3

Though, haply, well for you.
Arv. Your danger's ours.
Guid. And our good his.

Bel. Have at it then.

It was a mark of wonder.

Bel. This is he;

Who hath upon him ftill that natural stamp:
It was wife nature's end in the donation,

By leave ;-Thou had'st, great king, a subject, who To be his evidence now.

Was call'd Belarius.

Cym. What of him? he is

A banith'd traitor.

Bel. He it is, that hath

Affam'd this age: indeed, a banish'd man;
I know not how, a traitor.

Cym. Take him hence;

The whole world fhall not fave him.
Bel. Not too hot :

First pay me for the nurfmg of thy fons;
And let it be confifcate all, to foon
As I have receiv'd it.

Cym. Nurfing of my fons?

Bel. I am too blunt, and faucy: Here's my knee:
Ere I arife, I will prefer my fons;
Then, fpare not the old father. Mighty fir,
Thefe two young gentlemen, that call me father,
And think they are my fons, are none of mine;
They are the illue of your loins, my liege,
And blood of your begetting.

Cym. How my iffue?

Bel. So fure as you your father's. I, old Morgan,
Am that Belarius whom you fometime banish'd:
Your pleasure was my near offence, my punishment
3 Itfelf, and all my treafon; that I suffer'd,

Was all the harm I did. Thefe gentle princes
(For fuch, and fo they are) these twenty years
Have I train'd up: thofe arts they have, as 1
Could put into them; my breeding was, fir, as
Your highnefs knows. Their nurfe, Euriphile,
Whom for the theft I wedded, stole thefe children
Upon my banishment: I mov'd her to 't;
Having receiv'd the punishment before,

Cym, O, what am I

A mother to the birth of three? Ne'er mother
Rejoic'd deliverance more :-Bleft may you be,
That, after this ftrange starting from your orbs,
You may reign in them now!—O Imogen,
Thou haft loft by this a kingdom.

Ina. No, my lord;

[thers,

I have got two worlds by 't.-O my gentle bro-
Have we thus met? O never fay hereafter,
But I am trueft fpeaker: you call'd me brother,
When I was but your fifter; I you brothers,
When you were fo indeed.

Cym. Did you e'er meet?

Arv. Ay, my good lord.

Guid. And at firit meeting lov'd;
Continued fo, until we thought he died.

Cor. By the queen's dram fhe fwallow'd.
Cym. O rare inftinet!

When fhall I hear all through? This fierce
abridgment

Hath to it circumftantial branches, which Diftinction fhould be rich in.Where? how liv'd you?

And when came you to serve our Roman captive?
How parted with your brothers? how firft met
them ?

Why fled you from the court? and whither? Thefe,
And your three motives to the battle, with

I know not how much more, fhould be demanded;
And all the other by-dependancies,

From chance to chance; but nor the time, nor place,
Will ferve our long interrogatories. See,
Pofthumus anchors upon Imogen;

And fhe, like harmless lightning, throws her eye
On him, her brothers, me, her mafter; hitting
Each object with a joy: the counter-change
Is feverally in all. Let's quit this ground,
And fmoke the temple with our facrifices.
:-Thou art my brother; So we'll hold thee ever.
[To Belarias.
Imo. You are my father too; and did relieve me,
To fee this gracious feason.

For that which I did then: Beaten for loyalty
Excited me to treafon : Their dear lofs,
The more of you 'twas felt, the more it shap'd
Unto my end of stealing them. But, gracious fir,
Here are your fons again; and I must lofe
Two of the fweet'ft companions in the world
The benediction of these covering heavens
Fall on their heads like dew! for they are worthy
To inlay heaven with stars.

Cym. Thou weep'st, and speak'st.

The fervice, that you three have done, is more
Unlike than this thou tell'ft: I loft my children;
If these be they, I know not how to with
A pair of worthier fons.

Bel. Be pleas'd a while.

This gentleman, whom I call Polydore,

Most worthy prince, as yours, is true Guiderius:
This gentleman, my Cadwal, Arviragus,
Your younger princely fon; he, fir, was lap'd
In a moft curious mantle, wrought by the hand
Of his queen mother, which, for more probation,
I can with eafe produce.

Cym. Guiderius had

Upon his neck a mole, a fanguine star;

Cym. All o'er-joy'd,

Save thefe in bonds: let them be joyful too,
For they fhall tafte our comfort.

