43I thought the King had more affected the 5Duke of 4Albany than Cornwall.

It did always seem so to us, but 7now in the 6division of the kingdoms it 8appears not which of 7the dukes he values 9most, for equalities are so weighed that 8curiosity in 10neither can make choice of either's moiety.

Is not this your son, my lord?

His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge. I have 13so 11often blushed to acknowledge him that now I am 14brazed to it.

I cannot conceive you.

Sir, this young fellow's mother could, 17whereupon she 14grew round-wombed, and had indeed, sir, a 18son for her cradle 15ere she had a husband for her bed. 19Do you smell a fault?

I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it 21being so 17proper.

But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some 23year 19elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my 24account. Though this 20knave came something saucily into the 25world before he was 21sent for, yet was his mother fair, 26there was good sport at his 22making, and the whoreson must 27be acknowledged.--Do you know 23this noble 28gentleman, Edmund?

No, my lord.

My lord of Kent. 31Remember him hereafter as my 26honorable friend.

My services to your lordship.

I must love you, and sue to know you better.

Sir, I shall study deserving.

He hath been out nine years, and away he shall 3631again. The King is coming.

Attend my lords of France and Burgundy, Gloucester.

I shall, my liege.

Meantime we will express our darker purposes.

4238The map there. Know we have divided

4339In three our kingdom; and 'tis our first intent

4440To shake all cares and business of our state,

4541Confirming them on younger years2, while we

50May be prevented now.

42The two great princes France and Burgundy,

5143Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love,

5244Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn,

5345And here are to be answered. Tell me, my daughters--

5646Which of you shall we say doth love us most,

5747That we our largest bounty may extend

5848Where merit doth most challenge it.

5949Goneril, our eldest born, speak first.

Sir, I do love you more than words can wield the matter;

6151Dearer than eyesight, space or liberty,

6252Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare,

6353No less than life; with grace, health, beauty, honor,

6454As much a child e'er loved or father found;

6555A love that makes breath poor and speech unable.

6656Beyond all manner of so much I love you.

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

Of all these bounds, even from this line to this,

6959With shady forests and 6with champaigns riched

70With plenteous rivers and 5wide-skirted meads,

7160We make thee lady. To thine and Albany's issue

7261Be this perpetual. What says our second daughter,

7362Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall? Speak.

Sir, I am made of the self same mettle

That my sister is,

7564And prize me at her worth. In my true heart

7665I find she names my very deed of love,

77Only she came short, 66that I profess

78Myself an enemy to all other joys

7967Which the most precious square of sense possesses,

8068And find I am alone felicitate

81In your dear highness' love.

In your dear highness' love. [Aside] Then poor Cordelia--

83And yet not so, since I am sure 70my love's

84More richer than my tongue.

To thee and thine hereditary ever

8672Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom,

8773No less in space, validity, and pleasure,

8874Than that confirmed on Goneril. But now our joy,

8975Although the last, not least in our dear love,

To 8whose young love

91Strive to be interessed,

76What can you say to win 92a third, more opulent

77Than your sisters'?

Nothing my lord.

How? Nothing can come of nothing. Speak again.

Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave

98My heart into my 81mouth. I love your majesty

99According to my bond, nor more nor 82less.

Go to, go to. Mend your speech a little

10184Lest it may mar your fortunes.

Lest it may mar your fortunes. Good my lord,

10386You have begot me, bred me, loved me.

10487I return those duties back as are right fit;

10588Obey you, love you, and most honor you.

10689Why have my sisters husbands if they say

107They love you all?

90Haply when I shall wed, 108that lord whose hand

91Must take my plight shall carry 109half my love with him,

92Half my care and duty. 110Sure I shall never

93Marry like my sisters, to 4.1love my father all.4.2

But goes this with thy heart?

But goes this with thy heart? Ay, good my lord.

So young and so untender.

So young, my lord, and true.

Well, let it be so. Thy truth then be thy dower;

11699For by the sacred radiance of the sun,

117100The mysteries of Hecate and the night,

118101By all the operation of the orbs

119102From whom we do exist and cease to be,

120103Here I disclaim all my paternal care,

121104Propinquity and property of blood,

122105And as a stranger to my heart and me

123106Hold thee from this for ever. The barbarous Scythian,

124107Or he that makes his generation 108messes

125To gorge his appetite

109Shall 126be as well neighbored, pitied, and relieved

127110As thou my sometime daughter.

As thou my sometime daughter. Good my liege--

Peace, Kent! 130Come not between the dragon and his wrath.

131113I loved her most, and thought to set my rest

132114On her kind nursery. [To Cordelia] Hence and avoid my sight!--

133115So be my grave my peace, as here I give

134116Her father's heart from her. Call France. Who stirs?

135117Call Burgundy.

Call Burgundy. Cornwall and Albany,

136118With my two daughters' dowers digest this third.

137119Let pride, which she calls plainness, marry her.

138120I do invest you jointly in my power,

139121Preeminence, and all the large effects

140122That troop with majesty. Ourself by monthly course,

141123With reservation of a hundred knights

142124By you to be sustained, shall our abode

143125Make with you by due turns; only we still retain

144126The name and all the additions to a king.

127The sway, 145revenue, execution of the rest,

146128Beloved sons, be yours; which to confirm,

147129This coronet part betwixt you.

This coronet part betwixt you. Royal Lear,

149131Whom I have ever honored as my king,

150132Loved as my father, as my master followed,

151133As my great patron thought on in my prayers--

The bow is bent and drawn. Make from the shaft.

Let it fall rather, 136though the fork invade

154The region of my heart. 137Be Kent unmannerly

155When Lear is mad. 138What wilt thou do old man?

156Think'st thou that duty 139shall have dread to speak

157When power to flattery bows? 158140To plainness honor's bound

159When majesty stoops to folly. 141Reverse thy doom,

160And in thy best consideration 142check

161This hideous rashness. Answer my life 143my judgment;

162Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least;

163144Nor are those empty-hearted whose low sound

164145Reverbs no hollowness.

Reverbs no hollowness. Kent, on thy life no more.

My life I never held but as a pawn

167148To wage against thy enemies, nor fear to lose it

168149Thy safety being the motive.

Thy safety being the motive. Out of my sight!

See better, Lear, and let me still remain

171152The true blank of thine eye.

The true blank of thine eye. Now by Apollo--

Now, by Apollo, King, 174thou swear'st thy gods in vain.

[Threatening Kent] Vassal, recreant!

Do. Kill thy physician,

157And the fee bestow 178upon the foul disease.

158Revoke thy doom, 179or whilst I can vent clamor

159From my throat 180I'll tell thee thou dost evil.

Hear me. On thy allegiance hear me.

182161Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow,

183162Which we durst never yet, and with strayed pride

184163To come between our sentence and our power,

185164Which nor our nature nor our place can bear,

186165Our potency made good, take thy reward.

187166Four days we do allot thee for provision

188167To shield thee from dis-eases of the world,

189168And on the fifth to turn thy hated back

190169Upon our kingdom. If on the next day following

191170Thy banished trunk be found in our dominions,

192171The moment is thy death. Away! By Jupiter,

193172This shall not be revoked.

Why fare thee well, King, since thus thou wilt appear,

195174Friendship lives hence, and banishment is here.

196175[To Cordelia] The gods to their protection take thee, maid,

197176That rightly thinks and hast most justly said.

198177[To Goneril and Regan] And your large speeches may your deeds approve,

199178That good effects may spring from words of love.

200179Thus Kent, O princes, bids you all adieu;

201180He'll shape his old course in a country new.

Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord.

My lord of Burgundy, 206we first address towards you,

184Who with a king 207hath rivaled for our daughter.

185What in the least 208will you require in present

186Dower with her, 209or cease your quest of love?

Royal majesty, 211I crave no more than what

188Your highness offered; 212nor will you tender less.

Right noble Burgundy, 214when she was dear to us

190We did hold her so,

215But now her price is fallen. 191Sir, there she stands.

216If aught within that little-192seeming substance,

217Or all of it, with our displeasure pieced

218193And nothing else, may fitly like your grace,

219194She's there, and she is yours.

She's there, and she is yours. I know no answer.

Sir, will you with those infirmities she owes,

222197Unfriended, new adopted to our hate,

223198Covered with our curse and strangered with our oath,

224199Take her or leave her?

Take her or leave her? Pardon me, royal sir,

226Election makes not up 201on such conditions.

