95Cor. Nothing.

96Lear. Nothing will come of nothing, speake againe.

97Cor. Vnhappie that I am, I cannot heaue

98My heart into my mouth: I loue your Maiesty

99According to my bond, no more nor lesse.

100Lear. How, how Cordelia? mend your speech a little,

101Least you may marre your Fortunes.

102Cor. Good my Lord,

103You haue begot me, bred me, lou'd me.

104I returne those duties backe as are right fit,

105Obey you, Loue you, and most Honour you.

106Why haue my Sisters Husbands, if they say

107They loue you all? Happily when I shall wed,

108That Lord, whose hand must take my plight, shall carry

109Halfe my loue with him, halfe my Care, and Dutie,

110Sure I shall neuer marry like my Sisters.

111Lear. But goes thy heart with this?

112Cor. I my good Lord.

113Lear. So young, and so vntender?

114Cor. So young my Lord, and true.

115Lear. Let it be so, thy truth then be thy dowre:

116For by the sacred radience of the Sunne,

117The miseries of Heccat and the night:

118By all the operation of the Orbes,

119From whom we do exist, and cease to be,

120Heere I disclaime all my Paternall care,

121Propinquity and property of blood,

122And as a stranger to my heart and me,

123Hold thee from this for euer. The barbarous Scythian,

124Or he that makes his generation messes

125To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosome

126Be as well neighbour'd, pittied, and releeu'd,

127As thou my sometime Daughter.

128Kent. Good my Liege.

129Lear. Peace Kent,

130Come not betweene the Dragon and his wrath,

131I lou'd her most, and thought to set my rest

132On her kind nursery. Hence and avoid my sight:

133So be my graue my peace, as here I giue

134Her Fathers heart from her ; call France, who stirres?

135Call Burgundy, Cornwall, and Albanie,

136With my two Daughters Dowres, digest the third,

137Let pride, which she cals plainnesse, marry her:

138I doe inuest you ioyntly with my power,

139Preheminence, and all the large effects

140That troope with Maiesty. Our selfe by Monthly course,

141With reseruation of an hundred Knights,

142By you to be sustain'd, shall our abode

143Make with you by due turne, onely we shall retaine

144The name, and all th'addition to a King: the Sway,

145Reuennew, Execution of the rest,

146Beloued Sonnes be yours, which to confirme,

147This Coronet part betweene you.

148Kent. Royall Lear,

149Whom I haue euer honor'd as my King,

150Lou'd as my Father, as my Master follow'd,

151As my great Patron thought on in my praiers.

152Le. The bow is bent & drawne, make from the shaft.

153Kent. Let it fall rather, though the forke inuade

154The region of my heart, be Kent vnmannerly,

155When Lear is mad, what wouldest thou do old man?

156Think'st thou that dutie shall haue dread to speake,

157When power to flattery bowes?

158To plainnesse honour's bound,

159When Maiesty falls to folly, reserue thy state,

160And in thy best consideration checke

161This hideous rashnesse, answere my life, my iudgement:

162Thy yongest Daughter do's not loue thee least,

163Nor are those empty hearted, whose low sounds

164Reuerbe no hollownesse.

165Lear. Kent, on thy life no more.

166Kent. My life I neuer held but as pawne

167To wage against thine enemies, nere feare to loose it,

168Thy safety being motiue.

169Lear. Out of my sight.

170Kent. See better Lear, and let me still remaine

171The true blanke of thine eie.

172Kear. Now by Apollo,

173Lent. Now by Apollo, King

174Thou swear.st thy Gods in vaine.

175Lear. O Vassall! Miscreant.

176Alb. Cor. Deare Sir forbeare.

177Kent. Kill thy Physition, and thy fee bestow

178Vpon the foule disease, reuoke thy guift,

179Or whil'st I can vent clamour from my throate,

180Ile tell thee thou dost euill.

181Lea. Heare me recreant, on thine allegeance heare me;

182That thou hast sought to make vs breake our vowes,

183Which we durst neuer yet; and with strain'd pride,

184To come betwixt our sentences, and our power,

185Which, nor our nature, nor our place can beare;

186Our potencie made good, take thy reward.

187Fiue dayes we do allot thee for prouision,

188To shield thee from disasters of the world,

189And on the sixt to turne thy hated backe

190Vpon our kingdome; if on the tenth day following,

191Thy banisht trunke be found in our Dominions,

192The moment is thy death, away. By Iupiter,

193This shall not be reuok'd,

194Kent. Fare thee well King, sith thus thou wilt appeare,

195Freedome liues hence, and banishment is here;

196The Gods to their deere shelter take thee Maid,

197That iustly think'st, and hast most rightly said:

198And your large speeches, may your deeds approue,

199That good effects may spring from words of loue:

200Thus Kent, O Princes, bids you all adew,

201Hee'l shape his old course, in a Country new. Exit.

204Cor. Heere's France and Burgundy, my Noble Lord.

205Lear. My Lord of Bugundie,

206We first addresse toward you, who with this King

207Hath riuald for our Daughter; what in the least

208Will you require in present Dower with her,

209Or cease your quest of Loue?

210Bur. Most Royall Maiesty,

211I craue no more then hath your Highnesse offer'd,

212Nor will you tender lesse?

213Lear. Right Noble Burgundy,

214When she was deare to vs, we did hold her so,

215But now her price is fallen: Sir, there she stands,

216If ought within that little seeming substance,

217Or all of it with our displeasure piec'd,

218And nothing more may fitly like your Grace,

219Shee's there, and she is yours.

220Bur. I know no answer.

221Lear. Will you with those infirmities she owes,

222Vnfriended, new adopted to our hate,

223Dow'rd with our curse, and stranger'd with our oath,

224Take her or, leaue her.