CURAN Nay, I know not. You have heard of the news
abroad? – I mean the whispered ones, for they are yet
but ear-bussing arguments.
EDMUND Not I; pray you, what are they?
10
CURAN Have you heard of no likely wars toward ’twixt
the QtwoQ dukes of Cornwall and Albany?
EDMUND Not a word.
CURAN You may FdoF then in time. Fare you well, sir.
FExit.F
EDMUND The Duke be here tonight? The better – best!
15
This weaves itself perforce into my business.
My father hath set guard to take my brother,
And I have one thing of a queasy question
Which I must act. Briefness and fortune work!
Brother, a word; descend, brother, I say.
20
Enter EDGAR.
My father watches; O FsirF, 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 CornwallQaughtQ? –
He’s coming hither, now, i’the night, i’the haste,
25
And Regan with him. Have you nothing said
Upon his party ‘gainst the Duke of Albany?
Advise yourself.
EDGAR I am sure on’t, not a word.
EDMUND I hear my father coming – pardon me;
In cunning I must draw my sword upon you.
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FDraw,F seem to defend yourself; now quit you well.
[loudly] Yield, come before my father! Light, ho, here!
[to Edgar] Fly, brother, QflyQ! [loudly] Torches,
torches! – [to Edgar] So farewell. FExit Edgar.F
Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion
Of my more fierce endeavour. [Cuts his arm.]
I have seen drunkards
35
Do more than this in sport. Father, father!
Stop, stop, no help?
Enter GLOUCESTER Fand servants, with torches.F
GLOUCESTER Now, Edmund, where’s the villain?
EDMUND
Here stood he in the dark, his sharp sword out,
Mumbling of wicked charms, conjuring the moon
To standQ’sQ auspicious mistress.
GLOUCESTER But where is he?
40
EDMUND Look, sir, I bleed.
GLOUCESTER Where is the villain, Edmund?
EDMUND
Fled this way, sir, when by no means he could –
GLOUCESTER [to servants]
Pursue him, Fho!F Go after! [Servants rush off.]
– ‘By no means’ what?
EDMUND Persuade me to the murder of your lordship,
But that I told him the revenging gods
45
’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,
50
With his prepared sword, he charges home
My unprovided body, latched mine arm;
But when he saw my best alarumed spirits,
Bold in the quarrel’s right, roused to th’encounter,
55
Or whether ghasted by the noise I made,
Full suddenly he fled.
GLOUCESTER Let him fly far:
Not in this land shall he remain uncaught,
And found – dispatch! The noble Duke, my master,
My worthy arch and patron, comes tonight;
By his authority I will proclaim it,
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That he which finds him shall deserve our thanks,
Bringing the murderous coward to the stake:
He that conceals him, death!
EDMUND When I dissuaded him from his intent,
And found him pight to do it, with curst speech
65
I threatened to discover him. He replied,
‘Thou unpossessing bastard, dost thou think,
If I would stand against thee, would the reposal
Of any trust, virtue or worth in thee
Make thy words faithed? No, what I should deny,
70
As this I would, Qay,Q though thou didst produce
My very character, 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
75
Were very pregnant and potential spurs
To make thee seek it.’ [FTucket within.F]
GLOUCESTER FOF strange and fastened villain,
Would he deny his letter, Fsaid he?F Q I never got him.Q
Hark, the Duke’s trumpets; I know not why he comes.
All ports I’ll bar, the villain shall not scape;
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The Duke must grant me that. Besides, his picture
I will send far and near, that all the kingdom
May have FdueF note of him; and of my land,
Loyal and natural boy, I’ll work the means
To make thee capable.
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Enter CORNWALL,FREGAN and attendants.F
CORNWALL
How now, my noble friend? Since I came hither,
Which I can call but now, I have heard strange news.
REGAN If it be true, all vengeance comes too short
Which can pursue th’offender. How dost, my lord?
GLOUCESTER
FOF madam, my old heart is cracked, it’s cracked.
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REGAN What, did my father’s godson seek your life?
He whom my father named, your Edgar?
GLOUCESTER O lady, lady, shame would have it hid.
REGAN
Was he not companion with the riotous knights
That tended upon my father?
95
GLOUCESTER I know not, madam; ’tis too bad, too bad.
EDMUND Yes, madam, he was Fof that consortF.
REGAN No marvel, then, though he were ill affected.
’Tis they have put him on the old man’s death,
To have th’expense and waste of his revenues.
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I have this present evening from my sister
Been well informed of them, and with such cautions
That if they come to sojourn at my house
I’ll not be there.
CORNWALL Nor I, assure thee, Regan.
Edmund, I hear that you have shown your father
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A child-like office.
EDMUND It was my duty, sir.
