Glou. Here's France and Burgundy, my noble lord.[2565]
Lear. Right noble Burgundy,[2574]
When she was dear to us, we did hold her so;[2574][2575] 195
But now her price is fall'n. Sir, there she stands:[2574][2576]
If aught within that little seeming substance,[2574][2577]
Or all of it, with our displeasure pieced,[2574][2578]
And nothing more, may fitly like your grace,[2579]
She's there, and she is yours.
Bur. I know no answer. 200
Lear. Will you, with those infirmities she owes,[2580]
Unfriended, new adopted to our hate,
Dower'd with our curse and stranger'd with our oath,[2581]
Take her, or leave her?[2582]
Lear. Then leave her, sir; for, by the power that made me,
I tell you all her wealth. [To France] For you, great king,[2586]
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[2587] 210
Than on a wretch whom nature is ashamed
Almost to acknowledge hers.
France. This is most strange,[2588]
That she, that even but now was your best object,[2588][2589]
The argument of your praise, balm of your age,[2588][2590]
Most best, most dearest, should in this trice of time[2588][2591] 215
Commit a thing so monstrous, to dismantle[2588]
So many folds of favour. Sure, her offence[2588][2592]
Must be of such unnatural degree[2588]
That monsters it, or your fore-vouch'd affection[2593][2594]
Fall'n into taint: which to believe of her,[2594][2595] 220
Must be a faith that reason without miracle[2596]
Could never plant in me.[2596]
Cor. I yet beseech your majesty,—[2597][2598]
If for I want that glib and oily art,[2598][2599]
To speak and purpose not, since what I well intend,[2600]
I'll do't before I speak,—that you make known[2601] 225
It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness,[2602]
No unchaste action, or dishonour'd step,[2603]
That hath deprived me of your grace and favour;[2604]
But even for want of that for which I am richer,[2605]
A still-soliciting eye, and such a tongue[2606] 230
As I am glad I have not, though not to have it[2607]
Hath lost me in your liking.
France. Is it but this, a tardiness in nature[2611]
Which often leaves the history unspoke[2612][2613] 235
That it intends to do? My lord of Burgundy,[2613][2614]
What say you to the lady? Love's not love[2613][2615]
When it is mingled with regards that stand[2613][2616]
Aloof from the entire point. Will you have her?[2617]
She is herself a dowry.[2618]
Bur. Royal Lear,[2619][2620] 240
Give but that portion which yourself proposed,[2620]
And here I take Cordelia by the hand,[2620]
Duchess of Burgundy.[2620]
Lear. Nothing: I have sworn; I am firm.[2621]
Bur. I am sorry then you have so lost a father[2622] 245
That you must lose a husband.
France. Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich being poor,[2626]
Most choice forsaken, and most loved despised, 250
Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon:[2627]
Be it lawful I take up what's cast away.[2628]
Gods, gods! 'tis strange that from their cold'st neglect[2629]
My love should kindle to inflamed respect.
Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my chance,[2630] 255
Is queen of us, of ours, and our fair France:
Not all the dukes of waterish Burgundy[2631]
Can buy this unprized precious maid of me.[2632]
Bid them farewell, Cordelia, though unkind:[2633][2634]
Thou losest here, a better where to find.[2634] 260
Lear. Thou hast her, France: let her be thine, for we[2635]
Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see[2635]
That face of hers again. Therefore be gone[2636]
Without our grace, our love, our benison.[2637][2638]
Come, noble Burgundy.[2637] 265
[Flourish. Exeunt all but France, Goneril,
Regan, and Cordelia.[2639]
France. Bid farewell to your sisters.[2640]
Cor. The jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes[2641][2642]
Cordelia leaves you: I know you what you are;[2642][2643]
And, like a sister, am most loath to call[2642]
Your faults as they are named. Use well our father:[2642][2644] 270
To your professed bosoms I commit him:[2645]
But yet, alas, stood I within his grace,
I would prefer him to a better place.[2646]
So farewell to you both.
Reg. Prescribe not us our duties.[2647]
Gon. Let your study[2648] 275
Be to content your lord, who hath received you[2648]
At fortune's alms. You have obedience scanted,[2648][2649]
And well are worth the want that you have wanted.[2650]
Cor. Time shall unfold what plaited cunning hides:[2651]
Who cover faults, at last shame them derides.[2652] 280
Well may you prosper!
France. Come, my fair Cordelia.
[Exeunt France and Cordelia.[2653]
Reg. That's most certain, and with you; next month[2658] 285
with us.
Gon. You see how full of changes his age is; the observation[2659]
we have made of it hath not been little: he always[2660]
loved our sister most; and with what poor judgement he hath
now cast her off appears too grossly.[2661] 290
Reg. 'Tis 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 to receive from his age, not alone[2662]
the imperfections of long ingrafted condition, but therewithal[2663] 295
the unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric[2664]
years bring with them.
Reg. Such unconstant starts are we like to have from[2665]
him as this of Kent's banishment.
Gon. There is further compliment of leave-taking between[2666] 300
France and him. Pray you, let's hit together: if our[2667]
father carry authority with such dispositions as he bears,[2668]
this last surrender of his will but offend us.
Reg. We shall further think on 't.[2669]
Gon. We must do something, and i' the heat. [Exeunt.305
Scene II. The Earl of Gloucester's castle.
