A fox, when one has caught her,
And such a daughter,

Should sure to the slaughter,

If my cap would buy a halter;
So the fool follows after.

Goneril. This man hath had good counsel.

knights!

'Tis politic, and safe, to let him keep

[Exit.

A hundred

At point a hundred knights: yes, that on every dream,
Each buz, each fancy, each complaint, dislike,
He may enguard his dotage with their powers,
And hold our lives in mercy.2 Oswald, I say!
Albany. Well, you may fear too far.
Gon.

Safer than trust too far.

Let me still take away the harms I fear,
Not fear still 3 to be taken: I know his heart.
What he hath utter'd I have writ my sister:
If she sustain him and his hundred knights,
When I have show'd th' unfitness,
how now,

Re-enter OSWALD.

What, have you writ that letter to my sister?
Oswald. Ay, Madam.

Gon. Take you some company, and

Oswald!

away to horse:

Inform her full of my particular fear;
And thereto add such reasons of your own,

As may compact it more. 4 Get you gone,

And hasten your return. [Exit Osw.] No, no, my lord,
This milky gentleness, and course of yours,
Though I condemn not, yet, under pardon,

་

You are much more attask'd'5 for want of wisdom,
Than prais'd for harmful mildness.

Alb. How far your eyes may pierce, I cannot tell:
Striving to better, oft we mar what 's well.

[Exeunt.

3. Still, continually, ever. See note 4, page 8.

4. As may make a consistent account. 5. To be at task, is to be liable to reprehension and correction.

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

Edmund. Not a word.

Cur. You may do, 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 queazy question,2 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 Cornwall?
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?
Advise yourself.

Edgar.

-

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 quits you well.
Yield: come before my father; Light, ho! here!
Fly, brother;

Torches torches!

-

So, farewell.

Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion

[Exit EDGAR.

[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.

Gloster. Now, Edmund, where 's the villain?

Edm. Here stood he in the dark, his sharp sword out,

1. Toward, near, at hand.

2. Queazy, delicate, requiring to be handled nicely: I have something to do which requires the most delicate treatment.

3. i. e. in favour of Cornwall, against the duke of Albany.

4. i. e. consider, recollect yourself. 5. Quit, for acquit.

Mumbling of wicked charms, conjuring the moon
To stand auspicious mistress.

But where is he?

Look, Sir, I bleed.

Gloster.
Edmund.
Glos.
Edm. Fled this way,

Where is the villain, Edmund?
Sir. When by no means he

could

Glos. Pursue him, ho! Go after. [Exit Serv.] By

no means what?

Sir, in fine,

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; Seeing how loathly opposite I stood To his unnatural purpose, in fell1 motion, With his prepared sword he charges home2 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 th' encounter,
Or whether gasted by the noise I made,

Full suddenly he fled.

Glos.

Let him fly far:

Not in this land shall he remain uncaught;

And found dispatch. 5- 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 cursts speech
I threaten'd to discover him: he replied,
"Thou unpossessing bastard! dost thou think,

1. Fell, savage, bloody.

2. To charge home, is to charge with full force; to thrust home, to thrust the sword through up to the hilt: the expression is often used figuratively.

3. This when is perhaps a misprint for whér, or whether.

4. Gasted, frighted.

5. i. e. And when he is found to death with him at once.

6. Arch, chief; a word now only used in composition, as arch-angel, arch-duke.

7. Pight is the old preterit and part. pass. of to pitch: i. e. fixed, settled, determined.

8. Curst, harsh, bitter.

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)2 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."

Gloster.

3

O strong and fasten'd villain! 5

Would he deny his letter? I never got him

[Tucket 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.5

Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, and Attendants.

Cornwall. How now, my noble friend! since I came hither, (Which I can call but now) I have heard strange news. Regan. If it be true, all vengeance comes too short, Which can pursue th' offender. How dost, my lord?

Glos. O, Madam! my old heart is crack'd, it 's crack'd. Reg. What! did my father's godson seek your life? He whom my father nam'd? your Edgar?

Glos. O, lady, lady! shame would have it hid.
Reg. Was he not companion with the riotous knights
That tend upon my father?

Glos. I know not, Madam: 't is too bad, too bad.
Edmund. Yes, Madam, he was of that consort.
Reg. No marvel, then, though he were ill affected:
"T is they have put him on the old man's death,
To have th' expense and waste of his revenues.
I have this present evening from my sister

Been well inform'd of them; and with such cautions,

1. Faith'd, believed.

2. Character, hand-writing. 3. Spurs, incitements.

4. O determined and fixed villain! 5. i. e. capable of succeeding to my land.

That if they come to sojourn at my house,
I'll not be there.

Cornwall. Nor I, assure thee. Regan.
Edmund, I hear that you have shown your father
A child-like office.

Edmund.

"T was my duty, Sir.

Gloster. He did bewray his practice;1 and receiv'd This hurt you see, striving to apprehend him.

Corn. Is he pursued?

Glos.

Ay, my good lord.

Corn. If he be taken, he shall never more

Be fear'd of doing harm: make your own purpose,
How in my strength you please; 2 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.

Edm.

Truly, however else.

Glos.

I shall serve you, Sir,

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,3

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

4

To answer from our home: the several messengers
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.

Glos.

I serve you, Madam.

[Exeunt.

Your graces are right welcome.

1. i. e. betray, discover his practice. [ in the execution of them make what Practice is always used by Shakspeare use you please of my power. for insidious mischief. See note 4, 3. Poize, weight, moment. 4. i. e. away from home, elsewhere.

page 44.

2. i. e. form your own plans, and

King Lear.

3