Lear. How's that.
Fool. 'Thou should'st not have been old, 'till thou

hadst been wife.

Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heav'n!

Keep me in temper, I would not be mad.

Enter Gentleman.

How now, are the horses ready?

Gent. Ready, my lord.

Lear. Come, boy.

[ture,

Fool. She that's a maid now, and laughs at my depar

Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut shorter.

[Exeunt.

ACTII.

SCENE, A Castle belonging to the Earl of Glo'ster.

S

Enter Edmund and Curan, severally.

EDMUND.

AVE thee, Curan.

Cur. And you, Sir. I have been with your father, and given him notice that the Duke of Cornwall, and Regan his Dutchess, will be here with him this night. Edm. How comes that?

Cur. Nay, I know not; you have heard of the news abroad; I mean, the whisper'd ones; for they are yet but ear-kissing arguments.

Edm. Not I; pray you what are they?

Cur. Have you heard of no likely wars toward,

'twixt the Dukes of Cornwall and Albany ?

Edm. Not a word.

Cur. You may do then in time. Fare you well, Sir.

:

[Exit.

Edm. The Duke be here to-night! the better! best!

This weaves itself perforce into my business;

My father hath fet guard to take my brother,
And I have one thing of a queazy question
Which I must act: briefness, and fortune work!'
Brother, a word; defcend; Brother, I fay ;-
To him, Enter Edgar.

My father watches; O Sir, fly this place,
Intelligence is giv'n where you are hid ;

You've now the good advantage of the night-
Have you not spoken 'gainst the Duke of Cornwall?
He's coming hither, now i' th' night, i' th' hafte,
And Regan with him; have you nothing faid
Upon his Party against the Duke of Albany?
Advise yourself.

Edg. I'm fure on't, not a word.

Edm. I hear my father coming. Pardon me
In cunning, I muft draw my fword upon you--
Draw, feem to defend yourself.

Now quit you well

Yield come before my father-light hoa, here!-
Fly, brother-Torches !-fo farewel-

[Ex. Edga Some blood, drawn on me, would beget opinion

Of my more fierce endeavour.

[Wounds his arm....

I've feen drunkards.

Do more than this in fport. Father! father!
Stop, ftop, no help?

To him, Enter Glo'fter, and fervants with torches.
Glo. Now, Edmund, where's the villain?

Edm. Here ftood he in the dark, his fharp fword out,
Mumbling of wicked charms, conj'ring the moon,
To ftand's aufpicious miftrefs..

Glo. But where is he?
Edm, Look, Sir, I bleed..

Glo. Where is the villain, Edmund ?

Edm. Fled this way, Sir, when by no means he could Glo. Purfue him, ho! go after. By no means, what?Edm. Perfuade me to the murder of your lordship; But that, I told him, the revenging Gods 'Gainft Parricides did all the thunder bend,

Spoke

Spoke with how manifold and strong a bond
The child was bound to th' father.-Sir, in fine,

Seeing how lothly oppofite I stood
To his unnat'ral purpose, in fell motion
With his prepared sword he charges home
My unprovided body, lanc'd my arm;
And when he saw my best alarmed spirits,
Bold in the quarrel's right, rous'd to th' encounter,
Or whether gafted by the noise I made,
Full fuddenly he fled.

Glo. Let him fly far;

Not in this land shall he remain uncaught
And found; dispatch-the noble Duke my master,.
My worthy and arch-patron, comes to-night; (13)
By his authority I will proclaim it,
That he, which finds him, shall deserve our thanks,,
Bringing the murd'rous coward to the stake:.
He that conceals him, death.

Edm. When I dissuaded him from his intent,
And found him pight to do it, with curst speech
I threaten'd to discover him; he replied,
Thou unpossessing Bastard! do'st thou think,
If I would stand against thee, would the reposal
Of any trust, virtue, or worth in thee
Make thy words faith'd? no; what I should deny,
(As this I would, although thou did'st produce
My very character) I'd turn it all

To thy suggestion, plot, and damned practice;
And thou must make a dullard of the world,
If they not thought the profits of my death.
Were very pregnant and potential spurs
To make thee seek it.

