Sennet within.

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

Lear: Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloucester.

Gloucester: I shall, my lord.

Exeunt Gloucester and Edmund.

Lear: Meantime we shall express our darker purpose. Give me the map there. Know that we have divided 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, And you, our no less loving son of Albany, We have this hour a constant will to publish Our daughters’ several dowers, that future strife May be prevented now.

The princes, France and Burgundy, Great rivals in our youngest daughter’s love, Long in our court have made their amorous sojourn, And here are to be answer’d. Tell me, my daughters,— Since now we will divest us both of rule, Interest of territory, cares of state,— Which of you shall we say doth love us most?

That we our largest bounty may extend Where nature doth with merit challenge.—Goneril, Our eldest born, speak first.

Goneril: Sir, I love you more than word can wield the matter; Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty; Beyond what can be valu’d, rich or rare; No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour; As much as child e’er lov’d, or father found;