Gord. So young, my Lord, and true.

Lear. Thy Truth then be thy Dow'r ;
For by the facred Sun, and folemn Night,
I here disclaim all my paternal Care,

And from this Minute hold thee as a Stranger
Both to my Blood and Favour.

Kent. This is Frenzy.
Confider, good my Liege-
Lear. Peace, Kent;

Come not between a Dragon and his Rage;
I lov'd her moft, and in her tender Trust
Defign'd to have bestow'd my Age at Ease:
So be my Grave my Peace, as here I give
My Heart from her, and with it all my Wealth.
My Lords of Cornwall and of Albany,

I do inveft you jointly with full Right

In this fair Third, Cordelia's forfeit Dow'r.
Mark me, my Lords, obferve our laft Refolve;
Our Self, attended with an hundred Knights,
Will make Abode with you in monthly Courfe;
The Name alone of King remain with me,
Your's be th' Execution and the Revenues.
This is our final Will; and to confirm it,
This Coronet part between you.
Kent. Royal Lear,

Whom I have ever honour'd as my King,

Lov'd as my Father, as my Mafter follow'd,

And, as my Patron, thought on in my Prayers

Lear. Away, the Bow is bent, make from the Shaft. Kent. No, let it fall, and drench within my Heart: Be Kent unmannerly when Lear is mad;

Thy youngest Daughter

Lear. On thy Life no more.

Kent. What wilt thou do, old Man?

Lear. Out of my Sight.

Kent. See better firft.

Lear. Now by the Gods

Kent. Now by the Gods, rafh King, thou fwear'ft in

Lear. Ha, Traitor!

Kent. Do, kill thy Phyfician, Lear;

Strike thro' my Throat, with my latest Breath

(vain.

I'll

I'll thunder in thine Ear my juft Complaint,

And tell Thee to thy Face that thou doft ill.

Lear. Hear me, rash Man; on thy Allegiance hear me : Since thou haft ftriven to make Us break our Vow,

And preft between our Sentence and our Pow'r,

Which nor our Nature, nor our Place can bear,
We banish thee for ever from our Sight

And Kingdom: If when three Days are expired,
Thy hated Trunk be found in our Dominions,
That Moment is thy Death. Away.

Kent. Why fare thee well, King; fince thou art refolv'd,
I take thee at thy Word, and will not stay
To fee thy Fall: The Gods protect the Maid
That truly thinks, and has moft juftly faid.
Thus to new Climates my old Truth I bear;
Friendship lives hence, and Banifhment is here.

[Exit.

Lear. Now, Burgundy, you fee her Price is fallen;
Yet if the Fondness of your Paffion still
Affects her as fhe ftands, Dow'rless, and loft
In our Efteem, fhe's your's; take her, or leave her.
Burg. Pardon me, Royal Lear, I but demand
The Low'r yourself propos'd, and here I take
Cordelia by the Hand, Duchefs of Burgundy.

Lear. Then leave her, Sir; for by a Father's Rage
I tell you all her Wealth. Away.

Burg. Then, Str, be pleas'd to charge the Breach Of our Alliance on your own Will,

Not my Inconftancy.

[Exeunt. Manent Edgar and Cordelia.

Edg. Has Heav'n then weigh'd the Merit of my Love, Or is't the Raving of my fickly Thought?

Cou'd Burgundy forego fo rich a Prize,
And leave her to defpairing Edgar's Arms?
Have I thy Hand, Cordelia? Do I clasp it?
The Hand that was this Minute to have join'd
My hated Rival's? Do I kneel before thee,
And offer at thy Feet my panting Heart?
Smile, Princefs, and convince me; for as yet
I doubt, and dare not trust the dazzling Joy.
Cord. Some Comfort yet, that 'twas no vicious Blot
That has depriv'd me of a Father's Grace,

But

But merely want of that which makes me Rich
In wanting it; a smooth profeffing tongue :
O Sisters! I am loath to call your Fault
As it deferves; but ufe our Father well,
And wrong'd Cordelia never fhall repine.

Edg. O heav'nly Maid! that art thy felf thy Dow'r,
Richer in Virtue than the Stars in Light;
If Edgar's humble Fortunes may be grac'd
With thy Acceptance, at thy Feet he lays 'em.
Ha, my Cordelia! doft thou turn away?
What have I done t' offend thee?

Cord. Talk't of Love.

Edg. Then I've offended oft; Cordelia too Has oft permitted me fo to offend.

Cord. When, Edgar, I permitted your Addreffes,
I was the darling Daughter of a King,

Nor can I now forget my Royal Birth,
And live dependant on my Lover's Fortune;
I cannot to fo low a Fate fubmit;

And therefore study to forget your Paffion,
And trouble me upon this Theme no more.

Edg. Thus Majesty takes moft State in Diftrefs!
How are we toft on Fortune's fickle Flood!
The Wave that with furprising Kindness brought
The dear Wreck to my Arms, has fnatch't it back
And left me mourning on the barren Shore.

