Imatges de pàgina
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Reg. That's moft certain, and with you; next Month with us.

Gon. You fee how full of Changes his Age is, the obfervation we have made of it hath been little; he always lov'd our Sifter most, and with what poor Judgment he hath now caft her off, appears too too grofly.

Reg. 'Tis the infirmity of his Age; yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself.

Gon. The beft and foundeft of his time hath been but rash; then must we look from his Age, to receive not alone the Imperfections of long engraffed Condition, but therewithal the unruly waywardnefs, that infirm and cholerick Years bring with them.

Reg. Such unconftant starts are we like to have from him, as this of Kent's Banifhment.

Gon. There is further Complement of leave taking, between France and him; pray you let us fit together, if our Father carry Authority with fuch Difpofition as he bears, this laft furrender of his Will but offend us.

Reg. We fhall further think of it.

Gon. We must do fomething, and i'th' Heat. [Exeunt
Enter Baftard with a Letter.

Baft. Thou Nature art my Goddess, to thy Law
My Services are bound; wherefore should I
Stand in the Plague of Custom, and permit
The curiofity of Nations to deprive me,

For that I am fome twelve, or fourteen Moonshines,
Lag of a Brother? Why Bastard? wherefore base?
When my Dimenfions are as well compact,
My Mind as generous, and my Shape as true
As honeft Madam's Iffue? why brand they us
With Bafe? with Bafenefs? Baftardy? Bafe, Bafe?
Who in the lufty ftealth of Nature, take
More Compofition, and fierce quality,
Than doth, within a dull ftale tired Bed,
Go to th' creating a whole Tribe of Fops
Got 'tween a fleep, and wake? Well then,
Legitimate Edgar, I muft have your Land,
Our Father's Love is to the Baftard Edmund,
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As

As to th❜legitimate; fine Word ——— legitimate
Well, my Legitimate, if this Letter fpeed,
And my invention thrive, Edmund the base
Shall to th❜legitimate- I grow, I profper;
Now Gods, ftand up for Bastards,

Enter Glofter.

Glo. Kent banish'd thus ! and France in Choler parted! And the King gone to Night! Prescrib'd his Power, Confin'd to Exhibition! All this gone

Upon the Gad! Edmund, how now? what News?
Baft. So please your Lordship, none. [Putting up the Letter.
Glo. Why fo earnestly feek you to put up that Letter ?
Baft.. I know no News, my Lord.

Glo. What Paper were you reading?
Baft. Nothing, my Lord.

Glo. No! what needed then that terrible Dispatch of it into your Pocket? the quality of nothing, hath not fuch need to hide it felf. Let's fee; come, if it be nothing, I fhall not need Spectacles.

Baft. I befeech you, Sir, pardon me; it is a letter from my Brother, that I have not all o'er-read; and for so much as I have perus'd, I find it not fit for your o'er-looking. Glon. Give me the Letter, Sir.

Baft. I fhall offend, either to detain, or give it ; The Contents, as in part I understand them,

Are to blame.

Glo. Let's fee, let's fee.

Baft. I hope for my Brother's Juftification, he wrote this but as an Effay, or tafte of my Virtue.

Glo. reads. This Policy, and Reverence of Age, makes the World bitter to the best of our times;keeps our Fortunes from ys, 'till our oldness cannot relifh them. I begin to find an idle and fond Bondage, in the oppreffion of aged Tyranny, which Sways, not as it hath Power, but as it is fuffered. Come to me, that of this I may speak more. If our Father would fleep 'till I wak'd him, you should enjoy half his Revenue for ever, and live the beloved of your Brother. Edgar. Hum!--- Confpiracy! Sleep 'till I wake him you should enjoy half his Revenue my Son Edgar had he a Hand to write this! A Heart and a Brain to breed it in!

When came this to you? who brought it?

Baft.

Baft. It was not brought me, my Lord; there's the cunning of it. I found it thrown in at the Cafement of my Closet.

Glo. You know the Character to be your Brother's?

Baft. If the matter were good, my Lord, I durft fwear it were his; but in refpect of that, I would fain think it

were not.

Glo. It is his.

Baft. It is his Hand, my Lord; I hope this Heart is not in the Contents.

Glo. Has he never before founded you in this Bufinefs? Baft. Never, my Lord. But I have heard him oft maintain it to be fit, that Sons at perfe&t Age, and Father's declin'd, the Father fhould be as Ward to the Son, and the Son manage his Revenue.

