Gon. Sifter, it is not little I've to say,
Of what most nearly appertains to us both;
Į think, our father will go hence to night.

Reg. That's certain, and with you; next month with us.

Gon. You see how full of changes his age is: the obfervation I have made of it hath not been little; he always loved our fifter most, and with what poor judgement he hath now caft her off, appears too grofsly.

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

Gon. The best and foundest of his time hath been but rafh; then muft we look, from his age, to receive not alone the imperfections of long-ingrafted condition, but therewithal the unruly waywardness, that infirm and cholerick years bring with them.

Reg. Such inconftant ftarts are we like to have from him, as this of Kent's banishment.

Gon. There is further compliment of leave-taking between France and him; pray you, let us hit 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; ay, and fuddenly,

[Exeunt. SCENE changes to a Caftle belonging to the Earl of Glocester.

Enter Edmund, with a Letter.

Edm. Thou, Nature, art my goddefs; to thy law
My services are bound; wherefore fhould I
Stand in the plague of cuftom, and permit
The courtesy of nations to deprive me,

For that I am fome twelve or fourteen moon-fhines
Lag of a brother? Why baftard? wherefore base?
When my dimenfions are as well compact,
My mind as gen'rous, and my fhape as true,

As

As honeft madam's iffue? why brand they us
With base? with baseness? baftardy? bafe, base?
Our father's love is to the baftard Edmund,
As to th❜legitimate Edgar; fine word-legitimate-
Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed,
And my invention thrive, Edmund the base
Shall be th' legitimate -I grow, I profper;
Now, gods, ftand up for baftards!

To him enter Glocefter.

Glo. Edmund, how now? What paper were you reading?

Edm. Nothing, my lord. [Putting up the letter. Glo. No! what needed then that terrible dispatch of it into your pocket? let me fee.

Edm. I befeech you, fir, pardon me; it is a letter from my brother, that I have not all o'er-read; and for fo much as I have perus'd, I find it not fit your o'er-looking.

for

Glo. Give me the letter, fir.

Edm. 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.

Edm. 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 ages makes the "world bitter to the best of our times; keeps our "fortunes from us, till our oldness cannot relish "them. I begin to find the oppreffion of aged "tyranny; which fways, 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 fhould enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live the beloved of your "brother,

ર

Sleep till I wake him

EDGAR."

you should enjoy half his revenue- - My fon Edgar! had he a hand to write

this

!

this! a heart and brain to breed it in ! When came this to you; who brought it?

Edm. 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? Edm. If the matter were good, my lord, I durst swear it were his; but, in refpect of that, I would fain think it were not.

Glo. It is his.

་ Edm. It is his hand, my lord; I hope, his heart is not in the contents.

Glo. Has he never before founded you in this bufinefs?

Edm. Never, my lord. But I have heard him oft maintain it to be fit, that fons at perfect age, and fathers declining, the father fhould be as a ward to the fon, and the fon manage his revenue.

Glo. O villain, villain! his very opinion in the letter. Abhorred villain! Go, feek him; I'll apprehend him. Abominable villain! where is he? Edm. I do not well know, my lord. 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?

Edm. If your honour judge it meet, I will place you where you fhall hear us confer of this, and by an auricular affurance have your fatisfaction: and that, without any further delay than this very evening.

Glo. He cannot be fuch a monster.

Edm. Nor is not, fure.

Glo. To his father, that fo tenderly and entirely loves him-heaven and earth! Edmund, feek him out; wind me into him, I pray you; frame the business after your own wifdom. I would unstate myfelf to be in a due refolution.

Edm.

Edm. I will feek him, fir, presently; convey the business as I fhall find means, and acquaint you withal.

Glo. These late eclipfes in the fun and moon portend no good to us; tho' the wisdom of nature can reafon it thus and thus, yet nature finds itself fcourg'd by the frequent effects. Love cools, friendship falls off, brothers divide. In cities, mutinies; in countries, difcord; in palaces, treafon; and the bond crack'd 'twixt fon and father. We have feen the best of our time. Find out this villain, Edmund; and it fhall lofe thee nothing; do it carefully and the noble and true-hearted Kent banished! his offence, Honefty. 'Tis ftrange.

Manet Edmund.

[Exit.

Edm. This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are fick in fortune, (often the furfeits of our own behaviour) we make guilty of our difafters, the fun, the moon and ftars; as if we were villains on neceffity; fools by heavenly compulfion; knaves, thieves, and treacherous, by fpherical predominance; drunkards, lyars and adulterers, by an inforc'd obedience of planetary influence; and all that we are evil in, by a divine thrufting on. An admirable evafion of whoremafter man, to lay his goatifh difpofition on the charge of a ftar! I fhould have been what I am, had the maidenlieft ftar in the firmament twinkled on my Bastardizing.

To him, Enter Edgar.

Pat! he comes, like the catastrophe of the old comedy; my cue is villainous melancholy, with a figh like Tom o' Bedlam-O, thefe eclipses portend these divifions!

Edg. How now, brother Edmund, what ferious contemplation are you in?

Edm. I am thinking, brother, of a prediction I read this other day, what fhould follow these eclipses.

Edg.

Edg. Do you bufy yourself with that?

Edm. I promise you, the effects he writes of fucceed unhappily. When faw you my father last? Edg. The night gone by.

Edm. Spake you with him?

Edg. Ay, two hours together.

Edm. Parted you in good terms? found you no displeasure in him, by word or countenance? Edg. None at all.

1

Edm. Bethink yourself, wherein you have offended him: and, at my intreaty, forbear his prefence, until some little time hath qualified the heat of his difpleasure; which at this inftant fo rageth in him, that with the mischief of your person it would scarcely allay.

Edg. Some villain hath done me wrong.

Edm. That's my fear; I pray you, retire with me to my lodging, from whence I will fitly bring you to hear my lord fpeak: pray you, go; if you do ftir abroad, go armed.

Edg. Armed, brother!

Edm. Brother, I advise you to the beft; I am no honeft man, if there be any good meaning towards you; I have told you what I have seen and heard, but faintly; nothing like the image and horror of it; pray you, away!

Edg. Shall I hear from you anon?

Edm. I do ferve you in this business: [Exit Edg.
A credulous father, and a brother noble,
Whose nature is fo far from doing harms,
That he fufpects none; on whofe foolish honesty
My practices ride eafy: I fee the bufinefs.
Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit;
All with me's meet, that I can fashion fit. [Exit.

SCENE,