Imo. My good master,

I will yet do you fervice.

Luc. Happy be you!

Cym. The forlorn foldier, that so nobly fought He would have well becom'd this place, and grac'3 The thankings of a king.

Past. I am, fir,

The foldier that did company these three
In poor befeeming; 'twas a fitment for
The purpose I then follow'd:-That I was he,
Speak, Iachimo; I had you down, and might
Have made you finish.

2 A collection is a corollary, a confequence deduced from

Knights attending on the King, Officers, Messengers, Soldiers, and Attendants.

SCENE, Britain.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

King Lear's Palace.

Enter Kent, Glofter, and Edmund.
THOUGHT, the king had more affected

Kent. the duke of Albany, than Cornwall.

Glo. It did always feem fo to us: but now, in the divifion of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most ; for equalities are fo weighed, that curiofity in neither can make choice of either's moiety 2.

Kent. Is not this your fon, my lord?

Gio. His breeding, fir, hath been at my charge: I have fo often bluth'd to acknowledge him, that now I am braz'd to't.

Kent. I cannot conceive you.

Glo. Sir, this young feilow's mother could: whereupon the grew round-womb'd; and had, indeed, fir, a fon for her cradle, ere fhe had a husband for her bed. Do you fmell a fault?

Kent. I cannot with the fault undone, the iffue of it being fo proper.

The map there.-Know, that we have divided,
In three, our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent
To shake all cares and bufinefs from our age;
Conferring them on younger ftrengths, while we
Unburden'd crawl toward death.Our fon of
Cornwall,

Glo. But I have, fir, a fon by order of law, fome year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in And you, our no leís loving fon of Albany, my account, though this knave came fomewhat We have this hour a conftant 4 will to publish faucily into the world before he was fent for: yet Our daughters' several dowers, that future ftrife was his mother fair; there was good fport at his May be prevented now. The princes, France and making, and the whorefon mult be acknowled-| Burgundy,

Curiofity is fcrupuloufnefs, or captioufnefs. 2 The ftri&t fenfe of the word moiety is half, one of two equal parts; but Shakspeare commonly uses it for any part or divifion. 3 Darker, for more fecret; not for indirect, oblique. 4 Conflant is firm, determined.

Great

Great rivals in our youngest daughter's love,
Long in our court have made their amorous fojourn,
And here are to be anfwer'd.--Tell me, my daugh-
(Since now we will divest us, both of rule, [ters,
Intereft of territory, cares of ftate,)

They love you, all? Haply, when I shall wed,
That lord, whofe hand must take my plight, shal
carry

Half my love with him, half my care, and duty:
Sure, I fhall never marry like my fitters,

Which of you, fhall we fay, doth love us most? To love my father all.
That we our largeft bounty may extend

Where nature doth with merit challenge.-Goneril,|

Our eldest-born, speak first.

Gon. Sir, I

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

[dower:

Lear. So young, and fo untender ?
Cor. So young, my lord, and true.
Lear. Let it be fo,-Thy truth then be thy
For, by the facred radiance of the fun;
The mysteries of Hecate, and the night;
By all the operations of the orbs,
From whom we do exift, and cease to be;
Here I difclaim all my paternal care,
Propinquity and property of blood,

Do love you more than words can wield the matter,
Dearer than eye-fight, fpace and liberty;
Beyond what can be valued rich or rare; [nour:
No lefs than life, with grace, health, beauty, ho-
As much as child e'er lov'd, or father found.
A love that makes breath poor, and fpeech unable;
Beyond all manner of fo much I love you.
Cor. What fhall Cordelia do? Love, and be And as a ftranger to my heart and me

filent.

[de. Hold thee, from this 5, for ever. The barbarous

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

With shadowy forefts and with champains rich'd,
With plenteous rivers, and white-skirted meads,
We make thee lady: To thine and Albany's iffue
Be this perpetual.—What fays our fecond daughter,
Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall? Speak.

Reg. I am made of that felf metal as my fifter,
And prize me at her worth. In my true heart
I find, the names my very deed of love;
Only the comes too fhort: that I profefs

Myfelf an enemy to all other joys,

Scythian,

Or he that makes his generation meffes
To gorge his appetite, ihall to my bolom
Be as well neighbour'd, pitied, and reliev'd,
As thou my fometime daughter.
Kent. Good my liege,-
Lear. Peace, Kent!

