Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

ACT II.

SCENE, A Caftle belonging to the Earl of Glo'fter.

Enter Edmund and Curan, severally.

EDM UN D.

AVE thee, Curan.

[ocr errors]

Cur. And ycu, Sir. I have been with your father, 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 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: 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 me

In cunning, I must draw my fword upon you
Draw, feem to defend your felf.

Now quit you well

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

[Ex. Edg.

Some blood, drawn on me, would beget opinion

[Wounds his arm. Of my more fierce endeavour. 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

-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 'Gainst Parricides did all the thunder bend, Spoke with how manifold and strong a bond The child was bound to th' father.Seeing how lothly oppofite I stood 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 saw 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. Let him fly far;

Not in this land fhall he remain uncaught

And found; dispatch

-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 deserve 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 curst speech
I threaten'd to discover him; he replied,
Thou unpoffeffing Baftard! do'ft thou think,
If I would stand 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;
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. O ftrange, faften'd, villain!

[Trumpets within.

Would he deny his letter?-- I 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'll work the means
To make thee capable.

(6) My worthy Arch and Patron.] I can meet with no Authority of this Word ufed 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 ought to read, Arch-patron, as Arch-duke, Arch-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 houfe,

I'll not be there.

Corn. Nor I, I affure thee, Regan;

Edmund, I hear, that you have fhewn 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 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 pleafe. 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 firft feize on.

Edm. I fhall ferve you, Sir,

Truly, however else.

Glo. I thank your Grace.

[ocr errors]

Corn. You know not why we came to vifit you
Reg. Thus out of feason threading dark-ey'd night; (7)
Occafions, noble Glofter, of fome prize,
Wherein we must have ufe of your advice.
Our father he hath writ, fo hath our fister,
Of diff'rences, which I beft thought it fit
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.

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.

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.

Stew. What doft 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,

[ocr errors]

(7) threading dark-ey'd Night.] I have not ventur'd to difplace this Reading, tho' 1 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 muft either be borrow'd from the Cantphrafe of threading of Alleys, i. e. going thro' bye-paffages to avoid the high Streets; or to threading a Needle in the dark.

fuper.

« ZurückWeiter »