Be fear'd of doing harm: make your own pur

pose,

How in my strength you please. For you, Ed-
mund,

Whose virtue and obedience doth this instant
So much commend itself, you shall be ours:
Natures of such deep trust we shall much need:
You we first seize on.

Edm.

Truly, however else.

Glou.

I shall serve you, sir,

For him I thank your grace. Corn. You know not why we came to visit you,Reg. Thus out of season, threading dark-eyed

night:

121

Occasions, noble Gloucester, of some poise,
Wherein we must have use of your advice:
Our father he hath writ, so hath our sister,
Of differences, which I least thought it fit
To answer from our home; the several messen-

gers

From hence attend dispatch. Our good old friend,

Lay comforts to your bosom, and bestow

Your needful counsel to our business,

Which craves the instant use.

Glou.

I serve you, madam: 130

[Flourish. [Exeunt.

Your graces are right welcome.

113. "of"; as to. "There will be no more harm to fear from him." -C. H. H.

126. "from our home"; that is, not at home, but at some other place.-H. N. H.

>

SCENE II

Before Gloucester's castle.

Enter Kent and Oswald, severally.

Osw. Good dawning to thee, friend: art of this
house?

Kent. Aye.

Osw. Where may we set our horses?

Kent. I' the mire.

Osw. Prithee, if thou lovest me, tell me.
Kent. I love thee not.

Osw. Why then I care not for thee.

Kent. If I had thee in Lipsbury pinfold, I
would make thee care for me.

Osw. Why dost thou use me thus? I know thee

not.

Kent. Fellow, I know thee.

Osr. What dost thou know me for?

10

Kent. A knave; a rascal; an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, hundred-pound, filthy, worstedstocking knave; a lily-livered, action-taking knave; a whoreson, glass-gazing, superserviceable, finical rogue; one-trunk-inheriting 20

9. "Lipsbury pinfold"; that is, Lipsbury pound. Lipsbury pinfold may, perhaps, like Lob's pound, be a coined name; but with what allusion does not appear.-H. N. H.

20. A "one-trunk-inheriting slave" may be a term for a fellow, the whole of whose possessions were confined to one coffer, and that too inherited from his father, who was no better provided, or had nothing more to bequeath.-H. N. H.

slave; one that wouldst be a bawd in way of good service, and art nothing but the composition of a knave, beggar, coward, pandar, and the son and heir of a mongrel bitch: one whom I will beat into clamorous whining, if thou deniest the least syllable of thy addition. Osw. Why, what a monstrous fellow art thou, thus to rail on one that is neither known of thee nor knows thee!

Kent. What a brazen-faced varlet art thou, to 30 deny thou knowest me! Is it two days ago since I tripped up thy heels and beat thee before the king? Draw, you rogue: for, though it be night, yet the moon shines; I'll make a sop o' the moonshine of you: draw, you whoreson cullionly barber-monger, draw. [Drawing his sword. Osw. Away! I have nothing to do with thee. Kent. Draw, you rascal: you come with letters against the king, and take vanity the pet's part against the royalty of her father: draw, you rogue, or I'll so carbonado your shanks: draw, you rascal; come your ways. Osw. Help, ho! murder! help!

pup

40

Kent. Strike, you slave; stand, rogue; stand, you neat slave, strike. [Beating him.

Osw. Help, ho! murder! help!

40. "vanity"; called vanity by way of antithesis to royalty.— H. N. H.

46. "neat slave" may mean you base cowherd, or, as Steevens suggests, you finical rascal, you assemblage of foppery and poverty.— H. N. H.

Enter Edmund, with his rapier drawn, Cornwall, Regan, Gloucester, and Servants.

Edm. How now! What's the matter? [Parting them.

Kent. With you, goodman boy, an you please:

come, I'll flesh you; come on, young master. 50 › Glou. Weapons! arms! What's the matter here?

Corn. Keep peace, upon your lives;

He dies that strikes again. What is the matter? Reg. The messengers from our sister and the king.

Corn. What is your difference? speak.

Osw. I am scarce in breath, my lord.

Kent. No marvel, you have so bestirred your valor. You cowardly rascal, nature dis- 60 claims in thee: a tailor made thee.

Corn. Thou art a strange fellow: a tailor make a man?

Kent. Aye, a tailor, sir: a stone-cutter or a
painter could not have made him so ill,
though he had been but two hours at the
trade.

Corn. Speak yet, how grew your quarrel?
Osw. This ancient ruffian, sir, whose life I have
spared at suit of his

gray

beard,―

70

49. "With you," etc. Kent pretends to understand "matter" as “ground of quarrel.”—C. H. H.

60. To "disclaim in," for to disclaim simply, was the phraseology of the Poet's age.-H. N. H.

64. The affirmative particle "Aye" is wanting in the folio. The sense seems to require it.-H. N. H.

66. "hours"; Ff., "years."-I. G.

Kent. Thou whoreson zed! thou unnecessary
letter! My lord, if you will give me leave,
I will tread this unbolted villain into mor-
tar, and daub the walls of a jakes with him.
Spare my gray beard, you wagtail?
Corn. Peace, sirrah!

You beastly knave, know you no reverence?
Kent. Yes, sir; but anger hath a privilege.
Corn. Why art thou angry?

Kent. That such a slave as this should wear a

sword,

80

Who wears no honesty. Such smiling rogues as these,

Like rats, oft bite the holy cords a-twain

Which are too intrinse to unloose; smooth every
passion

That in the natures of their lords rebel;
Bring oil to fire, snow to their colder moods;
Renege, affirm, and turn their halcyon beaks
With every gale and vary of their masters,
Knowing nought, like dogs, but following.
A plague upon your epileptic visage!

71. "zed" is here used as a term of contempt, because it is the last letter in the English alphabet: it is said to be an unnecessary letter, because its place may be supplied by S. Mulcaster says, “Z is much harder amongst us, and seldom seen. S is become its lieutenant-general."-H. N. H.

73. "unbolted" mortar is mortar made of unsifted lime; and therefore to break the lumps it is necessary to tread it by men in wooden shoes.-H. N. H.

83. "Which are too intrinse to unloose"; F. 1, "are t' intrince"; Ff. 2, 3, 4, "art t'intrince"; Qq., “are to intrench"; Pope, "Too in tricate"; Theobald, "Too 'intrinsecate"; Hanmer, "too intrinsick”: “to unloose"; Ff. "tunloose"; Qq., "to inloose"; Seymour conj. "to en loose."-I. G.