Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion [Wounds his arm. Of my more fierce endeavor; I have seen drunkards Do more than this in sport.-Father! father! Stop, stop! No help? Enter GLOSTER, and Servants, with torches. Glo. Now, Edmund, where's the villain? Edm. Here stood he in the dark, his sharp sword out, Mumbling of wicked charms, conjuring the moon To stand his auspicious mistress. Glo. Edm. Look, sir, I bleed. But where is he? Where is the villain, Edmund ? Edm. Fled this way, sir. When by no means he could Glo. Pursue him, ho!-Go after.-[Exit Serv.] By no means,-what? Edm. Persuade me to the murder of your lordship; But that I told him, the revenging gods 'Gainst parricides did all their thunders bend; To his unnatural purpose, in fell motion, Full suddenly he fled. Glo. Let him fly far. Not in this land shall he remain uncaught; And found-Despatch.2-The noble duke, my master, 1 That is, aghasted, frighted. 2 "And found-Despatch.-The noble duke," &c. The sense is interrupted. He shall be caught-and found, he shall be punished. Despatch. My worthy arch and patron, comes to-night; That he which finds him shall deserve our thanks, Edm. When I dissuaded him from his intent, Make thy words faithed? No; what I should deny, To thy suggestion, plot, and damned practice; To make thee seek it. Glo. Strong and fastened villain; Would he deny his letter?-I never got him. [Trumpets within. Hark, the duke's trumpets! I know not why he comes. All ports I'll bar; the villain shall not 'scape; The duke must grant me that. Besides, his picture 1 i. e. chief; now only used in composition. 2 "And found him pight to do it, with curst speech." Pight is pitched, fixed, settled; curst is vehemently angry, bitter. 3 i. e. would any opinion that men have reposed in thy trust, virtue, &c. The old quarto reads, “could the reposure." 4 i. e. my hand-writing, my signature. 5 The folio reads, "potential spirits." And in the next line but one, "O strange and fastened villain."-Strong is determined, resolute. Our ancestors often used it in an ill sense; as strong thief, strong whore, &c. 6 i. e. capable of succeeding to my land, notwithstanding the legal bar of thy illegitimacy. Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, and Attendants. Corn. How now, my noble friend? since I came hither (Which I can call but now) I have heard strange news. Glo. It is too bad, too bad. Edm. I know not, madam; Yes, madam, he was. Reg. No marvel, then, though he were ill-affected; 'Tis they have put him on the old man's death, To have the waste and spoil of his revenues. I have this present evening from my sister Been well informed of them; and with such cautions, That, if they come to sojourn at my house, I'll not be there. Corn. Nor I, assure thee, Regan. Edmund, I hear that you have shown your father Edm. 'Twas my duty, sir. Glo. He did bewray his practice,' and received Glo. Ay, my good lord, he is. Corn. If he be taken, he shall never more Be feared of doing harm: make your own purpose, 1 "Bewray his practice." That is, he did betray or reveal his treacherous devices. The quartos read betray. Edm. Truly, however else. Glo. I shall serve you, sir, For him I thank your grace. Corn. You know not why we came to visit you, Reg. Thus out of season; threading dark-eyed night. Occasions, noble Gloster, of some poize,' Wherein we must have use of your advice: Of differences, which I best thought it fit To answer from our home; the several messengers From hence attend despatch. Our good old friend, Lay comforts to your bosom; and bestow Your needful counsel to our business, Which craves the instant use. 3 Stew. Good dawning to thee, friend. Art of the house? Kent. Av. Stew. Where may we set our horses? Kent. I'the mire. Stew. 'Pr'ythee, if thou love 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. not. Stew. Why dost thou use me thus? I know thee Kent. Fellow, I know thee. 1 i. e. of some weight, or moment. The folio and quarto B. read prize. 2 That is, not at home, but at some other place. 3 The quartos read "good even." It is clear, from various passages in this scene, that the morning is just beginning to dawn. 66 4 i. e. Lipsbury pound. Lipsbury pinfold" may, perhaps, like Lob's pound, be a coined name; but with what allusion does not appear. Stew. What dost thou know me for? Kent. A knave, a rascal, an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, hundredpound, filthy worsted-stocking knave; a lily-livered, action-taking knave; a whoreson, glass-gazing, superserviceable, finical rogue; one-trunk-inheriting slave; one that wouldst be a bawd, in way of good-service, and art nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, coward, pander, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch; one whom I will beat into clamorous whining, if thou deniest the least syllable of thy addition.' Stew. Why, what a monstrous fellow art thou, thus to rail on one that is neither known of thee, nor knows thee! Kent. What a brazen-faced varlet art thou, to deny thou knowest me! Is it two days ago, since I tripped up thy heels, and beat thee, before the king? Draw, you rogue; for, though it be night, the moon shines; I'll make a sop o' the moonshine of you. Draw, you whoreson cullionly barber-monger,3 draw. 2 4 [Drawing his sword. Stew. Away; I have nothing to do with thee. Kent. Draw, you rascal! you come with letters against the king; and take Vanity the puppet's part, against the royalty of her father. Draw, you rogue, or I'll so carbonado your shanks.-Draw, you rascal; come your ways. Stew. Help, ho! murder! help! Kent. Strike, you slave; stand, rogue, stand; you neat slave, strike. 5 Stew. Help, ho! murder! murder! 1 i. e. thy titles. 2 Probably alluding to some dish so called. [Beating him. 3 Barber-monger may mean dealer with the lower tradesmen. 4 Alluding to the moralities or allegorical shows, in which Vanity, Iniquity, and other vices, were personified. You finical rascal, you assemblage of foppery and poverty. |