Then leave her, sir, for by the power that made me

228203I tell you all her wealth. [To France] For you, great king,

229204I would not from your love make such a stray

230205To match you where I hate. Therefore, beseech you

231206To avert your liking a more worthier way

232207Than on a wretch whom nature is ashamed

233208Almost to acknowledge hers.

Almost to acknowledge hers. This is most strange,

235That she, that even but now 210was your best object,

236The argument of your praise, 211balm of your age,

237Most best, most dearest, 212should in this trice of time

238Commit a thing 213so monstrous to dismantle

239So many folds of favor. 214Sure her offence

240Must be of such unnatural degree

241215That monsters it, or your fore-vouched affections

242216Fallen into taint; which to believe of her

243217Must be a faith that reason without miracle

244218Could never plant in me.

I yet beseech your majesty,

246220If for I want that glib and oily art,

247221To speak and purpose not--since what I well intend

248222I'll do't before I speak--that you may know

249223It is no vicious blot, murder or foulness,

250224No unclean action or dishonored step

251225That hath deprived me of your grace and favor,

252226But even for want of that for which I am rich--

253227A still-soliciting eye, and such a tongue,

254228As I am glad I have not--though not to have it,

255229Hath lost me in your liking.

Hath lost me in your liking. Go to, go to. Better thou hadst

257Not been born, 231than not to have pleased me better.

Is it no more but this? A tardiness in nature

259233That often leaves the history unspoke

260That it intends to do? 234My lord of Burgundy,

261What say you to the lady? 235Love is not love

262When it is mingled with respects that stands

263236Aloof from the entire point. Will you have her?

264237She is herself a dowry.

She is herself a dowry. Royal Lear,

266Give but that portion 239which yourself proposed,

267And here I take Cordelia 240by the hand,

268Duchess of Burgundy.

Duchess of Burgundy. Nothing. I have sworn.

[To Cordelia] I am sorry then you have so lost a father

271243That you must lose a husband.

Peace be with Burgundy; 273since that respects

245Of fortune are his love, 274I shall not be his wife.

Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor,

276247Most choice, forsaken, and most loved, despised,

277248Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon.

278249Be it lawful I take up what's cast away.

279250Gods, gods! 'Tis strange, that from their coldest neglect

280251My love should kindle to inflamed respect.

281252Thy dowerless daughter, King, thrown to thy chance,

282253Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France.

283254Not all the dukes in waterish Burgundy,

284255Shall buy this unprized precious maid of me.

285256Bid them farewell, Cordelia, though unkind.

286257Thou losest here, a better where to find.

Thou hast her, France. Let her be thine,

259For we 288have no such daughter, nor shall ever see

289260That face of hers again. Therefore be gone,

290261Without our grace, our love, our benison.

291Come, noble Burgundy.

Bid farewell to your sisters.

The jewels of our father, 265with washed eyes

294Cordelia leaves you. I know you what you are,

295266And like a sister am most loath to call

296Your faults 267as they are named. Use well our father.

297268To your professèd bosoms I commit him;

298269But yet, alas, stood I within his grace,

299270I would prefer him to a better place.

300271So farewell to you both.

Prescribe not us our duties.

Prescribe not us our duties. Let your study

303Be to content your lord, 274who hath received you

304At fortune's alms. 275You have obedience scanted,

305276And well are worth the want that you have wanted.

Time shall unfold what pleated cunning hides,

307278Who covers faults, at last shame them derides.

308279Well may you prosper.

Well may you prosper. Come, fair Cordelia.

Sister, it is not a little I have to say 311282of what most nearly appertains to us both. 312283I think our father will hence tonight.

That's most certain, and with you; next month with us.

You see how full of changes his age is. The 315observation we 286have made of it hath not been little. He always 316loved our sister 287most, and with what poor judgment he 317hath now cast her 288off appears too gross.

'Tis the infirmity of his age. Yet he hath ever but 319290slenderly known himself.

The best and soundest of his time hath been but 321rash. 292Then must we look to receive from his age not 322alone the 293imperfection of long-engrafted condition, but 323therewithal unruly 294waywardness that infirm and 324choleric years bring with them.

Such unconstant starts are we like to have from 326him as 296this of Kent's banishment.

There is further compliment of leave taking 328between 298France and him. Pray let's hit together. If our 329father carry 299authority with such dispositions as he bears, 330this last surrender of his 300will but offend us.

We shall further think on't.

We must do something, and i'th'heat.