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 queasy3 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 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 Albany1?
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 you:Draw: Seem to defend yourself: Now quit you well. Yield: come before my father;-Light,ho, here!Fly, brother;-Torches! torches !-So, farewell.[Exit EDGAR.

Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion

[Wounds his Arm. Of my more fierce endeavour: I have seen drunkards

3 Queasy appears to mean here delicate, unsettled. So Ben Jonson, in Sejanus :

:

These times are rather queasy to be touched.—

Have you not seen or read part of his book?'

Queasy is still in use to express that sickishness of stomach which the slightest disgust is apt to provoke.

4 Have you said nothing upon the party formed by him against the Duke of Albany?

5 i. e. consider, recollect yourself.

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 7:

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 encounter,
Or whether gasted by the noise I made,
Full suddenly he fled.

6 These drunken feats are mentioned in Marston's Dutch Courtezan: Have I not been drunk for your health, eat glasses, drunk wine, stabbed arms, and done all offices of protested gallantry for your sake?'

7 This was a proper circumstance to urge to Gloster; who appears to have been very superstitious with regard to this matter, if we may judge by what passes between him and his son in a foregoing scene.

8 That is aghasted, frighted. Thus in Beaumont and Fletcher's Wit at Several Weapons: Either the sight of the lady has gasted him, or else he's drunk.'

Glo.

Let him fly far:

Not in this land shall he remain uncaught;
And found-Despatch9.—The noble duke

ter,

my mas

My worthy arch1o 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 11;
I threaten'd to discover him: He replied,
Thou unpossessing bastard! dost thou think,

712

If I would stand against thee, would the reposal 12 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 13), 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 14
To make thee seek it.

14

9 And found-Despatch.-The noble duke,' &c. The sense is interrupted. He shall be caught-and found, he shall be punished. Despatch.

10 i. e. chief; a word now only used in composition, as archangel, arch-duke, &c. So in Heywood's If You Know Not Me, You Know Nobody :- Poole, that arch of truth and honesty.' And found him pight to do it, with curst speech.' Pight is pitched, fixed, settled; curst is vehemently angry, bitter. Therefore my heart is surely pight

11.

Of her alone to have a sight.'

Lusty Juventus, 1561.

'He did with a very curste taunte, checke, and rebuke the feloe.'-Erasmus's Apophthegmes, by N. Udal, fo. 47.

12 i. e. would any opinion that men have reposed in thy trust, virtue, &c. The old quarto reads, ' could the reposure.'

13 i.e. my hand-writing, my signature. See vol. i. p. 283, note 10; vol. ii. p. 94, note 3.

14 The folio reads, ' potential spirits.'

And in the next line

Glo.

Strong and fasten'd villain;

Would he deny his letter?-I never got him.

[Trumpets 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 15.

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 knights upon my father?

That tend

Glo.

It is too bad, too bad.—

Edm.

I know not, madam :

Yes, madam, he was.

but one, 'O strange and fasten'd villain.' Strong is determined, resolute. Our ancestors often used it in an ill sense; as strong thief, strong hore, &c.

15 i. e. capable of succeeding to my land, notwithstanding the legal bar of thy illegitimacy.

The king next demanded of him (he being a fool) whether he were capable to inherit any land,' &c.-Life and Death of Will Somers, &c.

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,

"Twas my duty, sir.

Glo. He did bewray his practice 16, 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,
How in my strength you please.-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.

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.

17

Occasions, noble Gloster, of some poize 17,
Wherein we must have use of your advice:-

16 He did bewray his practice.' That is, he did betray or reveal his treacherous devices. So in the second book of Sidney's Arcadia: His heart fainted and gat a conceit, that with bewraying his practice he might obtain pardon.' The quartos read betray.

17 i. e. of some weight or moment. The folio and quarto B. read prize.