Cord. This Bafenefs of th'ignoble Burgundy,
Draws juft Sufpicion on the Race of Men;
His Love was Int'reft, fo may Edgar's be,
And he but with more Compliment diffemble ;
If fo, I fhall oblige him by denying :

But if his Love be fixt, fuch conftant Flame
As warms our Breafts, if fuch I find his Paffion,
My Heart as grateful to his Truth fhall be,
And could Cordelia prove as kind as He.

Enter Bastard haftily.

[Afide.

[Exit.

Baft. Brother, I've found you in a lucky Minute; Fly and be fafe, fome Villain has incens'd

Our Father against your Life.

Edg. Diftreft Cordelia! but ho! more cruel.

Baft. Hear me, Sir, your Life, your Life's in danger.

B

Edg.

Edg. A Refolve fo fudden,

And of fuch black Importance!

Baft. 'Twas not fudden,

Some Villain has of long time laid a Train.

Edg. And yet perhaps 'twas but pretended Coldness, To try how far my Paffion would pursue.

Baft. He hears me not! 'wake, 'wake, Sir.
Edg. Say ye, Brother?

No Tears, good Edmund, if th'haft brought me Tidings
To ftrike me dead, for Charity delay not;
That prefent will befit fo kind a Hand.

Bat. Your Danger, Sir, comes on so fast,
That I want Time t' inform you; but retire
Whilst I take care to turn the preffing Stream.
O Gods! For Heaven's fake, Sir.

Edg. Pardon me, Sir, a ferious Thought
Had feiz'd me; but I think you talk'd of Danger,
And wifh'd me to retire: Muft all our Vows

End thus -Friend, I obey you.-O Cordelia.
?

[Exit.

Baft. Ha! ha! fond Man, fuch credulous Honefty
Leffens the Glory of my Artifice ;

His Nature is fo far from doing Wrongs,
That he fufpects none: If this Letter ipeed,
And pafs for Edgar's, as himfelf would own
The Counterfeit, but for the foul Contents,

Then my Defigns are perfect.. -Here comes Glofter.

Enter Glofter.

Gloft. Stay, Edmund, turn; what Paper were you
Baft. A Trifle, Sir.
[reading?
Ct. What needed then that terrible Dispatch of it
Into your Pocket? Come, produce it, Sir.

Baft. A Letter from my Brother, Sir; I had
Juft broke the Seal, but knew not the Contents;
Yet, fearing they might prove to blame,
Endeavour'd to conceal it from your Sight.
Gloft. 'Tis Edgar's Character.

[Reads.

This Policy of Fathers is intolerable, that keeps our Fortunes from us 'till Age will not suffer us to enjoy them; I am weary of the Tyranny: Come to me, that of this I may speak more. If your Father would Sleep 'till I waked him, you should enjoy half his Poffeffions, and live belov'd of your Brother Edgar.

Sleep till I wake'd him! you should enjoy
Half his Poffeffions !- Edgar to write this
'Gainft his indulgent Father! Death and Hel!!
Fly, Edmund, feek him out; wind me into him,
That I may bite the Traytor's Heart, and fold
His bleeding Entrails on my vengeful Arm.

Baft. Perhaps 'twas writ, my Lord, to prove my Virtue.
Gloft. Thefe late Eclipfes of the Sun and Moon
Can bode no lefs; Love cools, and Friendship fails,
In Cities Mutiny, in Countries Difcord,

The Bond of Nature crackt 'twixt Son and Father:
Find out the Villain; do it carefully,
And it fhall lofe thee Nothing.

[Exit.
Baft. So now my Project's firm; but to make fure
I'll throw in one Proof more, and that a bold one;
Ill place old Glofter where he shall o'er-hear us
Confer of this Defign; whilft, to his thinking,
Deluded Edgar fhall accuse himself.

Be Honesty my Int'reft, and I can

Be Honest too: And what Saint fo Divine,
That will fuccessful Villainy decline?

Enter Kent difquis'd.

[Exit.

Kent. Now banifh'd Kent, if thou cauft pay thy Duty In this Difguife, where thou doft ftand condemn'd, Thy Mafter Lear fhall find thee full of Labours. Enter Lear attended.

Lear. In there, and tell our Daughter we are here. Now, What art thou?

Kent. A Man, Sir..

lear. What doft thou profefs, or would'ft with us ? Kent. I do profefs to be no less than I feem, to ferve him truly that puts me in Truft, to love him that's honeft, to converfe with him that's wife and speaks little, to fight when I can't chufe, and to eat no Fish.

Lear. I fay, what art thou?

Kent. A very honeft-hearted Fellow, and as poor as the King.

Lear. Then art thou

do?

indeed, poor

What cant thou

Kent. I can keep honeft Counsel, mar a curious Tale in the telling, deliver a plain Meffage bluntly; that which