i

Edgar! and pat, he comes like the catastrophe of the old comedy; y my cue is villainous melancholy, with a figh like 2 Tom o' Bedlam-O, these eclipses a do portend these divifions.

b

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

Edm. I am thinking, brother, of a prediction I read this

other day, what should follow these eclipses.

Edg. Do you bufy yourself about that?

Edm. I promised you, the effects, he writ of, succeed unhappily; & as of unnaturalness between the child and the parent, death, dearth, diffolutions of ancient & amities, divisions in ftate, menaces and maledictions against king and nobles, needless diffidences, banishment of friends, dissipation of comforts, nuptial breaches, and I know not what.

So the qu's; the rest omit Edgar!-and.

* The qu's read out for pat.

The qu's read mine for my cue.

* The qu's read them of Bedlam.

* De is omitted by P. and all after him.

After divifions, all but the qu's read fa, fol, la, me.

So the qu's; the rest read with for about.

The 2d, 3d, and 4th fo's omit you.

* So the qu's; the rest writes for writ.

f What is in italic is omitted by all but the qu's; J. indeed puts part of it among his notes, and says he thinks it ought to be inserted in the text, but

neglects doing it.

The ad q. reads armies for amities.

The qu's read cohorts; F. reads courts.

Edg

i Edg. How long have you been a fectary astronomical?

Edm. Come, come; when saw you my father last ?

Edg. k Why, the night gone by.

Edm. Spake you with him ?

Edg. Ay, two hours together.

Edm. Parted you in good terms? found you no difpleasure

in him, by word, m or countenance?

Edg. None at all.

Edm. Bethink yourself wherein you may have offended him: and, at my intreaty, forbear his presence, until fome little time hath qualified the heat of his displeasure, which at this instant so rageth in him, that with the mischief of your ▸ person it would a scarcely allay.

Edg. Some villain hath done me wrong.

Edm. 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 speak. Pray you go, there's my key. If you do ftir abroad, go arm'd.

Edg. Arm'd, brother?

Edm. Brother, I advise you to the best, s go arm'd: I am no honest man, if there be any good meaning toward you :

i J. takes no notice of the rest from hence.

* All but the qu's omit why.

The qu's omit ay.

The fo's and R. read nor.

The 3d and 4th fo's, and all after, omit may.

• The qu's read till for until.

The ist q. reads parfon.

The qu's read scarce.

What is in italic is omitted in the qu's.

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?

SCENE

Χ.

Edm. It do serve you in this business.

[Exit Edgar.

A credulous father, and a brother noble,
Whose nature is so far from doing harms,
That he suspects none; on whose foolish honesty

My practices ride easy; I see the business.

Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit;

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

[Exit.

}

The duke of Albany's palace.

Enter Goneril, w and Steward.

Gon. Did my father strike my gentleman for chiding of his

fool?

Stew. Yes, madam.

Gon. By day and night he wrongs me: every hour

He flashes into one gross crime or other,
That fets us all at odds; I'll not endure it.

* P. and H. omit do. Heath would read I'll serve you, &c. to make it a proper anfwer to Edgar's question: but I am apt to think it is a proper anfwer already; by I do ferve you, &c. is meant I am your fervant in this business.

* The fo's call this scena tertia.

The 1st q. reads and gentleman; the ad and a gentleman. * So the qu's: all the rest ay for yes.

His knights grow riotous, and himself upbraids us
On every trifle. When he returns from hunting,
I will not speak with him; say, I am fick.
If you come slack of former services,
You shall do well; the fault of it I'll answer.
Stew. He's coming, madam, I hear him.
Gon. Put on what weary negligence you please,
You and your y fellows; I'd have it come to question.
If he distaste it, let him to my fifter,

Whose mind and mine, I know, in that are one,
b Not to be over-rul'd. Idle old man,

That still would manage those authorities,

That he hath giv'n away. - Now, by my life,
Old folks are babes again; and must be us'd

With checks, d by flatteries when they're seen abus'd.
Remember what I tell you.

Stew. f Very well, madam.

Gon. And let his knights have colder look among you; what grows of it, no matter; & advise your fellows fo.

1

:

I'll write straight to my sister to hold my very course.

Kent. If but as well I other accents borrow,
m That can my speech diffuse, my good intent
May carry thro' itself to that full issue

For which I raz'd my likeness. Now, banish'd Kent,
If thou canst serve where thou dost stand condemn'd,
• So may it come, thy master whom thou lov'st
Shall find thee full of labours.

Horns within. Enter Lear, knights, and attendants.
Lear. Let me not stay a jot for dinner. Go, get it ready.

-How now? what art thou?

Kent. A man, fir.

[To Kent.

h The qu's add I would breed from hence occafions; and I shall that I

mcy Speak.

i So the qu's; all the rest omit very.

* All but the qu's and H. omit go; H. reads go and, not that he had seen the qu's, but to eke out the verse.

1 Before prepare H. reads and.

R. and all after him, read and for that.

The qu's and 3 fo's read defuse; the 4th f. diffuse; R. P. and J. diffe. To diffuse here signifies to ciferder; to put out of a regular course. It is ufed in other places in this author; diffused attire, diffused founds. H. Let them forth from a saw pit rush at once with some diffused song, i. e, wild fong. Merry Wives of Windfor. Though perhaps Shakespear might here write disguise.

• The qu's omit so may it come.
The qu's read labour.

6

Lear