Gent. Ready, my Lord,

Lear. Come, Boy.

Fool. She that's a Maid now, and laughs at my departure, Shall not be a Maid long, unless things be cut fhorter.

[Exeunt.

ACT II.

SCENE

I.

SCENE A Caftle belonging to the Earl of

Baft.

Glofter.

Enter Baftard, and Curan, severally.
AVE thee, Curan.

SAV

Cur. And you, 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.

Baft. 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.

Baft. Not I; pray you what are they?

Cur. Have you heard of no likely Wars toward, 'Twixt the Dukes of Cornwall and Albany ?

Baft. Not a word.

Cur. You may do then in time,

Fare you well, Sir.

[Exit.

Baft. The Duke be here to Night! the better, beft,
This weaves it felf perforce into my Bufinefs.
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.

Enter Edgar.

Brother, a word, defcend, Brother, I fay,
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 Cornwall?

He's

He's coming hither, now i'th' Night, i'th' hafte,
And Regan with him; have you nothing faid
Upon his party 'gainst the Duke of Albany ?
Advife your felf.

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

Baft. I hear my Father coming, pardon me In cunning, I muft draw my Sword upon you Draw, feem to defend your felf.

Now quit you well

Yield

come before my Father

light hoa, here, [Exit Edgar.

Fly, Brother Torches ! --- fo farewel
Some blood drawn on me would beget Opinion

[Wounds his Arm.
Of my more fierce endeavour. I have feen Drunkards
Do more than this in Sport; Father! Father!
Siop, ftop, no help?

Enter Glofter, and Servants with Torches.

Glo. Now Edmund, where's the Villain?

Baft. Here ftood he in the dark, his fharp Sword out, Mumbling of wicked Charms, conjuring the Moon To ftand his aufpicious Mistress.

Glo. But where is he?

Baft. Look, Sir, I bleed.

Glo. Where is the Villain, Edmund ?

Baft. Fled this way, Sir, when by no means he could ----Glo. Purfue him, ho! go after. By no means, what? ---Baft. Perfwade 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 strong a Bond
The Child was bound to th' Father. Sir, in fine,
Seeing how lothly oppofite I ftood

To his unnatural purpofe, in fell Motion
With his prepared Sword, he charges home
My unprovided Body, launcht mine Arm;
And when he faw my beft alarmed Spirits,
Bold in the Quarrels right, rouz'd to th' encounter,
Or whether gafted by the Noife I made,
Full fuddenly he fled.

Glo. Let him fly far;

Not in this Land fhall he remain uncaught

Ee 3

And

And found; Difpatch, the Noble Duke, my Master,
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 murtherous Coward to the Stake:
He that conceals him, Death.

Baft. When I diffwaded him from his intent,
And found him pight to do it, with curft Speech
I threatned to difcover him; he replied,
Thou unpoffeffing Baftard, doft 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, by what I should deny,
(As this I would, though thou didst produce
My very Character) I'd turn it all

To thy Suggeftion, Plot, and damned Practice;
And thou muft make a dullard of the World,
If they not thought the Profits of my Death
Were very pregnant and potential Spirits
To make thee feek it.

Glo. O ftrange and fastned Villain!
Would he deny his Letter, faid he?

[Trumpets within.

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.

Enter Cornwall, Regan, and Attendants.

Corn. How now, my noble Friend? fince I came hither, Which I can call but now, I have heard ftrangeness. Reg. If it be true, all Vengeance comes too fhort Which can purfue 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, fhame would have it hid. Reg. Was he not Companion with the riotous Knights That tended upon my Father?

Glo.

Glo, I know not, Madam, 'tis too bad, too bad.
Baft. 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 waste of Revenues;
I have this prefent Evening from my Sifter
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 fhewn your Father
A Child-like Office.

Baft. It is my Duty, Sir.

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

Glo. 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 pleafe; as for you, Edmund,
Whofe virtue and obedience doth, this inftant,
So much commend it felf, you shall be ours;
Nature's of fuch deep truft, we fhall much need:
You we firft feize on.

Baft. I fhall ferve you, Sir, truly, how ever else.
Glo. For him I thank your Grace.

Corn. You know not why we came to vifit you ----
Reg. Thus out of feason, thredding dark-ey'd night?
Occafions, noble Glofter, of fome Prize,
Wherein we must have use of your Advice - T
Our Father he hath writ, fo hath our Sifter,
Of Differences, which I beft thought it fit
To answer from our home; the feveral Meffengers
From hence attend Dispatch. Our good old Friend
Lay Comforts to your Bofom, and bestow
Your needful Counsel to our Bufineffes,
Which crave the inftant use.

Gle. I ferve you, Madam,
Your Graces are right welcome.

[Exeunt.

Enter Kent, and Steward, feverally.

Stew. Good dawning to thee, Friend, art of this Houfe?
Kent. Ay.

Stew. Where may we fet our Horses?

Kent. I'th' Mire.

Stew. Prithee 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 ufe me thus? I know thee not.
Kent. Fellow, I know thee.

Stew. What doft thou know me for ?

Kent. A Knave, a Rafcal, an eater of broken Meats, a bafe, proud, fhallow, beggarly, three-fuited, hundred pound, filthy Woofted-ftocking Knave, a Lilly-livered, À&iontaking, whorfon Glafs-gazing, Super-ferviceable finical Rogue, one Trunk-inheriting Slave; one that wouldst be a Bawd in way of good Service, and art nothing but the compofition of a Knave, Beggar, Coward, Pander, and the Son and Heir of a Mungril Bitch; one whom I will beat into clamours whining, if thou deny'ft the leaft Syllable of thy Addition.

Stew. Why, what a monftrous Fellow art thou, thus to rail on one, that is neither known of thee, nor knows thee?

Kent. What a brazen-fac'd Varlet art thou, to deny thou knoweft me? Is it two Days fince I tript up thy Heels, and beat thee before the King? Draw you Rogue, for though it be Night, yet the Moon fhines; I'll make a Sop o'th' Moonshine of you, you whorfon Culleinly Barbermonger, draw. [Drawing his Sword. Stew, Away, I have nothing to do with thee. Kent. Draw, you Rafcal; 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 fo carbonado your Shanks-draw, you Rafcal, come your ways. Stew. Help, ho! Murther! help!

Kent. Strike you Slave; ftand, Rogue, ftand you neat Slave, ftrike.

[Beating him.

Stew.