Lear. Will you, with those infirmities she owes, Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate,

Dower'd with our curse, and stranger'd with our oath, Take her, or leave her?

Bur.

Pardon me, royal sir,

Election makes not up in such conditions.

Lear. Then leave her, sir; for, by the power that

made me,

I tell you all her wealth.-For you, great king,

[TO FRANCE
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.

France.
This is most strange!
That she, who even but now was your best object,
The argument of your praise, balm of your age,
The best, the dearest, 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
Fall into taint: which to believe of her,
Must be a faith that reason without miracle

Should never plant in me.

Cor.

I yet beseech your majesty,

(If for I want that glib and oily art,

To speak and purpose not; since what I well intend,
I'll do 't before I speak,) that you make known
It is no vicious blot, murther, or foulness,

No unchaste action or dishonour'd step,

That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour:
But even for want of that for which I am richer,
A still-soliciting eye, and such a tongue
That I am glad I have not, though not to have it
Hath lost me in your liking.

Lear.

Better thou

Hadst not been born than not t' have pleas'd me better.
France. Is it but this? a tardiness in nature,
Which often leaves the history unspoke
That it intends to do?-My lord of Burgundy,
What say you to the lady? Love 's not love,
When it is mingled with regards that stand
Aloof from the entire point. Will you have her?
She is herself a dowry.

Bur.

Royal king,

Give but that portion which yourself propos'd,
And here I take Cordelia by the hand,
Duchess of Burgundy.

Lear. Nothing: I have sworn; I am firm.

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 are his love,

I shall not be his wife.

France. 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! 't is strange, that from their cold'st neglect My love should kindle to inflam'd respect.-

Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my chance, queen of us, of ours, and our fair France:

Is

Not all the dukes of wat'rish Burgundy

Can buy this unpriz'd precious maid of me.-
Bid them farewell, Cordelia, though unkind :
Thou losest here, a better where to find.

Lear. Thou hast her, France: let her be thine, for

we

Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see

a Regards; means considerations.
b Here and where are used as nouns

That face of hers again :-Therefore be gone,
Without our grace, our love, our benizon.

Come, noble Burgundy. [Flourish. Exeunt LEAR, BUR., CORN., ALB., GLO., and Attendants.

France. Bid farewell to your sisters.

Cor. The jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes Cordelia leaves you: I know you what you are;

And, like a sister, am most loath to call

Your faults as they are nam'd. Love well our father: To your professed bosoms I commit him :

But yet, alas! stood I within his grace,

I would prefer him to a better place.
So farewell to you both.

Let your study

Reg. Prescribe not us our duties. Gon. Be, to coutent your lord; who hath receiv'd you At fortune's alms. You have obedience scanted, And well are worth the want that you have wanted. Cor. Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides: Who covers faults at last with shame derides.

Well may you prosper!

France.

Come, my fair Cordelia. [Exeunt FRANCE and CORDELIA. Gon. Sister, it is not little 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 been little be always loved our sister most; and with what poor judg ment he hath now cast her off appears too grossly.

Reg. 'T is 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 from his age to receive not alone the imperfections of long-engraffed condition, but,

therewithal, the unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric years bring with them.

Reg. Such unconstant starts 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 toge ther if our father carry authority with such disposi tions as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us.

Reg. We shall further think of it.

Gon. We must do something, and i' the heat. [Ex.

SCENE II-A Hall in the Earl of Gloster's Castle.
Enter EDMUND, with a letter.

Edm. Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law
My services are bound: Wherefore should I
Stand in the plague of custom; and permit
The curiosity of nations to deprive me,

For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines
Lag of a brother? Why bastard? Wherefore base?
When my dimensions are as well compact,
My mind as generous, and my shape as true,
As honest madam's issue? Why brand they us
With base? with baseness? bastardy? base, base?
Who, in the lusty stealth of nature, take
More composition and fierce quality,
Than doth, within a dull, stale, tired bed,
Go to the creating a whole tribe of fops,
Got 'tween asleep and wake?-Well, then,
Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land:
Our father's love is to the bastard Edmund,
As to the legitimate: Fine word,-legitimate!
Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed,

Curiosity. In the first scene this word is used in the sense of exact scrutiny; in the passage before us the meaning ap proaches more nearly to fastidiousness.

And my invention thrive, Edmund the base
Shall top the legitimate. I grow; I prosper :-
Now, gods, stand up for bastards!

Enter GLOSTER.

Glo. Kent banish'd thus! and France in choler
parted!

And the king gone to-night! prescrib'd his power!
Confin'd to exhibition! All this done

Upon the gad!- -Edmund! How now; what news?
Edm. So please your lordship, none.

[Putting up the letter. Glo. Why so earnestly seek you to put up that letter? Edm. I know no news, my lord.

Glo. What paper were you reading?

Edm. Nothing, my lord.

Glo. No? what needed then that terrible despatch of it into your pocket? the quality of nothing hath not such need to hide itself. Let's see: Come, if it be nothing, I shall not need spectacles.

Edm. I beseech you, sir, pardon me: it is a letter from my brother, that I have not all o'erread: and for so much as I have perused, I find it not fit for your o'erlooking.

Glo. Give me the letter, sir.

Edm. I shall offend, either to detain or give it. The contents, as in part I understand them, are to blame. Glo. Let 's see, let's see.

Edm. I hope, for my brother's justification, he wrote this but as an essay or taste of my virtue.

b

Glo. [Reads.] "This policy, and reverence of age, makes the world bitter to the best of our times; keeps our fortunes from us, till our oldness cannot relish them. I begin to find an idle and fond bondage in the oppression of aged tyranny;

a Exhibition-allowance.

b Essay-assay say, signified such proof or examination as was made by the assayer of coin, or the taster at royal tables.