No unchafte action, or dishonour'd step,

That hath depriv'd me of

But ev'n for want of that,

your grace

and favour:

for which I'm richer,

A ftill folliciting eye, and fuch a tongue,

That I am glad I've not; though, not to have it,
Hath loft me in your liking.

Lear. Better thou

Hadft not been born, than not have pleas'd me better.
France. Is it but this? a tardinefs in nature,
Which often leaves the history upfpoke,

That it intends to do? my Lord of Burgundy,
What fay you to the lady? love's not love,
When it is mingled with regards, that ftand
Aloof from th' intire point. Say, will you have her?
She is herself a dowry.

Bur. Royal King.

Give but that portion which yourself propos'd,
And here I take Cordelia by the hand,

Dutchefs of Burgundy.

Lear. Nothing:I've fworn.

Bur. I'm forry then, you have fo lost a father, That you muft lofe a husband.

Cor. Peace be with Burgundy,

Since that refpects of fortune are his love,
Ifhall not be his wife.

France. Fairest Cordelia, that art moft rich, being poor,
Moft choice, forfaken; and moft lov'd, defpis'd!
Thee and thy virtues here I fcize upon :
Be't lawful, I take up what's caft away.

Gods, Gods! 'tis ftrange, that from their cold'ft neglect My love fhould kindle to enflam'd respect.

Thy dow'rlefs daughter, King, thrown to my chance, Is Queen of us, of ours, and our fair France:

Not all the Dukes of wat'rifh Burgundy

Can buy this unpriz'd, precious, maid of me.
Bid them farewel, Cordelia, tho' unkind;

Thou lofeft here, a better where to find.

Lear. Thou haft her, France; let her be thine, for we Have no fuch daughter; nor fhall ever fee

That face of hers again; therefore be gone.

Without

Without our grace, our love, our benizon:
Come, noble Burgundy.

[Flourish. [Exeunt Lear and Burgundy.

France. Bid farewel to your fifters.

Cor. Ye jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes Cordelia leaves you: I know what you are,

And, like a fifter, am moft loth to call

Your faults, as they are nam'd. Love well our father: To your profeffing bofoms I commit him;

But yet, alas! ftood I within his grace,

I would prefer him to a better place.
So farewel to you both.

Reg. Prefcribe not us our duty.

Gon. Let your study

Be to content your Lord, who hath receiv'd you
At fortune's alms; you have obedience fcanted,

And well are worth the want that you have wanted. (z)
Cor. Time fhall unfold what plaited cunning hides,
Who covers faults, at laft with fhame derides..

Well may you profper!

France. Come, my fair Cordelia.

[Exeunt France and Cor.

Gon. Sifter, it is not little I've to say,

Of what moft nearly appertains to us both;
I think, our father will go hence to-night.

Reg. That's certain, and with you; next month with us.

Gon. You fee how full of changes his age is, the obfervation we have made of it hath not been little; he always lov'd our fifter most, and with what poor judgment he hath now caft her off, appears too grofsly.

Reg. 'Tis the infirmity of his age; yet he hath ever but flenderly known himself.

Gon. The beft and foundest of his time hath been but

(2) And well are worth the Want that you have wanted.] This is a very obfcure Expreffion, and must be pieced out with an implied' Senfe to be understood. This I take to be the Poet's Meaning, ftript of the Jingle which makes it dark: "You well deferve to "meet with that Want of Love from your Husband, which you have "profeffed to want for our Father."

rafh

rash; then muft we look, from his age, to receive not alone the imperfections of long-engrafted condition, but therewithal the unruly waywardnefs, that infirm and cholerick years bring with them.

Reg. Such unconftant starts are we like to have from. him, as this of Kent's banishment.

Gon. There is further compliment of leave-taking between France and him; pray you, let us hit together: if our father carry authority with fuch difpofition as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us.

Reg. We fhall further think of it.

Gon. We must do fomething, and i'th' heat. [Exeunt.

SCENE changes to a Cafle belonging to the Earl of Glo'fter.

Edm.

T

Enter EDM UN D, with a Letter.

