Edg. How long have you been a sectary astronomical? Edm. Come, come; when saw you my father last? Edg. Why, the night gone by.

Edm. Spake you with him?

Edg. Ay, two hours together.

145

Edm. Parted you in good terms? Found you no displeasure in him by word or countenance?

Edg. None at all.

150

Edm. Bethink yourself wherein you may have offended him and at my entreaty forbear his presence till some little time hath qualified the heat of his displeasure, which at this instant so rageth in him that with the mischief of your person it would scarcely allay.

I

Edg. Some villain hath done me wrong.

155

Edm. That's my fear. I pray you, have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower, and, as say, retire with me to my lodging, from whence I will fitly bring you to hear my lord speak: pray ye, go; there's my key: if you do stir abroad, go armed.

Edg. Armed, brother!

161

Edm. Brother, I advise you to the best: go armed: I am no honest man if there be any good meaning towards you: I have told you what I have seen and heard; but faintly, nothing like the image and horror of it pray you, away.

157-163 fear...Edm. Brother,] Ff.

feare brother, Qq (omitting the rest). 160 pray ye] pray you Rowe. 163 go armed:] Qq. Omitted in Ff. 165 towards] Qq. toward Ff. 166 heard; but faintly,] heard, but

faintly, Qq. heard: But faintly. Ff. heard; but faintly; Rowe. heard, but faintly; Pope. heard but faintly, Dyce. 167 it:] it; QgQ3. it, Q1Ff.

[Exit Edgar.

Edg. Shall I hear from you anon?
Edm. I do serve you in this business.
A credulous father, and a brother noble,
Whose nature is so far from doing harms
That he suspects none; on whose foolish honesty
My practices ride easy. I see the business.
Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit:
All with me's meet that I can fashion fit.

170

[Exit.

175

SCENE III. The Duke of Albany's palace.

Enter GONERIL and OSWALD, her steward.

Gon. Did my father strike my gentleman for chiding of his fool?

Osw. Yes, madam.

Gon. By day and night he wrongs me; every hour He flashes into one gross crime or other,

That sets us all at odds: I'll not endure it:
His knights grow riotous, and himself upbraids us
On every trifle. When he returns from hunting,
I will not speak with him; say I am sick :
If you come slack of former

169 SCENE X. Pope.

I do] I Pope. I'll Heath conj.
[Exit Edgar.] Exit Fdgar Q. Exit
Edgar. QQ (after line 168). Exit.
Ff (after line 168).

175 All with me's] All's with me Capell
conj.

SCENE III.] SCENE II. Rowe and
Eccles. SCENE XI. Pope.

The...] Rowe. A room in the...
Capell.

Oswald, her steward.] Collier. Gen-
tleman. Q a Gentleman. QQ3-

services,

Steward. Ff.

5

10

3, &c. Osw.] Collier. Gent. Qq. Ste. F1. Stew. FF,F4

3 Yes] Qq. I Ff. Ay Rowe.

4 night] Qq. night, Ff. night! Capell.

me;] FF4. me, QqF, F.

4, 5 every...other,] Divided as in Ff. One line in Qq.

4 hour] hour. F.

7 upbraids] obrayds Q1

8 trifle. When] Ff. trifle when Qq (trifell Q1).

You shall do well; the fault of it I'll answer.

Osw. He's coming, madam; I hear him. [Horns within.
Gon. Put on what weary negligence you please,
You and your fellows; I'ld have it come to question :
If he distaste it, let him to our sister,

Whose mind and mine, I know, in that are one,
Not to be over-ruled. Idle old man,

That still would manage those authorities
That he hath given away! Now, by my life,
Old fools are babes again, and must be used

With checks as flatteries, when they are seen abused.
Remember what I tell you.

Osw.

Very well, madam.

15

20

20

Gon. And let his knights have colder looks among

you;

What grows of it, no matter; advise your fellows so: I would breed from hence occasions, and I shall,

12 [Horns within.] Capell. om. QqFf. 13-16 Put on...one,] Verse in Ff. Prose in Qq.

13 weary] wary Anon. conj. (Gent. Mag. LX. 402).

14 fellows] F3F4. fellowes F1F2. fellow

seruants QQ3. fellow seruants Qu to] Ff. in Qq.

15 distaste] Ff. dislike Qq.

our] Qq. my Ff.

