SCENE

IX.

To him enter Edgar.

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

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 should follow thefe eclipses.

Edg. Do you bufy yourself about that?

Edm. I promise you, the effects, he writ of, fucceed unhappily; f as of unnaturalnefs between the child and the parent, death, dearth, diffolutions of ancient & amities, divifions in state, menaces and maledictions against king and nobles, needless diffidences, banishment of friends, diffipation of comforts, nuptial breaches, and I know not what.

So the qu's; the reft omit Edgar!—and.

* The qu's read out for pat.

y The qu's read mine for my cue.

2 The qu's read them of Bedlam.

a Do is omitted by P. and all after him.

h

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

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

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

So the qu's; the reft writes for writ.

f What is in italic is omitted by all but the qu's; 7. indeed puts part of it among his notes, and fays he thinks it ought to be inferted in the text, but neglects doing it.

The 2d q. reads armies for amities.

The qu's read cohorts; 7. reads courts,

Edg.

i Edg. How long have you been a feƐtary astronomical? Edm. Come, come; when faw you my father laft? Edg. Why, 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, m or countenance?

Edg. None at all..

n

Edm. Bethink yourself wherein you may have offended him and, at my intreaty, forbear his prefence, 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 P 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 fpeak. Pray you go, there's my key. If you do ftir abroad, go arm'd.

Edg. Arm'd, brother?

1

$

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

i f. takes no notice of the reft from hence.

k All but the qu's omit why.

1 The qu's omit ay.

m The fo's and R. read nor.

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

• The qu's read till for until.

p The 1ft q. reads parfon.

4 The qu's read scarce.

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

All but the qu's omit go armi'd.

I have told you what I have feen and thing like the image and horror of it. Edg. Shall I hear from you anon?

heard but faintly; noPray you, away.

SCENE X.

Edm. I do ferve you in this business.

[Exit Edgar.

A credulous father, and a brother noble,
Whofe nature is fo far from doing harms,
That he suspects none; on whofe foolish honesty
My practices ride eafy; I fee the business.
Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit;

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

[Exit.

Gon. Did my father ftrike my gentleman for chiding of his fool?

Stew. Yes, madam.

Gon. By day and night he wrongs me every hour

He flashes into one grofs crime or other,

That fets us all at odds; I'll not endure it.

P. and H. omit do. Heath would read I'll ferve you, &c. to make it a proper answer 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 fcena tertia.

w The 1ft q. reads and gentleman; the ad and a gentleman.

So the qu's: all the reft ay for yes.

His

His knights grow riotous, and himself upbraids us
On every trifle. When he returns from hunting,
I will not speak with him; fay, I am fick.
If you come flack of former fervices,

You shall do well; the fault of it I'll anfwer.
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 a diftafte it, let him to my fifter,

Whofe mind and mine, I know, in that are one,

b Not to be over-rul'd. Idle old man,

That fill would manage thofe authorities,
That he hath giv'n away.-Now, by my life,

с

Old folks are babes again; and must be us’d

With checks, by flatteries when they're seen abus'd.

e

Remember what I tell you.

Stew. Very well, madam.

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

The qu's read fellow-fervants.

2 The qu's read in for to.

a The qu's read diflike for distaste.

Thefe lines in italic were first restored from the old qu's by Theobald, and inferted by W. and J. But F. fays, that Shakespear perhaps threw these lines away, nor would thank the officiousness of his editors in restoring the paflage. So this paffage, that F. thinks fhould not stand in the text, he has put there; as, a while ago, he neglected to infert a paffage which he thought fhould ftand in the text. A very reasonable way of proceeding!

This is W.'s emendation; the reft read fools for folks.

The qu's read as for by; fo J.; W. reads not; T. reads like flatt'rers

when they're feen t' abufe us.

e So the qu's; the reft read I have faid for I tell you.

f The fo's, R. and P. omit very.

Before advife H. inferts and.

k

I'll write ftraight to my fifter to hold my very course.

* Go, 1 prepare for dinner.

[Exeunt

SCENE

XII.

Changes to an open place before the palace.

Enter Kent difguifed.

Kent. If but as well I other accents borrow,

im That can my speech " diffuse, my good intent
May carry thro' itself to that full issue

For which I raz'd my likenefs. Now, banifh'd Kent,
If thou canst ferve where thou doft ftand condemn'd,
So may it come, thy mafter whom thou lov'ft
Shall find thee full of P 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.

ǹ The qu's add I would breed from hence occafions; and I shall—that I may Speak.

iSo 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 feen the qu's, but to eke out the verfe.

1 Before prepare H. reads and:

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

n The qu's and 3 fo's read defufe; the 4th f. diffufe; R. P. and F. dif ufe. To diffufe here fignifies to diforder; to put out of a regular courfe. It is used in other places in this author; diffused attire, diffused founds. H.Let them forth from a faw pit ruh at once with fome diffused fong, i. e, wild fong. Merry Wives of Windför. Though perhaps Shakespear might here write difguife.

o The qu's omit fo may it come. The qu's read labour.

Lear: