KING LEAR. ACT I. SCENE I—an antechamber in king Lear's palace. enter EDMUND. Edm. Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law I've practised yet on both their easy natures. A tale so plausible, so boldly utter'd, And heighten'd by such lucky accidents, That now the slightest circumstance confirms him, And base-born Edmund, spite of law, inherits. enter KENT and GLOSTER. Glost. Nay, good my lord, your charity O'ershoots itself, to plead in his behalf; You are yourself a father, and may feel The sting of disobedience from a son Glost. Plead with the seas, and reason down the winds, Yet shalt thou ne'er convince me; I have seen Inverted nature, Gloster's shame and glory; Pursues me with all filial offices; Whilst Edgar, begg'd of heaven, and born in honor, His realms amongst his daughters. Heaven succeed it! Kent. I grieve to see him, With such wild starts of passion hourly seized, As render majesty beneath itself. Glost. Alas! tis the infirmity of his age; Yet has his temper ever been unfixt, Chol'ric, and sudden Hark, they approach. (flourish of trumpets) [exeunt Gloster, Kent, and Edmund enter CORDELIA and EDGAR. Edg. Cordelia, royal fair, turn yet, once more, The treasure of thy beauties from the king, Cast back one pitying look on wretched Edgar. Cord. Alas! what would the wretched Edgar with The more unfortunate Cordelia, Who, in obedience to a father's will, Flies from her Edgar's arms to Burgundy's? [ereunt SCENE II-α room of state in the palace. (flourish of trumpets-drums) king LEAR upon his throne-ALBANY, CORNWALL, BURGUNDY, KENT, GLOSTER, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, captain of the guads, knights, pages, gentleman with the map, gentleman with the crown, lords, ladies, &c. &c. discovered. Lear. Attend, my lords of Albany and Cornwall, With princely Burgundy. Alb. We do, my liege. Lear. Give me the map. Know, lords, we have divided In three our kingdom, having now resolved Gon. Sir, I do love you more than words can utter, Beyond what can be valued rich or rare ; Nor liberty, nor sight, health, fame, or beauty, Lear. Of all these bounds, e'en from this line to this, Be this perpetual. What says our second daughter, Regan, wife to Cornwall? Reg. My sister, sir, in part, exprest my love; For such as hers, is mine, though more extended : Lear. Therefore, to thee and thine hereditary, Cord. Now comes my trial. How am I distrest, That must with cold speech tempt the chol'ric king, Rather to leave me dowerless, than condemn me To Burgundy's embraces! Lear. Speak now our last, not least in our dear love, So ends my task of state,—Cordelia, speak ; What can'st thou say to win a richer third, Than what thy sisters gain'd? Cord. Now must my love in words, fall short of theirs, As much as it exceeds in truth.-Nothing, my lord. Lear. Nothing? Cord. Nothing. Lear. Nothing can come of nothing; speak again. Cord. Unhappy am I that I can't dissemble Sir, as I ought, I love your majesty, No more, nor less. Lear. Take heed, Cordelia ; Thy fortunes are at stake; think better on't, And mend thy speech a little. Cord. O, my liege! You gave me being, bred me, dearly love me, Obey you, love you, and most honor you. Why have my sisters husbands, if they love you all ? Haply when I shall wed, the lord, whose hand To love my father all. Lear. And goes thy heart with this? With thy fond wishes, which thou wilt too late d: Repent, for know, our nature cannot brook A child so young and so ungentle. Cord. So young, my lord, and true. Lear. Thy truth then be thy dower; For, by the sacred sun and solemn night, I here disclaim all my paternal care, ing And, from this minute, hold thee as a stranger' Both to my blood and favor. Kent. This is phrensy. Come not between a dragon and his rage. I do invest you jointly with full right In this fair third, Cordelia's forfeit dower. Kent (kneels) Royal Lear, Whom I have ever honor'd as my king, And, as my patron, thought on in my prayers Lear. Away, the bow is bent, make from the shaft. Kent. (rises) No, let it fall, and drench within my heart; Be Kent unmannerly when Lear is mad 3 Thy youngest daughter Lear. On thy life, no more. Kent. What wilt thou do, old man ? Kent, See better first. |