PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of consequen- tial damages, so the above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you may have other legal rights.

3. INDEMNITY: You will indemnify and hold the Project, its directors, officers, members and agents harmless from all lia- bility, cost and expense, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following that you do or cause: [A] distribution of this etext, [B] alteration, modification, or addition to the etext, or [C] any Defect.

4. WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine readable form. The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty free copyright licenses, and whatever else you can think of. Money should be paid to "Pro- ject Gutenberg Association / Carnegie Mellon University".

WRITE TO US! We can be reached at:
     Internet: [email protected]
        Mail: Prof. Michael Hart
               P.O. Box 2782
               Champaign, IL 61825

This "Small Print!" by Charles B. Kramer, Attorney
Internet ([email protected]); TEL: (212-254-5093)
**** SMALL PRINT! FOR __ COMPLETE SHAKESPEARE ****
["Small Print" V.12.08.93]

<<THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE IS COPYRIGHT 1990-1993 BY WORLD LIBRARY, INC., AND IS
PROVIDED BY PROJECT GUTENBERG ETEXT OF CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
WITH PERMISSION. ELECTRONIC AND MACHINE READABLE COPIES MAY BE
DISTRIBUTED SO LONG AS SUCH COPIES (1) ARE FOR YOUR OR OTHERS
PERSONAL USE ONLY, AND (2) ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED OR USED
COMMERCIALLY. PROHIBITED COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION INCLUDES BY ANY
SERVICE THAT CHARGES FOR DOWNLOAD TIME OR FOR MEMBERSHIP.>>

1606

THE TRAGEDY OF KING LEAR

by William Shakespeare

Dramatis Personae

      Lear, King of Britain.
      King of France.
      Duke of Burgundy.
      Duke of Cornwall.
      Duke of Albany.
      Earl of Kent.
      Earl of Gloucester.
      Edgar, son of Gloucester.
      Edmund, bastard son to Gloucester.
      Curan, a courtier.
      Old Man, tenant to Gloucester.
      Doctor.
      Lear's Fool.
      Oswald, steward to Goneril.
      A Captain under Edmund's command.
      Gentlemen.
      A Herald.
      Servants to Cornwall.

      Goneril, daughter to Lear.
      Regan, daughter to Lear.
      Cordelia, daughter to Lear.

      Knights attending on Lear, Officers, Messengers, Soldiers,
        Attendants.

<<THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE IS COPYRIGHT 1990-1993 BY WORLD LIBRARY, INC., AND IS
PROVIDED BY PROJECT GUTENBERG ETEXT OF CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
WITH PERMISSION. ELECTRONIC AND MACHINE READABLE COPIES MAY BE
DISTRIBUTED SO LONG AS SUCH COPIES (1) ARE FOR YOUR OR OTHERS
PERSONAL USE ONLY, AND (2) ARE NOT DISTRIBUTED OR USED
COMMERCIALLY. PROHIBITED COMMERCIAL DISTRIBUTION INCLUDES BY ANY
SERVICE THAT CHARGES FOR DOWNLOAD TIME OR FOR MEMBERSHIP.>>

Scene: - Britain.

ACT I. Scene I. [King Lear's Palace.]

Enter Kent, Gloucester, and Edmund. [Kent and Glouceste converse.
Edmund stands back.]

  Kent. I thought the King had more affected the Duke of Albany
than
     Cornwall.
  Glou. 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?
  Glou. His breeding, sir, hath been at my charge. I have so
often
     blush'd to acknowledge him that now I am braz'd to't.
  Kent. I cannot conceive you.
  Glou. Sir, this young fellow's mother could; whereupon she grew
     round-womb'd, 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.
  Glou. But I have, sir, a son by order of law, some year elder
than
     this, who yet is no dearer in my account. Though this knave
came
     something saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet
was
     his mother fair, there was good sport at his making, and the
     whoreson must be acknowledged.- Do you know this noble
gentleman,
     Edmund?
  Edm. [comes forward] No, my lord.
  Glou. 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.
  Glou. He hath been out nine years, and away he shall again.
                                                 Sound a sennet.
     The King is coming.

      Enter one bearing a coronet; then Lear; then the Dukes of
      Albany and Cornwall; next, Goneril, Regan, Cordelia, with
                              Followers.

  Lear. Attend the lords of France and Burgundy, Gloucester.
  Glou. I shall, my liege.
                                 Exeunt [Gloucester and Edmund].
  Lear. Meantime we shall express our darker purpose.
     Give me the map there. Know 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
     Unburthen'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.
  Gon. Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter;
     Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty;
     Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare;
     No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour;
     As much as child e'er lov'd, or father