n

Fool. Why, to put's head in, not to give it away m to his daughters, and leave his horns without a cafe.

Lear. I will forget my nature.

Be my horfes ready?

So kind a father!

Fool. Thy afes are gone about them. The reafon, why the feven stars are no more than feven, is a pretty reason. Lear. Becaufe they are not eight.

Fool. Yes indeed; thou would'st make a good fool.

Lear. To take't again perforce-Monster ingratitude! Fool. If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time.

Lear. How's that?

Fool. Thou should not have been old, a before thou hadft been wife.

Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, fweet 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.

t

Fool. She that's a maid now, and laughs at my departure, Shall not be a maid long, u unlefs things be cut shorter.

The ad q. reads unto for to.

n The qu's read daughter.

• The qu's omit indeed.

P So the qu's, and two 1ft fo's; the reft you were.

4 So the qu's; the reft till for before.

[Exeunt.

The qu's read 0 let me not be mad, fweet heaven! I would not be mad.

keep me, &c.

The qu's omit how now.

The qu's omit a.

The qu's read except for unless

ACT

ACT II.

SCENE L

A caftle belonging to the Earl of Glo'ster.

Enter Edmund and Curan, severally.

SAVE thee, Curan.

Edmund.

a

Guran. And you, fir. I have been with your father, and given him notice that the Duke of Cornwall, and Regan his Dutchefs, will be here with him b this night.

Edm. How comes that?

Curan. Nay, I know not; you have heard of the news abroad; I mean the whifper'd ones; for they are yet but dear-kiffing arguments.

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

Cur. Have you heard of no likely wars towards 'twixt the f two Dukes of Cornwall and Albany.

Edm. Not a word.

Cur. You may g then in time. Fare you well, fir. [Exit.

a The qu's omit Regan.

The qu's omit to-night.

The qu's read there for they..

The qu's read ear-bussing.

The two speeches in italic are omitted in the ad q.

f All but the q. omit two.

After may all but the qu's infert do.

SCEN E II.

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 h queazy question

Which I must act. Briefnefs, and fortune work!

Brother, a word.

Defcend.
Defcend.

Brother, I fay;

Enter Edgar.

My father watches; Ok fir, fly this place,

Intelligence is given where you are hid;

You have now the good advantage of the night

Have you not spoken 'gainst the Duke of Cornwall' aught?

He's coming hither now i'th' night, "i'th' haste,

And Regan with him; have you nothing faid

n Upon his party 'gainst 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 youDraw; feem to defend yourfelf.

h The qu's read quefie.

The qu's read which muft afke breefneffe and fortune help.

k The qu's omit fir.

1 All but the qu's omit aught.

P. omits i'th'. H. reads in for 'th'.

n. would read against his party for the Duke of Albany.

o The qu's read advise your

P The qu's read in craving, &c.

¶ The qu's omit drew,

Now,

Now, quit you well-
Yield--Come before my father-Light ho, here!
Fly, brother Torches, torches!--So farewell,

[Exit Edgar.

Some blood, drawn on me, would beget opinion [Wounds his arm.

Of my more fierce endeavour. I have feen drunkards
Do more than this in fport. Father! father!
Stop, ftop. No help?

SCENE III.

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 w his aufpicious mistress.

Glo. But where is he?

Edm. Look, fir, I bleed.

Glo. Where is the villain, Edmund ?

Edm. Fled this way, fir, when by no means he could-
Glo. Purfue him, ho! Go after. By no means, what?
Edm. Perfuade me to the murther of your lordship;-

y

But that, I told him, the revenging gods

The qu's read light beere, heere.

The qu's read flie, brother, flie.

So the qu's and 1ft f. the rest have torches but once.

The qu's read warbling for mumbling.

W The 1ft and ad fo's omit his.

* The qu’s omit họ !

The qu's read revengive,

'Gainft

'Gainft parricides did all their a thunders bend,
Spoke with how manifold and strong a bond
The child was bound to th' father.-Sir, b in fine,
Seeing how lothly oppofite I ftood

с

To his unnatural purpose, in fell motion
With his prepared fword he charges home
My unprovided body, dlanc'd my arm;

But when he faw my beft alarum'd fpirits
Bold in the quarrels & right, rouz'd to th' encounter,
Or whether h 'ghafted by the noise I made,

i Full fuddenly he fled.

Glo. Let him fly far;

Not in this land fhall he remain uncaught;

k And found-Difpatch-The noble Duke my mafter,
My m worthy arch and patron comes to-night;
By his authority I will proclaim it,

That he which finds him fhall deferve our thanks,

z So the qu's and 7. all the rest read the for their.

a So the qu's; all the rest read thunder.

b The qu's read in a fine.

The qu's read with for in.

The 1ft q. reads lancht; the ad launcht; fo R. P. and H. the fo's latch'd, eSo the qu's; all the reft read and for but.

f So the qu's, and 1st, 2d, and 3d fo's; the 4th f. alarm'd; all the rest alarmed.

8 The 1st q. reads rights.

'Ghafted, contraction of aghafted, i. e. affrighted. All editions read

gafted.

i The qu's read but for full.

k W. reads and found, dispatch'd.

T. reads my worthy and arcb-patron, &c.

m The 4th f. reads worth.

n T.'s duodecimo reads who for which; followed by W. and J.

Bringing