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And on the fixth to turn thy hated back

Upon our kingdom; if the tenth day following
Thy banish'd trunk be found in our dominions,

The moment is thy death: away! By Jupiter !
This fhall not be revok'd.

Kent. Fare thee well, King; fith thus thou wilt appear, Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here;

The Gods to their dear fhelter take thee, maid, [To Cor. That justly think'ft, and haft most rightly faid!

And your large fpeeches may your deeds approve!

[To Gon. and Regan. That good effects may spring from words of love: Thus Kent, O Princes, bids you all adieu,

He'll fhape his old courfe in a country new.

[Exit.

SCENE III. Enter Glo'fter, with France and
Burgundy, and Attendants.

Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble Lord.
Lear. My Lord of Burgundy,

We first address tow'rd you, who with this King
Have rivall'd for our daughter; what at least
Will you require in prefent dowre with her,
Or cease your queft of love?

Bur. Moft royal Majesty,

I crave no more than what your Highness offer'd,
Nor will you tender less.

Lear. Right noble Burgundy,

When she was dear to us we held her fo,

But now her price is fall'n: Sir, there she stands,
If ought within that little feeming substance,
Or all of it with our displeasure piec'd,
And nothing more, may fitly like your Grace,
She's there, and the is yours.

Bur. I know no answer.

Lear. Will you with those infirmities fhe owes,

Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate,

Dowr'd with our curfe, and ftranger'd with our oath,

Take her, or leave her?

Bur. Pardon, royal Sir.

Election makes not up on fuch conditions.

Lear.Then leave her, Sir; for by the pow'r that made me,

I tell you all her wealth.-For you, great King, [To France.
I would not from your love make fuch a ftray,

To match you where I hate; therefore beseech you
T'avert your liking a more worthy way

Than on a wretch whom nature is afham'd
Almoft t' acknowledge hers.

France. This is most strange!

That the, who ev'n but now was your best object,
Your praife's argument, balm of your age,
Deareft and beft, fhould in this trice of time
Commit a thing so monftrous, to dismantle
So many folds of favour! fure th' offence
Muft be of fuch unnatural degree,

As monsters it; or your fore-voucht affection
Could not fall into taint; which to believe
Of her must be a faith reafon without
A miracle should never plant in me.
Cor. I yet befeech your Majefty, (if fo
I want that glib and oily art, to speak
And purpofe not, fince what I well intend,
I'll do't before I speak) that you make known
It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,
No unchafte action, or dishonour'd step,
That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour;
But ev'n the want of that, for which I'm richer,
A ftill folliciting eye, and fuch a tongue,
That I am glad I've not, though not to have it
Hath loft me in your liking.

Lear. Better thou

Hadft not been born, than not have pleas'd me better. France. Is it but this? a tardiness in nature,

Which often leaves the hiftory unfpoke

That it intends to do? my Lord of Burgundy,
What fay you to the Lady? love's not love
When it is mingled with regards, that stand

Aloof from th' intire point. Say will you have her?
She is her felf a dowry.

Bur. Royal King,

Give but that portion which your felf propos'd,

And

And here I take Cordelia by the hand,

Dutchess of Burgundy.

Lear. Nothing

-I've fworn.

Bur. I'm forry then you have so loft a father, That you must lose a husband.

Cor. Peace be with Burgundy,

Since that refpects of fortune are his love,
I fhall not be his wife.

France. Fairest Cordelia, that art moft rich, being poor
Moft choice, forfaken! and most lov'd, defpis'd!
Thee and thy virtues here I feize upon,

Be't lawful I take up what's caft away.

Gods, Gods! 'tis ftrange, that from their cold'st neglect
My love should kndle to enflam'd respect.

Thy dowreless daughter, King, thrown to my chance,
Is Queen of us, of ours, and our fair France:

Not all the Dukes of wat'rish Burgundy,

Can buy this unpriz'd precious maid of me.
Bid them farewel, Cordelia, though unkind;
Thou lofeft here, a better where to find.