Enter Edmund, with a letter.[2670]
Edm. Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law[2671]
My services are bound. Wherefore should I[2671]
Stand in the plague of custom, and permit[2671][2672]
The curiosity of nations to deprive me,[2671][2673]
For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines[2671] 5
Lag of a brother? Why bastard? wherefore base?[2671][2674]
When my dimensions are as well compact,[2671][2675]
My mind as generous and my shape as true,[2671]
As honest madam's issue? Why brand they us[2671][2676]
With base? with baseness? bastardy? base, base?[2671][2677] 10
Who in the lusty stealth of nature take[2671]
More composition and fierce quality[2671]
Than doth, within a dull, stale, tired bed,[2671][2678]
Go to the creating a whole tribe of fops,[2671][2679]
Got 'tween asleep and wake? Well then,[2671][2680] 15
Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land:[2671]
Our father's love is to the bastard Edmund[2671]
As to the legitimate: fine word,'legitimate!'[2671][2681]
Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed[2671]
And my invention thrive, Edmund the base[2671][2676] 20
Shall top the legitimate. I grow; I prosper:[2671][2682]
Now, gods, stand up for bastards![2671]
Enter Gloucester.[2671]
Edm. So please your lordship, none.
[Putting up the letter.[2687]
Glou. Why so earnestly seek you to put up that letter?[2688]
Edm. I know no news, my lord.
Glou. What paper were you reading? 30
Edm. Nothing, my lord.
Glou. No? What needed then that terrible dispatch of[2689]
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[2690]
not need spectacles. 35
Edm. I beseech you, sir, pardon me: it is a letter from[2691]
my brother, that I have not all o'er-read; and for so much[2692]
as I have perused, I find it not fit for your o'er-looking.[2693]
Glou. Give me the letter, sir.
Edm. I shall offend, either to detain or give it. The[2694] 40
contents, as in part I understand them, are to blame.[2694][2695]
Glou. 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.[2696]
Glou. [Reads] 'This policy and reverence of age makes[2697] 45
the world bitter to the best of our times; keeps our fortunes[2698]
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[2699]
to me, that of this I may speak more. If our father would 50
sleep till I waked him, you should enjoy half his revenue for
ever, and live the beloved of your brother, Edgar.'
Hum! Conspiracy!—'Sleep till I waked him, you should[2700]
enjoy half his revenue!'—My son Edgar! Had he a hand
to write this? a heart and brain to breed it in? When[2701] 55
came this to you? who brought it?[2702]
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.
Glou. You know the character to be your brother's?
Edm. If the matter were good, my lord, I durst swear 60
it were his; but, in respect of that, I would fain think it[2703][2704]
were not.[2703]
Edm. It is his hand, my lord; but I hope his heart is[2706]
not in the contents. 65
Glou. Hath he never heretofore sounded you in this[2707]
business?
Edm. Never, my lord: but I have heard him oft maintain[2708]
it to be fit, that, sons at perfect age, and fathers declining,[2709]
the father should be as ward to the son, and the[2710] 70
son manage his revenue.[2711]
Glou. O villain, villain! His very opinion in the letter!
Abhorred villain! Unnatural, detested, brutish villain!
worse than brutish! Go, sirrah, seek him; ay, apprehend[2712]
him: abominable villain! Where is he? 75
Edm. I do not well know, my lord. If it shall please[2713]
you to suspend your indignation against my brother till you
can derive from him better testimony of his intent, you[2714]
should run a certain course; where, if you violently proceed[2715]
against him, mistaking his purpose, it would make a great 80
gap in your own honour and shake in pieces the heart of[2716]
his obedience. I dare pawn down my life for him that he[2717]
hath wrote this to feel my affection to your honour and to[2718]
no further pretence of danger.[2719]
Glou. Think you so? 85
Edm. If your honour judge it meet, I will place you
where you shall hear us confer of this and by an auricular[2720]
assurance have your satisfaction, and that without any further
delay than this very evening.
Glou. He cannot be such a monster—[2721] 90
Glou. To his father, that so tenderly and entirely loves[2722]
him. Heaven and earth! Edmund, seek him out; wind me[2722][2723]
into him, I pray you: frame the business after your own[2724]
wisdom. I would unstate myself, to be in a due resolution. 95
Edm. I will seek him, sir, presently, convey the business[2725]
as I shall find means, and acquaint you withal.[2726]
Glou. These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend[2727][2728]
no good to us: though the wisdom of nature can reason it[2729]
thus and thus, yet nature finds itself scourged by the sequent[2730] 100
effects: love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide:
in cities, mutinies; in countries, discord; in palaces,[2731]
treason; and the bond cracked 'twixt son and father. This[2732][2733]
villain of mine comes under the prediction; there's son[2733]
against father: the king falls from bias of nature; there's[2733] 105
father against child. We have seen the best of our time:[2733]
machinations, hollowness, treachery and all ruinous disorders[2733]
follow us disquietly to our graves. Find out this[2733]
villain, Edmund; it shall lose thee nothing; do it carefully.[2734]
And the noble and true-hearted Kent banished! his offence, 110
honesty! 'Tis strange. [Exit.[2735]
Edm. This is the excellent foppery of the world, that[2736]
when we are sick in fortune—often the surfeit of our own[2737]
behaviour—we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the
moon and the stars: as if we were villains by necessity,[2738] 115
fools by heavenly compulsion, knaves, thieves and treachers,[2739]
by spherical predominance, drunkards, liars and adulterers,[2740]
by an enforced obedience of planetary influence;
and all that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on: an admirable
evasion of whoremaster man, to lay his goatish 120
disposition to the charge of a star! My father compounded[2741]
with my mother under the dragon's tail, and my nativity
was under Ursa major; so that it follows I am rough and
lecherous. Tut, I should have been that I am, had the[2742]
maidenliest star in the firmament twinkled on my bastardizing.[2743] 125
Edgar—[2744][2745][2746]
Enter Edgar.