Cor. Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides; Come, my fair Cordelia. 285 [Exeunt [France and Cordelia.] Gon. Sister, it is not little I have to say of what most nearly appertains to us both. I think our father will hence to-night. Reg. That's most certain, and with you ; next month with us. 290 Gon. You see how full of changes his age is; the observation we have made of it hath not been little. He always lov'd our sister most; and with what poor judgement he hath now cast her off appears too grossly. Reg. 'Tis the infirmity of his age; yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself. 297 Gon. The best and soundest of his time hath been but rash ; then must we look from his age to receive not alone the imperfections of long-engraffed condition, but therewithal the unruly waywardness that infirm and choleric years bring with them. 303 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 such dispotion that you have exhibited. The expression is a case of cognate accusative. 283. plighted=folded, hence concealing. 298. of his time=of his age. 300. long-engraffed condition: qualities long confirmed by habit. sition as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us. 310 Reg. We shall further think of it. Gon. We must do something, and i' the heat. [Exeunt. 4 SCENE II. The EARL OF GLOUCESTER's castle. Enter Bastard [EDMUND with a letter]. Edm. Thou, Nature, art my goddess; to thy law My services are bound. Wherefore should I Stand in the plague of custom, and permit 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? 10 Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land. . 312. i' the heat : “while the iron is hot." Scene II. Edmund's soliloquies disclose a villainous character and plans for mischief. Compare the soliloquies of Richard III and Iago. 1. Nature: natural inclination, as opposed to custom (1.3) or law and order. 3. plague of custom : the vexations due to the tyranny of cnstom. 4. curiosity : cf. I, i, 5. deprive=disinherit. And my invention thrive, Edmund the base 20 Shall top 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! subscrib'd his power! Confin'd to exhibition ! All this done 25 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 ? 30 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. 36 Edm. I beseech you, sir, pardon me. It is a letter from my brother, that I have not all o'er-read; and for so much as I have perus’d, I find it not fit for your o'er-looking 40 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. Glou. Let's see, let's see. 45 21. top the : Capell's emendation for F. to th. 24. subscrib'd=yielded. 25. exhibition=allowance. 26. gad-goad, spur. 32. terrible=terrified. Edm. I hope, for my 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 [50 them. I begin to find an idle and fond bondage in the oppression of aged tyranny; who sways, not as it hath power, but as it is suffer'd. Come to me, that of this I may speak more. If our father would sleep till I wak'd him, you should enjoy half his revenue for ever, [55 and live the beloved of your brother, EDGAR." Hum — conspiracy! — "Sleep till I wake him, you should enjoy half his revenue!” — My son Edgar! Had he a hand to write this? a heart and brain to breed it in ? When came this to you? Who brought it? 62 Edm. It was not brought me, my lord ; there's the cunning of it. I found it thrown in at the casement of my closet. Glou. You know the character to be your brother's? 67 Edm. If the matter were good, my lord, I durst swear it were his; but, in respect of that, I would fain think it were not. Glou. It is his. Edm. It is his hand, my lord; but I hope his heart is not in the contents. 73 47. essay or taste=trial or test. 48. policy and reverence : hendiadys for policy of reverencing 49. best of our times=best portion of our lives. 66. character=handwriting. Glou. Has he never before sounded you in this business? Edm. Never, my lord; but I have heard him oft maintain it to be fit that, sons at perfect age, and fathers declin'd, the father should be as ward to the son, and the son manage his revenue. 79 Glou. O villain, villain! His very opinion in the letter! Abhorred villain! Unnatural, detested, brutish villain! worse than brutish! Go, sirrah, seek him ; I'll apprehend him. Abominable villain! Where is he? 84 Edm. I do not well know, my lord. If it shall please you to suspend your indignation against my brother till you can derive from him better testimony of his intent, you should run a certain course; where, if you violently proceed against him, mistaking his purpose, it would make a great gap in your own honour, and shake in [90 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. Glou. Think you so ? 96 Edm. If your honour judge it meet, I will place you where you shall hear us confer of this, and by an auricular assurance have your satisfaction ; and that without any further delay than this very evening. 101 Glou. He cannot be such a monster [Edm. Nor is not, sure. Glou. To his father, that so tenderly and entirely loves him. Heaven and earth!] Edmund, seek him [105 out; wind me into him, I pray you. Frame the busi 81. detested=detestable. 95. pretence of danger=dangerous design. 106. wind me into him=get into his confidence for me. |