Lear. Thou haft her, France, let her be thine, for we
Have no fuch daughter, nor fhall ever fee
That face of hers again; therefore be gone
Without our grace, our love, our benizon:
Come, noble Burgundy.

[Flourish. Exeunt Lear and Burgundy. SCENE IV.

France. Bid farewel to your fifters.

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

And like a fifter am moft loth to call

Your faults as they are nam'd. Love well our father;

To your profeffing bofoms I commit him ;

But yet, alas, food I within his grace,

I would prefer him to a better place.

So farewel to you both.

Reg. Prefcribe not us our duty.

Gon. Let your ftudy

Be to content your Lord, who hath receiv'd you

At

At fortune's alms; you have obedience scanted,
And well are worthy to want that you have wanted.
Cor. Time fhall unfold what plaited cunning hides,
Who cover'd faults at laft with fhame derides.

Well may you profper!

France. Come, my fair Cordelia.

[Exeunt France and Cor.

SCENE V.

Gon. Sifter, it is not little I've to say, Of what most nearly appertains to us both; I think our father will go hence to-night.

us.

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

Gen. You fee how full of changes his age is, the obfervation we have made of it hath not been little; he always lov'd our fifter moft, and with what poor judgment he hath now caft her off, appears too grofly.

Reg. 'Tis the infirmity of his age; yet he hath ever but flenderly known himself.

Gon. The beft and foundeft of his time hath been but rash; then must we look from his age to receive not alone the imperfections of long-engrafted conditions, but therewithal the unruly waywardnefs, that infirm and cholerick years bring with them.

Reg. Such unconftant starts are we like to have from him, as this of Kent's banifhment.

Gon. There is further compliment of leave-taking between Burgundy and him; pray you, let us fit together: if our father carrry authority, with fuch difpofition as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us. Reg. We fhall further think of it.

Gon. We must do fomething, and i'th' heat. [Exeunti
SCENE VI.

A Caftle belonging to the Earl of Glo'fter.
Enter Baftard with a letter.

Baft. Thou, Nature, art my Goddess, to thy law
My fervices are bound; wherefore fhould I

Stand to the plague of custom, and permit

The courtesy of nations to deprive me,

For that I am fome twelve or fourteen moonshines

VOL. IV.

K

Lag

Lag of a brother? * and why baftard? bafe ?.
When my dimenfions are as well compact,
My mind as gen'rous, and my fhape as true,
As honeft Madam's iffue? why brand they us
With bafe? with bafenefs? baftardy? base, bafe?
Who in the lufty stealth of nature, take

More compofition and fierce quality,
Than doth within a dull, ftale, tired bed,
Go to creating a whole tribe of fops,

Got 'tween a-fleep and wake? Well then, good brother,
Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land,
Our father's love is to the bastard Edmund,
As to th' legitimate; fine word-legitimate-
Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed
And my invention thrive, Edmund the base
Shall toe th' legitimate: I grow, I profper;
Now, Gods, ftand up for baftards!

SCENE VII. To him, Enter Glo'fter.
Glo. Kent banish'd thus! and France in choler parted!
And the King gone to-night! fubfcrib'd his pow'r,
Confin'd to exhibition! all is gone

Upon the gad!

-Edmund, how now? what news? Baft. So please your Lordship, none. [Putting up the letter. Glo. Why fo earnestly seek you to put up that letter? Baft. I know no news, my Lord.

Glo. What paper were you reading?

Baft. Nothing, my Lord.

Glo. No! what needed then that terrible dispatch of it into your pocket? the quality of nothing hath not fuch

* Edmund is here inveighing against the tyranny of custom, of which he produces two diftinét inftances, one with refpect to younger brothers, the other with refpect to baftards. In the former he muft not be understood to mean himself though he fpeaks in the first perfon, but according to a common mode of fpeech to fuppofe the cafe his own, and as in his own Perfon to exclaim against the unreasonableness and injuftice of the thing: the argument thus becomes general implying more than is faid, namely, wherefore should I, or any man, &c.

As the treading upon another's Heels is an expreffion ufed to fignify the being not far behind him; fo to see another means to come up to and be upon even ground with him.

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