Page:King Lear (1917) Yale.djvu/31

King Lear, I. ii

Glo. "This policy and reverence of age makes

the world bitter to the best of our times; keeps

our fortunes from us till our oldness cannot

relish them. I begin to find an idle and fond

bondage in the oppression of aged tyranny, who

sways, not as it hath power, but as it is suffered.

Come to me, that of this I may speak more. If

our father would sleep till I waked him, you

should enjoy half his revenue for ever, and live

the beloved of your brother, ."—Hum!

Conspiracy! 'Sleep till I waked him, you should

enjoy half his revenue.'—My son Edgar! Had

he a hand to write this? a heart and brain to

breed it in? When came this to you? Who

brought it?

Edm. It was not brought me, my lord;

there's the cunning of it; I found it thrown in

at the casement of my closet.

Glo. You know the character to be your

brother's?

Edm. If the matter were good, my lord, I

durst swear it were his; but, in respect of that,

I would fain think it were not.

Glo. It is his.

Edm. It is his hand, my lord; but I hope his

heart is not in the contents.

Glo. Hath he never heretofore sounded you

in this business?

Edm. Never, my lord: but I have often heard

him maintain it to be fit that, sons at perfect

age, and fathers declined, the father should be

 50 policy and reverence of: policy of revering

53 fond: foolish

67 closet: room

68 character: handwriting

72 fain: gladly

