уильям шекспир - King Lear

And on the sixth to turn thy hated back

Upon our kingdom: if on the next day following

Thy banished trunk 183be found in our dominions,

The moment is thy death. Away! By Jupiter 184,

This shall not be revoked.

KENT Fare thee well, king: sith 186thus thou wilt appear,

Freedom lives hence and banishment is here.—

To Cordelia

The gods to their dear shelter take thee, maid,

That justly think’st, and hast most rightly said.—

To Goneril and Regan

And your large speeches may your deeds approve 190,

That good effects may spring from words of love.

Thus Kent, O princes, bids you all adieu.

He’ll shape his old course 193in a country new.

Exit

Flourish. Enter Gloucester with France and Burgundy, Attendants

CORDELIA Here’s France and Burgundy, my noble lord.

LEAR My lord of Burgundy,

We first address toward you, who with this king

Hath rivalled for our daughter: what in the least 197

Will you require in present dower 198with her,

Or cease your quest of love?

BURGUNDY Most royal majesty,

I crave no more than hath your highness offered,

Nor will you tender 202less.

LEAR Right noble Burgundy,

When she was dear to us, we did hold her so 204,

But now her price is fallen. Sir, there she stands:

If aught within that little seeming substance 206,

Or all of it, with our displeasure pieced 207,

And nothing more, may fitly like 208your grace,

She’s there, and she is yours.

BURGUNDY I know no answer.

LEAR Will you, with those infirmities she owes 211,

Unfriended, new-adopted to our hate,

Dowered with our curse and strangered 213with our oath,

Take her or leave her?

BURGUNDY Pardon me, royal sir:

Election makes not up 216in such conditions.

LEAR Then leave her, sir, for by the power that made me,

To France

I tell you 218all her wealth.— For you, great king,

I would not from your love make such a stray 219

To match you where I hate, therefore beseech you

T’avert your liking a more worthier way

Than on a wretch whom nature is ashamed

Almost t’acknowledge hers.

FRANCE This is most strange,

That she whom even but now was your object 225,

The argument of your praise, balm 226of your age,

The best, the dearest, should in this trice 227of time

Commit a thing so monstrous to dismantle 228

So many folds of favour. Sure her offence

Must be of such unnatural degree

That monsters it, or your fore-vouched 231affection

Fall into taint, which to believe of her 232

Must be a faith that reason without miracle

Should never plant in me.

CORDELIA I yet beseech your majesty —

If for I want 236that glib and oily art

To speak and purpose not 237, since what I will intend

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

It is no vicious blot, murder, or foulness 239,

No unchaste action or dishonoured step

That hath deprived me of your grace and favour,

But even for want of that for which 242I am richer:

A still-soliciting 243eye 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 nature 248,

Which often leaves the history 249unspoke

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 stands 252

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 fortunes 263are his love,

I shall not be his wife.

FRANCE Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich being poor,

Most choice forsaken 266, and most loved despised,

Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon 267:

Takes her hand

Be it lawful 268, I take up what’s cast away.

Gods, gods! ’Tis strange that from their 269cold’st neglect

My love should kindle to inflamed 270respect.—

Thy dowerless daughter, king, thrown to my chance 271,

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

Not all the dukes of wat’rish 273Burgundy

Can buy this unprized 274precious maid of me.—

Bid them farewell, Cordelia, though unkind 275.

Thou losest here, a better where 276to 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 benison 280.

Come, noble Burgundy.

Flourish. Exeunt. [France and the sisters remain]

FRANCE Bid farewell to your sisters.

CORDELIA The jewels of our father, with washèd 283eyes

Cordelia leaves you. I know you what you are,

And like a sister am most loath to call

Your faults as they are named 286. Love well our father:

To your professèd bosoms I commit 287him,

But yet, alas, stood I within his grace,

I would prefer 289him to a better place.

So farewell to you both.

REGAN Prescribe not us our duty.

GONERIL Let your study 292

Be to content your lord who hath received you

At fortune’s alms. You have obedience scanted 294,

And well are worth the want that you have wanted 295.

CORDELIA Time shall unfold what plighted cunning 296hides:

Who covers faults, at last with shame derides 297.

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 nearly 300

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 grossly 307.

REGAN ’Tis the infirmity of his age: yet he hath ever 308but

slenderly 309known himself.

GONERIL The best and soundest of his time hath been but 310

rash. Then must we look 311from his age to receive not alone the

imperfections of long-engrafted condition, but therewithal 312

the unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric 313years

bring with them.

REGAN Such unconstant starts 315are we like to have from him

as this of Kent’s banishment.

GONERIL There is further compliment 317of leave-taking

between France and him. Pray you let us sit together 318: if our

father carry authority with such disposition 319as he bears, this

last surrender of his will but offend 320us.

REGAN We shall further think of it.

GONERIL We must do something, and i’th’heat 322.

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. Wherefore 2should I

Stand in 3the plague of custom and permit

The curiosity of nations 4to deprive me

For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines 5

Lag of a brother? Why bastard? Wherefore base 6?