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therewithall the vnruly way-wardnesse, that infirme and |
cholericke yeares bring with them |
Reg. Such vnconstant starts are we like to haue from |
him, as this of Kents banishment |
Gon. There is further complement of leaue-taking betweene |
France and him, pray you let vs sit together, if our |
Father carry authority with such disposition as he beares, |
this last surrender of his will but offend vs |
Reg. We shall further thinke of it |
Gon. We must do something, and i'th' heate. |
Exeunt. |
Scena Secunda. |
Enter Bastard. |
Bast. Thou Nature art my Goddesse, to thy Law |
My seruices are bound, wherefore should I |
Stand in the plague of custome, and permit |
The curiosity of Nations, to depriue me? |
For that I am some twelue, or fourteene Moonshines |
Lag of a Brother? Why Bastard? Wherefore base? |
When my Dimensions are as well compact, |
My minde as generous, and my shape as true |
As honest Madams issue? Why brand they vs |
With Base? With basenes Bastardie? Base, Base? |
Who in the lustie stealth of Nature, take |
More composition, and fierce qualitie, |
Then doth within a dull stale tyred bed |
Goe to th' creating a whole tribe of Fops |
Got 'tweene a sleepe, and wake? Well then, |
Legitimate Edgar, I must haue your land, |
Our Fathers loue, is to the Bastard Edmond, |
As to th' legitimate: fine word: Legitimate. |
Well, my Legittimate, if this Letter speed, |
And my inuention thriue, Edmond the base |
Shall to'th' Legitimate: I grow, I prosper: |
Now Gods, stand vp for Bastards. |
Enter Gloucester. |
Glo. Kent banish'd thus? and France in choller parted? |
And the King gone to night? Prescrib'd his powre, |
Confin'd to exhibition? All this done |
Vpon the gad? Edmond, how now? What newes? |
Bast. So please your Lordship, none |
Glou. Why so earnestly seeke you to put vp y Letter? |
Bast. I know no newes, my Lord |
Glou. What Paper were you reading? |
Bast. Nothing my Lord |
Glou. No? what needed then that terrible dispatch of |
it into your Pocket? The quality of nothing, hath not |
such neede to hide it selfe. Let's see: come, if it bee nothing, |
I shall not neede Spectacles |
Bast. I beseech you Sir, pardon mee; it is a Letter |
from my Brother, that I haue not all ore-read; and for so |
much as I haue perus'd, I finde it not fit for your ore-looking |
Glou. Giue me the Letter, Sir |
Bast. I shall offend, either to detaine, or giue it: |
The Contents, as in part I vnderstand them, |
Are too blame |
Glou. Let's see, let's see |
Bast. I hope for my Brothers iustification, hee wrote |
this but as an essay, or taste of my Vertue |
Glou. reads. This policie, and reuerence of Age, makes the |
world bitter to the best of our times: keepes our Fortunes from |
vs, till our oldnesse cannot rellish them. I begin to finde an idle |
and fond bondage, in the oppression of aged tyranny, who swayes |
not as it hath power, but as it is suffer'd. Come to me, that of |
this I may speake more. If our Father would sleepe till I wak'd |
him, you should enioy halfe his Reuennew for euer, and liue the |
beloued of your Brother. Edgar. |
Hum? Conspiracy? Sleepe till I wake him, you should |
enioy halfe his Reuennew: my Sonne Edgar, had hee a |
hand to write this? A heart and braine to breede it in? |
When came you to this? Who brought it? |
Bast. It was not brought mee, my Lord; there's the |
cunning of it. I found it throwne in at the Casement of |
my Closset |
Glou. You know the character to be your Brothers? |
Bast. If the matter were good my Lord, I durst swear |