ACT II.

SCENE, A Caftle belonging to the Eart of Glo'fter,

Enter Edmund and Curan, severallys

EDMUND.

AVE thee, Curan.

SAV

your

fa

་་

Cur. And you, Sir. I have been with ther, and given him notice that the Duke of Cornwall, and Regan his Dutchefs, 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-kiffing 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! beft!
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: briefnefs, 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 fpoken 'gainst the Duke of Cornwall?
He's coming hither, now i'th' night, i'th' hafte,

And

And Regan with him; have you nothing faid
Upon his Party 'gainst the Duke of Albany?
Advise your felf.

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

Edm. I hear my father coming. Pardon meIn cunning, I muft draw my fword upon you Draw, feem to defend your felf,

Now quit you well

[Exit Edg.

Yield- -come before my father-light hoa, here!
Fly, brother-Torches ! fo farewel
Some blood, drawn on me, would beget opinion

-

[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 sharp fword out, Mumbling of wicked Charms, conj'ring the moon · To ftand 's aufpicious mistress,

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

Sir, in fine,

Glo. Purfue him, ho! go after. By no means, what?— Edm. 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. Seeing how lothly oppofite I ftood To his unnat'ral purpose, in fell motion With his prepared fword he charges home My unprovided body, lanc'd my arm; And when he faw my beft alarmed fpirits, Bold in the quarrel's right, rous'd to th' encounter, Or whether gafted by the noife I made, Full fuddenly he fled.

B. 5

Glo.

Glo. Let him fly far;'

Not in this land fhall he remain uncaught
And found; difpatch-the noble Duke my mafter,
My worthy and arch-patron, comes to-night; (6)
By his authority I will proclaim it,

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

Edm. 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 Baftard! do'st thou think,
If I would ftand against thee, would the repofal
Of any truft, virtue, or worth in thee

Make thy words faith'd? no; what I should deny,-
(As this I would, although thou didst produce
My very character) I'd turn it all

To thy fuggeftion, plot, and damned practice;
As 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. O ftrange, faften'd, villain !

Would he deny his letter?

[Trumpets within.

1 never got him.

Hark, the Duke's trumpets! I know not why he comes-
All Ports I'll bar; the villain fhall not 'fcape;

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'H work the meane.
To make thee capable.

(6) 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 ventur'd to fuppofe a Tranfpofition of the Copulative, and that we cught to read, Arcb-patron, 24 Arcb-duke, Arcb-angel, Archbishop, &c.

Enter

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 pursue 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? 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 wafte of his 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 hewn your father
A child-like office.

Edm. 'Twas my duty, Sir.

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

Gla. Ay, my good lord,

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,
Whofe virtue and obedience doth this inftant

So much commend it felf, you fhall be ours;
Natures of fuch deep Truft we shall much need : .
You we first feize on..

Edm. I fhall ferve you, Sir,,

Truly, however else.

Glo. I thank

your Grace.

Cárn,

Corn. You know not why we came to vifit you
Reg. Thus out of feafon threading dark-ey'd night; (7)
Occafions, noble Glofter, of fome prize,

Wherein we must have use of your
advice.
Our father he hath writ, fo hath our fifter,
Of diff'rences, which I beft thought it fit
To answer from our home: the fevral meffengers
From hence attend difpatch. Our good old friend, ‹
Lay Comforts to your bofom; and beftow

Your needful counfel to our

Which crave the inftant ufe.

Glo. I ferve you, Madam :

bufineffes,

Your Graces are right welcome.

Enter Kent, and Stewards feverally.

[Exeunt

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

Stew. Where may we fet our horfes ?

Kent. I'th' mire.

Stew. Prythee, 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.

Ster. Why doft thou use me thus? I know thee noť.
Kent. Fellow, I know thee.

Stew. What dost thou know me for?

Kent. A knave, a rascal, an eater of broken meats, a bafe, proud, fhallow, beggarly, three-fuited, hundred-pound, filthy worfted-ftocking knave; a lillyliver'd, action-taking, knave; a whorfon, glass gazing,

(7)

threading dark-ey'd Night.] I have not ventur'd to difplace this Reading, tho' I have great Sufpicion 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 threading of Alleys, i. e. going thro' bye-paffages to avoid the high Streets; or to threading a Needle in the dark,