Edgar!

SCENE IX.

To him enter Edgar.

and pat, he comes like the catastrophe of the

old comedy; y my cue is villainous melancholy, with a figh like Tom o' Bedlam-O, thefe eclipfes a do portend thefe divifions.

Edg. How now, brother Edmund, what ferious contemplation are you in?

Edm. I am thinking, brother, of a prediction I read this other day, what should follow thefe eclipfes.

с

Edg. Do you bufy yourself about that?

Edm. I promife you, the effects, he writ of, fucceed unhappily; f as of unnaturalness between the child and the parent, death, dearth, diffolutions of ancient & amities, divifions in ftate, menaces and maledictions against king and nobles, needless diffidences, banishment of friends, dissipation of ↳ comforts, nuptial breaches, and I know not what.

So the qu's; the rest omit Edgar!—and.

* The qu's read out for pat.

The qu's read mine for my cue.

2 The qu's read them of Bedlam.

Do is omitted by P. and all after him.

After divifions, all but the qu's read fa, fol, la, me.

So the qu's; the reft read with for about.

• The 2d, 3d, and 4th fo's omit you.

So the qu's; the reft writes for writ.

f What is in italic is omitted by all but the qu's; F. indeed puts part of it among his notes, and fays he thinks it ought to be inferted in the text, but neglects doing it.

The ad q. reads armies for amities.

▲ The qu's read coberts; 7. reads courts.

Edg

i Edg. How long have you been a fetary aftronomical? Edm. Come, come; when faw you my father laft? Edg. k Why, the night gone by.

Edm. Spake you with him?

1

Edg. Ay, two hours together.

Edm. Parted you in good terms? found you no difpleasure in him, by word, m or countenance?

Edg. None at all.

Edm. Bethink yourself wherein you" may have offended him and, at my intreaty, forbear his prefence,

:

until fome little time hath qualified the heat of his difpleasure, which at this inftant fo rageth in him, that with the mischief of your P person it would a scarcely allay.

Edg. Some villain hath done me wrong.

Edm. That's my fear. I pray you have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes flower: and, as I fay, retire with me to my lodging, from whence I will fitly bring you to hear my lord fpeak. Pray you go, there's my key. If you do ftir abroad, go arm'd.

Edg. Arm'd, brother?

Edm. Brother, I advife you to the beft, go arm'd: I am no honeft man, if there be any good meaning toward you :

I have told you what I have feen and heard but faintly; nothing like the image and horror of it. Edg. Shall I hear from you anon?

Pray you, away.

SCENE X.

[Exit Edgar.

Edm. I do ferve you in this business.
A credulous father, and a brother noble,
Whofe nature is fo far from doing harms,
That he suspects none; on whose foolish honesty
My practices ride eafy; I fee the business.

Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit;

All with me's meet, that I can fashion fit.

[Exit.

"SCENE XI.

The duke of Albany's palace.

Enter Goneril," and Steward.

Gon. Did my father strike my gentleman for chiding of his

fool?

Stew. Yes, madam.

Gon. By day and night he wrongs me every hour

He flashes into one grofs crime or other,

That fets us all at odds; I'll not endure it.

Heath would read I'll ferve you, &c. to make it a

* P. and H. omit do. proper answer to Edgar's question: but I am apt to think it is a proper anfwer already; by I do ferve you, &c. is meant I am your fervant in this bafinefs.

"The fo's call this feena tertia.

The 1st q. reads and gentleman; the ad and a gentleman.

So the qu's: all the rest ay for yes.

His knights grow riotous, and himself upbraids us
On every trifle. When he returns from hunting,
I will not speak with him; fay, I am fick.
If you come flack of former fervices,

You shall do well; the fault of it I'll answer.
Stew. He's coming, madam, I hear him.

Gon. Put on what weary negligence you please,

You and your y fellows; I'd have it come to question.
If he diftafte it, let him to my fifter,

2

Whose mind and mine, I know, in that are one,

That still would manage those authorities,

That he hath giv'n away.Now, by my life,

Old folks are babes again; and must be us'd

With checks, by flatteries when they're seen abus'd.

Remember what I tell you.

Stew. Very well, madam.

Gon. And let his knights have colder look among you;

what grows of it, no matter;

The qu's read fellow-fervants.

* The qu's read in for to.

The qu's read diflike for diftate.

advise your fellows fo.

I'll write ftraight to my fifter to hold my very course.

Kent. If but as well I other accents borrow;
m That can my fpeech " diffufe, my good intent
May carry thro' itself to that full iffue

For which I raz'd my likenefs. Now, banish'd Kent,
If thou canst ferve where thou doft ftand condemn'd,
*So may it come, thy mafter whom thou lov'st
Shall find thee full of P labours.

Horns within. Enter Lear, knights, and attendants.
Lear. Let me not stay a jot for dinner. Go, get it ready:
-How now? what art thou?

Kent. A man, fir.

[To Kent.

h The qu's add I would breed from hence occafions; and I shall—that İ mcy Speak.

iSo the qu's; all the reft omit very.

* All but the qu's and H. omit go; H. reads go and, not that he had feen the qu's, but to eke out the verse.

1 Before prepare H. reads and.

m R. and all after him, read and for that.

The qu's and 3 fo's read defufe; the 4th f. diffufe; R. P. and J. df fe. To diffuse here fignifies to ciferder; to put out of a regular courfe. It is used in other places in this author; diffufid attire, diffused founds. H.Let them forth from a faw pit rub at once with fome diffused fong, i. e, wild fong. Merry Wives of Windfor. Though perhaps Shakespear might here write difguife.

• The qu's omit fo may it come.

P. The qu's read labour.

Lear.