Come not between the dragon and his wrath:
I lov'd her moft, and thought to fet my ret
On her kind nursery.--Hence, and avoid my fight'--
[To Cardele.
So be my grave my peace, as here I give

Which the most precious fquare3 of fenfe poffeffes; Her father's heart from her!-Call France;And find, I am alone felicitate

And yet not fo; fmce, I am fure, my love's
More pond'rous than my tongue.

Lear. To thee, and thine, hereditary ever,
Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom;
No lefs in fpace, validity 4, and pleasure,
Than that confirm'd on Goneril.--Now, our joy,
Although the last, not least; to whofe young love
The vines of France, and milk of Burgundy,
Strive to be interefs'd; what can you fay, to draw
A third, more opulent than your fifters ? Speak.
Cor. Nothing, my lord.

Lear. Nothing? Cor. Nothing.

Lear. 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 boad; nor more, nor less.
Lear. How, how, Cordelia? mend your speech
a little,

Left it may mar your fortunes.

Cor. Good my lord,

You have begot me, bred me, lov'd me: I
Return thofe duties back as are right fit,
Obey you, love you, and moft honour you.
Why have my fifters hufbands, if they fay,

Who ftirs?

Call Burgundy.- -Cornwall, and Albany,
With my two daughters' dowers digeft this third:
Let pride, which the calls plainnefs, marry her.
I do inveft you jointly with my power,
Preheminence, and all the large effects [courfe,
That troop with majefty. Ourself, by monthly
With refervation of an hundred knights,
By you to be fuftain'd, shall our abode
Make with you by due turns. Only we fhall re-
The name, and all the addition to a king ;
The fway, revenue, execution of the rett",
Beloved fons, be yours: which to confirm,
This coronet part between you. [Giving the cowa
Kent. Royal Lear,

Whom I have ever honour'd as my king,
Lov'd as my father, as my master follow'd,
As my great patron thought on in my prayers,-
Lear. The bow is bent and drawn, make from

the shaft.

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'ft thou that duty shall have dread to speak,
When power to flattery bows? To plainnefs bo

nour's bound,

When majesty stoops to folly. Reverse thy doom;

1 That is, beyond all affignable quantity, 2 That seems to fstand without relation, but is referred to find, the filt conjunction being inaccurately fupprefied. I find that the names my deed, I fed that I profefs, &c. 3 Square here means compass, comprehenfion. 4 Validity, for worth, value i. e. the execution of all the other business.

si e. from this time.

And, in thy best confideration, check [ment, I crave no more than hath your highness offer'd, This hideous rafhnefs: anfwer my life my judg-Nor will you tender lefs.

Lear. Right noble Burgundy,

When the was dear to us, we did hold her fo;

But now her price is fall'n: Sir, there fhe ftands;
If aught within that little feeming fubitance,
Or all of it, with our difpleature piec'd,

To wage against thine enemies: nor fear to lofe it, And nothing more, may fitly like your grace,
Thy fafety being the motive.

Kent. Do; kill thy physician, and the fee bestow I tell you all her wealth.-For you, great king, Upon the foul difeate. Revoke thy gift; Or, whilft I can vent clamour from my throat, I'll tell thee, thou doft evil.

To fpeak and purpose not; fince what I well intend, Freedom lives hence, and banishment is here. I'll do't before I speak) that you make known The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid, It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness, [To Cordelia. No unchafte action, or dishonour'd step, That justly think'ft, and haft most rightly faid! That hath depriv'd me of your grace and favour: And your large fpeeches may your deeds approve, But even for want of that, for which I am richer; [To Regan and Goneril. A ftill-foliciting eye, and such a tongue

That good effects may fpring from words of love.That I am glad I have not, though not to have it,

Hadit not been born, than not to have pleas'd me France. Is it no more but this? a tardiness in nature,

Glo. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble Which often leaves the hiftory unfpoke,

I Means the fame as reverberates. 2 The blank is the white or exact mark at which the arrow is fhot. See better, lays Kent, and keep me always in your view. 3 i. e. pride exorbitant; pride paffing due bonnds. 4 i. e. our power to execute that fentence. 5 Quest of love is amour

ous expedition. The term originated from Romance. A queft was the expedition in which a knight was engaged. 6 Seeming is fpecious. 7 i. e. is poffeffed of. 8 i. c. makes not advances. 9 Taint is here ufed for corruption and for disgrace. 1o Entire tor fingie.

0002