King Lear

knave came something saucily to the world before he was

sent for: yet was his mother fair, there was good sport at his

making and the whoreson²¹ must be acknowledged.— Do you

know this noble gentleman, Edmund?

EDMUND    No, my lord.

GLOUCESTER    My lord of Kent: remember him hereafter as my

honourable friend.

EDMUND    My services to your lordship.

KENT    I must love you, and sue²⁷ to know you better.

EDMUND    Sir, I shall study deserving²⁸.

GLOUCESTER    He hath been out²⁹ nine years, and away he shall

again. The king is coming.

Sennet. Enter [one bearing a coronet, then] King Lear, Cornwall, Albany, Goneril, Regan, Cordelia and Attendants

LEAR    Attend³¹ the lords of France and Burgundy,

Gloucester.

GLOUCESTER    I shall, my lord.

Exit

LEAR    Meantime we shall express our darker³⁴ purpose.

Give me the map there.

Kent or an Attendant gives Lear a map

Know that we have divided

In three our kingdom, and ’tis our fast intent³⁶

To shake all cares and business³⁷ from our age,

Conferring them on younger strengths while we

Unburdened crawl toward death. Our son³⁹ of Cornwall,

And you our no less loving son of Albany,

We have this hour a constant will to publish⁴¹

Our daughters’ several dowers, that⁴² future strife

May be prevented now. The princes, France and Burgundy,

Great rivals in our youngest daughter’s love,

Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn⁴⁵

And here are to be answered. Tell me, my daughters —

Since now we will divest us both of rule,

Interest⁴⁸ of territory, cares of state —

Which of you shall we say doth love us most,

That we our largest bounty⁵⁰ may extend

Where nature doth with merit challenge⁵¹? Goneril,

Our eldest born, speak first.

GONERIL    Sir, I love you more than word can wield⁵³ the matter,

Dearer than eyesight, space and liberty,

Beyond what can be valued rich or rare,

No less than life, with grace⁵⁶, health, beauty, honour:

As much as child e’er loved or father found:

A love that makes breath poor and speech unable⁵⁸:

Beyond all manner of so much⁵⁹ I love you.

Aside

CORDELIA    What shall Cordelia speak? Love and be silent.

Points to the map

LEAR    Of all these bounds⁶¹, even from this line to this,

With shadowy forests and with champaigns riched⁶²,

With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads⁶³,

We make thee lady. To thine and Albany’s issues

Be this perpetual.— What says our second daughter?

Our dearest Regan, wife of Cornwall?

REGAN    I am made of that self-mettle⁶⁷ as my sister,

And prize me at her worth⁶⁸. In my true heart,

I find she names my very deed⁶⁹ of love:

Only she comes too short, that⁷⁰ I profess

Myself an enemy to all other joys

Which the most precious square of sense⁷² professes,

And find I am alone felicitate⁷³

In your dear highness’ love.

Aside

CORDELIA    Then poor Cordelia:

And yet not so, since I am sure my love’s

More ponderous⁷⁷ than my tongue.

LEAR    To thee and thine hereditary⁷⁸ ever

Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom,

No less in space, validity⁸⁰ and pleasure

To Cordelia

Than that conferred on Goneril.— Now, our joy,

Although our last and least, to whose young love

The vines of France and milk of Burgundy⁸³

Strive to be interessed, what can you say to draw⁸⁴

A third more opulent than your sisters’? Speak.

CORDELIA    Nothing, my lord.

LEAR    Nothing?

CORDELIA    Nothing.

LEAR    Nothing will come of nothing: speak again.

CORDELIA    Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave

My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty

According to my bond⁹², no more nor less.

LEAR    How, how, Cordelia? Mend⁹³ your speech a little,

Lest you may mar⁹⁴ your fortunes.

CORDELIA    Good my lord,

You have begot me, bred⁹⁶ me, loved 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? Happily when I shall wed,

That lord whose hand must take my plight¹⁰¹ shall carry

Half my love with him, half my care and duty:

Sure I shall never marry like my sisters.

LEAR    But goes thy heart with this?

CORDELIA    Ay, my good lord.

LEAR    So young and so untender¹⁰⁶?

CORDELIA    So young, my lord, and true.

LEAR    Let it be so: thy truth then be thy dower,

For by the sacred radiance of the sun,

The mysteries of Hecate¹¹⁰ and the night,

By all the operation of the orbs¹¹¹

From whom we do exist and cease to be,

Here I disclaim all my paternal care,

Propinquity and property of blood¹¹⁴,

And as a stranger to my heart and me

Hold thee from this for ever. The barbarous Scythian¹¹⁶,

Or he that makes his generation messes¹¹⁷

To gorge his appetite, shall to my bosom

Be as well neighboured¹¹⁹, pitied and relieved

As thou my sometime¹²⁰ daughter.

KENT    Good my liege¹²¹—

LEAR    Peace, Kent:

Come not between the dragon and his wrath.

I loved her most, and thought to set my rest¹²⁴

To Cordelia