PERSONS REPRESENTED.

LEAR, king of Britain.
King of FRANCE.
Duke of BURGUNDY.
Duke of CORNWALL.
Duke of ALBANY.
Earl of GLOSTER.
Earl of KENT.
EDGAR, son to Gloster.
EDMUND, bastard son to Gloster.
CURAN, a courtier.
Old Man, tenant to Gloster.
Physician.
Fool.
OSWALD, steward to Goneril.
An Officer, employed by Edmund.
Gentleman, attendant on Cordelia.
A Herald.
Servants to Cornwall.

Knights attending on the King, Officers, Messengers,

Soldiers, and Attendants.

SCENE-Britain.

KING LEAR.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-s 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 weighed, that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's moiety.

Kent. Is not this your son, my lord ?

Glo. His breeding, sir, has been at my charge : ! have so often blushed 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 ?

Edm. No, my lord.

Glo. My lord of Kent: remember him hereafter as my honourable friend.

Edm. My services to your lordship.

[1] Curiosity is scrupulousness, or captiousness. So, in the Taming of the Shrew,

" For curious I cannot be with you. STEEVENS.

Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you better.
Edm. Sir, I shall study deserving.

Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again :- The king is coming. [Trumpets sound within. Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, Regan, Cor.

DELIA, and Attendants. Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy,

Gloster. Glo. I shall, my liege. [Exeunt Glo. and EDMUND. Lear. Mean-time we shall express our darker pur

pose. 2 Give me the map there.-Know, that we have divided, In three, our kingdom : and 'tis our fast 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 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, France and Bur

gundy, 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 merit doth most challenge it.-Goneril, Our eldest-born, speak first.

Gon. Sir, I Do love you more than words can wield the matter, Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty ; Beyond what can be valued, 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.4

[3] Darker-for more secret ; not for indirect, oblique. WARBURTON. This word may admit a further explication. “We shall express our darker purpose" : that is, we have already made known in some measure our design of parting the kingdom; we will now discover what has not been told before, the reasons by which we shall regulate the partition. This interpolation will justify or palliate the exordial dialogue. JOHNSON

[4! Beyond all assignable quantity. I love you beyond limits, and cannot says It is so much ; for how much soever I should name, it would yet be

Cor. What shall Cordelia do ? Love, and be silent.

[ Aside.
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,
We make thee lady : To thine and Albany's issue
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
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 square of sense possesses ;
And find, I am alone felicitate
In your dear highness' love.
Cor. Then poor Cordelia !

[Aside. And yet not so ; since, I am sure, my love's More richer 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 confirm'd on Goneril.- Now, our joy,
Although the last, not least; 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.
Cor. Nothing, my lord.
Lear. Nothing?
Cor. Nothing
Lear. Nothing can come 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, nor less.

Lear. How, how, Cordelia ? mend your speech a little, Lest it may mar your fortunes.

Cor. Good my lord,
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.

[5] My sister has equally expressed my sentiments, only she comes short of me in this, that I profess myself an enemy to all joys but you."-That I profess, means, in that i profess. M. MASON.

[6] Perhaps square means compass, comprehension. JOHNSON. (7) Validity--for worth, value ; not for integrity or good title. WARB.

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 :
Sure, I shall never marry like my sisters,
To love my father all.

Lear. But goes this with thy heart?
Cor. Ay, good my lord.
Lear. So young, and so untender?
Cor. So young, my lord, and true.

Lear. Let it be s0,- Thy truth then be thy dower:
For, by the sacred radiance of the sun;
The mysteries of Hecate, and the night;
By all the operations 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. 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 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 Make with you by due turns. Only we still retain The name, and all the additions to a king ; The sway, Revenue, execution, of the rest, 9

C

[8] Érom this-i.e. From this time. STEEVENS. 191 The execution of the rest is, I suppose, all the other business. JOHNS