The Historie of King Lear.
pursue the offender, how dost my Lord?
¶Glost. Madam my old heart is crackt, is crackt.
1030Reg. What, did my fathers god
son
seeke your life
? ¶he whom
my father named your Edgar?
¶Glost. I Ladie, Ladie,
shame would haue it hid.
¶Reg. Was he not companion with the ryotous knights,
¶that
tends vpon my father?
1035Glost. I know not Madam, tis too bad, too bad.
¶Bast. Yes Madam, he was.
¶Reg. No maruaile then though he were ill affected,
¶Tis they haue put him on the old mans death,
¶To haue the wa
st and spoyle of his reuenues:
1040I haue this pre
sent euening from my
si
ster,
¶Beene well inform'd of them, and with
such cautions,
¶That if they come to
soiourne at my hou
se,
¶ile not be there.
¶Duke. Nor I, a
ssure thee
Regan;
Edmund,
1045I heard that you
haue
shewen your father
¶a child-like office.
¶Bast. Twas my dutie Sir.
¶Glost. He did betray his practi
se, and receiued
¶This hurt you
see,
striuing to apprehend him.
1050Duke. Is he pur
sued
? Glost. ¶I my good Lord.
¶Duke. If he be taken, he
shall neuer more
¶be feard of doing
harme, make your own purpo
se
¶how in my
strength you plea
se,
for you
Edmund,
1055who
se vertue and obedience, doth this in
stant
¶so much commend it
selfe, you
shall bee ours,
¶natures of
such
deepe tru
st, wee
shall much need
¶you, we fir
st
seaze on.
Bast. I shall serue you truly, how euer else.
1060Glost. For him I thanke your grace.
¶Duke. You know not why we came to vi
sit you
?
¶Regan. Thus out of
sea
son, threatning darke ey'd night,
¶Oca
sions noble
Gloster of
some pri
se,
¶Wherein we mu
st haue v
se of your adui
se,
1065Our Father he hath writ,
so hath our
si
ster,
¶Of defences, which I be
st thought it fit,
¶To an
swer from our hand, the
seuerall me
ssengers
¶From hence attend di
spatch, our good old friend,
¶Lay comforts to your bo
some, & be
stow
1070your needfull councell
To our bu
sines,
¶which craues the in
stant v
se.
