SCENE II. The same. PERICLES on the deck asleep; DIANA appearing to him as in a vision. Dia. My temple stands in Ephesus; hie thee thither, There, when my maiden priests are met together, Reveal how thou at sea didst lose thy wife: [Diana disappears. Per. Celestial Dian, goddess argentine, I will obey thee! - Helicanus! Enter LYSIMACHUS, HELICANUS, and MARINA. Hel. Sir! Per. My purpose was for Tharsus, there to strike For other service first: toward Ephesus Shall we refresh us, sir, upon your shore, As our intents will need? Lys. With all my heart, sir! and when you come Will to my sense bend no licentious ear, ashore, I have another suit. Per. You shall prevail, Were it to woo my daughter; for it seems You have been noble towards her. Lys. Sir, lend your arm! Per. Come, my Marina! [Exeunt. But curb it, spite of seeing. O, my lord, Per. The voice of dead Thaisa! Thai. That Thaisa am I, supposed dead Enter GoWER, before the temple of DIANA, at Per. Immortal Dian! Ephesus. Gow. Now our sands are almost run; More a little, and then done. This, as my last boon, give me, (For such kindness must relieve me,) That you aptly will suppose What pageantry, what feats, what shows, To greet the king. So he has thriv'd, As Dian bade: whereto being bound, SCENE III. Thai. Now I know you better. When we with tears parted Pentapolis, [Shows a ring. Per. You have heard me say, when I did fly from The temple of DIANA at Ephesus; THAISA standing I left behind an ancient substitute. Enter PERICLES, with his train; LYSIMACHUS, Per. Hail, Dian! to perform thy just command, At sea in childbed died she, but brought forth Cer. I will, my lord! Per. Pare Diana! I bless thee for thy vision, and will offer This prince, the fair-betrothed of your daughter, Per. Heavens make a star of him! Yet there, We'll celebrate their nuptials, and ourselves In To Lord Cerimon, we do our longing stay, Gow. In Antioch, and his daughter, you have heard Co Un An Ou G L A (S In T I [Exit Gown SCENE I. — A room of state in KING LEAR's palace. Glo. It did always seem so to us: but now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most; for equalities are so weighed, that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's moiety. Kent. Is not this your son, my lord? I Glo. His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge: have so often blushed to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed to it. Kent. I cannot conceive you. Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could: whereupon she grew round-wombed; and had, indeed, sir, a son for her cradle, ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault? Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper. Glo. But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my account: though this knave came somewhat sancily Glo. My lord of Kent: remember him hereafter as my honourable friend. Edm. My services to your lordship. Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you better. Edm. Sir, I shall study deserving. Glo. He hath been out nine years, shall again. The king is coming! [Trumpets sound within. Enter LEAR, CORNWALL, ALBANY, GONERIL, REGAN, CORDELIA, and Attendants. Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, A In three, our kingdom; and 'tis our fast intent And you, our no less loving son of Albany, Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love, Which of you, shall we say, doth love us most? Where merit doth most challenge it. - Goneril, Gon. Sir, I Do love you more, than words can wield the matter, Which the most precious square of sense possesses; In your dear highness' love. And yet not so; since, I am sure, my love's [Aside. Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever, Than that confirm'd on Goneril. Now, our joy, Lear. Nothing? Cor. Nothing! To love my father all. Lear. But goes this with thy heart? Cor. Ay, good my lord! Lear. So young, and so untender? Cor. So young, my lord, and true! Lear. Let it be so!-Thy truth then be thy dower: Or he that makes his generation messes Come not between the dragon and his wrath: So be my grave my peace, as here I give Call Burgundy! - Cornwall, and Albany, Kent. Let it fall rather, though the fork invade The region of my heart: be Kent unmannerly, When Lear is mad. What would'st thou do, old man? Think'st thou, that duty shall have dread to speak, When power to flattery bows? To plainuess honour's bound, When majesty stoops to folly. Reverse thy doom; And, in thy best consideration, check This hideous rashness: answer my life my judgment, Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least; Nor are those empty-hearted, whose low sound Reverbs no hollowness. Lear. Kent, on thy life, no more! Kent. My life I never held but as a pawn To wage against thine enemies; nor fear to lose it, Thy safety being the motive. Lear. Out of my sight! Kent. See better, Lear! and let me still remain The true blank of thine eye. Lear. Now, by Apollo,- Lear. O, vassal! miscreant! Most best, most dearest, should in this trice of time [Laying his hand on his sword. Commit a thing so monstrous, to dismantle Alb. et Corn. Dear sir, forbear! Kill thy physician, and the fee bestow Or, whilst I can vent clamour from my throat, Lear. Hear me, recreant! Since thou hast sought to make us break our vow, To come betwixt our sentence and our power; Kent. Fare thee well, king! since thus thou wilt appear, Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here. - [To Cordelia. and Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord! We first address towards you, who with this king Bur. Most royal majesty, I crave no more, than hath your highness offer'd, Nor will you tender less. Lear. Right noble Burgundy, When she was dear to us, we did hold her so; Bur. I know no answer. Lear. Sir, Will you, with those infirmities she owes, Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate, So many folds of favour! Sure, her offence Cor. I yet beseech your majesty, To speak and purpose not; since what I well in- I'll do't before I speak,) that you make known Lear. Better thou Hadst not been born, than not to have pleas'd ne 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 is not love, When it is mingled with respects, that stand Aloof from the entire point. "Will you have her? She is herself a dowry. Bur. Royal Lear, Give but that portion which yourself propos'd, 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! France. Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor; Most choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'd! Gods, gods! 'tis strange, that from their cold'st neglect My love should kindle to inflam'd respect! Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my chance, Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France: for we Dower'd with our curse, and stranger'd with our Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see oath, Take her, or leave her? Bur. Pardon me, royal sir! Election makes not up on such conditions. Lear. Then leave her, sir! for, by the power that made me, I tell you all her wealth. That face of hers again: therefore be gone, [Flourish. Exeunt Lear, Burgundy, Cornwal Albany, Gloster, and Attendants. [To France. Cordelia leaves you: I know you what you are I would not from your love make such a stray, And, like a sister, am most loath to call To match you where I hate; therefore beseech' you Your faults, as they are nam'd. Use well our father To avert your liking a more worthier way, France. This is most strange! That she, that even but now was your best object, To your professed bosoms I commit him; Gon. Prescribe not us our duties. Be, to content your lord; who hath recei'vd you Who cover faults, at last shame them derides. France. Come, my fair Cordelia! [Exeunt France and Cordelia. Gon. Sister, it is not a 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 not been little: he always loved our sister most; and with what poor judgment he hath now cast her off, appears too grossly. Reg. 'Tis the infirmity of his age: yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself. 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; for so much as I have perused, I find it not for your over-looking. 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 virtue. 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; who sways, not as it hath power, but as it is suffered. Come to me, that of this I may speak more. If our father would sleep till I waked him, you should enjoy half his Gon. The best and soundest of his time hath been revenue for ever, and live the beloved of your brobut rash; then must we look to receive from his ther, Edgar.- Humph-Conspiracy! - Sleep till I age, not alone the imperfections of long-engrafted waked him, you should enjoy half his revenue,condition, but, therewithal, the unruly waywardness, My son Edgar! Had he a hand to write this? a heart that infirm and choleric years bring with them. and brain to breed it in?-When came this to you? Reg. Such unconstant starts are we like to have who brought it? from him, as this of Kent's banishment. Gon. There is further compliment of leave-taking between France and him. Pray you, let us hit together! If our father carry authority with such dispositions 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. [Exeunt. SCENE II. A hall in the Earl of GLOSTER'S Castle. Enter EDMUND, with a letter. For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines Enter GLOSter. Glo.Kent banish'd thus ! and France in choler parted! Glo. What paper were you reading? Edm. Nothing, my lord! Edm. It was not brought me, my lord, there's the cunning of it; I found it thrown in at the casement of my closet. Glo. You know the character to be your brother's? Edm. If the matter were good, my lord, I durst swear it were his; but, in respect of that, I would fain think it were not. Glo. It is his. Edm. It is his hand, my lord, but, I hope, his heart is not in the contents. Glo. Hath he never heretofore sounded you in this business? Edm. Never, my lord! But I have often heard him maintain it to be fit, that, sons at perfect age, and fathers declining, the father should be as ward to the son, and the son manage his revenue. Glo. O villain, villain!- His very opinion in the letter! - Abhorred villain! Unnatural, detested, brutish villain! worse than brutish!-Go, sirrah, seek him! I'll apprehend him!-- Abominable villain ! Where is he? Edm. I do not well know, my lord! If it shall please you to suspend your indignation against my brother, till you can derive from him better testimony of his intent, you shall run a certain course; where, if you violently proceed against him, mistaking his purpose, it would make a great gap in your own honour, and shake in pieces the heart of his obedience. I dare pawn down my life for him, that he hath writ this to feel my affection to your honour, and to no other pretence of danger. Glo. Think you so? Edm. If your honour judge it meet, I will place you where you shall hear us confer of this, and by an auricular assurance have your satisfaction; and that without any farther delay than this very evening. Glo. He cannot be such a monster. Edm. Nor is not, sure! Glo. To his father, that so tenderly and entirely loves him!-Heaven and earth!-Edmund, seek him out! wind me into him, I pray you! frame the business after your own wisdom: I would unstate myself, to be in a due resolution. Edm. I will seek kim, sir, presently! convey the business as I shall find means, and acquaint you withal. Glo. No? What needed then that terrible dispatch Glo. These late eclipses in the sun and moon por |