Mumbling of wicked Charms, conj'ring the moon To stand's aufpicious miftrefs.

Glo. But where is he?

Edm. Look, Sir, I bleed.

Glo. Where is the villain, Edmund?

Edm. Fled this way, Sir, when by no means he could

Glo. Pursue him, ho. Go after.-By no means, what?

Edm. Perfuade me to the murther of your lordship; But that, I told him, the revenging Gods

'Gainft Parricides did all their thunder bend,
Spoke with how manifold and ftrong a bond
The child was bound to th' father.-Sir, in fine,
Seeing how lothly oppofite I stood

To his unnatʼral purpose, in fell motion
With his prepared fword he charges home
My unprovided body, lanc'd my arm;
And when he faw my beft alarmed fpirits,
Bold in the quarrel's right, rous'd to th' encounter,
Or whether gafted by the noise I made,

Full fuddenly he fled.

Glo. Let him fly far;

Not in this land fhall he remain uncaught;

And found.-Despatch. The noble Duke my master, My worthy arch and patron, comes to-night;

Mumbling of wicked Charms,
conj'ring the moon] This was
a proper circumftance to urge to
Glofter; who appears, by what
paffed between him and his baf-
tard fon in a foregoing fcene, to
be very fuperftitious with regard
to this matter. WARBURTON.
3 their thunder-First edition;
the rest have it, the thunder.
+ gafted] Frighted.

5 Not in this land fhall be re-
main uncaught;
And found dispatch the no-

ble Duke, &c.] This nonfenfe fhould be read and pointed thus,

Not in this land fhall ke remain
uncaught;
And found, difpatch'd.

WARBURTON.

I do not fee how this change mends the fenfe: I think it may be better regulated as in the page above. The fenfe is interrupted. He fhall be caught-and found he shall be punished. Despatch.

By

By his authority I will proclaim it,

That he, who finds him, shall deserve our thanks,
Bringing the murtherous coward to the stake;
He that conceals him, death.

Edin. When I diffwaded him from his intent,
"And found him pight to do it, with curft speech.
I threaten'd to discover him. He replied,

Thou unpoffeffing Baftard! do'ft thou think,

8

If I would ftand against thee, would the reposal any truft, virtue, or worth in thee

Of

Make thy words faith'd? no; when I should deny,
As this I would, although thou didst produce
My very character, I'd turn it all

To thy fuggeftion, 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 fpurs

To make thee feek it.

Glo. Oftrange, faften'd villain!

[Trumpets within.

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

Hark, the Duke's trumpets! I know not why he

comes.

-All Ports I'll bar; the villain fhall not 'fcape;
The Duke muft grant me that; befides, his picture
I will fend 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.

• murd'rous coward] The first edition reads, caitiff

7 And found him pight to do it, with curf Speech] Pight is pitched, fixed, fettled. Curft is fevere, harth, vehemently angry.

8 would the repofal] i. e. would any opinion that men have repofed in thy trust, virtue, c. WARBURTON. 9 Strong and faftened. 4to.

VOL. VI.

E

SCENE

SCENE IV.

Enter Cornwall, Regan, and Attendants.

Corn. How now, my noble friend? Since I came hither,

Which I can call but now, I have heard ftrange news.

Reg. If it be true, all vengeance comes too fhort, Which can pursue th' offender. How does my lord? Glo. O Madam, my old heart is crack'd, it's crack'd.

Reg. What, did my father's godfon feek 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,

That tend upon my father?

Glo. I know not, Madam. 'Tis too bad, too bad. Edm. Yes, Madam, he was of that confort.

Reg. No marvel then, though he were ill affected; 'Tis they have put him on the old man's death, To have th' expence and wafte of his revenues. I have this prefent evening from my fifter

Been well inform'd of them; and with fuch cautions, That if they come to fojourn at my house,

I'll not be there.

Corn. Nor I, I affure thee, Regan.

Edmund, I hear, that you have fhewn your father
A child-like office.

Edm. 'Twas my duty, Sir.

Glo. He did bewray his practice, and receiv'd This hurt you fee ftriving to apprehend him. Corn. Is he purfu'd?

Glo. Ay, my good lord.

Corn. If he be taken, he fhall never more

Be fear'd of doing harm. Make your own purpose,

How in my ftrength you pleafe. As for

I

you, Edmund,

Whofe

Whofe virtue and obedience in this instance

So much commends itself, you fhall be ours;
Natures of fuch deep Truft we shall much need:
You we firft feize on.

Edm. I fhall ferve you, Sir,

Truly, however elfe.

Glo. I thank your Grace.

Corn. You know not why we came to vifit you

Reg. Thus out of feafon

night;

1

threading dark-ey'd

'Occafions, noble Glo'fter, of fome prize,
Wherein we must have use of your advice.
Our father he hath writ, fo hath our fifter,
Of diff'rences, which I beft thought it fit

To answer + from our home: the fev'ral meffengers
From hence attend defpatch. Our good old friend,
Lay Comforts to your bofom; and bestow
Your needful counsel to our bufineffes,
Which crave the instant use.

Glo. I ferve you, Madam.
Your Graces are right welcome.

-threading dark-ey'd Night.] I have not ventur'd to difplace this Reading, tho' I have great Sufpicion that the Poet wrote, -treading dark ey'd Night. i. e. travelling in it. The other carries too obfcure and mean an Allufion. It muft either be borrow'd from the Cant-phrafe of threading of Alleys, i. e. going thro' bye paffages to avoid the high Streets; or to threading

[Exeunt.

Enter Kent, and Steward, feverally.

Stew. Good dawning to thee, friend. Art of this houfe?

Kent. Ay.

Stew. Where may we fet our horses?

Kent. l'th' mire.

Stew. Pr'ythee, if thou lov'ft me, tell me.
Kent. I love thee not.

Stew. Why then I care not for thee.

5

Kent. If I had thee in Lipfbury pinfold, I would make thee care for me.

Stew. Why dost thou ufe me thus? I know thee

not.

Kent. Fellow, I know thee.

Stew. What doft thou know me for?

Kent. A knave, a rascal, an eater of broken meats, a bafe, proud, fhallow, beggarly, three fuited, hundred-pound, filthy, worfted-stocking knave; a lillyliver'd, action-taking knave; a whorfon, glass-gazing, fuper-ferviceable, finical rogue; one-trunk-inheriting flave; one that would'it be a bawd in way of

4 Good evening] In the common editions it is GooD DAWNING, tho' the time be apparently night. But this was not kakeSpear's phrafe. The common edi tions were corrupt indeed, and should have given it us, as the poet wrote it, GOOD DOWNING. i. e. good reft, the common evening-falutation of that time.

WARBURTON. It is plainly paft evening, and may, without any inconvenience, be fuppofed to be dawning.

5 Lipfbury pinfold.] The allufion which feems to be contained in this line I do not understand.

In the violent eruption of reproaches which bursts from Kent in this dialogue, there are fome epithets which the commentators have left unexpounded, and which I am not very able to make clear. Of a three. fuited knave I know not the meaning, unless it be that he has different dreffes for different occupations. Lilly-liver'd is cowardly; white-blooded and whiteliver'd are ftill in vulgar use. An one trunk inheriting flave I take to be a wearer of old caftoff cloaths, an inheritor of torn breeches.

good