Glo. O Villain, Villain! his very Opinion in the Letter. Abhorred Villain! unnatural, detefted, bruitish Villain ! worfe than bruitifh! Go, firrah, feek him; I'll apprehend him. Abominable Villain! where is he?

Baft. I do not well know, my Lord; if it fhall please you to fufpend your Indignation against my Brother, 'till you can derive from him better Teftimony of his Intent, you should run a certain Courfe; where, if you violently proceed against him, miftaking his Purpose, it would make a great gap in your Honour, and shake in pieces the Heart of his Obedience. I dare pawn down my Life for him, that he hath writ this to feel my Affection to your Honour, and to no other pretence of Danger.

Glo. Think you fo?

Bag. If your Honour judge it meet, I will place you where you fhall hear us confer this, and by an Auricular Affurance have your Satisfaction, and that without any further delay, than this very Evening. Glo. He cannot be fuch a Monster. Edmund, feek him out; wind me into him, I pray you; frame the Business after your own Wifdom. I would unftate my felf, to be in a due refolution.

Baft. I will feek him, Sir, prefently; convey the Business as I fhall find means, and acquaint you withal.

Glo. These late Eclipfes in the Sun and Moon portend no good to us; though the Wisdom of Nature can reason it

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thus,

thus, and thus, yet Nature finds it felf fcourg'd by the fe quent Effects, Love cools, Friendship falls off, Brothers divide. In Cities, mutinies; in Countries, difcord; in Palaces, Treafon; and the Bond crack'd, 'twixt Son and Father. This Villain of mine comes under the Prediction; there's Son against Father, the King falls from biafs of Nature, there's Father against Child. We have feen the best of our time. Machinations, hollownefs, treachery, and all ruinous Disorders follow us difquietly to our Graves. Find out this Villain, Edmund; it fhall lofe thee nothing, do it carefully and the Noble and true-hearted Kent banish'd! his offence, honefty. 'Tis ftrange.

[Exit.

Baft. This is the excellent foppery of the World, that when we are fick in Fortune, often the Surfeits of our own Behaviour, we make guilty of our Difafters, the Sun, the Moon, and Stars; as if we were Villains on neceffity, Fools by Heav'nly Compulfion, Knaves, Thieves, and Treachers by Spherical Predominance, Drunkards, Lyars, and Adulterers by an inforç'd Obedience of Planetary influence; and all that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on. An admirable Evafion of Whor-mafter-Man, to lay his Goatifh difpofition on the charge of a Star; My Father compounded with my Mother under the Dragon's Tail, and my Nativity was under Urfa major, fo that it follows, I am rough and lecherous. I fhould have been that I am, had the Maidenlieft Star in the Firmament twinkled on my Bastardizing.

Pat!

Enter Edgar.

he comes like the Cataftrophe of the old Comedy; my Cue is villanous Melancholy, with a figh like Tomo Bedlam O thefe Eclipfes do portend thefe

Divifions! Fa, Sol, La, Me

Edg. How now, Brother Edmund, what serious Contemplation are you in?

Baft. I am thinking, Brother, of a Prediction I read this other Day, what fhould follow thefe Eclipfes.

Edg. Do you bufie your felf with that?

Baft. I promise you the Effects he writes of, fucceed unhappily.

When faw you my Father laft?

Edg. The Night gone by.

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Baft.

Baft. Spake you with him?

Edg. Ay, two hours together.

Baft. Parted you in good Terms, found you no displea fure in him, by Word, nor Countenance?

Edg. None at all.

Baft. Bethink your felf wherein you have offended him : And at my entreaty forbear his prefence, until some little time hath qualified the heat of his displeasure; which at this inftant fo rageth in him, that with the Mischief of your Perfon, it would scarcely allay.

Edg. Some Villain hath done me wrong.

Baft. That's my fear; I pray you have a continent forbearance 'till the speed 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 arm'd.

Edg. Arm'd, Brother!

Baft. Brother, I advise you to the beft, I am no honest Man, if there be any good meaning toward you: I have told you what I have feen and heard; but faintly; nothing like the Image and Horror of it; pray you away.

Edg. Shall I hear from you anon?
Baft. 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 eafie: I see the Business.

[Exit.

Let me, if not by Birth, have Lands by Wit,

All with me's meet, that I can fashion fit.

[Exit.

SCENE II. The Duke of Albany's Palace.

Enter Goneril, and Steward.

Gon. Did my Father ftrike my Gentleman for chiding of his Fool?

Stew. Ay, Madam.

Gen. By Day and Night, he wrongs me; every Hour He flashes into one grofs Crime, or other,

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

His Knights grow riotous, and himself upbraids us

On

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