ACT II.

SCENE I. 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?

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

Cur. Have you heard of no likely wars toward,'twixt the Dukes of Cornwall and Albany? Edm. Not a word.

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

sir.

[Exit. Edm. The duke be here to-night? The better!

Best!

This weaves itself perforce into my business!
My father hath set guard to take my brother;
And I have one thing, of a queasy question,
Which I must act:-Briefness, and fortune,
work!-
Brother, a word; descend:-Brother, I say;
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 Corn-
wall?
[haste,
He's coming hither; now, i' the night, i' the
And Regan with him; Have you nothing said
Upon his party 'gainst the duke of Albany?
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 yon :Draw: Seem to defend yourself: Now quit you well.

Yield:-come before my father;—Light, ho,

here!

Fly, brother;-Torches! torches!-So, fare

well.

[Exit EDGAR. Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion

[Wounds his Arm.

Of my more fierce endeavour: 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, lanc'd mine arm :
But when he saw my best alarum'd spirits,
Bold in the quarrel's right, rous'd to the encoun-

ter,

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.-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 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 threaten'd to discover him: He replied, Thou unpossessing bastard! dost thou think If I would stand against thee, would the reposal Of any trust, virtue, or worth, in thee

Make thy words faith'd! No: what I should deny, (As this I would; ay, though thou didst produce My very character), 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
To make thee seek it.

Glo.

Strong and fasten'd villain; Would be deny his letter?-I never got him. [Trumpets within. Hark, the duke's trumpets! I know not why

be comes:

All ports I'll bar; the villain shall not 'scape; The duke must grant me that: besides, his pic

ture

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.

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 crack'd, is crack'd!

Reg. What, did my father's godson seek your life?

He whom my father nam'd? your Edgar?

Glo. O lady, lady, shame would have it hid!

Reg. Was he not companion with the riotous kuights

That tend upon my father?

Glo.

It is too bad, too bad.

I know not, madam:

Yes, madam, he was.

Edm. 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 inform'd 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, and receiv'd 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 fear'd of doing harm: make your own purpose, [mund, How in my strength you please.-For you, EdWhose 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.

Edm.
Truly, however else.

I shall serve you, sir,

Glo. For him I thank your grace.

Corn. You know not why we came to visit you,

Reg. Thus out of season; threading dark-ey'd

night.

Occasions, noble Gloster, of some poize,
Wherein we must have use of your advice:-
Our father he hath writ, so hath our sister,
Of differences, which I best thought it fit
To answer from our home; the several messen-

gers

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.

Glo.

I serve you, madam: Your graces are right welcome.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Before Gloster's Castle.

Enter KENT and Steward, severally.

Stew. Good dawning to thee, friend: Art of the house?

Kent. Ay.

Stew. Where may we set our horses?

Kent. ' 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.

Stew. Why dost thou use me thus? I know thee not.

Kent. Fellow, I know thee.

Stew. What dost thon know me for?

Kent. A knave; a rascal, an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, threesuited, hundred-pound, filthy worsted-stocking knave; a lily-liver'd, action-taking knave; a whorson, glass-gazing, superserviceable, finical rogue; one-trunk-inheriting slave; one that would'st 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 deny'st 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 know'st me? Is it two days ago, since I tripp'd 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 whorson cullionly barber-monger, draw. [Drawing his Sword. Stew. Away; I have nothing to do with thee.