The curiosity of nations to deprive me,

For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines

Lag of a brother? Why bastard? wherefore base? When my dimensions are as well compact,

My mind as generous, and my shape as true,

As honest madam's issue? Why brand they us

With base? with baseness? bastardy? base, base?

Who in the lusty stealth of nature take

More composition and fierce quality

Than doth, within a dull, stale, tired bed,

Go to the creating a whole tribe of fops,

Got 'tween asleep and wake? Well then,

Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land:

Our father's love is to the bastard Edmund

As to the legitimate. Fine word, legitimate'!

Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed,

And

my invention thrive, Edmund the base

Shall to the legitimate-: I

grow, I prosper;

Now, gods, stand up for bastards!

Enter GLOUCESTER.

Glou. Kent banish'd thus ! And France in choler parted!

And the king gone to-night! subscribed his power!

Confined to exhibition! All this done

Upon the gad! Edmund, how now! what news? Edm. So please your lordship, none.

[Putting up the letter.

Glou. Why so earnestly

seek you to put up that

letter?

Edm. I know no news, my lord.

Glou. What paper were you reading?

Edm. Nothing, my lord. Glou? No? What needed then that terrible dispatch of it into your pocket? the quality of nothing hath not such need to hide itself. Let's see: come; if it be nothing, I shall not need spectacles.

Edm. I beseech you, sir, pardon me; it is a letter from my brother that I have not all o'erread, and for so much

as I have perused, I find it not fit for your o'erlooking.

Glou. Give me the letter, sir.

Edm. I shall offend, either to detain or give it. The contents, as in part I understand them, are to blame.

my

Glou. Let's see, let's see. Edm. I hope, for for brother's justification, he wrote this but as an essay or taste of my virtue.

Glou. [Reads.] This policy and reverence of age makes the world bitter to the best of our times; keeps our fortunes from us till our oldness cannot relish