By his authority I will proclaim it,

That he, which finds him, shall deserve our thanks,
Bringing the murderous coward to the stake;
He, that conceals him, death.

EDM. When I dissuaded him from his intent,
And found him pight to do it, with curst speech
I threaten'd to discover him: He replied,
Thou unpossessing bastard! dost thou think,
If I would stand against thee, would the reposal
Of any trust, virtue, or worth, in thee

5

Make thy words faith'd? No: what I should deny, (As this I would; ay, though thou didst produce My very character) I'd turn it all

To thy suggestion, plot, and damned practice * :
And thou must make a dullard of the world,
If they not thought the profits of my death
Were very pregnant and potential spurs9
To make thee seek it.

* Quartos, pretence.

4

murderous coward-] The first edition reads caitiff. JOHNSON.

5 And found him PIGHT to do it, with curst speech -] Pight is pitched, fixed, settled. Curst is severe, harsh, vehemently angry. JOHNSON.

So, in the old morality of Lusty Juventus, 1561:

66

Therefore my heart is surely pyght

"Of her alone to have a sight."

Thus, in Troilus and Cressida :

6

"Thus proudly pight upon our Phrygian plains."

STEEVENS.

would the reposal —] i. e. Would any opinion that men have reposed in thy trust, virtue, &c. WARBURTON.

The old quarto reads, "could the reposure." STEEVENS. 7 though thou didst produce

My very CHARACTER,—] i. e. my very handwriting. See vol. ix. p. 180. MALONE.

8

66

make a DULLARD of the world,] So, in Cymbeline: What, mak'st thou me a dullard in this act?" STEEVENS. -pregnant and potential SPURS -] Thus the quartos. Folio potential spirits. MALONE.

9

GLO.

Strong and fasten'd villain'!

Would he deny his letter?-I never got him 2.

[Trumpets within. Hark, the duke's trumpets; I know not why he

comes:

All ports I'll bar; the villain shall not 'scape;
The duke must grant me that: besides, his picture
I will send far and near, that all the kingdom
May have due note of him; and of my land,
Loyal and natural boy, I'll work the means
To make thee capable 3.

Enter CORNWALL, REGAN, and Attendants.

CORN. How now, my noble friend? since I came hither,

(Which I can call but now,) I have heard strange news4.

1 STRONG and fasten'd villain !] Thus the quartos. The folio reads-O strange and fasten'd villain. MALONE.

Strong is determined. Of this epithet our ancestors were uncommonly fond. Thus in the ancient metrical romance of The Sowdon of Babyloyne, MS:

"And my doghter that hore stronge

"Ibronte shal be," &c.

The same term of obloquy is many times repeated by the hero of this poem. STEEVENS.

2 Would he deny his letter?-I never got him.] Thus the quartos. The folio omits the words-I never got him; and, instead of them, substitutes-said he? MALONE.

3 — of my land,—

To make thee capable.] i. e. capable of succeeding to my land, notwithstanding the legal bar of thy illegitimacy.

So, in The Life and Death of Will Summers, &c." The king next demanded of him (he being a fool) whether he were capable to inherit any land," &c.

Similar phraseology occurs also in Chapman's version of the sixteenth Iliad:

"That is no city libertine, nor capable of their gowne.'

4 - strange news.]

Thus the quartos.

words the folio has-strangeness. MALONE.

STEEVENS. Instead of these

REG. If it be true, all vengeance comes too short, Which can pursue the offender. How dost, my lord?

GLO. O, madam, my old heart is crack'd, is crack'd!

REG. What, did my father's godson seek your life?

He whom my father nam'd? your Edgar?

GLO. O, lady, lady, shame would have it hid! REG. Was he not companion with the riotous knights

That tend upon my father?

GLO.

It is too bad, too bad.

EDM.

I know not, madam:

Yes, madam, he was 5.

REG. No marvel then, though he were ill af

fected;

'Tis they have put him on the old man's death,
To have the waste and spoil of his revenues.
I have this present evening from my sister
Been well inform'd of them; and with such cautions,
That, if they come to sojourn at my house,

I'll not be there.

CORN.

Nor I, assure thee, Regan.

5 Yes, madam, he was.] Thus the quartos. The folio deranges the metre by adding

66

of that consort."

STEEVENS.

To have the WASTE and SPOIL of his revenues.] Thus quartos A and C; quarto B, reads

"To have these-and waste of this his revenues." The folio:

"To have the expence and waste of his revenues." These in quarto B was, I suppose, a misprint for-the use.

MALONE. The remark made in p. 73, is confirmed by the present circumstance; for both my quartos read with Mr. Malone's quarto B:

"To have these-and waste of this his revenues."

It is certain therefore that there is a third quarto which I have never seen. STEEVENS.

GLO. He did bewray his practice'; and receiv'd This hurt you see, striving to apprehend him. CORN. Is he pursued ?

GLO.

Ay, my good lord, he is o. CORN. If he be taken, he shall never more Be fear'd of doing harm: make your own purpose, How in my strength you please.-For you, Edmund, Whose virtue and obedience doth 9 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.

GLO.

I shall serve you, sir,

For him I thank your grace 1. CORN. You know not why we came to visit you,REG. Thus out of season; threading dark-ey'd night 2.

7 He did BEWRAY his practice ;] To bewray is to reveal or disSee Minsheu's Dictionary, 1617, in v. “To bewraie, or disclose, a Goth. bewrye." MAlone.

cover.

So, in The Downfall of Robert Earl of Huntingdon, 1601: "We were bewray'd, beset, and forc'd to yield."

Again, in The Devil's Charter, 1607 :

"Thy solitary passions should bewray

"Some discontent

66

Practice is always used by Shakspeare for insidious mischief. So, in Sidney's Arcadia, book ii. : his heart fainted and gat a conceit, that with bewraying this practice, he might obtaine pardon."

The quartos read-betray. STEEVENS.

8

he is.] These words were supplied by Sir Thomas Hanmer to complete the measure. STEEVENS

9 Whose virtue and obedience doth -] i. e. whose virtuous obedience. MALONE.

I FOR HIM I thank your grace.] Sir Thomas Hanmer, judiciously, in my opinion, omits-For him, as needless to the sense, and injurious to the metre. STEEVENS.

- THREADING dark-ey'd night.] The quarto reads:

Occasions, noble Gloster, of some poize 3,
Wherein we must have use of your advice :-
Our father he hath writ, so hath our sister,
Of differences, which I best thought it fit

To answer from our home; the several messengers From hence attend despatch. Our good old friend, Lay comforts to your bosom; and bestow

Your needful counsel to our business",

Which craves the instant use.

Enter KENT and Steward, severally.

STEW. Good dawning to thee, friend: Art of the house 7 ?

"threat'ning dark-ey'd night." JOHNSON.

Shakspeare uses the former of these expressions in Coriolanus, Act III.:

66

They would not thread the gates." STEEVENS. 3 — of some POIZE,] i. e. of some weight or moment. So, in Othello :

66

full of poize and difficulty, "And fearful to be granted."

Thus the quartos A and C. Quarto B, and the folio, have prize. MALONE.

Here again both my quartos read with Mr. Malone's quarto B— prize; though poize is undoubtedly the preferable reading.

STEEVENS.

4 from our home;] Not at home, but at some other place. JOHNSON.

Thus the folio. The quartos A and C read "—which I lest thought it fit to answer from our home." The quarto B, “—which I best thought it fit to answer from our hand." MALONE.

Both my quartos-best, and "from our hand." STEEVENS.

- to our BUSINESS,]

sinesses.

MALONE.

Thus the quartos.

Folio-to our bu