Glo. O strange, fasten'd villain!

1

:

[Trumpets withins

Would he deny his letter? - I never got him.

(13) My worthy arch and patron.] I can meet with no authority of this word used in this manner, to fignify, my prince, my chief; but always as an epitatic particle prefix'd and annex'd to another noun: and therefore I have ventured to suppose a tranfpofition of the copulat've, and that we ought to read, arch-patron, as arch-duke, arch-angel, arcb-bishop, &c.

B6:

Hark,

Hark, the Duke's trumpets! I know not why he comes-
All Ports I'll bar; the villain shall not "scape;
The Duke must grant me that; besides, his picture
I will fend far and near, that all the Kingdom
May have due note of him; and of my land,
(Loyal and natural Boy!) I'll work the means
To make thee capable.

Enter Cornwall, Regan, and Attendants.
Corn. How now, my noble friend? since I came hither,
Which I can call but now, I have heard strange news.
Reg. If it be true, all vengeance comes too short,
Which can pursue th' offender; how does my lord ?
Glo. O Madam, my old heart is crack'd, its crack'd.
Reg. What, did my father's godson seek your life?
He whom my father nam'd, your Edgar?

Glo. O lady, lady, Shame would have it hid.
Reg. Was he not companion with the riotous Knights,

That tend upon my father?

Glo. I know not, Madam: 'tis too bad, too bad.
Edm. Yes, Madam, he was of that confort.

Reg. No marvel then, though he were ill affected;

"Tis they have put him on the old man's death,
To have th' expence and waste of his revenues.
I have this prefent evening from my fifter
Been well inform'd of them; and with such cautions,
That if they come to sojourn at my house,
I'll not be there.;

Corn. Nor I, assure thee, Regan;
Edmund, I hear, that you have shewn your father
A child-like office.

Edm. "Twas my duty, Sir.

Glo. He did bewray his practice, and receiv'd This hurt you fee, striving to apprehend him. Corn. Is he pursued ?

:

Glo. Ay, my good lord.

Corn. If he be taken, he shall never more
Be fear'd of doing harm: make your own purpose,
How in my ftrength you please. As for you, Edmund,
Whose virtue and obedience doth this instant

So

So much commend itself, you shall be ours;
Natures of fuch deep Trust we shall much need:

You we first feize on.

Edm. I fhall ferve you, Sir, ́

Truly, however else.

Glo. I thank your Grace.

Corn. You know not why we came to vifit you

Reg. Thus out of feafon threading dark-ey'd night; (14) Occafions, noble Glo'fter, of fome prize,

Wherein we must have ufe of your advice.
Our father he hath writ, fo hath our fifter,
Of diff'rences, which I best thought it 'fit
To answer from our home: the fev'ral meffengers
From hence attend dispatch. Our good old friend,
Lay comforts to your bosom; and bestow

Your needful counsel to our busineffes,

Which crave the inftant ufe.

Glo. I ferve you, Madam:

Your Graces are right welcome.

Enter Kent, and Steward, feverally.

[Exeunt.

Stew. Good evening to thee, friend; art of this house?
Kent. Ay.

Stew. Where may we fet our horses?

Kent. I' th' mire.

Stew. Pr'ythee, if thou lov'ft me, tell me.

Kent. I love thee not.

Sterw. Why then I care not for thee.

Kent. If I had thee in Lipsbury pinfold, I would makë

thee care for me.

Stew. Why doft thou use me thus? I know thee not.
Kent. Fellow, I know thee.

Stew. What doft thou know me for ?

(14)

threading dark-ey'd night.] I have not ventured to difplace this reading, tho' I have great fufpicion that the poet wrote, treading dark-ey'd night.

i. e. travelling in it. The other carries too obfcure, and mean an allufion. It must either be borrow'd from the cant-phrafe of thread. ing of alleys, i. e. going through bye-paffages to avoid the high ftreets; or to threading a needle in the dark.

Kent