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Fool. If thou wert my fool, nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before thy time.

Lear. How's that?

Fool. Thou shouldst not have been old, before thou hadst been wise.

Lear. O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet Heaven! Keep me in temper; I would not be mad!

Enter Gentleman.

How now! are the horses ready?

Gent. Ready, my lord.

Lear. Come, boy.

Fool. She that is maid now, and laughs at my de

parture,

Shall not be a maid long, unless things be cut shorter.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE 1. A Court within the Castle of the Earl of Gloster.

Enter EDMUND and CURAN, meeting.

Edm. Save thee, Curan.

Cur. And you, sir. I have been with your father, and given him notice, that the duke of Cornwall, and Regan his duchess, will be here with him to-night. Edm. How comes that?

well: the event." What Lear himself projected when he left Goneril to go to Regan:

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That I'll resume the shape, which thou dost think

I have cast off forever; thou shalt, I warrant thee."

And what Curan afterwards refers to, when he asks Edmund :-" Have you heard of no likely wars toward, 'twixt the dukes of Cornwall and Albany?"

VOL. VII.

6

Cur. Nay, I know not. You have heard of the news abroad; I mean the whispered ones, for they are yet but ear-kissing arguments?1

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

Cur. Have you heard of no likely wars toward,2 'twixt the dukes of Cornwall and Albany?

Edm. Not a word.

Cur. You may then, in time. Fare you well, sir.

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Edm. The duke be here to-night? The

Best!

| Exit.

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This weaves itself perforce intc my business!
My father hath set guard to take my brother;
And I have one thing, of a queasy 3 questior,
Which I must act.-Briefness, and fortune, væk -
Brother, a word; descend.-Brother, I s››

Enter EDGAR.

My father watches.-O sir, 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 Cornwa!
He's coming hither; now, i'the night, i' the haste,
And Regan with him. Have you nothing said
Upon his party 'gainst the duke of Albany ?4
Advise yourself.

Edg.

I am sure on't, not a word. Edm. I hear my father coming.-Pardon me ;In cunning, I must draw my sword upon you.Draw seem to defend yourself: now quit you well Yield;-come before my father;-light, ho, here! Fly, brother:-Torches! torches !—So farewell.

[Exit EDGAR.

1 Ear-kissing arguments means that they are yet in reality only whispered ones.

2 This and the following speech are omitted in the quarto B.

3 Queasy appears to mean here delicate, unsettled.

4 Have you said nothing upon the party formed by him against the

duke of Albany?

5 i. e. consider, recollect yourself.

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.
Glo.

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;
Spoke, with how manifold and strong a bond
The child was bound to the father;-sir, in fine,
Seeing how loathly opposite I stood

To his unnatural purpose, in fell motion,
With his prepared sword, he charges home
My unprovided body, lanced mine arm:
But when he saw my best alarumed spirits,

Bold in the quarrel's right, roused to the encounter,
Or whether gasted' by the noise I made,

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.

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My worthy arch and patron, comes to-night;
By his authority I will proclaim it,

That he which finds him shall deserve our thanks,
Bringing the murderous coward to the stake;
He that conceals him, death.

Edm. When I dissuaded him from his intent,
And found him pight to do it, with curst speech,
I threatened to discover him. He replied,
Thou unpossessing bastard! dost thou think,
If I would stand against thee, would the reposal3
Of any trust, virtue, or worth, in thee

2

Make thy words faithed? No; what I should deny,
(As this I would; ay, though thou didst produce
My very character,1) I'd turn it all

To thy suggestion, 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 spurs 5
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

I will send 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.

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. Reg. If it be true, all vengeance comes too short, Which can pursue the offender. How dost, my lord? Glo. O madam, my old heart is cracked, is cracked! Reg. What, did my father's godson seek your life? He whom my father named? father named? 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.

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 A child-like office.

Edm.

'Twas my duty, sir.

Glo. He did bewray his practice,1 and received This hurt you see, striving to apprehend him. Corn. Is he pursued?

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,
How in my strength you please.-For you, Edmund,
Whose virtue and obedience doth this instant

So much commend itself, you shall be ours;
Natures of such deep trust we shall much need;
You we first seize on.

1 "Bewray his practice." That is, he did betray or reveal his treacherous devices. The quartos read betray.

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