King Lear

So many folds of favour. Sure her offence

Must be of such unnatural degree

That monsters it, or your fore-vouched²³¹ affection

Fall into taint, which to believe of her²³²

Must be a faith that reason without miracle

Should never plant in me.

CORDELIA    I yet beseech your majesty —

If for I want²³⁶ that glib and oily art

To speak and purpose not²³⁷, since what I will intend

I’ll do’t before I speak — that you make known

It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness²³⁹,

No unchaste action or dishonoured step

That hath deprived me of your grace and favour,

But even for want of that for which²⁴² I am richer:

A still-soliciting²⁴³ eye and such a tongue

That I am glad I have not, though not to have it

Hath lost me in your liking.

LEAR    Better thou hadst

Not been born than not t’have pleased me better.

FRANCE    Is it but this? A tardiness in nature²⁴⁸,

Which often leaves the history²⁴⁹ unspoke

That it intends to do? My lord of Burgundy,

What say you to the lady? Love’s not love

When it is mingled with regards that stands²⁵²

Aloof from th’entire point. Will you have her?

She is herself a dowry.

To Lear

BURGUNDY    Royal king,

Give but that portion which yourself proposed,

And here I take Cordelia by the hand,

Duchess of Burgundy.

LEAR    Nothing: I have sworn: I am firm.

To Cordelia

BURGUNDY    I am sorry, then, you have so lost a father

That you must lose a husband.

CORDELIA    Peace be with Burgundy.

Since that respect and fortunes²⁶³ are his love,

I shall not be his wife.

FRANCE    Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich being poor,

Most choice forsaken²⁶⁶, and most loved despised,

Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon²⁶⁷:

Takes her hand

Be it lawful²⁶⁸, I take up what’s cast away.

Gods, gods! ’Tis strange that from their²⁶⁹ cold’st neglect

My love should kindle to inflamed²⁷⁰ respect.—

Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my chance²⁷¹,

Is queen of us, of ours and our fair France:

Not all the dukes of wat’rish²⁷³ Burgundy

Can buy this unprized²⁷⁴ precious maid of me.—

Bid them farewell, Cordelia, though unkind²⁷⁵.

Thou losest here, a better where²⁷⁶ to find.

LEAR    Thou hast her, France: let her be thine, for we

Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see

That face of hers again. Therefore be gone

Without our grace, our love, our benison²⁸⁰.

Come, noble Burgundy.

Flourish. Exeunt. [France and the sisters remain]

FRANCE    Bid farewell to your sisters.

CORDELIA    The jewels of our father, with washèd²⁸³ eyes

Cordelia leaves you. I know you what you are,

And like a sister am most loath to call

Your faults as they are named²⁸⁶. Love well our father:

To your professèd bosoms I commit²⁸⁷ him,

But yet, alas, stood I within his grace,

I would prefer²⁸⁹ him to a better place.

So farewell to you both.

REGAN    Prescribe not us our duty.

GONERIL    Let your study²⁹²

Be to content your lord who hath received you

At fortune’s alms. You have obedience scanted²⁹⁴,

And well are worth the want that you have wanted²⁹⁵.

CORDELIA    Time shall unfold what plighted cunning²⁹⁶ hides:

Who covers faults, at last with shame derides²⁹⁷.

Well may you prosper.

FRANCE    Come, my fair Cordelia.

Exit France and Cordelia

GONERIL    Sister, it is not little I have to say of what most nearly³⁰⁰

appertains to us both. I think our father will hence tonight.

REGAN    That’s most certain, and with you: next month with

us.

GONERIL    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 judgement

he hath now cast her off appears too grossly³⁰⁷.

REGAN    ’Tis the infirmity of his age: yet he hath ever³⁰⁸ but

slenderly³⁰⁹ known himself.

GONERIL    The best and soundest of his time hath been but³¹⁰

rash. Then must we look³¹¹ from his age to receive not alone the

imperfections of long-engrafted condition, but therewithal³¹²

the unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric³¹³ years

bring with them.

REGAN    Such unconstant starts³¹⁵ are we like to have from him

as this of Kent’s banishment.

GONERIL    There is further compliment³¹⁷ of leave-taking

between France and him. Pray you let us sit together³¹⁸: if our

father carry authority with such disposition³¹⁹ as he bears, this

last surrender of his will but offend³²⁰ us.

REGAN We shall further think of it.

GONERIL    We must do something, and i’th’heat³²².

Exeunt

Act 1 Scene 2

running scene 2

Enter Bastard [Edmund]

With a letter

EDMUND    Thou, nature, art my goddess: to thy law

My services are bound. Wherefore² should I

Stand in³ the plague of custom and permit

The curiosity of nations⁴ to deprive me

For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines⁵

Lag of a brother? Why bastard? Wherefore base⁶?

When my dimensions are as well compact⁷,

My mind as generous, and my shape as true⁸,

As honest madam’s issue⁹? Why brand they us