Baft. 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-kiffing arguments.

Baft. Not I; pray you, what are they?

Cur. Have you heard of no likely wars toward, 'twixt the Dukes of Cornwall and Albany?

Baft. Not a word.

Cur. You may then in time. Fare you well, Sir. [Ex*.

Baft. The Duke be here to-night! the better! beft!
This weaves it felf 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,

in hafte,
And Regan with him; have you nothing faid
Upon his party 'gainst the Duke of Albany? a
Advise your self.

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

Baft. I hear my father coming.

Pardon me

In cunning I muft draw my fword upon you
Draw, feem to defend your self,

Now quit you well

Yield

come before my father-light hoa, here,

Fly, brother-Torches!-fo, farewel

VOL. III.

C

[Ex. Edg.

Some

(a) Meaning, upon the party engaged by him against the Duke Albany.

3 i'th

Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion

[Wounds his arm. Of my more fierce endeavour. I've seen drunkards Do more than this in fport. Father! father! Stop, ftop, no help?

To him, Enter Glo'fter, and Servants with torches.

Glo. Now, Edmund, where's the villain?

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

Glo. But where is he?

Baft. Look, Sir, I bleed.

Glo. Where is the villain, Edmund?

Baft. Fled this way, Sir, when by no means he couldGlo. Purfue him, ho! go after. By no means, whatBaft. Perfuade me to the murther of your Lordship; But that I told him the revenging Gods

'Gainft parricides did all the thunder bend,
Spoke with how manifold and ftrong a bond
The child was bound to th' father. Sir, in fine,
Seeing how lothly oppofite I stood

To his unnat'ral purpofe, in fell motion.
With his prepared fword he charges home
My unprovided body, launch'd mine arm;
And when he faw my beft alarmed fpirits,

Bold in the quarrel's right, rouz'd to th' encounter;
Or whether gafted by the noife I made,
Full fuddenly he fled.

Glo. Let him fly far;

Not in this land fhall he remain uncaught;

5

And for dispatch the noble Duke my mafter, My worthy and arch-patron, comes to-night; By his authority I will proclaim it,

4 And found; difpatch

arch and patron, ... old edit. Theob. emend.

That

That he which finds him fhall deferve our thanks,
Bringing the murth'rous coward to the stake:
He that conceals him, death.

Baft. When I diffwaded him from his intent,
And found him pight to do it, with curft fpeech
I threaten'd to discover him; he replied,
Thou unpoffeffing bastard, doft thou think,
If I would ftand against thee, the repofal
Of any truft, virtue, or worth in thee

8

7'Would make thy words faith'd? no, what I'd` deny,
(As this I would, although thou did❜ft produce
My very character) 9/would turn it all

To thy fuggeftion, 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 fpurs
To make thee feek it.

Glo. Oftrange, faften'd villain!

[Trumpets within.

Would he deny his letter, faid he? hark!

Hark, the Duke's trumpets! I know not why he comes-
All ports I'll bar, the villain shall not 'scape,

The Duke muft grant me that; befides, 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? fince I came hither, Which I can call but now, I have heard ftrange news. Reg. If it be true, all vengeance comes too fhort Which can purfue th' offender; how does my Lord? Glo. O Madam, my old heart is crack'd, it's crack'd. Reg. What, did my father's godfon feek your life? C 2

He

He whom my father nam'd, your Edgar? He?\
Glo. O Lady, Lady, fhame would have it hid.

Reg. Was he not companion with the riotous Knights That tended on my father?

Glo. I know not, Madam; 'tis too bad, too bad.
Baft. 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 wafte of revenues.
I have this prefent evening from my fifter
Been well inform'd of them, and with fuch cautions
That if they come to fojourn at my house,
I'll not be there.

Corn. Nor I, affure thee, Regan;

Edmund, I hear that you have shewn your father
A child-like office.

Baft. It's my duty, Sir.

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

Glo. Ay, my good Lord, he is.`

Corn. If he be taken, he fhall 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 inftant So much commend it felf, you fhall be ours; Natures of fuch deep truft we fhall much need: You we first seize on.

Baft. I fhall ferve you, Sir, Truly, however else.

Glo. I thank your Grace,

Corn. You know not why we came to vifit you
Thus out of season thredding dark'd-ey'd night.
Reg. Occafions, noble Glofter, of fome prize,
Wherein we must have use of your advice-
Our father he hath writ, fo hath our sister,
Of diff'rences, which I beft thought it fit

1 your Edgar? 2 upon 3 Lord,

To

To answer from our home; the fev'ral meffengers
From hence attend dispatch. Our good old friend,
Lay comforts to your bofom, and bestow

Your needful counfel to our bufineffes,
Which crave the inftant use.

Glo. I ferve you, Madam;

Your Graces are right welcome.

[Exeunt.

Stew. Good dawning 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.

Stew. Why then I care not for thee.

Kent. If I had thee in Lipsbury pinfold, I would make thee care for me.

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

Kent. What doft thou know me for?

Kent. A knave, a rafcal, an eater of broken meats, a bafe, proud, fhallow, beggarly, three-fuited, hundredpound, filthy woofted-ftocking knave; a lilly-liver'd, action-taking, whorfon, glafs-gazing, fuper-ferviceable finical rogue; one-trunk-inheriting flave; one that would'st be a bawd in way of good fervice; and art nothing but the compofition of a knave, beggar, coward, pander, and the fon and heir of a mungril bitch; one whom I will beat into clam'rous whining, if thou deny'ft the least fyllable of thy addition.

Stew. Why, what a monftrous fellow art thou, thus to rail on one, that is neither known of thee, nor knows thee!