Edm. Parted you in good terms? found you no difpleasure in him, by word or countenance? Edg. None at all.

Edm. Bethink yourself wherein you have offended him: and, at my intreaty, forbear his prefence, until fome little time hath qualified the heat of his difpleafure; which at this inftant fo rageth in him, that with the mischief of your perfon it would fcarcely allay.

Edg. Some villain hath done me wrong,

Edm. That's my fear: I pray you, have a continent forbearance 'till the fpeed of his rage goes flower: and as I fay, retire with me to my lodging,. from whence I will fitly bring you to hear my Lord fpeak: pray you, go, there's my key; if you do ftir abroad, go armed.

Edg. Armed, brother!

Edm. Brother, I advife you to the best. I am no honeft man, if there be any good meaning toward you have told you what I have feen and heard, but faintly; nothing like the image and hor ror of it; pray`ycũ, away.

[Exit.

Edg. Shall I hear from you anon? Edm. I do ferve you in this business. A credulous father, and a brother noble, Whofe nature is fo far from doing harms, That he fufpects none; on whofe foolish honefty My practices ride eafy: I fee the bufinefs. Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit; All with me's meet, that I can falhion fit.

SCENE, the Duke of Albany's Palace.

Enter GONERIL and Steward.

[Exit.

Gon. Did my father ftrike my gentleman for chiding of his fool?

Stew. Ay, Madam.

Gon. By day and night he wrongs me; every He flashes into one grofs crime or other,

That fets us all at odds: I'll not endure it:

[hour

His knights grow riotous, and himself upbraids us
On every trifle. When he returns from hunting,
I will not speak with him: fay I am fick.
If you come flack of former fervices,

You thall do well; the fault of it I'll answer.
: Stew, He's coming, Madam, I hear him.

Gon. Put on what weary negligence you pleafe, You and your fellows: I'd have it come to question. If he diftafte it, let him to my filter,

Whofe mind and mine, I know, in that are one,
Not to be over-ruled. Idle old man, (8)
"That still would manage those authorities
That he hath given away !-Now, by my life,
Old fools are babes again; and must be used
With checks, like flatterers when they're feen t'abuse
Remember what I have faid.

Stew. Very well, Madam.

[us.

Gon. And let his knights have colder looks among you: what grows of it, no matter; advise your fellows fo: I'll write ftrait to my fifter to hold my courfe: prepare for dinner. [Exeunt.

SCENE changes to an open Place before the Palace. Enter KENT difguifed.

Kent. If but as well I other accents borrow,

(8) Idle old man,] The following lines, as they are fine in themfelves, and very much in character for Goneril, I have reftored from the old Quarto. The laft verfe, which I have ventured to amend, is there printed thus;

With checks, like flatteries when they are seen abused.

And can my fpeech diffufe, my good intent (9)
May carry thro' itself to that full iffue,

For which I razed my likenefs. Now, banished
Kent,

If thou canst ferve where thou doft ftand condemned, So may. it come, thy matter, whom thou loveft, Shall find thee full of labours.

Horns within. Enter LEAR, Knights and Attendants.

Lear. Let me not stay a jot for dinner; go, get it ready :

How now, what art thou?

Kent. A man, Sir.

[To Kent.

Lear. What dost thou profefs? what would'st thou with us?

Kent. I do profefs to be no lefs than I feem; tỏ ferve him truly that will put me in truft; to love him that is honeft; to converfe with him that is wife and fays little; to fear judgment; to fight when I cannot chufe, and to eat no fish.

Lear. What art thou?

Kent. A very honeft-hearted fellow, and as poor; as the King.

(9) And can my Speech disuse,] This reading we derived fir from Mr Rowe's edition; and from hence it has taken poffeffion in the two impreffions given us by Mr Pope. But: the Poet's word was certainly diffule: and Kent would fay, If I can but fo fpread out my accents, (de telle forte efpan-dre, as the French term it) vary my tone and utterance fo videly from what it used to be as to diuife it, &c. And diffufed in this fenfe of obfolete, dijguifed, our Poet has more than once employed;

Let them from forth a faw-pit rush at once,
With fome diffused fong.. Merry Wives of Windfor.
To fwearing, and flern looks, diffufed attire.

Vouchsafe, difffed infection of a man.

King Henry V.

King Richard III.

Lear. If thou beeft as poor for a subject, as he is for a King, thou art poor enough. What would st thou?

Kent. Service.

Lear. Whom would't thou ferve?
Kent. You.

Lear. Doft thou know me, fellow?

Kent. No, Sir, but you have that in your countenance which I would fain call mafter.

Lear. What's that?
Kent. Authority.

! Lear. What fervices canft thou do?

Kent. I can keep honeft counfels, ride, run, mar a curious tale in telling it, and deliver a plain meffage bluntly: that which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified in; and the best of me is diligence. Lear. How old art thou?

Kent. Not fo young, Sir, to love a woman for finging; nor for old, to doat on her for any thing. I have years on my back forty eight.

Lear. Follow me, thou fhalt ferve me; if I like thee no worfe after dinner, I will not part from thee yet. Dinner, ho, dinner-where's my knave? my fool? go you, and call my fool hither. You, you, furah, where's my daughter?

Enter Steward.

Stew. So pleafe you

[Exit.

Lear. What fays the fellow there? call the clodpole back where's my fool, ho? I think the world's afleep: how now? where's that mungrel? Knight. He fays, my Lord, your daughter is not well.

Lear. Why came not the flave back to me when I called him?

Knight. Sir, he answered me in the roundest manner, he would not.

Lear. He would not?

Knight. My Lord, I know not what the matter is; but, to my judgment, your Highness is not en tertained with that ceremonious affection as you were wont; there's a great abatement of kindness appears as well in the general dependants, as in the Duke himself also, and your daughter.

Lear. Ha! fay'st thou so?

Knight. I befeech you, pardon me, my Lord, if I be mistaken; for my duty cannot be filent, when I think your Highness is wronged.

Lear. Thou but remembereft me of my own conception. I have perceived a moft faint neglect of late, which I have rather blamed as my own jealous curiofity, than as a very pretence and purpofe of unkindness; I will look further into't; but where's my fool? I have not feen him these two

days.

Knight. Since my young Lady's going into France, Sir, the fool hath much pined away.

Lear. No more of that, I have noted it well; go you and tell my daughter, I would fpeak with her. Go you, call hither my fool. O, you, Sir, come you hither, Sir; who am I, Sir?

Enter Steward.

Stew. My Lady's father.

Lear. My Lady's father? my Lord's knave !-whorefon dog, you flave, you cur.

you

Stew. I am none of thefe, my Lord; I befeech your pardon.

Lear. Do you bandy looks with me, you rascal? [Striking him

Stew. I'll not be ftruck, my Lord.

I