GLOUCESTER [to Cornwall]
He did bewray his practice, and received
This hurt you see, striving to apprehend him.
CORNWALL Is he pursued?
GLOUCESTER Ay, my good lord.
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CORNWALL If he be taken, he shall never more
Be feared 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.
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Natures of such deep trust we shall much need;
You we first seize on.
EDMUND I shall serve you, FsirF, truly, however else.
GLOUCESTER For him I thank your grace.
CORNWALL You know not why we came to visit you?
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REGAN Thus out of season, threading dark-eyed night?
Occasions, noble Gloucester, of some poise
Wherein we must have use of your advice.
Our father he hath writ, so hath our sister,
Of differences, which I best thought it fit
125
&n
bsp; To answer from our home. The several messengers
From hence attend dispatch. Our good old friend,
Lay comforts to your bosom, and bestow
Your needful counsel to our business,
Which craves the instant use.
GLOUCESTER I serve you, madam.
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Your graces are right welcome. Exeunt. FFlourish.F
2.2 Enter KENT[, disguised,] and OSWALD, Fseverally.F
OSWALD Good dawning to thee, friend. Art of this house?
KENT Ay.
OSWALD Where may we set our horses?
KENT I’the mire.
5
OSWALD Prithee, if thou lov’st me, tell me.
KENT I love thee not.
OSWALD Why then, I care not for thee.
KENT If I had thee in Lipsbury pinfold, I would make
thee care for me.
10
OSWALD Why dost thou use me thus? I know thee not.
KENT Fellow, I know thee.
OSWALD What dost thou know me for?
KENT A knave, a rascal, an eater of broken meats; a base,
proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited-hundred-pound,
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filthy, worsted-stocking knave; a lily-livered, action-
taking Qknave, aQ whoreson, glass-gazing, super-
serviceable, finical rogue; one trunk-inheriting slave,
one that wouldst be a bawd in way of good service and
art nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar,
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coward, pander and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch;
FoneF whom I will beat into clamorous whining if thou
deniest the least syllable of thy addition.
OSWALD FWhy,F what a monstrous fellow art thou, thus
to rail on one that is neither known of thee, nor knows
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thee!
KENT What a brazen-faced varlet art thou to deny thou
knowest me? Is it two days Q agoQ since I tripped up thy
heels and beat thee before the King? Draw, you rogue,
for though it be night, FyetF the moon shines. [Draws
30
his sword.] I’ll make a sop o’the moonshine of you.
QDrawQ you whoreson cullionly barber-monger! Draw!
OSWALD Away, I have nothing to do with thee.
KENT Draw, you rascal! You come with letters against
the King, and take Vanity the puppet’s part against the
35
royalty of her father. Draw, you rogue, or I’ll so
carbonado your shanks! – draw, you rascal, come your
ways!
OSWALD Help, ho! Murder, help!
KENT Strike, you slave. Stand, rogue, stand you neat
40
slave, strike! [Beats him.]
OSWALD Help, ho! Murder, murder!
Enter EDMUND,Qwith his rapier drawn,Q CORNWALL, REGAN, GLOUCESTER [and] Fservants.F
EDMUND How now, what’s the matter? FPart!F
KENT [to Edmund] With you, goodman boy, if you
please. Come, I’ll flesh ye; come on, young master.
45
GLOUCESTER Weapons? Arms? What’s the matter here?
CORNWALL Keep peace upon your lives: he dies that
strikes again. What is the matter?
REGAN The messengers from our sister and the King.
CORNWALL [to Kent] What is your difference? Speak.
50
OSWALD I am scarce in breath, my lord.
KENT No marvel, you have so bestirred your valour,
you cowardly rascal; nature disclaims in thee – a tailor
made thee.
CORNWALL Thou art a strange fellow – a tailor make a
55
man?
KENT QAy,Q a tailor, sir; a stone-cutter or a painter could
not have made him so ill, though they had been but
two years o’the trade.
CORNWALL [to Oswald] Speak yet: how grew your
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quarrel?
OSWALD This ancient ruffian, sir, whose life I have
spared at suit of his grey beard –
KENT Thou whoreson zed, thou unnecessary letter! My
lord, if you will give me leave, I will tread this
65
unbolted villain into mortar and daub the wall of a
jakes with him. [to Oswald] Spare my grey beard, you
wagtail?
CORNWALL Peace, sirrah. You beastly knave, know you
no reverence?
70
KENT Yes, sir, but anger hath a privilege.
CORNWALL Why art thou angry?
KENT That such a slave as this should wear a sword,
Who wears no honesty. Such smiling rogues as these
Like rats oft bite the FholyF cords atwain
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Which are too intrince t’unloose; smooth every passion
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 279
