i Conferring them on younger k streogths, ' while we
Unburden'd crawl tow'rd death. Our fon of Cornwall,
And you, our no less loving son of Albany,
We have this hour a constant will to publish
Our daughters' several dow'rs, that future strife
May be prevented now. The princes, France, and Burgundy,
Great rivals in our n youngest daughter's love,
Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn,
And here are to be answer'd. Tell me, Pmy daughters,
(9 9 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 nature doth with merit challenge. Gonerill,
Our eldest born, speak first.
Sir, I do love you more than words can

* wield the matter, Dearer than eye-light, space, and liberty; Beyond what can be valued rich or rare; No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour ;

Gon, s

i The qu's read confirming.
k The qu's read years for strengths.
| What is in italic is omitted in the qu's.

ni The qu's read The two great princes, &c. The 3d and 4th fo's read prince for princes.

n So the qu's; all the rest younger.
0 The 3d and 4th fo's omit me.
P P. omits my, followed by the after-editors.
4 These two lines are omitted in the qu's.

The qu's read, where merit deth most challenge it, Gonerill, &c. s This line is omitted by P. and all after but J. in the room of which they put I love you, sir.

! The fo's, R. and J. omit do. U The fo's, and R. read word. The ad q. reads weild.

As

As much w as child e'er lov'd, or father * found; A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable, y Beyond all manner of so much I love you.

Cor. What shall Cordelia ? do ? love and be silent. [ Afíde.

Lear. Of all these bounds, even from this line to this,
With shadowy forests, b and with champains richd,
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. Sir, I am made of the self-fame metal that my sister is ;
And prize me at her worth 8. 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 i square of sense k possesses,

And

W The qu's read a for as; and * Friend for found.

Beyond, &c. i.e. Beyond all imaginable extent of whatever I have yet expressed. Heath.

¿ The fo's and R. read Speak for do. : The qu's read fuady.

The words in italic omitted in the qu's. c so the ist f. the ed and all after champions. d So the qu's; the rest of for to. • The fo's and R. omit speak.

f so the qu’s; the rest read, I am made of that self mettle as my fifter, and prize, &c.

& There is no stop in the qu's after worth ; but in the fo's a period, which feems to give the better sense. Upon examining her own sincere heart, lhc finds her love equal to her sisters, nay greater.

• The qu's read, Only see came fiori, &c.

i By the square of sense, we are here to understand the four nobler fenfes, viz. the figbt, hearing, tape, and smell: for a young lady could not, with

decency,

A 3

And find I am alone felicitate
In your dear highness' love.
Cor. Then poor Cordelia !

[Afide, And yet not for since I am sure, my love's More pond'rous than m 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 n conferr'd on Gonerill. Now our joy,
Although our last, P not least; to whose young love,
The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy
Strive to be interess'd. "What can you say to s win
A third, more opulent than your sisters? + Speak.

+ Cor. Nothing, my lord,

Lear. Nothing ! u Cor. Nothing decency, insinuate the knew of any pleasures which the fifth afforded. This is imagined and expresled with great propriety and delicacy. J.

But by Square of sense, Shakespear seems rather to understand the wholo compass or extent of sense, without regard to any particular number, as W. supposeș. Besides, by an exclusion of the fifth from the number of the senses he makes the lady insinuate the idea of that very pleasure whịch he represents her as affecting to seem totally ignorant of.

H. reads Spirit for Square.
k The fo's and R. read profelles.
1 The qu's read, More r'cher.
YA W. says we should read their tongue. See Heath in loc.
A The qu's road confirm’d.
Before

row the qu's read out.
p The qu's read, not least in our dear love, what can you far, &c.
9 The fo's, R. and P. read intereft.
I P. and all after him read, I'bat say you, &c.
$ So the qu’s; all the reit read draw for win.
+ The qu's omit fpeck.
These two iseches are not in the qu's.

Lear.

Lear. w 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, ynor more nor less.

Lear. 2 How, how, Cordelia? mend your speech a little, Left a 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.
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 c marry like my sisters,
• To love my father, all.

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

Lear. 'Well, let it be fo; 8 thy truth then be thy dower: For by the sacred radiance of the fun,

" The qu's read How? Nothing can come, &c. » So the qu’s, T. W. and F. the rest will.

So the qu’s; Steevens, not; the rest no. ? The qu's read Go to, go to, mend, &c. * So the qu's; the rest read you for it.

The fo's and R. read happily. « R.'s oct. merry.

The fo's and R. omit these words in italic. + The qu's read, But goes this with thy heart ? f All but the qu's omit Well. ! The 3d and 4th fo's and R. read the for thy.

A 4

The

Thch mysteries of Hecate, and the i night,
By all the k 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 Scythiar,
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, mand avoid my sight! [70 Cor. Sa be my grave my peace, as here I give Her father's heart from her.Call France-who stirs ?

Call

h The qu's read misirelle; the 1st f. miseries,
i The qu's read might.
k The qu's and 1st f. aperation.
| The qu's omit to my bojom.
m So all before P. who, with the after-cditors, omits and.

1 All the modern editions direct the words, Hence, and avoid my sight, to be spoken to Cordelia; but they are undoubtedly addressed to Kent. For in the next words Lear sends for France and Burgundy, in order to tender them his youngest daughter, if either of them would accept her without a dowry. At such a time therefore to drive her out of his presence would be a contradiction to his declared intention. Heath.

And for that very reason ļ think, with sut mission, the words are spoken to Cordelia, and not to Kent. It is pluin, Cordelia had raised his fury to the highest pitch; Kent was not yet so far advanced; he had but just begun to speak, and that in the most respectful terms, Good my lege.-Lear, with all hiş rage, ftill retained fo much love and respect for him, and so much hope

of