The coolness and falling off of respect which Lear had begun to perceive, were not all which this foolish-fond father was to suffer from his unworthy daughter:  she now plainly told him that his staying in her palace was inconvenient so long as he insisted upon keeping up an establishment of a hundred knights; that this establishment was useless and expensive, and only served to fill her court with riot and feasting; and she prayed him that he would lessen their number, and keep none but old men about him, such as himself, and fitting his age.

Lear at first could not believe his eyes or ears, nor that it was his daughter who spoke so unkindly.  He could not believe that she who had received a crown from him could seek to cut off his train, and grudge him the respect due to his old age.  But she persisting in her undutiful demand, the old man’s rage was so excited, that he called her a detested kite, and said that she spoke an untruth:  and so indeed she did, for the hundred knights were all men of choice behaviour and sobriety of manners, skilled in all particulars of duty, and not given to rioting or feasting as she said.  And he bid his horses to be prepared, for he would go to his other daughter, Regan, he and his hundred knights:  and he spoke of ingratitude, and said it was a marble-hearted devil, and shewed more hideous in a child than the sea-monster.  And he cursed his eldest daughter Gonerill so as was terrible to hear:  praying that she might never have a child, or if she had, that it might live to return that scorn and contempt upon her, which she had shewn to him:  that she might feel how sharper than a serpent’s tooth it was to have a thankless child.  And Gonerill’s husband, the duke of Albany, beginning to excuse himself for any share which Lear might suppose he had in the unkindness, Lear would not hear him out, but in a rage ordered his horses to be saddled, and set out with his followers for the abode of Regan, his other daughter.  And Lear thought to himself, how small the fault of Cordelia (if it was a fault) now appeared, in comparison with her sister’s, and he wept; and then he was ashamed that such a creature as Gonerill should have so much power over his manhood as to make him weep.

Regan and her husband were keeping 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 train followed after.  But it seems that Gonerill had been beforehand with him, sending letters also to Regan, accusing her father of waywardness and ill humours, and advising her not to receive so great a train as he was bringing with him.  This messenger arrived at the same time with Caius, and Caius and he met:  and who should it be but Caius’ old enemy the steward, whom he had formerly tript up by the heels for his saucy behaviour to Lear.  Caius not liking the fellow’s look, and suspecting what he came for, began to revile him, and challenged