Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-10-21
PART II.

Lear at first could not believe his
ewes or ears. nor that it was his
daughter who spoke so unkindly. he
couId not believe that she who had re-
ceived a crown from him could seek 10
cut off his train and grudge him the
respect due to his old age. But she
nersisting in her undutiful demand, the
old mans rage was so excited, that ne
called her a detested kite, and said
that she spoke an untruth; and so IN
deed she did, for the hundred knights
were all men of choice behavior and
sobrietv of manners, skilled in all par
ticulars of duty, and not given to riot
ing and feasting, as she said. And ne
bid his horses to be prepared, Tor ne
would go to his other daughter. Regah'
he and his hundred knights; and ne
smoke of ingrattude, and said 1t was
a marble hearted devil, and showed
more hideous in a child than the sea-
monster. And he cursed his eldest
daughter GOneril so as was terrible 10
hear; praying that she might never
a
might live to return that scorn ana
contempt upon her which she had
shown to him; that she might feel now
sharper than a serpent's tooth it was
70 have a thankless child. And Goner-
lis husband, the duke of Albany, be-
ginning to excuse himself for any
share which Lear might suppose ne
had in the unkndness, Lear would not
hear him out, but in rage ordered MS
horses to be saddled, and set out with
his followers to the abode OF Regan'
his other daughter. And Lear thougnt
TO himself how small the fault OF Cor
della Gf it was fault now appeared
in comparison with her sisters, and ne
went: and then he was ashamed that
such creature as Goneril should nave
so much power over his manhood as
to make him weep.
Regan and her husband were keep
ing their court in great pomp and state
at their palace; and Lear dispatched
his servant Caius with letters to his
daughter, that she might be prepared
for his reception, while he and his tram
followed after. But it seems that
Goneril had been beforehand with him.
sending letters also to Regan, accus-
ing her father of waywardness and i'll
humors, and advising her not to re-
ceive so great a train as he was bring
ing with him. This messenger arrived
at the same time with Caius, and Caius
and he met: and who would it be but
Caiuss old enemy the steward, whom
he had formerly tripped up by the
heels for his saucy behavior to Lear.
Caius not liking the fellows look, and
suspecting what he came for began to
revile him, and challenged him TO
fight. which the fellow refusing, Caius,
in a fit of honest passion, beat him
soundly, as such a mischiefmaker and
carrier of wicked messages deserved;
which coming to the ears of Regan and
her husband, they ordered Caius to be
put in the stocks, though he was
messenger from the king her father,
and in that character demanded the
highest respect: so that the first thlng
the king saw when he entered the cas-
tie, was his faithful servant Caius sit
ting in that disgraceful situation.
This was but bad omen of the re-
ception which he was to expect; but
a worse followed, when upon inquiry
for his daughter and her husband, he
was told they were weary with travel
and when lastly, upon his insisting in
a positive and angry manner to see
them, they came to greet him, whom
should he see in their company hut the
hated Goneril, who had come to tell
her own story, and set her sister
against the king her father!
This sight much moved the old man.
and still more to see Regan take her
by the hand; and he asked Goneril if
she was not ashamed to look upon his
old white beard. And Regan advised
him TO go home again with GoneriI,
and live with her peaceably, dismissing
half Of his attendants, and to ask her
forgiveness: for he was old and wanted
discretion. and must he ruled and led
by persons that had more discretion
than himself And Lear showed how
preposterous that would sound, if he
were to go down on his knees, and beg
of his own daughter for food and rain
ment, and he argued against such an
unnatural dependence, declaring his
resolution never to return with her,
but to stay where ne was with Regan,
he and his hundred knights; for h"
said that she had not forgot the half of
the kingdom which he had endowed
her with, and that her eyes were not
fierce like Goncril's, hut mild and kind.
And he said that rather than return TO
Goneril, with half his train cut off, he
would go over to France, and beg a
wretched pension Of the king there,
who had married his Youngest daugh-
ter without a portion.
But he was mistaken in expecting
kinder treatment of Regan than he had
experienced from her sister Goneril.
As if willing to Outdo her sister III un-
filial behavior, she declared that she
thought fifty knights too many to wait
upon him: that fvc-and-twenty We're
enough. Then Lear, nigh heart-brok-
en-. turned to Goneril, and said that he
would go back with her, for her fifty
doubled five -aud-twenty, and so her
love was twice as much as Regan's.
But Goneril excused herself. and said.
"What need of So many as fiVe-and
twenty" or even ten? or five? when h"
might be waited upon 10y her servants.
or her sisters servants" So these
two wicked daughters. as if they strove
To exceed each other in cruelty To their
old father who had been $" good TO
them. by little and littl" would haN"
abatcd him of all his train, all respect
Oittlc enough for him that one" COM
manded a kingdumD, which was left
him to show that he had one" been a
liupi Not that Splpndid train is CS