EDMUND | |
The duke be here to-night? The better! best! | |
| | This weaves itself perforce into my business. | 15 |
| | 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! | |
| | [Enter EDGAR] |
| | My father watches: O sir, fly this place; | 20 |
| | Intelligence is given where you are hid; | |
| | You have now the good advantage of the night: | |
| | Have you not spoken 'gainst the Duke of Cornwall? | |
| | He's coming hither: now, i' the night, i' the haste, | |
| | And Regan with him: have you nothing said | 25 |
| | Upon his party 'gainst the Duke of Albany? | |
| | Advise yourself. | |
EDMUND | |
I hear my father coming: pardon me: | |
| | In cunning I must draw my sword upon you | |
| | Draw; seem to defend yourself; now quit you well. | 30 |
| | Yield: come before my father. Light, ho, here! | |
| | Fly, brother. Torches, torches! So, farewell. | |
| | [Exit EDGAR] |
| | Some blood drawn on me would beget opinion. | |
| | [Wounds his arm] |
| | Of my more fierce endeavour: I have seen drunkards | |
| | Do more than this in sport. Father, father! | 35 |
| | Stop, stop! No help? | |
| | [Enter GLOUCESTER, and Servants with torches] |
EDMUND | |
Persuade me to the murder of your lordship; | |
| | But that I told him, the revenging gods | |
| | 'Gainst parricides did all their thunders bend; | |
| | Spoke, with how manifold and strong a bond | 50 |
| | The child was bound to the father; sir, in fine, | |
| | Seeing how loathly opposite I stood | |
| | To his unnatural purpose, in fell motion, | |
| | With his prepared sword, he charges home | |
| | My unprovided body, lanced mine arm: | 55 |
| | But when he saw my best alarum'd spirits, | |
| | Bold in the quarrel's right, roused to the encounter, | |
| | Or whether gasted by the noise I made, | |
| | Full suddenly he fled. | |
GLOUCESTER | |
Let him fly far: | 60 |
| | Not in this land shall he remain uncaught; | |
| | And found--dispatch. The noble duke my master, | |
| | My worthy arch and patron, comes to-night: | |
| | By his authority I will proclaim it, | |
| | That he which finds him shall deserve our thanks, | 65 |
| | 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 | |
| | I threaten'd to discover him: he replied, | 70 |
| | '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 faith'd? No: what I should deny,-- | |
| | As this I would: ay, though thou didst produce | 75 |
| | My very character,--I'ld turn it all | |
| | To thy suggestion, plot, and damned practise: | |
| | And thou must make a dullard of the world, | |
| | If they not thought the profits of my death | |
| | Were very pregnant and potential spurs | 80 |
| | To make thee seek it.' | |
GLOUCESTER | |
Strong and fasten'd villain | |
| | Would he deny his letter? I never got him. | |
| | [Tucket within] |
| | Hark, the duke's trumpets! I know not why he comes. | |
| | All ports I'll bar; the villain shall not 'scape; | 85 |
| | The duke must grant me that: besides, his picture | |
| | I will send far and near, that all the kingdom | |
| | May have the due note of him; and of my land, | |
| | Loyal and natural boy, I'll work the means | |
| | To make thee capable. | 90 |
| | [Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, and Attendants] |
REGAN | |
Thus out of season, threading dark-eyed night: | |
| | Occasions, noble Gloucester, of some poise, | |
| | Wherein we must have use of your advice: | 130 |
| | Our father he hath writ, so hath our sister, | |
| | Of differences, which I least thought it fit | |
| | To answer from our home; the several messengers | |
| | From hence attend dispatch. Our good old friend, | |
| | Lay comforts to your bosom; and bestow | 135 |
| | Your needful counsel to our business, | |
| | Which craves the instant use. | |
This edition copyright © 2000 Dana Spradley, Publisher, shakespeare.com. Originally derived from the Complete Moby Shakespeare(tm), which is now in the public domain.
'The First Web Folio Edition' is a trademark of Dana Spradley, Publisher, shakespeare.com. All rights reserved.