alone the imperfections of long-ingrafted condition, but therewithal the unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric years bring with them. Reg. Such unconstant starts 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 something, and i' th' heat. [Exeunts. Changes to a caftle belonging to the Earl of Glo'fter.. Edm. Thou, Nature, art my goddefs; to thy law The courtesy of nations to deprive me, For that I am fome twelve or fourteen moon-fhines "Than doth, within a dull, ftale, tired bed, "Go to creating a whole tribe of fops, "Got 'tween a-leep and wake? Well then, good bro Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land; [ther, Well, Edmund is here inveighing against the tyranny of custom, of which he produces two diftinct inftances; one with refpect to younger brothers, the other with respect to baftards. In the former, he must not be understood to mean himself, though he speaks in the firft perfon, but according to a common mode of fpeech to suppose the cafe his own, and as in his own perfon to exclaim against the unreasonablenefs and injuftice of the thing. The argument thusbecomes general, implying more than is faid, namely, Wherefore fould I, or any man, &c. Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed, SCENE VII. To him, enter Glo'fler. Glo. Kent banish'd thus! and France in choler parted? And the King gone to-night! fubfcrib'd Confin'd to exhibition! all is gone his pow'r! Upon the gad!-Edmund, how now? what news? [Putting up the letter. Glo. Why fo earnestly seek you to put up that letter? Edm. I know no news, my Lord. Glo. What paper were you reading? Edm. Nothing, my Lord. Glo. No! what needed then that terrible dispatch of it into your pocket? the quality of nothing hath not fuch need to hide itfelf. Let's fee; come, if it be nothing, I fhall not need fpectacles. Edm. I beseech you, Sir, 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 for your overlooking. Glo. Give me the letter, Sir. 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 an idle and fond bondage in 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 should enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live the beloved of your brother, EDGAR. HumConfpiracy!Sleep till I wake him -you should enjoy half his revenue-———) -My fon Ed fubfcrib'd, for transferred, alienated. tages fignifies former times. gar! gar! had he a hand to write this! a heart and a 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 clofet. Glo. You know the character to be your brother's? Edm. If the matter were good, my Lord, I durft fwear it were his; but, in respect 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 on 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 should 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! unnatural, detefted, brutish villain! worfe than brutifh! Go, firrah, feek him; I'll apprehend him. Abominable villain, where is he? Edm. I do not well know, my Lord. If it shall please you to fufpend your indignation against my brother, till you can derive from him better teftimony of his intent, you fhould run a certain courfe; where, if you violently proceed against him, miftaking his purpofe, it would make a great gap in your own honour, and fhake in pieces the heart of his obedience. 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 Lo? 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. Heav'n and earth? Edmund, feek him out; wind me into him, I pray you; frame the bufinefs af t pretence, for purpofe; danger, for tickedness. ter ter your own wifdom. I would unftate myfelf, to be in a due refolution. Edm. I will feek him, Sir, prefently, convey + the bufinefs as I fhall find means, and acquaint you withal. Glo. Thefe late eclipfes in the fun and moon portend no good to us; though the wisdom of nature can reafon it thus and thus, yet nature finds itfelf fcourg'd by the fequent effects. "Love cools, friendship falls off, bro"thers divide. In cities, mutinies; in countries, dif"cord; in palaces, treafon; and the bond crack'd "'twixt fon and father." This villain of mine comes under the prediction, There's fon againft father; the King falls from bias of nature, there's father against child. "We have feen the best of our time. Machina"tions, hollowness, treachery, and all ruinous diforders, "follow us difquietly to our graves !" Find out this villain, Edmund; it thall lofe thee nothing, do it carefully. -And the noble and true-hearted Kent banish'd! · his offence, honefty. 'Tis ftrange. [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 dif"afters, the fun, the moon, and ftars, as if we were " villains on neceffity; fools, by heavenly compulfion ; "knaves, thieves, and treacherous, by fpherical pre"dominance; drunkards, lyars, and adulterers, by an "inforc'd obedience of planetary influence; and all "that we are evil in, by a divine thrusting on. An ad"mirable evafion of whoremafter man, to lay his "goatih difpofition on the change of a star! My father "compounded with my mother under the Dragon's "tail, and my nativity was under Urfa major; fo "that it follows I am rough and lecherous. I should "have been what I am, had the maidenlieft ftar in the "firmament twinkled on my bastardizing. VOL. VI. B SCENE t Convey, for introduce: but convey is a fine word, as alluding to the practice of clandeftine conveying goods, fo as not to be found upon the felon. Pat! SCENE IX. To him, enter Edgar. "He comes like the catastrophe of the old co"medy;" my cue is villanous melancholy, with a figh like Tom o' Bedlam-O, thefe eclipfes portend these divifions! fa, fol, la, me[Humming. 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 thefe eclipfes. Edg. Do you bufy yourfelf with that? Edm. I promife you, the effects he writes of fucceed unhappily. When faw you my father laft? Edg. The night gone by. Edm. Spake you with him? Edg. Ay, two hours together. Edm. Parted you in good terms, found you no difpleafure in him, by word or countenance? Edg. None at all. Edm. Bethink yourself wherein you have offended him and, at my intreaty, forbear his prefence, until fome little time hath qualified the heat of his difpleafure; which at this inftant fo rageth in him, that with the mischief of your perfon it would fcarcely allay. Edg. Some villain hath done me wrong. Edm. That's my fear. I pray you have a continent forbearance till the fpeed 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! Edm. Brother, I advise you to the beft; I am no heneft man, if there be any good meaning toward you. I have told you what I have feen and heard, but faintly, nothing like the image and horror of it. Pray you a way. Edg. Shall I hear from you anon ? SCENE X. Edm. I do ferve you in this business: A credulous father, and a brother noble, Whofe nature is fo far from doing harms, [Exit. That |