17-21. Not to be...abused.] Verse first
by Theobald. Prose in Qq. Omitted
in Ff, Rowe, Pope and Hanmer.
20 fools] folks Warburton.
21 checks...abused] checks; as flatteries,

when they are seen, abus'd Collier
(ed. 1). checks; as flatteries, when
they are seen, are abus'd Keight-
ley.

as...abused.] Qq. like flatt'rers when they're seen t' abuse us. Theobald. as flatteries, when they are seen abuses.

25

or as flatt'ries when they are seen t abuse us. Theobald conj. (withdrawn). not flatt'ries when they're seen abus'd. Warburton. by flatteries when they're seen abused. Jennens. of flatteries when they're seen abused. Badham conj. Halliwell supposes that a line is omitted. when flatteries are seen abused. Hudson, 1879 (Schmidt conj.).

flatteries] flatly Moberly conj. 22 tell you] Qq. have said Ff. have said to you Keightley. Very well] Qq. Well Ff.

23, 24 And let...so:] As in Capell. Verse first by Hanmer. Prose in QqFf.

24 advise] and advise Hanmer, ending the line advise.

25, 26 I would...speak:] As in Capell. Prose in Qq. Omitted in Ff, and subsequent editions down to Johnson's.

That I may speak: I'll write straight to my sister,
To hold my very course. Prepare for dinner.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV. A hall in the same.

Enter KENT, disguised.

Kent. If but as well I other accents borrow, That can my speech defuse, my good intent

May carry through itself to that full issue

For which I razed my likeness. Now, banish'd Kent,
If thou canst serve where thou dost stand condemn'd, 5
So may it come, thy master whom thou lovest
Shall find thee full of labours.

Horns within. Enter LEAR, Knights, and Attendants.

Lear. Let me not stay a jot for dinner; go get it ready. [Exit an Attendant.] How now! what art thou?

26, 27 I'll...dinner.] As in Hanmer. Prose in QqFf.

27 very] Qq. om. Ff.

Prepare] Ff. goe prepare QQ go prepare Q3 Go and prepare Han

mer.

dinner] dinner now Keightley, omitting very.

[Exeunt.] Qq. Exit. Ff.

SCENEIV.] Rowe continues the scene.
SCENE XII. Pope. SCENE III. Eccles.
A hall in the same.] Malone. An
outer Hall in the same. Capell.
An open Place before the Palace.
Theobald.

Enter Kent, disguised.] Rowe. En-
ter Kent. QqFf.

1-7 If...labours.] Verse in Ff. Prose in Qq.

1 well] will F1.

2 That...defuse] QqFf. And...disuse Rowe. And...diffuse Theobald. That

VOL. VIII.

6 So may it come, thy] So may it come. Thy Johnson. So may it come! thy Capell.

So...come,] Ff. Omitted in Qq. 7 thee full the full Q1Q2

labours] Ff labour Qq.

8 Horns within.] Omitted in Qq.

Knights, and Attendants.] Rowe. and Attendants. Ff. Omitted in Qq. Gentleman, Knights, and Attendants. Capell.

9 [Exit an Attendant.] Malone. to an Attendant, who goes out. Capell. om. QqFf.

[To Kent. Theobald.

3

Kent. A man, sir.

Lear.

with us?

10

What dost thou profess? What wouldst thou

Kent. I do profess to be no less than I seem; to serve him truly that will put me in trust; to love him that is honest; to converse with him that is wise and says little; to fear judgement; to fight when I cannot choose, and to eat no fish.

Lear. What art thou?

17

Kent. A very honest-hearted fellow, and as poor as the king.

20

Lear. If thou be as poor for a subject as he is for a king, thou art poor enough. What wouldst thou?

Kent. No, sir; but you have that in have that in your countenance which I would fain call master.

Kent. I can keep honest counsel, ride, run, mar a curious tale in telling it, and deliver a plain message bluntly that which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified in, and the best of me is diligence.

35

15, 16 and says] to say Hanmer (Warburton). and say Steevens (1785).

18 art] are Fr

21 be] Qq. be'st FF3F4 best F2.

he is] Qq. he's Ff.

22 thou art] thar't Q

24 Who] QqF. Whom FF,F

29 What's] What's is Q3.
31 services] service Q3.
thou] om. Q1.

32 counsel] counsaile Q1Q2F1. counsaill
Q3. counsailes F. counsels F3F4.
35 is diligence] is,-diligence Staunton.