts ^note are we like to have from him, as this of Kent's banishment.

Gon.

There is further compliment of leave-taking between France and him. Pray you, let us sit together: ^note If our father carry authority, with such dispositions ^note as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us.

Reg.

We shall further think on't. ^note

Gon.

We must do something, and i'the heat.

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