Enter Baftard, and Curan meetes him.

Baft. Saue thee Curan.

Curan. And you fir, I haue beene with your father, and giuen him notice, that the duke of Cornwall and his dutcheffe will be here with him to night.

Baft. How comes that ?

Curan. Nay I know not, you haue heard of the newes abroad, I meane the whisperd ones, for there are yet but earebuffing arguments.

Baft. Not, I pray you what are they?

Curan. You may then in time, fare you well fir.

Exit.

Baft. The duke be here to night! the better best, this weaues it felfe perforce into my bufineffe, my father hath fet guard to take my brother, and I haue one thing of a quefie question, which

Enter Edgar,

must aske breefenesse and fortune help; brother a word, difcend brother I fay, my father watches, O flie this place, intelligence is giuen where you are hid, you haue now the good aduantage of the night, haue you not spoken against the duke of Cornwall ought, hee's coming hether now in the night, ith hafte, and Regan with him, haue you nothing faide vpon his party against the duke of Albaney, aduise your—

Edg. I am fure on't not a word.

Baftard. I heare my father comming, pardon me in crauing, I must draw my fword vpon you, feeme to defende your felfe, now quit you well, yeeld, come before my father, Eight heere, heere, flie brother flie, torches, torches, fo farwell; fome bloud drawne on me would beget opinion of my more fierce endeuor, I haue feene drunkards do more then this in fport; father, father, ftop, ftop, no helpe?

Enter Glocefter.

Gloft. Now Edmund, where's the villaine ?

Baft. Heere ftood he in the darke, his fharpe fword out, warbling of wicked charmes, coniuring the moone to stand his aufpicious miftris.

Gloft. But where is he?

Baft. Looke fir, I bleed.

Gloft. Where is the villaine, Edmund?

Baft. Fled this way fir, when by no meanes he could-
Gloft. Purfue him, go after, by no meanes, what?

Baft. Perfwade me to the murder of your lordship, but that I tolde him the reuengiue Gods, against paracides did all their thunders bend, fpoke with how many fould and strong a bond the child was bound to the father; sir, in a fine, feeing how lothly oppofite I stood to his vnnaturall purpofe, with fell motion with his prepared fword, he charges home my vnprouided body, launcht mine arme; but when he faw my beft alarumd fpirits bold in the quarrels right, rouzd to the encounter, or whether gafted by the noise I made, but fodainly he fled.

Gloft. Let him flie farre, not in this land fhall he remaine vncaught and found; difpatch, the noble duke my mafter, my worthy arch and patron comes to night, by his authority I will proclaime it, that he which findes him fhall deferue our thankes, bringing the murderous caytiffe to the ftake, he that conceales him, death.

Baft. When I diffwaded him from his intent, and found him pight to do it, with curft fpeech I threatned to discouer him; he replied, Thou vnpoffeffing bastard, doft thou thinke, if I would stand against thee, could the repofure of any truft, vertue, or worth in thee make thy words faith'd? no: what I should deny, as this I would, I, thogh thou didst produce my very character, ide turne it all to thy suggestion, plot, and

damned

damned pretence, and thou must make a dullard of the world, if they not thought the profits of my death were pregnant and potentiall fpurres to make thee feeke it.

Gloft. Strong and fastened villaine, would he deny his letter? I neuer got him: harke, the dukes trumpets, I know not why he comes; all ports ile barre, the villaine shall not fcape, the duke must grant me that: befides, his picture I wil fend far and neere, that all the kingdome may haue note of him, and of my land, (loyall and naturall boy) ile worke the meanes to make thee capable.

Enter the duke of Cornwall.

Corn. How now my noble friend, fince I came hether, which I can call but now, I haue heard ftrange newes.

Reg. If it be true, all vengeance comes too fhort which can pursue the offender; how doft my lord?

Gloft. Madam, my old heart is crakt, is crakt.

Reg. What, did my fathers godfon feeke your life? he whom my father named your Edgar?

Gloft. I lady, lady, fhame would haue it hid.

Reg. Was he not companion with the ryotous knights that tends vpon my father?

Gloft. I know not madam, tis too bad, too bad.

Baft. Yes madam, he was.

Reg. No maruaile then though he were ill affected,

Tis they haue put him on the old mans death,

To haue these and waste of this his reuenues :

I haue this present euening from my fister

Beene well inform'd of them, and with fuch cautions,

That if they come to foiourne at my house, ile not be there.

Duke. Nor I, affure thee Regan; Edmund, I heard that you haue fhewne your father a child-like office.

Baft. Twas my duty fir.

I 3

Gloft.

Gloft. He did betray his practise, and receiued This hurt you fee, ftriuing to apprehend him.

Duke. Is he pursued?

Gloft. I my good lord.

Duke. If he be taken, he fhall neuer more be feard of doing harme, make your owne purpofe how in my ftrength you pleafe; for you Edmund, whofe vertue and obedience doth this inftant fo much commend it felfe, you shall be ours, natures of fuch deep truft, we shall much need, you we first feize on.

Bast. I fhall ferue you truely, how euer else.

Gloft. For him I thanke your grace.

Duke. You know not why we came to visite you?

Regan. Thus out of feafon, threatning dark eide night, Occafions noble Glocefter of fome prize,

Wherein we must haue vfe of your aduice,
Our father he hath writ, fo hath our fifter,
Of defences, which I beft thought it fit,
To answer from our hand, the feuerall messengers
From hence attend dispatch, our good old friend,

Lay comforts to your bofome, and beftow your needfull counsell
To our businesse, which craues the inftant vse.

Exit.

Glo. I ferue you madam, your graces are right welcome.

Enter Kent and Steward,

Steward. Good euen to thee friend, art of the houfe?
Kent. I.

Steward. Where may we fet our horses?

Kent. In the mire.

Stew. Prethee if thou loue me, tell me.

Kent. I loue thee not.

Stew. Why then I care not for thee.

Kent.

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

Stew. Why doft thou vse me thus? I know thee not.
Kent. Fellow I know thee.

Stew. What dost thou kuow me for ?

Kent. A knaue, a rafcall, an eater of broken meates, a base, proud, fhallow, beggerly, three fhewted hundred pound, filthy worsted-ftocken knaue, a lilly liuer'd action taking knaue, a whorefon glaffe-gazing fuperfinicall rogue, one trunke inheriting flaue, one that would'st be a baud in way of good feruice, and art nothing but the composition of a knaue, begger, coward, pander, and the fonne and heire of a mungrell bitch, whom I will beate into clamorous whining, if thou deny the leaft fillable of the addition.

Stew. What a monftrous fellow art thou, thus to raile on one that's neither knowne of thee, nor knowes thee.

Kent. What a brazen fac'ft varlet art thou, to deny thou knoweft me, is it two daies agoe fince I beate thee, and tript vp thy heeles before the king? draw you rogue, for though it be night the moone fhines, ile make a fop of the moonefhine a' you, draw you whorefon cullyonly barber-munger,

draw.

Stew. Away, I have nothing to do with thee.

Kent. Draw you rascall, you bring letters against the king, and take vanity the puppets part, against the royalty of her father, draw you rogue, or ile fo carbonado your fhankes, draw you rascall, come your wayes.

Stew. Helpe, ho, murther, helpe.

Kent. Strike you flaue, ftand rogue, ftand you neate flaue, ftrike.

Stew. Helpe, ho, murther, helpe.