Hou, Nature, art my Goddess; to thy law
My services are bound; wherefore should I
Stand in the plague of cuftom, and permit
The curtefy of nations to deprive me, (3)

For that I am fome twelve or fourteen moon-fhines
Lag of a brother? why baftard? wherefore bafe?
When my dimenfions are as well compact,
My mind as gen'rous, and my fhape as true,
As honeft Madam's iffue? why brand they us
With base? with bafenefs? baftardy? base, bafe ?
Who, in the lufty stealth of nature, take
More compofition and fierce quality;
Than doth, within a dull, ftale, tired bed,
Go to creating a whole tribe of fops,
Got 'tween a-fleep and wake? well then,

(3) The Nicety of Nations] This is Mr. Pope's Reading, ex Cathedra; for it has the Sanction of none of the copies, that I have met with. They all, indeed, give it us, by a foolih Corruption, -the Curiofity of Nations; but I fome time ago proved, that our Author's Word was, Curtely. Nor muft we forget that Tenure in our Laws, whereby fome Lands are held by the Curtesy of Eng

land.

Legitimate

Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land;
Our father's love is to the baftard Edmund,
As to th' legitimate; fine word-legitimate-
Well, my legitimate, if this letter fpeed,
And my invention thrive, Edmund the bafe
Shall be th' legitimate.I grow, I profper;
Now, Gods, ftand up for baftards!

To him, Enter Glo'fter.

Glo. Kent banish'd thus! and France in choler parted! And the King gone to-night! fubfcrib'd his pow'r! Confin'd to exhibition! all is gone

Upon the gad!Edmund, how now? what news? Edm. So pleafe your lordship, none.

[Putting up the letter. Glo. Why fo earnestly seek you to put up that letter? Edm. I know no news, my Lord.

Gle. What paper were you reading?
Edm. Nothing, my Lord.

Glo. No! what needed then that terrible difpatch of it into your pocket? the quality of nothing hath not fuch need to hide itself. Let's fee; come, if it be no

thing, I fhall not need fpectacles.

Edm. I beseech you, Sir, pardon me, it is a letter from my brother, that I have not all o'er read; and for fo much as I have perus'd, I find it not fit for your overlooking.

Glo. Give me the letter, Sir.

Edm. I fhall offend, either to detain, or give it; the contents, as in part I understand them, are to blame. Glo. Let's fee, let's fee.

Edm. I hope, for my brother's juftification, he wrote this but as an effay, or tafte of my virtue.

Glo. reads.] This policy and reverence of ages makes the world bitter to the best of our times; keeps our fortunes from us, till our oldness cannot relish them. I begin to find an idle and fond bondage in the oppreffion of aged tyranny; which ways, not as it hath power, but as it is fuffered. Come to me, that of this I may Speak more. If our father would fleep, till I wak'd him, you should

enjoy

enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live the beloved o your brother Edgar Hum-Confpiracy!-fleep,

till I wake him-you fhould enjoy half his revenueMy fon Edgar! had he a hand to write this! a heart and brain to breed it in! when came this to you? who brought it?

Edm. It was not brought me my Lord; there's the cunning of it. I found it thrown in at the cafement of my closet.

Glo. You know the character to be your brother's? Edm. If the matter were good, my Lord, I durft fwear it were his; but in refpect of that, I would fain think,

it were not.

Glo. It is his.

Edm. It is his hand, my Lord; I hope, his heart is not in the contents.

Glo. Has he never before founded you in this business? Edm. Never, my Lord. But I have heard him oft maintain it to be fit, that fons at perfect age, and fathers declining, the father should be as a ward to the fon, and the fon manage his revenue.

Glo. O villain, villain! his very opinion in the letter. Abhorred villain! unnatural, detefted, brutish villain ! worfe than brutish! Go, firrah, feek him; I'll apprehend him. Abominable villain! where is he?

Edm. I do not well know, my Lord; if it shall please you to fufpend your indignation against my brother, 'till you can derive from him better teftimony of his intent you should run a certain courfe; where, if you viclently proceed against him, miftaking his purpofe, it would make a great gap in your own honour, and shake in pieces the heart of his obedience. I dare pawn down my life for him, that he has writ this to feel my affection to your Honour, and to no other pretence of danger

Glo. Think you fo?

Edm. If your honour judge it meet, I will place you where you fhall hear us confer of this, and by an auricular affurance have your fatisfaction: and that, without any further delay than this very evening.

Glo