gundy were now called in to hear the
determination of Lear about his youngest daughter, and to know whether
they would persist in their courtship to Cordelia, now that she was
under her father's displeasure, and had no fortune but her own person
to recommend her: and the duke of Burgundy declined the match, and
would not take her to wife upon such conditions; but the king of
France, understanding what the nature of the fault had been which
had lost her the love of her father, that it was only a tardiness of
speech, and the not being able to frame her tongue to flattery like
her sisters, took this young maid by the hand, and saying that her
virtues were a dowry above a kingdom, bade Cordelia to take farewel
of her sisters, and of her father, though he had been unkind, and she
should go with him, and be queen of him and of fair France, and reign
over fairer possessions than her sisters: and he called the duke of
Burgundy in contempt a waterish duke, because his love for this young
maid had in a moment run all away like water.

Then Cordelia with weeping eyes took leave of her sisters, and
besought them to love their father well, and make good their
professions: and they sullenly told her not to prescribe to them, for
they knew their duty; but to strive to content her husband, who had
taken her (as they tauntingly expressed it) as Fortune's alms. And
Cordelia with a heavy heart departed, for she knew the cunning of her
sisters, and she wished her father in better hands than she was about
to leave him in.

Cordelia was no sooner gone, than the devilish dispositions of her
sister began to shew themselves in their true colours. Even before the
expiration of the first month which Lear was to spend by agreement
with his eldest daughter Gonerill, the old king began to find out the
difference between promises and performances. This wretch having got
from her father all that he had to bestow, even to the giving away of
the crown from off his head, began to grudge even those small remnants
of royalty which the old man had reserved to himself, to please his
fancy with the idea of being still a king. She could not bear to see
him and his hundred knights. Every time she met her father, she put on
a frowning countenance; and when the old man wanted to speak with her,
she would feign sickness or any thing to be rid of the sight of him;
for it was plain that she esteemed his old age a useless burden, and
his attendants an unnecessary e