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King Lear.

A

TRAGEDY,

BY

WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE.

ACCURATELY PRINTED

FROM THE TEXT OF

MR. STEEVENS'S LAST EDITION.

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Knights attending on the King, Officers, Messengers,

Soldiers, and Attendants.

SCENE, Britain.

KING

LEAR.

ACT I. SCENE I.

A ROOM OF STATE IN KING LEAR'S PALACE.

Enter Kent, Glo'ster, and Edmund.

Kent. I thought, the king had more affected the duke of Albany, than Cornwall.

Glo. It did always seem so to us: but now, in the division of the kingdom, it appears not which of the dukes he values most; for equalities are so weigh'd, that curiosity in neither can make choice of either's moiety.

Kent. Is not this your son, my lord?

Glo. His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge: I have so often blush'd to acknowledge him, that now I am brazed to it.

Kent. I cannot conceive you.

Glo. Sir, this young fellow's mother could: whereupon she grew round-wombed; and had, indeed, sir, a son for her cradle, ere she had a husband for her bed. Do you smell a fault?

Kent. I cannot wish the fault undone, the issue of it being so proper.

Glo. But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some year elder than this, who yet is no dearer in my

B

tee

account: though this knave came somewhat sau-
cily into the world before he was sent for, yet was
his mother fair; there was good sport at his mak-
ing, and the whoreson must be acknowledged.—
Do you know this noble gentleman, Edmund?
Edm. No, my lord.

Glo. My lord of Kent: remember him hereafter as my honourable friend,

Edm. My services to your lordship.

Kent. I must love you, and sue to know you better.

Edm. Sir, I shall study deserving.

Glo. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again:-The king is coming.

[Trumpets sound within.

Enter Lear, Cornwall, Albany, Goneril, Regan,
Cordelia, and Attendants,

Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy,

Glo'ster.

Glo. I shall, my liege.

[Exeunt Glo'ster and Edmund. Lear. Mean-time we shall express our darker

purpose.

Give me the map there.-Know, that we have di

vided,

In three, our kingdom: and 'tis our fast intent
To shake all cares and business from our age;
Conferring them on younger strengths, while we
Unburden'd crawl toward death. Our son of

Cornwall,

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And you, our no less loving son of Albany,

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